March 7 2015 - Truth

"Mongolia"
photo by Aaron Springston

 ACIM Workbook Lesson #66:

“My happiness and my function are one.”

Truth has always been very important to me. Having this great love of 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 has set me 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, 2015 - Yielding

photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #65:

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

As a restless young person, I resisted the only thing which was required in order to experience peace. I thought that to live in Spirit would be predictable and boring. Decades past that time, I find that everything is exciting and new! Without the willingness to be open to the field of all possibilities, I would be repeating by-rote behaviors and following learned beliefs. That, I now see, is what would be boring! By being willing to go inward and listen, I'm never sure of what I will say or do, but I'm confident of where that guidance will lead. On the occasions I forget to listen but rather hold forth with long-held, strong opinions, things don't usually work out in the same harmonious ways as they do when I'm willing to yield. That is a strong reminder to remember that I, of my own self, know nothing. 

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, 2015 - Pure Expression

photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #64:

"Let me not forget my function"

Have you ever been accused of something you did not do? An unjust charge carries with it a terrible feeling. This same feeling follows many of us around because we have been told that we were born sinners and there is nothing we can do about it. We have come to believe it is our function on this earth to try ever so hard to overcome this innate badness. Isn't it a wonderful thing to experience teachings which show us that this is not true? The understanding of our essence as the pure expression of God, and the realization that anything unlike this experience is a material illusion brought to us courtesy of tainted human beliefs, frees us to be happy. Gone is all the guilt we may have carried around, thinking we were condemned by a power from which we couldn't escape. There has been no condemnation by any power, only illusionary powers to which we have given credence. Breaking free from these beliefs, we are free to be happy, healthy, whole -- and we bloom! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Whatever indicates the fall of man or the opposite of God or God’s absence, is the Adam-dream, which is neither Mind nor man, for it is not begotten of the Father. The rule of inversion infers from error its opposite, Truth; but Truth is the light which dispels error. As mortals begin to understand Spirit, they give up the belief that there is any true existence apart from God." 

Science & Health Page 282:28:3 

March 4, 2015 - Peace Through Forgiveness

"A Community at Peace"
photo series by John Rankine

ACIM Workbook Lesson #63

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

I used to have a bad temper. Starting in childhood, I was easily “irritated” by things. The sound of someone eating a banana noisily would “set my teeth on edge”. A lost item in the house would infuriate me. Teachers who I deemed to know less than I did would bring, at the very least, a roll of the eyes in exasperation. I’m not sure when those feelings fell away from me, but I’m really glad that they have! Being angry at anything, for any reason, is not the way I want to feel. I can only imagine the damage these feelings caused over the years. There were ruined relationships, missed opportunities, multitudes of circumstances which could have been joyful but instead were wasted. Nowadays, it’s pretty darned difficult to burst my bubble of happiness. I’m looking through the illusion of the past and forgiving myself more every day. For that, I am grateful.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"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."

Science & Health Page 324:3-5

March 3, 2015 - Letting Go of Illusion is My Function

"Downtown Eureka Springs"
photo by Richard Quick

ACIM Workbook Lesson #62:

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

I am so glad to see this reminder of forgiveness as my function! The last two years I have been on the board of an organization in our tourist-oriented town. Even though I am no longer affiliated with this great group of people, I have the utmost respect and admiration for them. Recently the Director has come under attack for taking what is being interpreted as a biased position against gay people. He has been fired and a number of his associates have resigned for various reasons — some in support of him and others because they don’t want anything to do with a prejudiced organization. It would be easy to take sides in this situation. I could easily fall into discussions on chat boards which are buzzing with these happenings. I have always made an effort to refrain from strong opinions, as having them precludes seeing things without prejudice. In today’s topic, I am happy to see the reminder to hold thought to the purity of non-judgment, thereby allowing my mind to be guided by Mind when responding to conflict. Thinking of forgiveness as letting go of illusions helps me to see everyone with the vision of divine Love, freeing me from apportioning blame and feeling guilt. Namastè ~~~

Mary Baker Eddy quote: "Imperfect mortals grasp the ultimate of spiritual perfection slowly; but to begin aright and to continue the strife of demonstrating the great problem of being, is doing much."

Science & Health Page 254:12-15

March 2, 2015 - Liberating Light

photo by Richard Quick

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 light, we deny the sight in the name of humility, or a false sense of sinfulness, or perhaps because we can't accept something so perfect about ourselves. We are learning that true humility is accepting our divine function and proudly reflecting light, never hiding under a guise of smallness. This light is demonstrated in many ways, often contrary to what we've been taught.  Personally, I find that letting my light shine means nothing other than listening for guidance and following through with what I hear. And how do I know that what I hear is not my ego wanting something? If it is, I feel uncomfortable with it, so I step back and start again. If it feels perfect, if it blesses everyone, then I follow through with confidence that it's divinely inspired. Sometimes the perfect, light-reflecting solution simply seems too difficult to do, so I try to convince myself it's an ego-based thought and refuse to do it. Ha! Once again, I go back to how I feel when sitting quietly. Experience has taught me to be ever-alert, as my ego really likes to masquerade as an ell-knowing presence. But the quietude where we may feel our unity with God always exposes the charade -- if I let it.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Light: Symbol of Truth; revelation and progress."

Science & Health Page 591:23-24

March 1, 2015 - The Beauty of Forgetting

"White River Winter"
photo by Arthur Lau-Sed

ACIM Workbook Lesson #60

Today we review Lessons 46-50. 

Love, forgiveness, salvation -- these and many other words have taken on interesting connotations through our material interpretations and beliefs. Often our version of love includes jealousy, attachment, and various demands we insist upon for someone to be a worthy recipient of our human-based love. Forgiveness seldom is an acknowledgement that there is truly nothing to forgive, but carries with it superior thoughts and magnanimous gestures. Salvation has an odd interpretation which includes a paying of penance to someone or something. As we turn away from the material conceptions of these and other words, we are allowed to glimpse Love, wherein there is no forgiveness nor salvation as we think of them. We are told in the first lesson review today that "God does not forgive because He has never condemned." And we are told that the forgiveness we are learning of as human beings is "the reflection of God's Love on earth." When looked at from this view, it seems senseless to say that we can forgive but not forget. If we truly are, in reality, the perfect reflection of divine Love, if this is the spiritual reality (hence, the Only reality), it becomes easy to lay down the sword and go forward living from the heart rather than the brain. We can let go all thoughts of retaliation or revenge and live by the law of grace. How I long to forget everything and begin again from Love!

Mary Baker Eddy correlative quote:

"Progress takes off human shackles. The finite must yield to the infinite. Advancing to a higher plane of action, thought rises from the material sense to the spiritual, from the scholastic to the inspirational, and from the mortal to the immortal. Love, the divine Principle, is the Father and Mother of the universe, including man."

Science & Health Page 256:1-8