A New Earth

ACIM Workbook Lesson #1

“Nothing I see in this room [on this street, from this window, in this place] means anything.”

A new year brings excitement as we dream of how everything can change and be made new. I listen to and read the writings of Eckhart Tolle regularly, and A New Earth is one I frequently revisit. The idea that we are transcending the thoughts which bind us, evolving to another level of consciousness, is very exciting! The possibility of stepping out of habitual thought and living in the present moment can be frightening to those of us who are accustomed to living for the future. Perhaps with the busy-ness of our thinking we have lost connection with our sense of being, the intelligence which is more than thoughts in our head. It is time to move into another stage of evolution, allowing consciousness to release our addiction to circular thinking. For humanity to go on we must transcend the mind, going beyond the compulsion to think, realizing a deeper level of being. This evolutionary transformation of consciousness is no longer a luxury, but a necessity if we are to survive. Giving up beliefs and interpretations which we have assigned to everything clears the way for the thought-expanding ideas which will lead us to exactly where we need to be, doing what needs to be done. What an exciting time to be alive! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The enslavement of man is not legitimate. It will cease when man enters into his heritage of freedom, his God-given dominion over the material senses."

Science & Health Page 228:11-13

Scattering Joy!

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #365 "This holy instant would I give to You. Be You in charge. For I would follow You,  Certain that Your direction gives me peace."

The last day of the year! When people make decisions on how they will change their lives, it’s always an exciting time, full of hope and expectations. We love to dream of how we will become “better”, and often are disappointed in ourselves when this doesn’t happen the way we have dictated. I think one of the problems with these resolutions is that we want to take away things from ourselves, but have nothing to fill the space left behind. So I’ve decided not to attempt to delete anything from my existence, but to add heaping helpings of Truth instead! I vow to be aware of every morsel of media I put into my mind, knowing we are what we think. Although I strive to stay away from judgmental thoughts and actions, the freed space in my mind will be listening for ways to productively cleanse our environment, fill needs I witness around me, and scatter joy freely! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The image of Spirit cannot be effaced, since it is the idea of Truth and changes not, but becomes more beautifully apparent at error’s demise.” Science & Health Page 542:5-7             

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Restored to Sanity

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #364

"This holy instant would I give to You. Be You in charge. For I would follow You, Certain that Your direction gives me peace."

"We are restored to sanity, in which we understand that anger is insane, attack is mad, and vengeance merely foolish fantasy." [ACIM] As the end of this year draws near, many of us reflect on events and plan ways to improve ourselves in the year to come. In the past few weeks, I have allowed myself to slip into thoughts of fear and the negativity which it breeds. What a comfort it is to know that we are all here to walk hand in hand to the light! When we stumble on the way, there are others who will lift us up. This Oneness we speak of so often doesn’t exclude anyone. It matters not if we know this fact or not, because the unity of Mind provides a constant stream of divine ideas, just waiting for us to imbibe. I am extremely grateful to know that we’re all together on this path, sometimes faltering, sometimes running, but ever moving toward understanding! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“We are all sculptors, working at various forms, moulding and chiseling thought. What is the model before mortal mind? Is it imperfection, joy, sorrow, sin, suffering? Have you accepted the mortal model? Are you reproducing it? Then you are haunted in your work by vicious sculptors and hideous forms...To remedy this, we must first turn our gaze in the right direction, and then walk that way. We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives.” Science & Health Page 248:12

Only Good Can Come of This

photo credit: Dale Johnson

ACIM Workbook Lesson #363 "This holy instant would I give to You. Be You in charge. For I would follow You, Certain that Your direction gives me peace."

Only good can come of this. A friend told me this years ago and I find great comfort in affirming the veracity of this statement. At a meeting of Course in Miracles students, a wise man said that the whole world has quite an opportunity at this point in time. Rarely does a person appear who can be such an expansive teacher, showing us exactly what the ego of mortal man is, mirroring this error of thought so precisely for everyone. Within my own microcosm I can remember many times when I had to hit the depths of despair in order to rise and fly free, leaving behind shackles I hadn’t fully realized existed. And only good came of it. Namasté, to us all!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Whatever enslaves man is opposed to the divine government. Truth makes man free.” Science & Health Page 225:2-4

Love is Reflected in Love

painting by Betty Johnson

ACIM Workbook Lesson #362

"This holy instant would I give to You. Be You in charge. For I would follow You, Certain that Your direction gives me peace."

I often mention in these writings that it seems as though animals are showing us how to live true to our Self. Not only do they mirror back to us any emotions we may be secretly harboring, they show us how to communicate more effectively through telepathy and actions, rather than words. Although my dog exhibits numerous behaviors I find baffling, I continue to see positive behavior changes in him as I become more honest and calm in my own actions. In watching "The Dog Whisperer", I have gained many insights into the reasons our dogs often seem neurotic and out of control. It always comes back our thought. Calm, assertive behavior is the mantra of Cesar Milan. Assertive doesn't mean aggressive. It involves a certainty which is only attained through listening to an inner knowledge, which is only heard in quiet, calm moments. These moments express the eternal holy instant in which our natural state shines through with the certainty of peace. And Love is reflected in love.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Let us rid ourselves of the belief that man is separated from God, and obey only the divine Principle, Life and Love. Here is the great point of departure for all true spiritual growth."Science & Health Page 91:5-8

Safe in Love's Leading

photo credit: Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #361 "This holy instant would I give to You. Be You in charge. For I would follow You, Certain that Your direction gives me peace."

I have been reminded today of ways we perhaps ask amiss for what it is we want. We, as humans, have a tendency to focus on what we don’t want, rather than what we do want — don’t you think? I remember a teacher once telling me to reinforce behaviors in our children rather than trying to turn them away from things we do not want them doing. For example, if you say, “Don’t play in the street”, all they hear is “play in the street”. I see similar behavior in ways we affirm our safety in different situations. Rather than knowing that we are all a product of divine Mind and by listening we are led in paths of safety and harmony, we tend to want to defend against the dangers we see around us. With this in mind, my goal is to listen — to listen quietly, inwardly, for that still, small voice which tells me when to slow down the car, when to delay leaving the house, what to do in any and every situation. I am one with and inseparable from divine Love, I need only remember this glorious fact!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"It is only by acknowledging the supremacy of Spirit, which annuls the claims of matter, that mortals can lay off mortality and find the indissoluble spiritual link which establishes man forever in the divine likeness, inseparable from his creator."

Science & Health Page 491:12-16

Peace is My Purpose

photo credit: Alden Stallings

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #360

"Peace be to me, the holy Son of God. Peace to my brother, who is one with me.

Let all the world be blessed with peace through us."

Let it go. Just breathe. We hear these instructions when learning how to break the hold of distress and open ourselves to peace. It took me years to realize that someone or something wasn't "making" me upset, it was my perception and interpretation and reaction to things which caused these feelings. Even with this realization, it's sometimes difficult to not get caught up in the craziness of the world. When I find myself becoming agitated about anything, I will remind myself to "let all the world be blessed with peace through us." After all, I can't change anything but my own self, and how wonderful that it’s the most important thing to do!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Let us learn of the real and eternal, and prepare for the reign of Spirit, the kingdom of heaven,—the reign and rule of universal harmony, which cannot be lost nor remain forever unseen."

Science & Health Page 208:20-24