March 8, 2013 - Image of Love

"Breckenridge, CO Sunset"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #67
“Love created me like itself.”

What is love? As a personal value, love changes and shifts. Friendships end over disagreements, marriages fall apart, societies struggle with how to remain cohesive while accepting those who think differently. As an attribute of God, Love is unchanging. Actually, this Love is more than just an attribute, or a part, of God. It is God. Mary Baker Eddy gives us seven synonyms for God which intertwine and flow through everything we experience. These are: Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love. This Love which is God is the divine Principle of being. This sustaining Principle is never changed by human whims. On the contrary! This Love changes our material expectations and perceived shortcomings, when we allow it. There was a time when two people I care for did not get along with each other. It was interesting to see what they perceived in each other, bouncing it off of my own personal perception. And while these observations could have changed my view of them, I looked hard to see them both in their true identity as spiritual expressions of Love. They both share in the wisdom of the ages, because they reflect divine Mind. We are all the joyful manifestations of Soul, and this is demonstrated by sharing it freely with all. Seeing others as the expression of Father-Mother Love helps them to see themselves this way, too. Seeing ourselves as complete allows a shift to occur in the way we treat others and ourselves. All problems, large and small, are symptoms of a basic misconception that we are fallen humans separated from God's Love. The acceptance that we are Love, wholly and purely, starts a domino-effect process which inevitably includes everyone in this shift of thought, from the unreal belief in what we are to the pure understanding of Love.

Mary Baker Eddy quote: “From Love and from the light and harmony which are the abode of Spirit, only reflections of good can come. All things beautiful and harmless are ideas of Mind. Mind (Love) creates and multiplies them, and the product must be mental.”
Science & Health Page 280:4-8

March 7, 2013 - Happiness For All!!

"Beautiful Sky, Beautiful Woman"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #66:

“My happiness and my function are one.”

My function is happiness; happiness is my function. How do I know what this function is? By listening for Truth. Truth, in all its forms, has always been very important to me. Having this great love of and need for truth, it came as quite a surprise to find out that the life I'd lived for 37 years, the name I'd used, the birthdate I'd celebrated, the people I'd called my mom and dad, were not the ones I'd been given at birth. When I was two months old, my parents took me from a niece who was 17 and had given birth with no one to help her. Her boyfriend had skipped over the border into Mexico. Her family ignored her, in an effort to convince her to give away her baby. After two months of being on her own, she relented and gave me to her aunt -- which is what her family had wanted all along. These wonderful people (who were the only parents I had ever known) then moved across the country and made a new beginning for us all. They did this in part to save this baby from the flood of criticism and judgment which accompanied a child born out of wedlock in the 1950s. Perhaps it was their living of this huge lie which caused them to instill truthfulness so solidly within me. For whatever reason, I am thankful to have it. Because of this love of Truth, I've always wanted to know it -- in every way. But in the past two decades, it's taken the form of spiritual Truth, which shows me my function and is my happiness. And it does set you free!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it."

Science & Health Page 57:18-21

March 6, 2013 - Yielding to My Only Function

"Aquarium in South Africa'
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #65:

“My only function is the one God gave me.”

For years I resisted admitting that only one thing was required of me in order to experience the peace I craved. It seemed that giving myself to this one thing would cause me to be  a religious zealot. I thought that to live in Spirit would be predictable and boring. At that time, material existence seemed exciting, while spiritual living implied a certain aloneness which couldn't possibly be very much fun. As years have passed and I've become more aware of what living in Spirit means, the understanding of myself as a reflection of God has taken form in many ways. On the surface, it could seem that nothing has changed. I still work, play, sleep, interact with others. But everything is different. By listening to my inner Self and following that guidance, I don't need to make lists of pros and cons and weigh the value of these in making decisions. And this following doesn't mean that I mindlessly go through life as an automaton doing what someone tells me. It means that infinite possibilities are opened to me, that thought is expanded in ways which transcend material beliefs. Contentment and peace are waiting for me to find them, as I remember my only function. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"This scientific sense of being, forsaking matter for Spirit, by no means suggests man's absorption into Deity and the loss of his identity, but confers upon man enlarged individuality, a wider sphere of thought and action, a more expansive love, a higher and more permanent peace."

Science & Health Page 265:10-15

March 5, 2013 - Happiness and Joy

"South Africa Morning"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #64:

"Let me not forget my function"

I want to feel good. I want to be happy. Don't we all want these things, no matter what evidence may be exhibited to the contrary? While feeling good and being happy may sometimes seem illusive, they are the product of the realization of our true being as Love and the expression of It. I've found that when I'm not feeling happy, joy is often rekindled when doing something for someone else. This action is an emanation of Love and by its expression we are returned to our rightful Mind. As more of the world is waking up to what our function is, there are more writings concerning this and how we can continue to accept this enlightened state by realizing our true consciousness. There is a book by Neale Donald Walsch which encompasses a way of sharing what we are experiencing. You may be familiar with his "Conversations With God". There is soon to be a series of books entitled "Conversations With Humanity". As you read this book, you are encouraged to go to a website and post your thoughts, making it a true conversation! The next book in this series will include parts of this conversation with humanity. To share with others in this awakening is exciting! We are all doing it to some extent, aren't we? Look at the groups we are involved with in conversation: book clubs, spiritual meetings of various sorts, salons, chat rooms, virtual discussions, blogs, emails -- the possibilities are endless! As I go through this day, I will not forget my function, while I scatter joy and happiness along the way.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"It is essential to understand, instead of believe, what relates most nearly to the happiness of being. To seek Truth through belief in a human doctrine is not to understand the infinite. We must not seek the immutable and immortal through the finite, mutable, and mortal, and so depend upon belief instead of demonstration, for this is fatal to a knowledge of Science. The understanding of Truth gives full faith in Truth, and spiritual understanding is better than all burnt offerings." Science & Health Page 285:32-8

March 4, 2013 - Listen, Hear, Share

"Zion National Park"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #63

“The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.”

Today I will focus on accepting my function of seeing through illusions so that this sight may be extended to the world. By quieting my mind to the noises of materialism, I prepare myself to hear the voice of Truth, of Spirit, and hear the thoughts which are healing in any given situation. I'm reminded of a young newlywed couple who came into my gallery. They were filled with happiness and excitement about their new life together and their adventure in Eureka Springs. As we talked, she mentioned that it was her birthday and she was sad because it was her first celebration without her mom. As she told me about this, she became teary-eyed and seemed to lose the joy she had been expressing a moment before.  By listening to Spirit rather than her words, I was led to tell her something which was more than just sympathetic commiseration. Taking her hand I told her that Love was eternal and the love she and her mom felt for each other was present no matter where they were at any given time. Her sweet husband, who had been randomly patting her here and there, wanting to help but not sure how to do so, immediately started to smile and excitedly told her how true this was. He stated that he would remind her of that whenever she was sad. In this moment, I realized how important it is to listen and speak from the heart. Giving away whatever it may be that we hear when listening inwardly is Love expressed. Let us not be afraid to listen, hear, and share!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The effects of Christian Science are not so much seen as felt. It is the "still, small voice" of Truth uttering itself. We are either turning away from this utterance, or we are listening to it and going up higher. 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. The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

Science & Health Page 323:28-6

March 3, 2013 - My Function as Light

"Zion National Park"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #62:

"Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world."

Seeing illusions for what they are and letting them go is my function as the light of the world. Through this sight we are enabled to live a life of peace and joy. In the realization that none of these so-called threats are reality, something happens to us which we never thought possible: We experience true bliss. Not just a momentary high, but a lasting peace. I'm sure we all know people who seem to go from one disaster to another. And they delight in telling everyone the gory details! If nothing horrible is happening to them at that moment, they are anticipating what will befall them next. I know such a woman who lives in a constant state of panic. She will tell me what diseases are coming our way, how the government (both small and huge) is plotting to do us in, the weather is either too hot or cold (or it's going to be awful soon) -- You've met her, haven't you? Of course she wants sympathy and feels slighted if you won't give it to her. At a time when the electricity in our neighborhood was out for a few hours, she came over wringing her hands, telling me there was going to be a storm in the evening and asking me what we would do if the lights weren't back on when this happened. I suggested that the lightning would be delightful in our darkened homes and asked if she wanted to watch the show with me. Every possible horror she came up with was easily seen through as illusion, leaving nothing but peace passing between us. This forgiveness, this lifting of the veil of materialism, is not only possible, it is inevitable when seeing with the eyes of Love. I look forward to the time when everyone looks to solutions rather than problems!

Mary Baker Eddy has a spiritual interpretation for the Lord's prayer. Her correlation for the line, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" is this: "For Love is reflected in love."

Science & Health Page 17:7

March 2, 2013 - Shining Reflections

"Shadows and Reflections"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #61 

"I am the light of the world."

The understanding that we are all "the light of the world" is liberating! So often when we catch glimpses of our Godly reflection, we deny the sight in the name of humility, or a false sense of sinfulness, or perhaps because Jesus said that's what he was and we don't think we can be, too. We are learning that there are no degrees of perfection, and this realization enables us to proudly reflect the light which we are, never hiding under a guise of smallness. This light which we are is demonstrated in many ways, sometimes contrary to what we've been taught. A friend and I were recently talking about our children and how wonderful they are, and how glad we are to know them. She said she didn't know how her boys had turned out so great, as she had moved them around frequently when they were young, and many of her ways wouldn't have been advocated by the so-called experts in childrearing. Perhaps because she was honest with her children, and always loved them fully without judgment, they are wonderful human beings and super parents in their own right. My boys also are wonderful, but the physical circumstances of their childhood was entirely different. They attended a beautiful independent school in a small town, had a full-time mom and every-other-weekend dad, and made lifelong friends while learning about the world from their small neighborhood. There are some things my friend and I had in common. We encouraged their light to shine and made sure they knew what that meant. We weren't afraid to teach them about God, but we didn't threaten them with this knowledge. Now that they're adults, we have the pleasure of watching their shining lights, fearless and loving, giving forth what they have received. What a lovely reflection!

Mary Baker Eddy quote: 

"Light: Symbol of Truth; revelation and progress." Science & Health Page 591:23-24