October 1, 2012 - Love, not fear, allows Peace

"Mt. Timpanogos Goat"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Lesson #274

“Today belongs to love. Let me not fear.”

Hundreds of thousands of motorcycles enjoy the beauty of our Ozark Mountain roadways. There is a nearby event which draws them to northwest Arkansas in these numbers. For many of us (including merchants in downtown Eureka Springs) it’s a trying time. It seems that as the noise level heightens, the light atmosphere of peace and beauty we’ve become accustomed to becomes a bit heavy with anger and irritation. The powers that be inform us we should be happy to have the money that comes to our area from this influx. And so many of our residents grit their teeth with a smile as they dole out food and booze and jewelry to this seemingly hedonistic crowd. But if this day belongs to Love -- as I know it does, because there is truly nothing else -- then I want to see with the eyes of Love,  past the leathers and loudness, into the core of Being in which we all share this Love. And so I will see my way to closing the door on irritation and opening another one to harmonious music and laughter, looking deeper into this than possible with the material senses. I'm sure you have many opportunities to do the same!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“We must look deep into realism instead of accepting only the outward sense of things.”

Science and Health Page 129:22–24

September 30, 2012 - Stillness is Mine

"Shibori Dancer"
fabric creation by
Sandy Wythawai Starbird

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #273

“The stillness of the peace of God is mine.”

We have many experiences which bring a taste of the stillness of the peace of God. I love the quiet moments watching a sunset, or sitting in the woods listening to its sounds, or that sublime moment when slipping quietly to sleep. Recently a friend asked me to listen to and give an opinion on a CD having to do with alien beings controlling our actions on the planet Earth. Although much of what was said could be considered rhetoric of the conspiracy-theory crowd, the main theme was the Principle we are studying and hearing from various avenues. This Truth involves turning away from the illusion and seeing reality. While the woman on this recording was telling us that lizard people were controlling our actions, she also advised to not be frightened or give it too much importance, but to focus on Love and see through any supposed power these creatures may have. What a wonderful metaphor! It certainly is no more outlandish than the Adam and Eve story or any other legend meant to show us the difference between the illusion and the Truth. And so as I go through this day hearing all the insanity, I know it can only disturb my tranquility if I give it more power in thought than I give the stillness of peace.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Mind [God] demonstrates omnipresence and omnipotence, but Mind revolves on a spiritual axis, and its power is displayed and its presence felt in eternal stillness and immovable Love.”

From Retrospection and Introspection Page 88-89

September 29, 2012 - Higher Enjoyments

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #272

“How can illusions satisfy God's Son?”

"Mt. Timpanogos Fall"
photo by Aaron Springston

So often we think something brings us satisfaction. It's the stuff of classic songs and movies. From prospective soul mates to the dreamed-of perfect surroundings, we're compelled to keep searching for the completeness we feel we do not have. And there are moments we think we've found it, but a circumstance can change and we're back where we started. I have a friend who refers to this as "filling up the God hole". He says that's why he drinks and smokes and flits from woman to woman, trying to fill that emptiness. And even though it's recognized for what it is, he finds it too hard to turn within for the fulfillment he so relentlessly seeks. I see this in myself, too: the unwillingness to let go of illusions and dreams blocks the entry of higher ideals. To paraphrase a Bible verse, "That which I don't want, I do; that which I do want, I don't." Today I'm forgetting what I don't want and holding thought to what I do!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Higher enjoyments alone can satisfy the cravings of immortal man. We cannot circumscribe happiness within the limits of personal sense. The senses confer no real enjoyment.”

September 28, 2012 - I see with a Single Eye

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #271

“Christ's is the vision I will use today."

"Mount Timpanogos Flowers"
photo by Aaron Springston

Most of us have noticed how what we place our attention upon affects our experience. Perhaps you just got a new car, and you see the same model everywhere you look. It's not surprising that we see what our attention directs, but it is surprising to me that we are so adamant about keeping our sight tuned to things which no longer serve us. A friend was recently telling me that after retirement from his job as an airplane mechanic, he had yet to find anything that interested him as much. He related that photography and bluegrass music intrigued him for a while, but then that passed and he was left disinterested once again. Upon reflection, this seems a natural progression. Only something which stirs us deeply and is a never-ending unfoldment can be the passion of a lifetime. For me, the learning to let go of the many perceptions I have of how things seem to be -- or how I think they ought to be -- is a passion. The leaving behind, even to a minuscule degree, of these beliefs, and the replacement of them with the vision of God, is an adventure which allows every moment of this existence to be exciting and new. What my attention is fixed upon is what I see. So today I see through the eyes of the One, and I will do this by having a single eye focused only on the Truth of Being. And if past experience has shown me anything, thought is consumed by what appears before my eyes!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Agassiz, through his microscope, saw the sun in an egg at a point of so-called embryonic life. Because of his more spiritual vision, St. John saw an "angel standing in the sun." The Revelator beheld the spiritual idea from the mount of vision. Purity was the symbol of Life and Love.”

Science & Health Page 561:5-10

September 27, 2012 - Listen. See. Be.

Fabric Creation of
Sandy Wythawai Starbird

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #270

“I will not use the body's eyes today.”

Being part of the art community in Eureka Springs brings many opportunities to see through others' eyes into the depth of their connection to All That Is. I love talking to these artists in the Eureka Thyme Family and seeing their reflections come to life in physical form! And from these reflections emanate energies seen to all who are willing to look within. Love is the creator and Love is the appreciator. In these times of shifting thought, many of us are frightened by the feelings and insights we are having. Our artists lead the way fearlessly because they are accustomed to allowing other-dimensional energy into their experience. But even those used to being this conduit for spirit are feeling a difference in the flow. It could be interpreted as a blockage, but it can also be the calm before the deluge of never-before-felt creation. As their egos move away from center stage, something else is opening up and bringing forth guidance. And by the act of looking upon these palpably loving works of Art, I am taken to other realms of sight. The expressions take me past the obvious into the ethereal. Every instance of this "seeing through the veil" brings us closer to our goal of seeing that way all the time. Slipping into the silence between thoughts, seeing past the obvious, hearing within -- all this and more seek our awareness. Listen, See, Be.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Spiritual vision is not subordinate to geometric altitudes. Whatever is governed by God, is never for an instant deprived of the light and might of intelligence and Life.”

Science & Health Page 215:11-13

September 26, 2012 - I see Christ's face

Ken and Sandy Starbird
photo by Judy Rhodes

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #269

“My sight goes forth to look upon Christ's face.”

This face of Christ which is spoken of in today's lesson is everywhere. Although the words Christ and Jesus are often synonymous, they are not always. Jesus was a man who was here to show us the Truth of our Being. Christ is the Sprit, God (if you will) which is the essence of everything. The Christ, The Universe, Harold -- it really doesn't matter what you call It, because It simply Is. So this face of Christ that we are looking at today is what you see when you look in the mirror, what you see when you look at your loved ones, what you see when you look at your so-called enemies -- it is everything, minus the material beliefs and learned behaviors. Some people tell me that it's impossible to see through this material miasma, that we can't let go and freely see in a way other than we're accustomed to doing. I say why not?? Well, I've just had a two-hour conversation with a friend who told me lots of reasons why not! And every one of them was the same: fear. I questioned him relentlessly when one of these "reasons" would surface. It seems he's afraid of leaving a hole in his ego; almost as though he fears he would implode if anything is taken away -- whether it's serving him or making him miserable, it makes no difference. Although he isn't ready to accept any definition of forgiveness I could come up with, he was able to admit a possibility of being at peace within himself. And I look upon God's face.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The eternal Truth destroys what mortals seem to have learned from error, and man's real existence as a child of God comes to light.”

Science and Health Page 288:31–1

September 25, 2012 - What is -- is.

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #268

“Let all things be exactly as they are.”

"Fun in Mongolia"
unknown photographer

What is, is. Some people have told me they don't like this saying, or that they don't know what it means, or that it makes no sense. But that's not going to stop me from saying it, because saying it helps me to mean it!  I don't want to look for a cause for anything unlike good, it just is. Nor will I justify ugly thoughts and actions from myself. What is, is. BUT I will recognize that there is only One Cause and that single One Cause is the only Source of any effect realized in our lives. The spiritual, metaphysical Truth of all that is IS All That Is! There is no cause for anything unlike good, God, and so its seeming reality can be challenged with divine authority. Erroneous thoughts of any sort are the same as a dark closet in a light room. When you open the door, the dark doesn't escape into the light. The light dispels the darkness. And so it is with our realization of unrealities which seem so solid. And when we open the door and acknowledge the Truth, anything unlike God, good, simply dissipates before the certainty of light. I needn't judge or condemn anything I see or do. I need only acknowledge the Truth of how things are.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Man and his Maker are correlated in divine Science, and real consciousness is cognizant only of the things of God.”

Science and Health Page 276: 9-10