The Light I Share With My Sister

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

When we have a misunderstanding or disagreement with someone, we usually have a litany of reasons why we are right and they are wrong. If you’re like me, you try to see things from their standpoint, seeing yourself and your actions through their eyes. And if you’re like me, you probably find more ways why they’re wrong and you’re right. Ha! I am ready to break that ridiculous circular thought process and see through the illusions I have created — both for myself and others. The only way to do this is to join with the light within my sister, to see her as the same creation of Love which we all are. Our ego (mortal mind) doesn’t want us to do that. So we place the ego’s hatred and fear in someone else and declare they are the enemy. To see through that facade is no easy task. But salvation lies in moving through that feeling of separation and truly feeling the Love which we are. Burning off the ego’s dross to see the precious Love which is our true being, we walk through the falsity of human belief and come out on the side. And we see as Love sees. I want this so badly …

“I have said that you cannot change your mind by changing your behavior, but I have also said, and many times, that you can change your mind. When your mood tells you that you have chosen wrongly, and this is so whenever you are not joyous, then know this need not be. In every case you have thought wrongly about some brother God created, and are perceiving images your ego makes in a darkened glass. Think honestly what you have thought that God would not have thought, and what you have not thought that God would have you think. Search sincerely for what you have done and left undone accordingly, and then change your mind to think with God’s. This may seem hard to do, but it is much easier than trying to think against it. Your mind is one with God’s. Denying this and thinking otherwise has held your ego together, but has literally split your mind. As a loving brother I am deeply concerned with your mind, and urge you to follow my example as you look at yourself and at your brother, and see in both the glorious creations of a glorious Father.”
A Course in Miracles T-4.IV.2:1-9

“Sorrow has its reward. It never leaves us where it found us. The furnace separates the gold from the dross that the precious metal may be graven with the image of God. The cup our Father hath given, shall we not drink it and learn the lessons He teaches?”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health 66:30-3

Forgiving My Illusions

Recently I wrote about a couple of old friends, whom I have apparently not forgiven for events in our past. Another dear friend responded that she was willing to talk about anything. In that moment, I realized that at the beginning of the pandemic she and I had gone for a long period with no interpersonal contact whatsoever. I had forgotten completely about this happening, until I read her words. I have always thought of true forgiveness as meaning there was nothing I was judging and condemning, hence there was nothing to forgive. This reinforces that idea, because it never crossed my mind that we had a temporary hiatus in communications. Also this morning, Holy Spirit led me to visit ACIM Lesson #219 as unpacked by Coreen and Nouk. In a beautiful dissertation at approximately minute-mark 12, going through 17”, I found exactly what I needed to hear. I will not go into all the details here, as it would take pages to describe the beauty and truth I found in Coreen’s words. Divine perfect Love is the way to see through the illusion of grievances. I hope to delve deeper into this in future days. Namaste …

“There is nothing you can hold against reality. All that must be forgiven are the illusions you have held against your brothers. Their reality has no past, and only illusions can be forgiven. God holds nothing against anyone, for He is incapable of illusions of any kind. Release your brothers from the slavery of their illusions by forgiving them for the illusions you perceive in them. Thus will you learn that you have been forgiven, for it is you who offered them illusions. In the holy instant this is done for you in time, to bring you the true condition of Heaven.”
A Course in Miracles T-16.VII.9:1-7

“My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself, — when he shall realize God’s omnipotence and the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done and is doing for mankind.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 55:16-21

Thank You Honest Journalists!

It’s been said that lies spread faster than truth. In this age of instant communications, it’s often difficult to separate the two. Our media is prone to spreading deception and distrust, dividing people in ways which seem irreparable. Many of us remember the early days of television, a time when advertising revved up and consumerism became flagrant. Today almost everything we hear and see is designed to sell us something. We must continue to be vigilant in what we allow into our thoughts, not only for our own good, but for the collective. Repeating stories which create divisions through feelings of superiority or inferiority, that’s playing the game which has been created for us. It’s important to use our education, our intuition, our spiritual knowledge, every bit of common sense we still have, in order to discern truth. I am grateful to all the journalists who spend countless hours researching the origins of information, and connecting the dots of current events, so we all don’t need to do so! 

"The human mind, imbued with this spiritual understanding, becomes more elastic, is capable of greater endurance, escapes somewhat from itself, and requires less repose. ... It raises the thinker into his native air of insight and perspicacity."
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 128:14-19

“You will identify with what you think will make you safe. Whatever it may be, you will believe that it is one with you. Your safety lies in truth, and not in lies. Love is your safety. Fear does not exist. Identify with love, and you are safe. Identify with love, and you are home. Identify with love, and find your Self.”
A Course in Miracles W-pII.5.5:1-8

The Perfume of Gratitude

Graphic of Unknown Origin

Are there incidents with people which replay in your mind at the most unexpected times? There are a few long-time friends with whom I’ve experienced periods of painful silence. Being ghosted and not knowing what you did to cause the person to ignore you — well, it was confusing and painful. Although we now talk and all is forgiven, we never talked about those incidents, and I still do not know what happened. Since this is coming up in my thoughts time and again, I take that as a sign I have not truly forgiven them. Since forgiveness is essential in moving forward with the way of life I have chosen, it’s time to examine these things. As a reflection of divine Love, I want to see as Love sees — purely, without judgment — seeing everyone in the same Light, because we are all One.

“Can you imagine how beautiful those you forgive will look to you? In no fantasy have you ever seen anything so lovely. Nothing you see here, sleeping or waking, comes near to such loveliness. And nothing will you value like unto this, nor hold so dear. Nothing that you remember that made your heart sing with joy has ever brought you even a little part of the happiness this sight will bring you. For you will see the Son of God. You will behold the beauty the Holy Spirit loves to look upon, and which He thanks the Father for. He was created to see this for you, until you learned to see it for yourself. And all His teaching leads to seeing it and giving thanks with Him.”
A Course in Miracles T-17.II.1:1-9

“This is what is meant by seeking Truth, Christ, not ‘for the loaves and fishes,’ nor, like the Pharisee, with the arrogance of rank and display of scholarship, but like Mary Magdalene, from the summit of devout consecration, with the oil of gladness and the perfume of gratitude, with tears of repentance and with those hairs all numbered by the Father.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 367:10-16

Put The Glass Down

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

There are many great stories about choosing joy rather than pain. The one I’m thinking of today concerns a glass of water. We are asked how much a glass of water weighs. Then we are told it doesn't matter what its weight is, it matters how long we hold it. If we hold it a minute, it's light. If we hold it an hour, our arm and/or hand may become uncomfortable with the weight. If we hold it all day, our arm will feel paralyzed. This scenario is a metaphor for holding on to worries and fears. If we keep them with us, we become convinced that they are impossible to overcome. We are paralyzed from the carrying of this weight. All we have to do is put the glass down to be released from our burden. Then we are free to feel the joy which is innately ours as a child of Love!

“Who that has felt the loss of human peace has not gained stronger desires for spiritual joy? The aspiration after heavenly good comes even before we discover what belongs to wisdom and Love. The loss of earthly hopes and pleasures brightens the ascending path of many a heart. The pains of sense quickly inform us that the pleasures of sense are mortal and that joy is spiritual.”
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 265:23-30

“It is your thoughts alone that cause you pain. Nothing external to your mind can hurt or injure you in any way. There is no cause beyond yourself that can reach down and bring oppression. No one but yourself affects you. There is nothing in the world that has the power to make you ill or sad, or weak or frail. But it is you who have the power to dominate all things you see by merely recognizing what you are. As you perceive the harmlessness in them, they will accept your holy will as theirs. And what was seen as fearful now becomes a source of innocence and holiness.”
A Course in Miracles W-190.5:1-8

Heroic Hearts

Today brought many personal victories on my road to relearning ways in which to perform daily chores and activities. While I don’t feel the need to recount them here, I did tell a friend and she replied, in part, with this quote from Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson:

“We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

I thank everyone who is sending love to those of us who are willing to catch it!

“Miracles are teaching devices for demonstrating it is as blessed to give as to receive. They simultaneously increase the strength of the giver and 

supply strength to the receiver.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.I.16:1-2

“Spirit is symbolized by strength, presence, and power, and also by holy thoughts, winged with Love.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 512:8-9

A Dream of Judgment

I’m noticing a few traits which are shared by many of my favorite humans. They don’t talk about others negatively. Not sharing in this destructive chatter makes life simpler, because we needn’t try to figure out what people’s motivations are: they do what they do. Actually, our happiness doesn’t rely on what others are doing — or not doing. When we put a label on someone, such as thief, then we’ve fixed that person in our mind with a conceptual identity. The mind does this, often focusing on a person’s shortcomings, and then we are trapped. At some point, we realize the more we trap others, the more we trap ourselves. As Jesus said years ago, “Judge not, lest ye be judged”. The world cannot change without a change in thought — our own thought — and it requires vigilance for us to check the words in our head! When we notice our judgments and labeling practices, let’s not think of it as a failure on our part. It’s a great success to catch the thoughts and realize what you’re doing. When you see it, it loses its power over you — and you can choose again!

“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. Material, erring, human thought acts injuriously both upon the body and through it.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health with Key to the Scripture 246:4-9

"A dream of judgment came into the mind that God created perfect as Himself. And in that dream was Heaven changed to hell, and God made enemy unto His Son. How can God's Son awaken from the dream? It is a dream of judgment. So must he judge not, and he will waken. For the dream will seem to last while he is part of it. Judge not, for he who judges will have need of idols, which will hold the judgment off from resting on himself. Nor can he know the Self he has condemned. Judge not, because you make yourself a part of evil dreams, where idols are your ‘true identity’, and your salvation from the judgment laid in terror and in guilt upon yourself.” 

A Course in Miracles T-29.IX