Suicide Is Hurtful

http://www.fip.org

https://acim.org/acim/lesson-7/i-see-only-the-past/en/s/409?wid=search&q=lesson%207

Disegage from the ego….asap

*“Drop the lesh on the ego and be free from it…..now.”*

The ego is TOTALLY wrong! It is a piece of flotsam and jetsam floating around in your Holy Mind. We come into this world and its voice is what we hear UNTIL we look at it, decide it is wrong and ask for HELP to “see” another way. The ego is not your friend. It tells you to be fearful, mistrust others, be jealous, judge everyone but tries to sound like its loving or lovable. If you are thinking of hurting yourself, those thoughts are from the ego. That’s why it’s not your friend.

We become suspicious of the world and what we think we see! We ask: Is this all there is? And Why? You may have a list of grievances that have accumulated since the first grade, right? Write them down on a piece of paper. That is all they are…..words on a piece of paper. You don’t have to carry them around and worship them OR continue to believe it is true or pay homage to it or build a victim’s altar to it in your mind! It is all from the ego and it is from the past. Our perceptions are false.

You do have an alternative. That alternative is also in your mind and it is called by many names: Holy Spirit, Truth, Grace, Wisdom, Voice of Truth, Intuition, The Answer and others. It came with us along with the ego however; the ego’s voice is loudest in the world. The Quiet Answer is Peace. And it is the solution.

All you need to do is find time out of your busy day to be still. Go within to the quiet center. Close your eyes take some deep breaths and go to the place in your mind where it is still. Thoughts may come but disregard them. Ask for wisdom to see through the eyes of peace. Take one particular problem and say: “I need to see this differently. I want another way to see this.” This can be done even when there is chaos all around you. Like screaming children, sirens, noise from a crowd or city streets. It only takes a minute to access the Peace available in your mind.

Open you mind to the possibility that help IS available. Changing your belief that you are alone and dependent on the ego. You are NOT. Ask for another perspective to come to you. The perspective of Peace!

We tend to see only the past because the ego keeps feeding it to us: Lesson 7. I see only the past. Perhaps some of your grievances are from the past?

Here is the lesson. Just click on the “speaker” and listen. Take it in and it may not seem like it but we do carry the past our mind and it reflects, projects and “colors” the future. Be Free!!

God Bless

What to take to your REUNION

Taken from the James Webb Telescope – 1 million miles above you – check it out on YouTube and see!

Oh No!

I wasn’t sure I wanted to go! After all it had been ?? years since I’ve seen these people!

I’m glad I went! It was “I” who had judged these people so many years ago…..time to drop all judgments!

It was “I” who decided – I was not “good enough, smart enough, rich enough or equal” to them.

It was “I” who judged each of them – mostly better than I. It was I who separated myself!

I don’t know what they thought about me and I have learned since that it’s none of my business either! I wish I had known that way back then! So here is what to take or let go of – as you go to your reunion! Half of our problem is:

What do they think about me?

The other half is: What do I think about them!

Who Cares??? Reallly???

Decide you will have a wonderful time. It is up to you to decide this before you go because it will set you up for just that! Decide you will have a good experience and it is a worthwhile thing to do and you will enjoy, aka being “in joy”.
Decide you will drop all past judgments you have had about people! You will no longer see the “past” in them but only the Present! Let the past go…..it is gone anyway, no longer here and never to return!
Decide you will not let your past judgments cast any shadow on NOW! Besides your past judgments were probably wrong. Forgive the past, be free of it and have the peace of NOW…..right NOW! You can do this.
Go with an open heart and mind. Relax! Accept how things are NOW and not how they WERE. Love is here right NOW. Acceptance is here right NOW
Go with Faith in yourself and them…. when you see someone you haven’t seen in awhile ask: What have you done since? ……..High school?……College? or been doing…….since I last saw you. Open them up to bring you up to date with their lives.
Go with Trust…….Trust in your Goodness…..Trust in their Goodness. Go with Love……Trust in Truth!
See – A Course In Miracles: Lesson 7. I see only the past.
Lesson 7. I see only the past https://acim.org/acim/lesson-7/i-see-only-the-past/en/s/409?wid=search&q=lesson%207
You can use the above suggestions whenever you are going somewhere you don’t think you want to go!!!

From the James Webb Telescope – taken 1 million miles above you

Why Worry? This Need Not Be!

The “Courage Bench” sits at West Point, overlooking the Hudson River!

I don’t know about you but there are several things going on in my life and in our Country’s life that make me worry. I worry about the division that is making people blind these days. Maybe it has always been and always will be BUT I don’t have to buy into it and take sides. But my ego wants to of course.

Choose to “look within” and realize it is a choice to be worried but….this need not be! Since it is a choice I don’t have to choose it…..do I? What part of my mind is choosing? Where is my decision maker? I have a “decider” in my mind that can choose!! A few days ago I caught a thought; actually it was a judgment (condemnation) about a person who was obese. I “noticed” the thought and said “I don’t have to think this or believe this thought – so I don’t choose it.” It was disturbing to think it! I stopped the ego – this need not be!

“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. ³In every case you have thought wrongly about some brother (maybe yourself even) that God created, and are perceiving images your ego makes in a darkened glass.”(ACIM, T-4.IV.2:2-3)

That was it! I started seeing the beauty in that individual and the fine intelligent mind that out shown the form in every way. The judgment turned to acceptance and then opened to love.

One night I was worried sick about my son who was very late getting home. I finally decided I would put him in “God’s Hands” and let it go. This need not be!! I went to bed. Everything was fine and even if it turned out differently, he was in God’s Hands forever where I had placed him. The truth is WE, you and I are in God’s Hands too! If we are in God’s Hands then what is there to worry about? “

“Search sincerely for what you have done and left undone accordingly, and then change your mind to think with God’s. ⁶This may seem hard to do, but it is much easier than trying to think against it. ⁷Your mind is one with God’s. ⁸Denying this and thinking otherwise has held your ego together, but has literally split your mind.” (ACIM, T-4.IV.2:5-8)

Denying that we are One with God has left us bereft and lonely. When I am worried I am also sad because I made some mistake and wonder what the consequences will be and then that makes me anxious. This is all 1000% ego thoughts!

“When you are sad, know this need not be. ²Depression comes from a sense of being deprived of something you want and do not have. ³Remember: you are deprived of nothing except by your own decisions, and then decide otherwise. When you are anxious, realize that anxiety comes from the capriciousness of the ego, and know this need not be. ²You can be as vigilant against the ego’s dictates as for them.” (ACIM, T-4.IV.3:1–4:2)

And then I feel guilty because of the mistake – The Course tells us that only the ego can experience guilt and I am not my ego and neither are you!

“When you feel guilty, remember that the ego has indeed violated the laws of God, but you have not. ²Leave the “sins” of the ego to me. ³That is what Atonement is for. ⁴But until you change your mind about those whom your ego has hurt, the Atonement cannot release you. ⁵While you feel guilty your ego is in command, because only the ego can experience guilt. This need not be. Watch your mind for the temptations of the ego, and do not be deceived by it. ²It offers you nothing.” (ACIM, T-4.IV.5:1–6:2)

The Course mentions “sin” in the above paragraph and defines sin as lack of love! That’s it! I’m not sure what Jesus means when he says “to leave the ego to him” but I trust he has a good plan. And the “Atonement” means that we are called upon to Remember we are One with God….That’s it!! You don’t have to give yourself lashes with a whip or “atone” in some other way. We just need to re-member or re-attach ourselves to the memory of God…..we never left God! And if your ego has “hurt” someone tell them you are sorry- with your mind and send love or tell them in person. Why not? Don’t let the ego stop you. We SEEM to find ourselves alone in the world. Not True! He, God, is with you and will be with you Always because He is in your Mind and always will be.

“Watch your mind for the temptations of the ego, and do not be deceived by it. ²It offers you nothing. ³When you have given up this voluntary dis-spiriting, you will see how your mind can focus and rise above fatigue and heal.” (ACIM, T-4.IV.6:1-3)

DECIDE – to Watch your mind, all thoughts that judge and separate, negative and good thoughts both separate you from others and are dis-spiriting. We are no longer in SPIRIT.

The Course says this is a HABIT to be developed if you let your mind slip, and feel moody, just look and see what you have thought that God would not have thought. Forgive – let it go! You are FREE!

See Chapter 4. Section IV. This Need Not Be!!

God Bless – you ARE LOVED!!

988 New Crisis number

Starting July 16, those who need mental health help now have a new way to reach out for that help. Instead of dialing the current 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, simply call or text the numbers 9-8-8.

Modeled after 911, the new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is designed to be a memorable and quick number that connects people who are suicidal or in any other mental health crisis to a trained mental health professional.

“If you are willing to turn to someone in your moment of crisis, 988 will be there,” said Xavier Becerra, the secretary of health and human services, at a recent press briefing. “988 won’t be a busy signal, and 988 won’t put you on hold. You will get help.”

The primary goal of the new number is to make it easier for people to call for help. But lawmakers and mental health advocates see this as an opportunity to transform the mental health care system and make behavioral health care easily accessible everywhere in the United States.

For mental health help don’t call 911 – Call or Text 988

ONE KINDNESS A DAY

“One kindness a day keeps the Dr. away” Instead of an apple a day! A kindness will keep the Doctor away because when we give, we receive! Try it! I just called a Senator who was receiving hate messages from those who disagree with him and told him he is doing a great job and he is loved!

I hope the staff passes the message on but whether they do or not, I have sent the message with my heart and mind. I still have that message in my mind so even though I “gave” it; I still have it because when you give you receive!

If you are depressed, anxious and worried what could you need that kindness could not give? You need a message of hope, acceptance and appreciation so what better to give….that will also help you through the depression? When you give…..you receive and you have…. because it is in the mind. Who do you know who needs a word of kindness today? How about yourself? Make a note and paste it on your bathroom mirror!

Just like the note, you don’t need to say it out loud either. You hold it in your mind because on some level minds are shared because we are One. Send love to someone you have held a grievance about. Maybe someone you detest! In this way you release yourself from the hold you have placed on the love within, the love that you are. Maybe they insulted you or snubbed you or called you a name. So what? That is really their problem.

Those who hate are in pain. Their judgment locks them in a prison of pain and separation. The people who left their message of hate on the Senator’s voice mail did not get rid of their hate just because they “left” the message. They still carry the hate in their mind and heart. They are in fear and need love. They reject love because they are afraid of it. Send them love anyhow. Refuse to hate and sully your beautiful holy mind, which by the way cannot ever be stained.

When you find yourself upset, disgusted or hating someone STOP! Say: This is the ego’s choice not mine! I refuse to carry this judgment. The look within to see what the problem or issue is and then admit it is also in you. Would you blame yourself for this mistake? No! So don’t blame them either. If you want peace always go within and listen to the “small still voice”; the voice of the Holy Spirit; Love; mercy; Truth and Kindness.

Do yourself the kindness of forgiveness and you will be well….all the days of your life!!

A Course In Miracles Lesson 282: I will not be afraid of love today

https://acim.org/acim/lesson-282/i-will-not-be-afraid-of-love-today/en/s/700?wid=search&q=lesson%20282

Painting: Daffodill Love – prints available at http://www.sally-mckirgan.pixels.com;

Merry-Go-Round or Ego-Go-Round

Your Choice: Heaven or ??

In A Course In Miracles Lesson 151, All things are echoes of the Voice for God, paragraph 5. Jesus explains what the ego is doing in our mind.

In paragraph 4.2.”You have often been urged to refrain from judging, not because it is a right to be withheld from you. You cannot judge. You merely can believe the ego’s judgments all of which are false. It guides your senses carefully, to prove how weak you are; how helpless and afraid, how apprehensive of just punishment, how black with sin, how wretched in your guilt.”

THIS IS THE EGO’S OPINION AND IT IS NOT TRUE. DON’T BELIEVE IT!

It’s this thinking of weakness, fear, guilt and sin the ego has forced fed us and continues its task daily and moment by moment if we listen to it. And the proof of this is that we have judged others and ourselves our entire life and believed those judgments to be true. We were born with a gavel in our fat little hand, leveling judgments as if we were sitting on the “Judge’s Bench” and knew everything there was to know about something or someone. That gavel was placed in our “hands” by the ego part of our split mind when we separated from God, (or thought we did) and not knowing any better, we listened and believed its the ego thoughts were ours and true to boot. We never thought to question that maybe the stream emanating from within our mind, were not really our thoughts! We didn’t know any better. We listened to a voice that has no scruples, claims authority over us and has its own self-interest as its goal. But the fact is that we did CHOOSE the ego at the “seeming” separation. It was a mistake that never really happened, however, still we must change our mind now that we are in ego land.

Then in paragraph 5. Jesus tells us “This thing it speaks of, and would yet defend, it tells you is yourself. And you believe that this is so, with stubborn certainty. Yet underneath remains the hidden doubt that what it shows you as reality with such conviction it does not believe.” It is itself alone that it condemns. It is within itself it sees the guilt. It is its own despair it sees in you.” I take this to mean that the ego projects its inadequacies and condemnations onto our mind, me/you. It does not know anything really because it is unsure of itself! Kind of like a blustering Cowardly Lion, the King of the Forest in the Wizard of Oz, so unsure of himself but never let anyone know it! That’s the ego being unsure of what it is!

But we have believed it’s litany of judgements as Jesus said in paragraph 4. We have listened to thoughts of separation; sin, guilt and fear and have done the ego’s work of projecting the ego’s condemnation and despair out onto the world and onto others. Saving ourselves and getting rid of it like the ego just did with us. What the ego projected onto us; we gladly did the favor of passing it on….out onto others and the world. We are then a puppet of the ego UNTIL we decide “Enough of this Ugliness” “STOP with the Baby Business, like Ken Wapnick tells us!!” It is tragic because we separated ourselves from LOVE. Now we are trying to get back to the LOVE that has always been there.

I find this to be amazing…….all my life listening to the wrong voice and believing it, until I came across the Course In Miracles and I know I still listen to the ego because I catch myself judging….a lot!! I am responsible for what I think or what I believe from the ego point of view. I must over-ride those thoughts. Like Byron Katie asks: Is that True??? If any thought is coming from the ego it is NOT True!

So….now what! Lesson 152. 1. “No one can suffer loss unless it be his own decision. No one can grieve nor fear, nor think him sick unless these are the outcomes that he wants. No one dies without his own consent.” And in paragraph 9. “Today we practice true humility, abandoning the false pretense by which the ego seeks to prove it (our reality as God’s Son) arrogant. Only the ego can be arrogant. But truth is humble in acknowledging its mightiness its changelessness and its eternal wholeness, all encompassing. We lay aside the arrogance (of the ego) which says that we are sinners, guilty, and afraid, ashamed of what we are; and lift our hearts in true humility instead to Him Who has created us immaculate, like to Himself in power and in love.” We CHOOSE to drop the hand of the ego and accept the Truth that Jesus is leading us to.

Here is beautiful paragraph 10 in first person. “The power of decision is my own. I accept of Him that which I am, and humbly recognize (myself as) the Son of God. To recognize (myself as) God’s Son implies as well that all my self-concepts have been laid aside, and recognized as false. Their arrogance has been perceived. And in humility the radiance of God’s Son, my gentleness, my perfect sinlessness, my Father’s Love, is my right to Heaven and release from hell, is joyously accepted as my own.

Jesus is leading us away from the ego’s grip by telling us we have a CHOICE to make as a Decision Making Mind, and to stop believing the stream of lies that were fed to us. And above all STOP believing them! He asks us to acknowledge that the ego’ thoughts are false and only truth is true. And we encourage our frightened minds with this:

“The power of decision is my own. This day I will accept myself as what my Father’s Will created me to be.”

“Then will we wait in silence, giving up the ego’s self-deception as we humbly ask our Self that He reveal Himself to us. And He Who never left will come again to our awareness, grateful to restore His home to God as it was meant to be. In patience wait for Him (Holy Spirit your true thoughts) throughout the day, and invite him hourly. He will substitute the peace of God for all your frantic ego thoughts ( of worry , fear, doubt, guilt) the Truth of God for self-deceptions, and God’s Son for your illusions of yourself.”

To quote a little Monk on a New York Street to my good friend Brad who was deciding how much of a donation to give him…….” You da Boss!!”

Here is are the two lessons – play them and sit back and enjoy!

https://acim.org/acim/lesson-151/all-things-are-echoes-of-the-voice-for-god/en/s/557?wid=search&q=151

Lesson 151 – All things are echoes of the voice for God.

https://acim.org/acim/lesson-152/the-power-of-decision-is-my-own/en/s/558?wid=search&q=152

Lesson 152 The Power of Decision is my own.

WHEN DOUBT SHOWS UP JUST SAY: I AM LOVED!!

Who or What am I?

Painting title: Fly like an Eagle

As we negotiate our lives we do wonder who we are.

We have many gifts and perhaps foibles and we wonder who we are.

We make mistakes (never call them sins) and we wonder who we are.

Are you L.G.B.T.Q or? Are you black, white, brown or? But you still wonder who am I, or what am I.

Do you know what you are?

This is what you are:

You are the Holy Son of God regardless of how you identify your body, male, female, straight, L.G.B.T.Q or your ethnicity!!! This is the Truth! Accept it because you are MORE than a body. You are Spirit first!

This is the truth regardless of what your sexual identity, ethnicity, cultural background or white, black, brown, yellow or red!

FACT: You are loved, complete, healed and whole and any uncertainty about that is self-deception.

Do not deny this reality regardless of how you self-identify, or how you see yourself or think others see you. You are a Holy Son of God regardless of what they think, how they see you or judge you and you are This over and above any other self-identification imposed upon you by yourself or others. Holy Son of God comes first!

And regardless of how others self-identify they too are a Holy Son of God, the same as you. Love them because as you judge them, you judge yourself. As you Love them; you love yourself.

And…..this is important: As you hate them you hate yourself.

You are God’s Son in whom he is well pleased! You are his Son regardless of what your doubting split mind may tell you. The ego part of your mind is what has doubts and it is insidious and not your friend. Do not listen to it. Tell it what you are instead.

See A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson 139. I will accept Atonement for myself.

www.https://acim.org/acim/lesson-139/i-will-accept-atonement-for-myself/en/s/544 (paste in browser)

Click on the “Listen” button and close your eyes, lean back and relax.

Tip: Atonement is defined in the Course as: The separation from God that never occurred. This is different from what some religions teach: that you have done something wrong. You have done nothing wrong but you need to remember you are as God created you; ONE with GOD; have always been and will always be and so is everyone else.

Painting Title: Take Jesus off the Cross – prints & cards avail

And Always Remember above all else and say: I AM LOVED

Painting: Fly like an Eagle – available in prints or cards at http://sally-mckirgan.pixels.com

On the journey ask for HELP!!!

It is hard to believe that it us up to us to “save” ourselves. What??? HELP!!! I want someone else to do it. To fix me, love me, tell me I’m loveable, accepted, cared for, protected from all harm, and who can make me feel secure in the knowledge that all….IS WELL.

Yes, ask for HELP from professionals, and they can and will guide, but they still can’t do it for us…….we do it! We are responsible. You are responsible.

We are unaware most of the time that we have a split mind. But if you are suffering it is probably because of your thinking! Thoughts of judgment, worry, concerns, stress fear, tell you that you are listening to the wrong mind, i.e. the ego. It is your holy mind within that you need to access and listen to that says All Is WELL.

Ask for HELP to think the quite thoughts. The holy part of your mind is the Holy Spirit. It won’t attack with….”you should know better.” That is the false, ego mind. The memory of love aka God comes to the quiet mind. On a scale from 1 to 10%, with 10% being the greatest….how much attention do you give to quieting your mind? Maybe 2% or 5% or none?

This is why we are our saviors. We save ourselves when we access our right holy mind, the Holy Spirit and turn our daily tasks and thoughts over. The book “A Course In Miracles” says “ask the Holy Spirit” for help. The Holy Spirit is a gift from God or the door to our right mind. That is where peace and comfort can be accessed. It is not in the world, going to the movies, shopping, etc.

For example, I recently had to do something I was dreading. When I noticed the ego thoughts running in my mind, I made the decision to change my mind. I called upon the “Holy Spirit” and said I want to see this differently. What came to me was: “take love with you and carry it like a “hostess gift and choose to see everyone and all circumstances through the eyes of non-judgment and peace.” It was an easy afternoon using the gift. You have it too.

If you are not familiar with the Course the idea of a “Holy Spirit” may seem strange but….watch your mind and if you see the dualistic split between, good/bad, love/hate, friend/foe, misery/peace then you are noticing the split. Just watch how you are feeling, what’s going on in your mind. Do you like it? You are a “Decision Maker” i.e. the boss! It is up to you to lead the way and not follow the ego’s thoughts that lead to nowhere!

But you have to watch your thoughts. You must be vigilant for those little thoughts of unease and if you follow them, they will become bigger. Important: don’t judge them or make it a big deal but just tell yourself you are choosing another way.

In A Course In Miracles, Chapter 27. Section VIII, The Hero of the Dream, paragraph 10. (Text page 587) “The secret of salvation is but this: That you are doing this unto yourself.”

All judgment makes us miserable. Watch the parade of thoughts, wave, and let them go and ask for another way to see everything! Ask for HELP!

You are Loved, Loveable and Loving!

Watercolor painting “Help” is available: posters, cards & prints at http://www.sally-mckirgan.pixels.com

A Course In Miracles websites:

http://www.fip.org

Storage Locker: Love and Appreciation

Every time something happens to us, something traumatic or hurtful, it is stored away in a locker called resentments and grievances. Those memories keep coming up because that’s the ego’s job, i.e. to continue looping the grievances, hurts and upsets thus keeping love far, far away.

When am I not ruling my mind, the thoughts, feelings, upsets and forgiving, which is most of the time, I am listening to the ego. When something nice occurs, the ego easily dismisses it because “you’re not worthy of love so don’t pay attention to that kindness for Heaven’s sake.”

The solution: Have a storage locker for love and appreciation. Be vigilant for them and replay and then give it away. When you receive, and give you have! Appreciate and love yourself, allow it and let it in. The ego will dismiss but don’t accept that thought.

When we judge, (that thought comes from the ego) it is an attack. It is an attack on your mind, your identity. See that and say “No!” I have no need to judge this! “Holy Spirit: What? Help me here.”

The ego doesn’t notice or give any credence to love. It dismisses kindnesses and hangs on to the grievances or the upsets.

But you are responsible for all thoughts. The ego is not your boss! The mind is healed by love, by embracing Love, noticing Love; letting Love In.

Love heals. Your mind is perfect, complete and whole. You are the Decision Maker and you have the power to give love to everything your five senses perceive: see, touch, hear, smell, tastes or thinks of.

For example the January 6^th attack on the U.S. Capitol, if you stand above the battleground and send love to all those who were attacked and those who attacking, you are healing your mind. We don’t know what things are for. Everyone in that situation needs love, the whole country needs love. When you send love you are free and out of the judgment zone. I can’t say I appreciate the situation but I can appreciate the love I now feel. Whether you agree with the attackers or not, you are free because in are remembering love.

When we are in fear, angry, depressed, upset, remembering a grievance, we are listening to the ego, the fear and judgment producer. RECOGNIZE that you don’t want that anymore and ask the Holy Spirit to help you move into the Love column. That is your power!

Forgiveness is for healing our Mind!

We remember resentments because we haven’t forgiven the past, the incidents or traumas. They have a way of sticking because fear and adrenaline is activated and we identify with the body. We fear for our lives or others. Maybe it was a “close call” that could have changed lives forever or maybe it did. Something BIG and important is so disturbing that it is imbedded in our psyche.

There are no accidents as it turns out. So whatever happened we now have the challenge of accepting, dealing with it and forgiving everyone and everything involved. We need to see how everything is for our best interests. We don’t always accept this but ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Where is the Love? Look for the love! It is there somewhere.

Allow Love and Gratitude to be at the top of your storage locker, the things to remember list. Love is never a little thing! Things may seem little but when we appreciate them, the love flows in.

If we develop an “attitude of gratitude” the big traumas won’t seem so big and awful. They will be superseded by the nice, the quiet; the sweet and touching moments.

You may not believe in God or Jesus and you don’t need to in order to feel or give love! So you may want to disregard the next section but ask yourself: Where does love come from?

In A Course In Miracles Manual #23. Does Jesus have a special place in healing? Pg. 58. p.4. s. 6. “And gratitude to God becomes the way in which He is remembered, for love cannot be far behind a grateful heart and thankful Mind.”

What has occurred recently that you forgot to add to your list? Today I received an appreciation note; it came out of the blue. The other day a gentleman looked at me and smiled. I don’t know why I just now remembered it but I do remember noticing his smile and smiling back and now I send appreciation and love back because I have them and I can give.

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 236 – I rule my mind, which I alone must rule.

1. I have a kingdom I must rule. ²At times, it does not seem I am its king at all. ³It seems to triumph over me, and tell me what to think, and what to do and feel. ⁴And yet it has been given me to serve whatever purpose I perceive in it. ⁵My mind can only serve. ⁶Today I give its service to the Holy Spirit to employ as He sees fit. ⁷I thus direct my mind, which I alone can rule. ⁸And thus I set it free to do the Will of God.

2. Father, my mind is open to Your Thoughts, and closed today to every thought but Yours. ²I rule my mind, and offer it to You. ³Accept my gift, for it is Yours to me.

(https://acim.org/acim/en/s/649#1:1-2:3 | W-236.1:1–2:3)

God Is!

Spring Forward into Peace

This month we all set our clocks ahead one hour for daylight savings time. I love it. More Light!!! We need more light in our lives. One way to have more light in our lives is to let go of the darkness, daily. Actually moment by moment.

If you cannot access peace you may be on “rewind” and replaying hurtful events from the past. Examine and see if something is bothering you from an hour ago, yesterday or last week?

Are you happy being stuck on automatic thinking about an event, old or new? Are you replaying blame, pain and guilt? Was it their fault or yours? If it was your fault you feel guilty. If it was theirs, you feel victimized. Neither are very happy making!

Why is your mind doing the replaying? Ask Yourself: Do I want peace and joy rather than guilt or victimhood? If the answer is Peace and Joy, then STOP acknowledging or listening to the replay.

The master of replay is…..the ego. The ego is the part of the mind that always brings up fear, negativity, self doubt, envy, grievances, etc. It’s purpose is to keep you from realizing your true innocent Self and to keep you from peace.

You have a Beautiful Holy Mind, a Decider! START to “overlook” the disturbing limiting negative thoughts and instead say: “I choose to look at this another way for the sake of my own peace.” You do not have to believe your thoughts. They are coming from the insane ego part of your mind. Listen to Holy Spirit, the guide that was given all of us at the point when we separated from God. He was placed there as the alternative to the ego. You can ask for help and choose which part of your mind you will listen to; the voice for peace or the voice for love.

If you are holding a grievance against someone….it is held in your MIND! You are trapped in the grievance with them. Are you happy? Tell them in your mind and include yourself:

“My brother/sister/: peace and joy I offer you, That I may have God’s peace and joy as mine.”

See A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson 105.

We don’t realize that if we hold a grudge or a judgment against someone, that we are in effect, denying peace to our Self. If you hold it in your mind, you are victimizing yourself, causing your own suffering! Amazing isn’t it??

Do you think your brother is suffering? We don’t know but we know you are. Would you say to that brother?

“My brother/sister/myself: misery and suffering I offer you, That I may have misery and suffering as well.

You have a powerful and Holy Mind at your disposal. The Holy Sprit will take your hand and guide you as you look at any and all thoughts. This looking is also called forgiveness.

This is from A Course In Miracles, 1. What Is Forgiveness: p.4. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is still, and quietly does nothing. It offends no aspect of reality, nor seeks to twist it to appearances it likes. It merely looks, and waits, and judges not. He who would not forgive must judge, for he must justify his failure to forgive. But he who would forgive himself must learn to welcome truth exactly as it is.

Accept that peace and joy is your inheritance and that you are worth it. Spring FORWARD into PEACE; into LIGHT!!

Lesson 30: God is in everything I see because God is in my mind. • Foundation for Inner Peace: Publisher of A Course in Miracles (ACIM)

God Bless! YOU ARE LOVED

A Valentine’s Gift For You

Learn to Love Yourself – A Valentine’s Day Gift

Do you feel loved? Do you feel un-loved?

Feel love by connecting to the unconditional, non-judgmental love that is within. Choose to go there! You DO have love within, no matter if you THINK someone loves you or not. You are loved no matter what you think!

The truth is; you are loved, loving and lovable. It may feel hard to accept that reality but why not try? Close your eyes and repeat to yourself:

“I am Loved, I am lovable and I am love.” Repeat this statement to yourself. Place your hands on your upper arms and hug yourself. Keep telling yourself that you ARE loved, Lovable and Loving. Continue to hug and stroke and affirm the love within.

If there is anyone in your mind that you hold a grievance about, extend love to them. Why not? You do yourself a favor because when you extend love, you also have love by holding it in your mind .

Accept your reality as a loving radiant light and extend it out to ALL. That includes your family, friends, colleagues, the U.S. Congress and Senate and the world.

If you are depressed or suicidal it is crucial to cherish the beautiful SOUL that you are!

Write the following down and place it where you can see it several times a day:

I am the light of the world.

I am spirit, loved and loving.

Being love I extend it to all.

Our nation is going through turmoil right now. The truth is, there is always turmoil but when we give someone a smile; a wave of the hand or offer to hold a door open, we are giving love. And as we give, we receive the same inner appreciation in our mind and heart.

When we remember to be kind and loving, our journey is peaceful and joyful. Love is eternal, formless and never ending so it cannot run out. You cannot run out of love. You can give away all you want and it is never gone. It is like the bottle of sherry in a Christmas movie I saw once: it fills up as soon as it is emptied and it never inebriates.

A daily reminder of the love within, will set the belief in your mind. The ego part of your mind will not believe it, but that does not mean that it’s not true. In fact, your ego mind will tell you the opposite and deny the reality of what you are.

You have the power to change your beliefs and thoughts. We all have made mistakes, and have regrets from the past but has remembering or beating yourself up made you happier? When you are in a hole, stop digging.

Forgiveness is remembering you are spirit living in a human body in a classroom called the world.

The Course In Miracles tells us God is love. You do not have to believe in God, just believe in love. Whenever you have a loving thought, you are an extension of love and you are the creator of your life and your world.

You are the light of the world and you are LOVED – allow yourself to feel it. Give this gift of understanding, acceptance and mercy to yourself. When you give love you are holding it in your mind, so it is yours. Exclude no one from your love — and importantly include yourself.

See a Course In Miracles Workbook Lessons – http://www.acim.org

#46. God is the Love in which I forgive.

And Lessons #171 through 180: God is but Love and therefore so am I.

United or Divided: I Accept, understand and love you!

As of this writing, November 24, the new President Elect Joe Biden is now allowed to transition his new administration with the White House. But it is evident from watching the voting and election disputes that our beautiful country, lovely America is at odds with one another, Republican’s and Democrat’s. “United We Stand – Divided We Fall” sorrowfully comes to mind. Is that OK with you? No matter who wins, the condemnation and division will make us miserable until we decide or at least try to understand each other and heal the division. Understanding brings acceptance or visa versa perhaps. We need to interview each other, meet up online and reach out to learn what we have in common. We are the same! We live; eat and breathe and we die. We are in the same boat on the same planet. That should be enough to get us to the table of toleration. What do we love? That is the question.

Besides those basics there is another profound sameness. Mystics and Saints tell us of the spark that is at the center of everyone who is here, has come or is yet to come. This innocent spark at your center is truth that cannot be extinguished. It carries you throughout your life, a north star, the guide to constant peace within. It cannot die and you take it with you when your leave this earthly plane. Cherish and engage this spark, it is your touchstone, your Spirit identity, the driving force that guides you to Truth and the knowledge of what and whom you are. It is the life force living within and without in everyone. It is a guide for any circumstance that comes, if consulted, you will know what to do, where to go and what to say and to whom. There will be no doubts in your holy mind because peace has entered the rock on which you stand as you go forth with the guidance given. Guilt is nowhere to be found in your holy mind. You have nothing that you lack and nothing can endanger or put out this life spark, no circumstance is too difficult to understand and no amount of hate can extinguish its holy light.

The spark is in Trump; Biden; Republican’s; Democrat’s; Independent’s….in everyone. It is in those who protest Black Lives Matter and those who don’t. It is in the shooter who kills and he who is shot. The only difference: refusing to acknowledge the spark in us, is also in the other. We judge “them “as immoral, criticize, and demonize others with aversion, ignoring, denying the spark could possibly be in them. We close our minds but the spark still burns within all of us. Each of us is responsible for recognizing, enriching and honoring the spark in ourselves and in those we condemn. It will emerge, blossoming as we cultivate endeavor to “see” and claim its reality. After all, it is Love.

Love and the evidence it brings dissolves the barriers that cover the spark. Look into a little child’s eyes or sweet smile. Hear her call of “Hi” in response to your smile or wave; look into the eyes of your pet; grandchild; look at the love that comes at you. It is a gift from the spark, the spark we share. Love calls to love and cannot be stopped, destroyed, hurt or buried.

I don’t know what will happen with politics but you and I have a life to live. With Covid we don’t know how long or well but we can still live with the fullest amount of love we can give. If you need to go to a protest in the coming weeks, make a sign “I love you no matter what.” Recognize the spark of love dwells in the person or persons in the next car; to the kid walking down the street; the talking head on TV no matter if you agree with them or not; it is in the woman in the grocery store line; the homeless guy with the sign; and the person standing or sitting next to you. Send love; send acceptance, toleration and compassion. Open your mind to surround everyone you see and include yourself. Exclude no one from your love or acceptance and we will unite and never be divided by politics, religion or any circumstances life or the world brings. I send Love to you….right now.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson 30: God is in everything I see because God is in my mind. (Click on the lesson, click on the arrow, close your eyes and the lesson will be read to you.)

You are Loved!

The Open Door beneath your Mind

During this Covid 19 pandemic it seems everyone is pretty miserable. How are you feeling? I go in and out of worry and depression but I am always grateful for those who are on the front lines dealing with it. The only way to side step misery is to be aware of how you perceive the situation. Perhaps a change of mind is in order. What you think and the judgments you make will either make you happy or sad. The mind is a beautiful thing to change. It is up to you to change it. Do you dwell in fear or love.

You are 100% responsible for how you think (judge) understand and perceive. We have a choice in “how” we judge things and situations. If we see something as an attack then the ego is in charge. Are you happy when the ego is in charge? If we can view what goes on around us with an iota of lenience – just a little- we begin to open the mind to the idea of tolerance. Tolerance and mercy hold open the door, to your peace.

I’m thinking of wearing masks as I write this but it could be anything that disturbs your peace. I think everyone should wear a mask. I don’t like them because they restrict air and I need air but I wear one anyway. I can understand why someone would choose not to, but I want peace. So I have to change my mind, on the spot, adding a dash of tolerance and mercy to my thoughts. Just because I disagree I do not have to allow hatred or anger. I can see either love or the call for love. And the call for love is to me, my mind and its need for peace as well as theirs. The ego does not have to run and ruin my life. I choose to sideline the dominant ego’s thought system and choose charity and mercy.

When we give mercy and respect to others, we have mercy and respect for ourselves. We don’t realize how much needless unconscious guilt we pile on our psyche with righteous judgments and opinions feeling certain we are right. Do I want to be right or happy? Letting go of my conviction that I know what’s right when in fact I don’t always know, opens the door to beneath my mind.

We like to think that we know it all. But we don’t know what our soul needs to experience or lessons we have come to learn, until they arrive at our doorstep. We have all experienced being misunderstood or accused of something we did not intend or been unfairly treated. When knowing how it feels to be unfairly treated, we refuse to mistreat anyone. One thing we can always do is offer love and acceptance with our thoughts. In doing so, we open the door in our mind, leading to understanding, and turn from the ego’s decree of punishment, fire and brimstone.

“Then let them (your judgmental thoughts) go and sink below them to the holy place where they can enter not. There is a door beneath them in your mind, which you could not completely lock to hide what lies beyond. Seek for that door and find it. You cannot fail today. There walks with you the Spirit Heaven sent you, that you might approach this door some day and through his aid slip effortlessly past it, to the light.” A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson 131. No one can fail who seeks to reach the truth.

In A Course In Miracles, Chapter 21. Section II. The Responsibility for Sight, pg. 448

I am responsible for what I see.

I choose the feelings I experience, and I decide

Upon the goal I would achieve.

And everything that seems to happen to me

I ask for, and receive as I have asked.

We are responsible for “how we see things.” What interpretation do we lay on the world. It is the mercy within that will allow a new perception to come when asking the Holy Spirit to help us. Look through His eyes and you will have peace. Me too!

God Is – You are LOVED and you are INNOCENT.

www.miraclecenter.org

www.acim.org

www.facim.org

Ego Mode: The Virus Blame Game

After listening to a wonderful youtube presentation by Tim Wise and Lyn Corona, (see the link below) I realize how addicting the ego voice is. We are in “ego mode” when we search for and MUST find something or someone to blame. We want to blame the pain and fear on something! The source of inner pain and even bodily pain is from listening to the ego…believing this faulty thinking is right and then choosing to be in ego mode. All depression, anxiety, worries and guilt are caused by believing the ego.

We are all addicted to something, alcohol, sex, TV, News, gambling, food, air, gossip, but everyone is addicted to one thing: the inner voice we hear in our minds: the ego. The false voice. We also ALL have an alternative however.

Right now we have the coronavirus circling the world. Who are we going to blame? Some foreign people, the military, all the Politian’s? It is the ego part of our mind doing the blaming and we believe it because we want to! We need to blame and project onto someone so we can feel better.

The ego is attracted to pain because it means the body is REAL, the world is REAL and we are important. It keeps us trapped in the dream of being a body in the illusion. We are a puppet of the ego when that happens.

When we decide we are tired of this blame game because of the pain it causes, we look within and see, according to the Course that our only problem is the separation we feel from God. That is impossible. We cannot be separate from God because we are In God at this very moment, but we don’t think we are.

If we choose blame, we are continuing the separation from God because that is what we did to Him when we chose the ego. Yes, the “tiny mad idea” in the Course tells us we chose the ego to be separate from God. If we blame ourselves or feel guilty from separating from God we are still listening to the ego mode and we are in the blame game.

The solution: We take a deep breath, step aside from the ego in your mind, take the hand of Jesus – the Holy Spirit that connects us to God and say: “I am as God Created Me, help me see this differently.” See A Course In Miracles, Workbook Lesson 110.

We insist on finding a “bad guy” to blame because we don’t want to take responsibility for the decision to separate from God. We do it every time we blame someone and make them the guilty one. We do unto them, what we did unto God. But we also do it to ourselves.

You are NOT separate from God because that is impossible. But in this dream we “believe” we are. To get out of the dream of pain ask Jesus:

“I am stuck, take my hand, help me see the way you do. Help me let go of this judgment and blame I place on ______ as I let go of my projections, believing the ego’s lies that hurt me.”

The tiny mad idea that we can be separate from God is just that…..a mad idea! An idea is not real. You are not a puppet. You are a Mind, an innocent Son of God with the power in you to follow the loving kindness in your heart, holding the hand of Love and going home to Heaven where you really are and have always been.

Here is the YouTube video with Tim Wise, Lyn Corona and others from the School for A Course in Miracles, discussing the Corona Virus:

http://www.acim.org Weekly Lessons – Lesson 110 – I am As God Created Me

Lesson 110: I am as God created me.

Other websites: http://www.miraclecenter.org

Remember your Reality: You are LOVED and you are LOVE!

Easter Moon reminds us “I am there”

Spring is here and Easter Sunday always follows the first full moon after the spring equinox. That full moon was shining in my bedroom window last night. Passover is April 9, Easter Sunday the 12^th and Ramadan on Friday April 24. However the only ones feeling “spring like” these days, are the birds and the daffodils. Aren’t they lucky to not have to stay inside or six feet away from each other? Thankfully, we can go outside to visit and thank them for their songs and yellow loveliness. There will be no Religious gatherings indoors this year and I know many will miss this spring ritual. I must admit that Easter has always left me feeling sad with the crucifixion of Jesus. Even dressing up or hunting for eggs, bunnies and candy never took away the unhappiness.

I felt relief after I began studying the spiritual, psychological, non- dual, mystical and metaphysical book, ‘A Course In Miracles’ where the concept of resurrection is more prominent than crucifixion because as eternal beings our soul never dies. There is no death of the Self we share with God. The body dies because we are mortal. Being mortal we have a split mind with a treacherous ego that crucifies ourselves (like Jesus was crucified) and/or others non-stop with doubts, judgment, war and attacks. Jesus in the Course told the scribe, NY Columbia Presbyterian Psychologist Helen Schucman, that he is our equal and elder brother, “The miracle is a sign of love among equals. Equals should not be in awe of one another because awe implies inequality. It is therefore an inappropriate reaction to me. An elder brother is entitled to respect for his greater experience, and obedience for his greater wisdom. There is nothing about me that you cannot attain. I have nothing that does not come from God. The difference between us now is that I have nothing else. This leaves me in a state which is only potential in you.” Text Chapter 1.II.3.4-12.

He assures us that he and the Holy Spirit are always there for us. “I go before you because I am beyond the ego. Reach, therefore, for my hand because you want to transcend the ego. My strength will never be wanting, and if you choose to share it you will do so.” Text Chapter 8.V.6 7-9. If we take his hand he is there to share his strength. He is the Christ but so are you and I and everyone, whether we accept it or not and equally loved by God.

At this time we need a strength that is not of this world. Many brave people are in the trenches, the Doctors, Nurses, medical staff, sick patients, relatives, friends and you and I are with them. The hand of strength, grace, and faith is there for us, for you whenever you are despondent or fearful. It is waiting by your side, with arms ready to hold you up and kissing the top of your head when you pray. That love is made exquisitely clear in the poem ‘I am There’ by James Dillet Freeman. He is sometimes known as “the poet laureate of the moon” because two of his poems are on the moon. ‘I Am There’ was taken by Astronaut, James B. Irwin in 1971 and ‘Prayer for Protection’ by Lunar Commander ‘Buzz’ Aldrin in July 1969. His poems of assurance are circling above us on the Easter Moon, blessing you and me and our World this spring.

I am There

Do you need Me?

I am there.

You cannot see Me, yet I am the light you see by.

You cannot hear Me, yet I speak through your voice.

You cannot feel Me, yet I am the power at work in your hands.

I am at work, though you do not understand My ways.

I am at work, though you do not recognize My works.

I am not strange visions. I am not mysteries.

Only in absolute stillness, beyond self, can you know Me as I am, and then but as a feeling and a faith.

Yet I am there. Yet I hear. Yet I answer.

When you need Me, I am there.

Even if you deny Me, I am there.

Even when you feel most alone, I am there.

Even in your fears, I am there.

Even in your pain, I am there.

I am there when you pray and when you do not pray.

I am in you, and you are in Me.

Only in your mind can you feel separate from Me, for only in your mind are the mists of “yours” and “mine.”

Yet only with your mind can you know Me and experience Me.

Empty your heart of empty fears.

When you get yourself out of the way, I am there.

You can of yourself do nothing, but I can do all.

And I am in all.

Though you may not see the good, good is there, for I am there.

I am there because I have to be, because I am.

Only in Me does the world have meaning; only out of Me does the world take form; only because of Me does the world go forward.

I am the law on which the movement of the stars and the growth of living cells are founded.

I am the love that is the law’s fulfilling. I am assurance. I am peace. I am oneness. I am the law that you can live by. I am the love that you can cling to. I am your assurance. I am your peace. I am one with you. I am.

Though you fail to find Me, I do not fail you.

Though your faith in Me is unsure, My faith in you never wavers, because I know you, because I love you.

Beloved, I am there.

And

The Prayer of Protection

The light of God surrounds us;

The love of God enfolds us;

The power of God protects us;

The presence of God watches over us;

Wherever we are, God is!

Please visit the A Course In Miracles website – http://www.acim.org and especially lessons 40 through 48. Lesson 47. God is the strength in which I trust. Hold that in your heart and know that you are LOVED.

Lesson 40: I am blessed as a Son of God.

Guilt: The “gift” that keeps on giving until…..

The bad news: guilt never gives up.

The good news: you have the power to stop it.

Have you noticed that guilt just doesn’t go away? You observe it but it creeps back again and again and you continue to deny it and let it go but there it is, back again. “I thought I forgave that.” Guilt is the leaky faucet. You think you’ve turned it off but it drips, drips in the background of your thoughts. Where is it coming from? It seeps under the surface like an oil slick on a beautiful beach. Guilt is the energizer bunny with an eternal battery that never runs down and in fact continues to be energized until you look at it with the love, your inheritance, in your mind.

ACIM Workbook Lesson 4. These thoughts do no mean anything.

We believe the thoughts that run through our mind and 99.999% come from the ego (the false self) and that is why they don’t mean anything. But we believe these thoughts. The ego’s job is to keep you from Love and in a state of constant guilt. It feeds guilty thoughts at every opportunity and never wants you to turn against it. We have a split mind. You choose which split, which side to listen to and believe. We can choose between the ego’s ranting and judgments or choose to listen to the voice of peace within (the right mind) the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit that is always available.

Judgment is the origin of all guilt. Our first judgment was a selfish one according to A Course In Miracles; we separated from God at the moment of the “Big Bang” in choosing the ego. It turns out that was a “mistake” (really never happened) because when we chose the ego, we threw God away. But…..it never happened because it is not possible to separate from the God; the God written about in A Course In Miracles that is.

We believe the ego and think we have separated and that is at the crux of our pain and anger. We blame God for the separation instead of ourselves. We made up a false “god”, a punishing, warring, petty vindictive god who angrily threw Adam and Eve out of the garden. Ask yourself: Would a loving God do that? The ego set itself on the ‘god’ throne and we listen to it and obey it. Guilt was born. We are bereft, thinking we threw away our innocence and will never get it back. We either accuse and blame ourselves or project blame onto others, i.e. those guilty and sinful ones. The ego keeps rubbing the guilt wound with self-doubt, blame, selfishness and shame.

Guilt is insatiable. You are its hostage until you decide to be Host to God instead. We need loving help in looking at it. The Course tells us to hold the hand of love that comes from your right mind i.e. Jesus or the Holy Spirit and say “Please look at this guilty thought with me because I want to see it differently.” Visualize a tight grip on a warm hand. When we hold love’s hand and listen, a thought of understanding will come. Maybe tears will come but those tears will dissolve the “blocks to the awareness of love’s presence” that the introduction to the Course describes. Believe and trust that forgiveness will come. We need to forgive ourselves for the separation from God……which never happened because it is IMPOSSIBLE! The thought of Truth will be gentle and embracing.

When a guilty through crosses your mind, say: “This thought does not mean anything. The past is over; I have no need of this. I am One with God.” This is a critical conscious decision; a statement of choice that you will no longer listen or believe the ego. You are a “Decider”, a Holy Son of God and you have the power to no longer let the ego abuse you. You are Host to God and not hostage to the ego.

If you haven’t started them, I recommend the Course In Miracles Workbook lessons. The first lessons deal with letting the past go; focusing on the thoughts that bring pain and realizing they are not of God. There is a lesson for each day and the introduction to the workbook will help you begin.

It is a wonderful adventure. Just do a lesson each day and if you don’t understand it – keep going – don’t let the ego sabotage you. If you don’t understand a lesson, just keep going because the “light” will dawn eventually.

The Love within you will defeat guilt. It is a power within that is your natural inheritance. Accept God’s peace and joy as yours. Your salvation is up to you.

www.acim.org (history and what it says)

www.miraclecenter.org (to find a study group near you)

Experience the mystery of God!

eye 2 - 2014

“The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the source of all true art and science. He whom this emotion is a stranger who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead, can’t know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive form, this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religion.” Albert Einstein

The time has come to liberate ourselves from the ego and experience God! God is Love the exact opposite of the ego.

How many of us blame things on God? For example we say that something that happened must have been God’s Will or God’s Plan? Even the Insurance Industries describe disasters as “An Act of God”! Is an earthquake, a forest fire or a hurricane an act of God? We could blame an earthquake on the shifting of tectonic plates or forest fires and hurricane’s on Global Warming BUT that would mean pointing the finger at ourselves.

Some people don’t like to mention God these days because that mystery, whatever it is, now seems to be out of favor like an old computer or girdles. Only the people who are politically on the far right or are religious fundamentalists get to believe in God. But, I’m a liberal, I’m on the left and I believe in God! I know other liberals who believe in God aka the Creator, Yahweh, a Supreme Being, or the Great Mystery. Atheists don’t think there is such a thing and they may be right but I bet when push comes to shove and they are in trouble they say “God Help.”

In The Course In Miracles, Manual for Teachers, 20. (pg. 51) What is the Peace of God, states: “It has been said that there is a kind of peace that is not of this world. How is it recognized? God’s peace is recognized at first by just one thing: in every way it is totally unlike all previous experiences. It calls to mind nothing that went before. It is a new thing entirely.” The past just slips away and in its place is everlasting quiet. Only that.”

Our busy ego mind does not like quiet. Are you aware that your mind is always running on some life theme, a problem or fear of the future? The Manual goes on to say “God’s peace can never come where anger is, for anger must deny that peace exists. Who see’s anger as justified in any way proclaims that peace is meaningless and must believe it cannot exist. Therefore, forgiveness is the necessary condition for finding the peace of God.”

This is probably why people don’t think God exists. We enjoy our anger too much to forgive. If we enjoy the anger we won’t forgive so our minds are busy hating and never quiet enough to allow the experience of God, which the ego mind does not want you to have anyway. So it keeps the anger going and the idea of forgiveness never enters and our chances of experiencing the quiet which allows the peace of God is hijacked! We don’t think God exists. We do not have to allow or give the ego thoughts that kind of power. When the thought comes just say “that is not what I choose to think.” ” I no longer want to hate and be angry.” Or This I do not choose!

We can give up anger if we want to. We can and will have the experience of the peace of God if we are willing to do that. When we give up anger we are forgiving, letting go and choosing peace. We give up attacking, judging or condemning and we experience the quiet mind and the peace of God. Replace attack and judgment with love.

We can *silence the ego and the Course indictes that we can because it states: “How is the peace of God retained once it is found? Returning anger in any form will drop the heavy curtain once again and the belief that peace cannot exist will certainly return.” So this indicates that we can and will experience God, as we work on giving up anger, and sure enough when anger returns we will feel that heavy curtain again.

“Stop for a moment now and think of this: Is conflict what you want, or is God’s peace the better choice which gives you more? A tranquil mind is not a little gift. “The memory of God comes to the quiet mind.”

We need to decide to forgive everyone and everything including the world! “Forgive the world and you will understand that everything that God created cannot have an end, and nothing He did not create is real.” God created you and you are as real and as eternal as He! Yes, bodies die but never the eternal spirit that you share with God, as his Son. God did not create the ego, the false self, He created His Son as Spirit like Himself.

His, God’s Will is without opposite. His Will is yours. “The mighty Will of God Himself is His gift to you. He does not seek to keep it for himself. This is your heritage. God’s peace is the condition for His Will. Attain His peace, (let go of anger and forgive) and you remember Him.” And you will experience the “radiant beauty” Einstein suggested in the above quote.

*One way to silence the mind is to do the Workbook lessons. This self study program helps identify the ego and leads you to the mind you share with God.

You are LOVED!!

A Course in Miracles – Manual for Teachers, #20. What is the Peace of God. Page 51

Love is Who you Are!

Janpanese Anenomes

Is it possible to really love someone and at the same time judge them? “He or she’s really great but……” Maybe they are not doing what you would do or want them to do i.e. teens getting home late; partner over spending or not spending on the right things; children, friends acting out and annoying you. And what about yourself? Do you LOVE your SELF? Love is who you are so accept your identity and refuse to judge yourself! There are irritations in life but WHO is annoyed and why? Identify the part of your mind that is upset. The ego part of our mind judges others and ourselves….but your identity is MUCH more than the judgments. You are Light and Love like the delicate pink flowers! All judgments come from the ego part of the split mind.

The goal of a peaceful life unfolds when we decide to change our judgments and thoughts about others and ourselves. We have a split mind – love and hate. We finally realize the part of the mind where the ego’s schemes are hatched and how it can disrupt our lives. The ego is NOT who we are and we no longer heed its urgings. We gradually awaken to our true identity and accept that we are the love, the Spirit within. The ego tries to cover LOVE up and creates havoc but YOU take charge and recognize the LOVE within that you are. That love has been there all along.

If we listen to the ego’s voice we will never love others or ourselves un-conditionally. The ego’s way of loving amount’s to manipulation to get its way or giving in order to get. What’s in it for me? Challenge yourself to watch its gyrations and observe it but don’t follow it or feel guilty. We all have ego thoughts. Just look and laugh! Even something as innocent as going to lunch or dinner and seeing someone the ego judges as “different,” maybe it’s their annoying clothes, their voice or the way they chew food. It is a judgment and it is from 100% separation. That person could be someone you have longed to meet (a favorite author or a professor of quantum physics) if you only knew! The ego does not know anything. Judgment separates us into lonely boxes. Even a “good” judgment, for example “what beautiful hair she has,” which really means I do not have hair like that and so we are different. The ego likes to compare. Love never condemns. You have a powerful mind that DECIDES; you can choose to listen or dismiss the judgmental thoughts of separation. And if you judge yourself it is the ego trapping you. Don’t listen!

Imagine what it feels like to be deeply accepted, loved and totally guilt free. Feel that within; give it to yourself and you will give it to others. If you condemn others you are condemning yourself. Jesus said “Judge not so ye be not judged.” Condemn and you are a prisoner of guilt; but love and you are guilt free. Realize how guilty or sorry you feel after you have attacked someone and eventually we know it is not worth it! Love sweeps all ego beliefs away with a gentle hand of compassion.

Love is within and not found out there in the world. Go within and think of someone who has loved you unconditionally. Maybe a grand parent, aunt or uncle? If you cannot identify anyone, then entertain the thought of an all loving Creator; Yahweh; Allah, Jesus; Mohammed; Krishna or God (or your dog) beaming love at you like a laser beam. Feel it – and it is yours. It is your inheritance. You are no longer lost. Love found you. Hear the inner voice of Spirit telling you that you are LOVE; a loving mind choosing love. Everyone is included in the same identity of Oneness.

Wear that identity of LOVE into the world. There is a blessed relief that washes over us when we realize our Oneness with everyone and all things. All bitter struggles, the distractions and loneliness end when we refuse thoughts of separation. Be a love finder, not a fault finder and pure joy will fill your mind and Peace Prevails. “When you want only love, you will see nothing else.” A Course In Miracles T. 12. VII. 8. (pg. 231)

Lesson 92: Miracles are seen in light, and light and strength are one.

Miracles are seen in light, and light and strength are one. W. Lesson 92. “If we see others as different from ourselves … we judge and condemn but do not love.”

Click on “arrow” to hear the lesson read to you.

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/papa-francesco_20181208_messaggio-52giornatamondiale-pace2019.html

Open Your Mind: Open Your Heart

Does an open heart, open the mind or does an open mind, open the heart?

Maybe it doesn’t matter which one happens first, but for me, when I’m waiting in line at the market feeling anxious because the line is slow, my mind is locked, closed and my heart constricted. That is why having a practice in watching the mind helps because when aware of the “agitation” I can say “I want to see this differently” and with that I am open to the Souls who share the line with me and let go and relax. I can see the silliness in spending energy on something trivial like agitation. I want and choose peace, inner peace. The Course In Miracles tells us the goal of the Course is inner peace and the workbook lessons certainly guide us in helping to look at the blocks we have put up to keep peace away, and as it turns out LOVE too. The ego is the culprit but it is ONLY a thought. The ego has a game plan: Keep You Upset, guilty and miserable! It is JUST a thought and PLEASE do not believe it.

Monitoring your thoughts and mind is the key to freedom: How do YOU feel? Are emotions in charge of you or are “YOU” in charge of them via your Mind? We have to look at the emotions not to indulge or believe them but when we ” look”, which is part of the forgiveness instructions, in What is Forgiveness link below, they dissipate like smoke on a windy day. We no longer live from them or let them run aka ruin our lives unless it serves us somehow. There are those who like an emotional state of anxiety and fear because they think it keeps them motivated but it is not good for the health of the body, which we need in order to go through the lessons we came here to learn and it is also not good if inner peace is our goal.

We don’t have to believe our thoughts just because we think them. An example is my boss told me he’d like to see me in his office for a meeting the next day at 2 pm. I hadn’t a clue what it could be about but I can tell you thoughts ran rampant through my mind, and they were not all good thoughts. What could it be? Maybe I’d be fired or asked to resign! Well, it turned out I received a compliment and a promotion! All that energy spent in worry, fear of the future, fear of the past! Everything but: “Right Now, all is well.” Ahhhh…..right NOW….all is Well. This instant is the only time there IS! Everything else is my projecting into the future and the ego fear running amok.

As students of the Course we are told we are the Christ, a Holy Son of God and Jesus our elder brother will guide us, if we take his hand and invite him in. Share all your emotions and thoughts with your elder brother. He awaits your invitational prayer – this is one I use:

“Jesus Christ, Holy Son of God, Dear elder brother, please guide my heart and mind and help me look at and remove the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is my natural inheritance, as I journey to the Home and Father, I never left.”

I try to repeat this whenever I am upset about something and especially when I can’t sleep at night because I’m ruminating about a worry; a meeting I dread; a bill to be paid; someone I need to forgive but don’t want to. Unlock your mind and look at all those thoughts with your loving elder brother; let him give you a thought to replace the ones you think are true…..and your Heart will Open.

Click on these links and click on the arrow, “play” and have it read to you – close your eyes.

ACIM: Introduction https://acim.org/acim/what-it-says/

Workbook Lesson 185. W. pg. 348. I want the peace of God. https://acim.org/workbook/lesson-185/

What is Forgiveness –W. pg. 401 https://acim.org/workbook/what-is-1/

You are worth it because you are LOVED!

Identify with Love and you are safe

In A Course In Miracles Workbook lesson #261 – God is my refuge and security, W.pg 426, we are gently guided to see God aka LOVE as our security blanket in all situations. Yes, you can even suck your thumb if needed!

My youngest son used to drag his security blanket, an old white one that I continually had to make smaller because of the ragged condition, until it finally became the size of a small towel. He would hold the blanket under his arm with his thumb as his comfort. Sometimes he would have “White-ie”, our white cat tucked under his other arm.

So like him we can use God as our security blanket or whatever we imagine God to be, placing Him in a safe spot to carry around during the day.

If you read in the Workbook pg. 425, What Is the Body? Jesus tells us in the last paragraph:

“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.”

As you go throughout your day, driving, waiting in line, working, walking or exercising, project LOVE out at the world and everyone and everything. Just look and with your powerful mind…..beam LOVE! Love is our Security Blanket in all situations.

Beam love at yourself in the morning mirror! Beam it at anyone you are holding a grudge against; your boss, old girl or boy friend, a Politian and remember what you are Holding in your MIND you are identifying with, be it hate or love or fear!

Go to http://www.acim.org and click on lessons, you can “hear” the lesson read to you, close your eyes and take it in.

You are Precious, LOVED and constantly surrounded by the LOVE of God whether you recognize it or not. Just say: “I am Loved!”

God Blesses you!

Good Politics: The Service of Peace

If you are depressed over the current politics in our Country I want to share with you a hopeful message! I am not a Catholic but I honor all messages of inclusion and peace for You, Me, Everyone and the World!

I recently watched a video called “Pope Francis, A Man of his Word.” If you need some inspiration I highly recommend it. The 52nd World Day of Peace was January 1, 2019. Pope Francis’s message was:

“Good politics is at the service of peace.”

He made several points but the first was “Peace be to this house.” What he was saying was “peace for our family, our house, our communities, our country, our continent and importantly our common home our world.” Here is the link to his message to paste in your browser:

Here is a summary of what he said that was so inspiring for all people of Faith regardless of their religion of spiritual beliefs and especially as our politics take the stage for the next year and we watch the debates and delve into the upcoming election we might keep his thoughtful recommendations in mind.
He expanded on several pertinent points by suggesting that “charity and human virtues along with service of human rights and peace be the basis of politics. He suggested those running for office should recall the “Beatitudes of the Politician” which were proposed by Vietnamese Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyễn Vãn Thuận, who died in 2002.
Here they are:

Blessed be the politician with a lofty sense and deep understanding of his role.
Blessed be the politician who personally exemplifies credibility.
Blessed be the politician who works for the common good and not his or her own interest.
Blessed be the politician who remains consistent.
Blessed be the politician who works for unity.
Blessed be the politician who works to accomplish radical change.
Blessed be the politician who is capable of listening.
Blessed be the politician who is without fear.

He suggests that every election and re-election, and every stage of public life, is an opportunity to return to the original points of reference that inspire justice and law. One thing is certain, “good politics is at the service of peace. It respects and promotes fundamental human rights, which are at the same time mutual obligations, enabling a bond of trust and gratitude to be forged between present and future generations.”
Watching it was like a breath of fresh “political air.” If we look for and vote for those who from all appearances, seem to hold these values we would have leaders that we, the world and future generations deserve.

He also brought up political vices: dishonesty, self-service, corruption, exploitation and denial of rights and plundering of natural resources for the sake of quick profit to name a few. Good politics inspires and promotes participation of the young and trust in others and fosters confidence that we can all work together for the common good.

Politics at the service of peace finds expression in the recognition of the gifts and abilities when everyone contributes his or her gifts to help build trust especially in our times marked by mistrust and rooted in fear of strangers. The world has a need for security rather than nationalism and division.

There is a need to reaffirm that peace is based on respect for each person, whatever his or her background. Peace entails a conversion of the heart and soul; it is both interior and communal; and it has three inseparable aspects:

1. Peace with oneself: Rejecting inflexibility, anger and impatience; by showing “a bit of sweetness towards oneself” in order to offer “a bit of sweetness to others”;
2. Peace with others: Family members, friends, strangers, the poor and the suffering, being unafraid to encounter them and listen to what they have to say;
3. Peace with all creation: Rediscovering the grandeur of God’s gift and our individual and shared responsibility as inhabitants of this world, citizens and builders of the future. When any of our brothers and sisters suffers we are all affected. God sees with his heart. Even the atheist shares the same love. Maybe that’s the only common bond we all have, the bond of God’s love. Other than that we are free, even free not to love Him.

Here is more inspiration:

Lesson 194: I place the future in the Hands of God. (paste the link in your browser)

Lesson 194: I place the future in the Hands of God.

To everyone I offer quietness because I want it for myself. When I give I receive.

Are you running on Ego-matic?
The other day I was tooling along not watching my thoughts (as the Course of Miracles asks us to do) but one finally got my attention. It didn’t feel good, it was: “Why doesn’t she do something with her hair?” What part of my mind would care about something as insignificant as someone’s messy hair and why?

When our thoughts run unnoticed, they can easily jump to egomatic. This is not a word my computer thesaurus recognizes but I know what it means. It means senseless; usually condemning; mostly ugly; and always a thought of judgmental ego separation. The mind has been programmed from birth into two columns: love and fear. Everything not from love is in the fear column and that amounts to hundreds perhaps thousands of distinctions. The ego has an endless list. The choice is simple: Heaven or Hell.

When practicing the mindfulness of the Course In Miracles we are in the “heaven” column. We are looking through the Self, i.e. the eyes of Christ, of love, with kindness and accepting of what is. If we ae on egomatic, we are in the “hell” of darkness, believing our misshapen thoughts are true.

Thinking someone has messy hair is up to me. No one can make me think anything. When I think a thought of love, what am I giving/receiving? If the thought is condemning what am I giving/receiving? What I give OUT, I also receive IN.
When my thinking is judgmental: I’m the one with the problem; I feel separate and alone; and in believing it is true, I’m also receiving guilt. That’s why I didn’t like the feeling.

We don’t realize what we do to ourselves, our soul when we place a judgment on someone. Instead of giving the thought away, projecting and getting rid of it, we are in effect keeping it, and making it our problem plus getting a dose of guilt. I judge her for being “messy” but I must also be “messy” in order to know what it is. Projecting is a trick my ego plays to get rid of my messiness by seeing it in someone else. It doesn’t work, I still messy.

In A Course In Miracles, Lesson 108. To give and receive are one in truth.
P.2. “True light that makes true vision possible is not the light the body’s eyes behold. It is a state of mind that has become so unified that darkness cannot be perceived at all.”

Isn’t that the state of mind you want to live in? When you catch the silly judgments think what this lesson reminds us to do. Simply say:

“To give and receive are one in truth. I will receive what I am giving now.”

Do I want to receive the judgment I am dishing out? The lesson goes on in paragraph 8.

P. 8. “Then close your eyes and for five minutes think of what you would hold out to    everyone, to have it yours. Say:
   To everyone I offer quietness;
   To everyone I offer peace of mind;
   To everyone I offer gentleness”

Wait. How do you feel? What you offered will come back to you in the amount that you offered it. That is giving and receiving. Instead of offering judgment or “messiness” to my friend I now offer acceptance and that is what returns to me. Offer quietness daily to keep control of your thoughts and how you are feeling.

Check yourself by asking: “how do I feel?” I was in hell judging my friend’s hair when I realized I didn’t “feel good” and that feeling of being in “hell” helped me see the egomatic thought process.

We have been trained well throughout our formative years and adult lives. But now I can awaken to the fact that my thoughts have consequences on me. We are told that stress causes illnesses. Where does stress come from but our thoughts? This lesson gave me the chance to change my mind and offer quietness to everyone. And when I did, I received quietness.

Go to http://www.acim.org – Workbook Lesson 108 – click to have it read aloud to you!

Remember: You are the Light of the World and God IS the LOVE within your Holy Mind!

God is your Hard Drive

Workbook Lesson 44. God is the light in which I see

The Course in Miracles Workbook has 365 lessons. These lessons are our pathway to peace. Knowledge is not the goal of the Course. Peace Is.

In Lesson 44. Jesus tells us that we cannot see in darkness but we also cannot make light. God is the light in which I see because God is in my Mind.

We can and do make darkness with our thoughts and misperceptions. The world is a place of darkness and it distracts us constantly with the chaos of war, sickness, death and disaster.

Jesus tells us we think we see in the darkness of the world. But light reflects life and is therefore an aspect of creation. Creation and darkness cannot coexist. It is like trying to mix water and oil.

Light and Life do go together being aspects of creation.
“In order to see, you must recognize that light is within, not without.”

Workbook Lesson 43: God is my Source. I cannot see apart from Him
Perception is not an attribute of God. His is the realm of knowledge. When we link to our Hard Drive, our computer chip aka God and Light, our perceptions will become so changed and purified that it will lead to knowledge…..and inner peace.

The light INSIDE of you is TRUE. Light is understanding, it is vision – not the perceptions our stray thoughts and judgments that wander in and out of our awareness.

The equipment for seeing (God and Light) is INSIDE of your MIND.
“An essential part of this equipment is the light that makes seeing possible. It is with you always, making vision possible in every circumstance.”

You cannot be WITHOUT God. He is your equipment. He is the computer chip the Processor, Ram, Memory and Hard Drive in your MIND.

You share HIS MIND. The Mystery that is God, is within your mind, Eternal, it can never die, you can never die, death is impossible because your Spirit and Mind is forever shared with God.

With God as the Hard Drive, the Light within, your Identity as Spirit is one with Him.

Workbook Lesson 44. Paragraph 7. Let go of every kind of interference and intrusion by quietly sinking past them. Your mind cannot be stopped in this unless you choose to stop it. It is merely taking its natural course. Try to observe your passing thoughts without involvement and slip quietly by them.

You are letting the LIGHT guide you, God is your Source, You cannot see apart from him.

Go to http://www.acim.org

Listen to these lessons and you will realize that God is your Hard Drive, the eternal computer chip that is always PART of YOU.

You ARE LOVED!

Feel Loved this Year

You are loved! Most of us do not allow ourselves to feel it. Why? Don’t we believe we are lovable? You ARE loved, warts, gifts and all! Give yourself the gift of feeling it. Really feel it. Go to a silent place within, close your eyes and feel yourself being held, as if you were a small child again. Feel yourself being rocked gently and a soft hand stroking your cheek and telling you that you are loved. Feel the care and sweetness in your heart. That is how God loves you. Your spirit is love and as bright, as soft, pure and innocent like this blossom.

I invite you to go to the A Course In Miracles website and listen to Lesson 109, I rest in God, being read to you as you close your eyes.

Here is the link to paste in your browser: https://acim.org/workbook/lesson-109/

The Course offers 365 lessons, one for each day of the year. We being at lesson number 1 and read a lesson per day and on the 109th day of the year we learn we can and DO rest in Love, in God and can be at Peace. We just need to accept it. At the end of the 365 lessons you will never be lonely again or feel unloved…….when you remember your true identity – God’s Holy Precious Son.

Happy New Year!

Christmas: Giving and Receiving

Give Only Love for That is What you ARE!! If you are feeling despondent Remember this and feel it in your heart. When you Give Love you ARE Love! What do you LOVE??

Years ago our youngest son looked inquiringly at his Dad and said “Why Christmas?” It was a perceptive and honest question from his little three year mind. How would you answer that question? It is a good question to pose to our grown up selves. We rush about planning and making lists and drive ourselves crazy or get on the internet and figure out the best deals. We fret over what to give to whom and will they like it, that’s the big question. And then we imagine them opening it up and watching carefully for the expression that comes in that twinkling moment.

Maybe that “instant” is our gift! That shining twinkling moment when we made someone happy, made them smile and gasp with surprise. Then we hear their laughter, hopefully not a groan, and words of thanks or maybe a smooch!

My husband’s father loved Chocolate Covered Cherries. Every year we gave him a box. Finally one year he opened the gift and said, “Oh No, not Cherries again.” That was the last year we gave him cherries! How many of us have opened presents we definitely did NOT like and managed to feign appreciation showing we “love it” and have “always wanted one?”

Back to Why Christmas? Well it is all about Jesus and his Birth Day right? Look at how we avoid Jesus and his teachings these days. A few years ago I was reading a book about Jesus. The author had put his beautiful face smack on the cover. A gentleman stopped to inquire what I was reading. I closed the book and showed him the cover. You would have thought I was pointing a machine gun in his face! He was absolutely horrified, shocked! His eyes were big, brows shot up and he looked like someone had hit him with a stun gun. His adverse reaction was palpable. He said “Oh” and hurried away as quickly as he could.

Where does that reaction come from? For over 2,000 years the world has had Jesus to deal with. All faiths have their concepts but where does that “aversion” comes from.

One reason (and I am not a scholar) could be because the Bible claims he is God’s ONLY begotten son. So where does that leave the rest of us and the horrified man? We know of families that have a favorite child whose attributes out shine everyone else; that special child. Could it be collective unconscious jealousy runs through a society feeling resentment and somehow unloved. It can fester over a lifetime and throughout the ages. How many of us, deep down, feel as adored as that baby? The sweet song, ‘Away in the Manager’ always brings tears to my eyes.

If we don’t resent him we may try to out-do him! Climb the highest mountains; make the most money; give the biggest gift; have the biggest house or most expensive car or? We are all looking for love and appreciation. Maybe God (and others) will love us if we do such and such.

And yet we celebrate baby Jesus at Christmas and sing carols to him not knowing that baby is also us, you and me. If we had been students of the spiritual book, A Course In Miracles, at the time our young son asked, we could have told him that baby Jesus was (and still is) loved very much by God and he is too! We are all God’s sons, the Christ. God being Eternal Unchanging Love never condemns or rejects anyone. In the First Chapter of the Course Jesus tells us: “You are a perfect creation, and should experience awe only in the Presence of the Creator of perfection. Equals should not be in awe of one another because awe implies inequality. It is therefore an inappropriate reaction to me. An elder brother is entitled to respect for his greater experience, and obedience for his greater wisdom. He is also entitled to love because he is a brother, and to devotion if he is devoted. It is only my devotion that entitles me to yours. There is nothing about me that you cannot attain. I have nothing that does not come from God. The difference between us now is that I have nothing else. This leaves me in a state which is only potential in you.” ACIM I.II.3.

So….Jesus is devoted to us, you and me, everyone! He shows us our potential. No one is excluded from Love not even a politician. He tells us we are all the same in the ego world because we feel separated from God and our only need is to choose love instead of fear and hatred. And like Jesus we can offer tolerance, love and yes forgiveness too as we free our spirit from the tight grip of judgment and hatred. For 2,000 years his wisdom has endeavored to open our hearts and minds to the clarity of healing light. We come here to learn lessons, to see through the ego and world programming and to exclude no one from our love. All hate is from the ego; all love is God. When we give Love, we receive love.

That is giving and receiving.

Visit: http://www.acim.org

Peace is Release – Release is Peace

The Course In Miracles says that each decision that you make is one between a grievance and a Miracle. Every decision is actually a judgment! Every thought can be one of inclusion or exclusion. The inclusive thought brings inner peace. The exclusive thought brings separation and guilt. It is hard to believe that a judgment can bring guilt but it does. We heap guilt upon our souls with every seemingly insignificant harmless judgmental thought.

But guilt is not harmless. It ego eats at your soul. The ego is addicted to “sugar” – and its sugar is judgmental thoughts, grievances, grudges, jealousy, resentment, worry and the distraction of controversy. The ego seeks to keep you in guilt rather than in the arms of the Holy Spirit and Love. You will never be happy until you look at the ego and examine its hold on your life and how it colors your perceptions. The ego is not your friend. and its job is to make you miserable and feeling separated and alienated.

When you feel the gnawing sense of un-ease in your gut, just retrace your previous thoughts. What situation or judgment has you by the throat? What is it about? Is it a worry a gripe or a grudge against someone, a relative, friend or possibly yourself?

Just LOOK at the unease. Bring all the details into awareness and imagine holding the hand of the Holy Spirit. Say: “Look at this with me. Help me see it differently.” When we share all the details with the Holy Spirit we are taking it out of the ego’s clutches.

Now Wait! You have brought it to awareness. It is no longer festering below in the unconscious ready to percolate to the surface at a moments notice.

This Looking help with the RELEASE. The release is the process of letting go. You have given it to God. Breathe into the letting go to speed it on its way.

The RELEASE comes with looking and by passing the ego. The ego is no longer in charge of the gripe or the grudge or the upset.

Release is Peace! Peace will arrive! The grudge, grievance will lessen and at some point you will laugh at the silliness you put yourself through. We do it to ourselves!

See: A Course in Miracles lesson 78. Let miracles replace all grievances.

” Perhaps it is not quite clear to you that each decision (judgment) that you make is between a grievance and a miracle.”

You are LOVED!!

Visit: http://www.acim.org – click on workbook lessons

Peace and Joy Are Available

If you are contemplating suicide it is because you are replaying hurtful events in your mind.

We do not find peace by remembering and replaying hurtful events because we are stuck on automatic! Are you happy being stuck in a belief? Even if it WAS your fault you may think you are “right.” Does being right make you happy? Even if it was your fault you think you are wrong and suffering guilt! Are you happy being guilty? Or, even if it WAS NOT your fault, remembering and replaying the past still does not make you happy! Ask Yourself: Do I want peace and joy rather than guilt and grievances?

If the answer is YES, then decided to STOP replaying the past!

It is up to you……yes YOU!

You can choose to look at it another way.

Say: “OK – I’ll look at this another way for the sake of my own peace.”

Begin to think of the people involved (or the situation) and realize that you are denying peace and joy that is their right (under the equal laws of God.) You have ALSO denied peace and joy to yourself.

Think of that: If you hold a grievance against someone….it is held in your MIND! You are trapped in the grievance with them. Are you happy?

Think of the people involved a little while and tell them in your mind:

My brother/sister/myself: peace and joy I offer you,

That I may have God’s peace and joy as mine.” (Include yourself in this prayer.)

We don’t think that just because we have denied peace and joy someone else that we are in effect really denying peace to our Self. If you hold hate or a grudge in your mind, you are the one HOLDING the hate and the grudge so you are the effect of your own suffering!

Do you think your brother is suffering? We don’t know but we know you are.

Would you rather say to that brother?

My brother/sister/myself: misery and suffering I offer you

That I may have the ego’s misery and suffering as mine.

Which version do you choose? If the word God bothers you, take it out. God won’t care. That mystery of love is that it never condemns. It doesn’t know how to. Make a copy of the pledge and paste it around the house. Take yourself on as a student and train yourself to accept that peace and joy is your inheritance and that you are worth it.

* This quote comes from the spiritual book, A Course In Miracles, Workbook lesson 105 God’s Peace and Joy are Mine. Visit www.acim.org go The Workbook lessons and then click the lesson selector. You can also click “hear” and listen to the entire lesson and close your eyes. Choose peace!

Hint: When you give you also receive!

Quite your Holy Mind

The Course in Miracles tells us that the memory of God comes to the quiet mind. Is your mind quiet? Do you want it quiet? If so, then why isn’t it?

This is an age old question but the answer is simple: We can’t have a quiet mind if we are judging people. Judging is the ego’s primary goal and it keeps us in separation and guilt. We cannot enter God’s Presence alone. We need to take along our “brother” (the brother we are judging) which means the ACCEPTANCE of Him/Her/Them i.e. everyone.

We are judging people if we cannot accept them as Holy and therefore we are outside of holiness as well.

Look at the judgments and above all – do not judge yourself for making them or the ego has you by the throat. When you judge yourself (good or bad) you are making the error (the ego and the body) real. When we hang onto the hate, grievance, upset we are keeping it, the ego’s hate ALIVE!

But we have a purpose in keeping the grievance ALIVE?

When we see the other person, in our dream as separate and split off, they serve as scapegoats for the part of our self we do not want to accept or recognize.

If you don’t see others as holy…..you are not holy.

Judgment is purposive. It keeps us unholy and bound to guilt. If we were holy we would be One with God, with Love and we would disappear. Our individuality would be zero. We are afraid of Love. We want to stay unholy, keep the ego and our judgments in order to stay in the world and be FAR away from God….away from Love.

Freedom lies in looking at the hate with Jesus/Holy Spirit beside us. This is a Course in attaining the light by looking at the darkness. We expose the darkness by taking gentle steps. Look at it and going to the quiet center with Holy Spirit say

“I see this anger/hate/fear/grievance, but I don’t want it anymore. It is keeping me away from peace, from God and from Love. Help me see it differently. Help me recognize it is a projection, it is not real, this is a dream and a script I chose to experience when I * separated from God.”

Peace is attained by each one of us looking and undoing the hatred in ourselves. Self-hatred creates guilt and guilt protects us from love. Joy is finally recognizing you are FORGIVEN and all GUILT is GONE!

* We NEVER left God. We just think we did when we chose the ego.

You are HOLY whether you think you are or not and you are LOVED.

Reference: A Course In Miracles – Chapter 11. God or the Ego, Section III. From Darkness to Light.page 198.

See Love or the Call For Love

See either Love or a Call for Love

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The United Nation’s International Day of Peace is Saturday, September 21. Imagine all the people in all Nations of the World stopping for 24 hours to think about Peace! Peace with other countries, counties, family and neighbors! We don’t have to hate. Do we? Do we have to judge or condemn? If a trusted adult tells us that others are offensive we may tend to believe them especially when we are young. We are taught and most of us believe and accept but we certainly don’t have to. For example my mother was prejudiced against a certain race. I had played with some of these kids at school and liked them so I did not accept her belief but I did obey her and not go to their house. As it turned out my sister married a man of that race and low and behold, she changed her mind. A mind is a beautiful thing to change. Mom was a lovely person but she accepted her conditioning and passed it on. It reminds me of the Roger’s and Hammerstein South Pacific song, “You have to be taught.” But we do not have to accept society’s teaching. Hate is a choice.

Could it be that a part of our mind enjoys hate? Think about how you feel when you are in the “hate” emotion. Doesn’t it make you feel strong and powerful and above all right! Years ago I worked in an office with a young man who was mentally impaired. He was from a rich family and he annoyed me and I disliked him. Looking back after years of spiritual work I wondered what that was about. I think I hated him because he reminded me of my own mental impairment. I always thought I was stupid! We project onto others that which we have inside yet do not want to see or admit. It is projected out and seen elsewhere but heaven not in me! When I think of him now, I send love to him wherever he is and I believe his soul receives it. I know mine does.

Hate and anger are harmful to the hater in many ways. Have you ever tried to be nice when you didn’t want to? What does that type of mental activity do to the brain/body? Check out the Every Day Health website, https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/ways-anger-ruining-your-health/ this site document from various studies, the side effects of hate and negative emotions on the heart and brain, creating stress hormones causing depression and even inflammation. The ego is the “Master Judge” in our mind that runs our lives until we understand we are in fact miserable and see through the fog and decide to change our thoughts and choose peace. The ego very wisely uses projection and hate as a road block to love. We choose the ego until we decide not to. We however have a choice because we are a decider!

Hate is offensive. When we see angry people it is very ugly and distasteful. We feel a churning inside. TV and movies offer a heavy diet of violence and hate an onslaught to the nervous systems. To be honest we need to admit the hate we see reflected in the world outside, is also within. If we can admit that then we are no longer in conflict and it dissipates. Instead of pulling the “wool” over our eyes we just look honestly and in looking, it dissolves. If we don’t fight it or put up obstacles we avoid a pile of buried guilt being placed deep within the psyche to emerge unexpectedly, which it will. Look squarely at the angry person and see either love or a call for love.

Try it. You will access a place of peace. You do not need to say aloud “I love you” merely think it. Your mind is choosing love instead of the ego’s automatic response of disgust or hate. Anger is their momentarily condition but not their reality. In giving love, you receive it. You don’t know what or if you will “do or say” anything. The situation will depend on wisdom within from the higher Self within. You can always think LOVE.

This quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln: “To defeat an enemy, make him a friend.” You could also say “To defeat “my(ego)self”, make myself a friend and see love or a call for love.”

If I exclude love from others; I am excluding love from myself. With compassion we no longer condemn.

We are the same, we all ONE people. The Spark of the Divine is within everyone, so I challenge myself to look for it in others and REMEMBER…..It is also with ME!

A Course In Miracles, Lesson 187 – I bless the world because I bless MYSELF.

http://www.acim.org (click on workbook lessons)

Hating is Harmful – Love is Healing

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Isn’t hate a judgment?

Isn’t hate a decision?

Isn’t hate a belief?

Isn’t hate enjoyable?

Isn’t hate harmful to the hater?

Isn’t hate offensive?

Does hate infect us with psychic guilt?

The answer is YES, to all of the questions.

We cannot hate unless we have made a judgment about someone or something that we decide is offensive. We have decided we KNOW what is right or what is wrong.

We cannot hate unless we have been taught that something is offensive or disgusting. We are the product of our family, societal beliefs and our culture.

We must realize we find a certain enjoyment in hating. Maybe you hate Trump. Isn’t he fun to hate? Maybe you hate Obama. Isn’t he fun to hate? We enjoy hating because it makes one feel big, strong, and above all right. We KNOW we are right and they are wrong. We LIKE being RIGHT.

For example: We decide being a cheat is terrible. We’ve been taught and we believe cheating is bad, even sinful so we hate cheaters. We see the “sin” of cheating in THEM and hate them for it. What we are really doing is projecting our own “cheating sins” onto them and hating them for it and consequently we are released. They are the sinner not me! We all have cheated at one time or another but we know it is wrong so we see it in THEM and that makes us feel innocent.

This is the ego’s strategy to keep us projecting and hating and conflicted and separate!It also keeps us blinded and in misery because we are bereft of love and mired in unconscious guilt. We can’t be happy if we feel guilty. This is gleeful to the ego!

The KKK and Alt Right hate Liberals. Liberals hate the KKK and the Alt Right. Both groups think they are right. Both groups enjoy hating the other and see the other as being sinful and wrong. Both are projecting on the other what they refuse to see in themselves.

The Liberals “hate” the haters, but don’t want to recognize it within and hate the KKK for being blatantly hateful.

The KKK & Alt Right certainly have “hate” but don’t want to recognize it as bad, and hate the Liberals for judging them, something they also do.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hates Trump. Trump hates Kim Jong Un.

We all know deep down that hating is wrong so why do we continue to do it.

The ego wants to keep us in a state of hate because it keeps us mired in guilt. If we are feeling guilty we cannot be happy. Ego’s Mission Accomplished!

Abraham Lincoln said: “To defeat an enemy, make him a friend.”

I say:

1. To defeat an enemy, look within.

2. Find the offense. “I really hate__________.”

3. Realize it is a projection. You don’t have to know “why” just know you are projecting and that is enough.

4. Own It. “I’m doing this, holding this thought. No one is forcing me.”

5. Look at it. “OK, but it’s not pretty” says the ego.

6. When we look, we are actually forgiving. We have exposed it and acknowledge it. We let it go, and we are released from the judgment.

7. We are free.

With understanding we can no longer condemn. We are the same. We all suffer from the same ego judgment. We all feel guilty. We all need release.

I admit I am a liberal. I maintain that if I exclude love from someone; I am excluding love from myself. I do not agree with the KKK because I exclude no one from my love……even them. I know the Spark of the Divine is within them too so I must look for it.

God Bless!

You are Loved! You have done nothing wrong! There is no sin! eye 2 - 2014

Am I a Body or Spirit?

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We are born into a body, in a particular family of certain circumstances but we seek the answer to the age old question: Who am I? We learn (gradually) we are much MORE than a body. We are NOT who we THINK we are! Many spiritual paths lead us to our true identity and ultimately HOME!

The Course In Miracles, tells us we are Spirit and little by little we come to understand that YES, that is true. Our eternal spirit does reside in the body for now. I have come to learn lessons that my Soul needs to learn. So whatever lessons come – they are the ones I need to learn. They are important lessons and once I have learned them I get to go HOME. I am happy to learn them! Well……some lessons I may not like – BUT if I know those lessons will help me – why wouldn’t I want to deal with them. I am happy to be in a body because it allows me to BE HERE NOW! We are really caretakers (or not) of our Soul-Spirit and so let us be loving caretakers of this eternal jewel within.

However, as the lessons come, I am helped immensely when I REMEMBER I am in fact SPIRIT. With that knowledge I can be at peace! The more I remember, the more peace I will have. When your body has a problem, which it will, it is a chance to say: NOPE – NOT ME! My body has a problem but I don’t! Yes, I will take care of the problem but I always have that inner gentle smile that says “I am an eternal Spirit.”

We take care and “fix” the body and do whatever we can to stay in the world and learn soul lessons that are sure to come. A elderly friend became sick recently and the sickness was such that she decided NOT to “fix” her body! That was courageous but I know the time will come when I will make that same decision. I will know what the right thing to do is when that time comes. I will leave knowing I did the right thing as the eternal Spirit I am.

Workbook lesson 199. I am not a body. I am free, is a wonderful lesson to explore the feelings of not being the body. You can go to http://www.acim.org and click on lessons and then close your eyes and listen quietly to let it sink in.

Remember, you are a decision making Mind! You have the power to choose! You have two choices: Love or Fear. You can listen to the ego’s fear or listen to the Holy Spirit’s grace and faith. It is that quiet voice inside and it always brings peace!

Isn’t it great to know you have a CHOICE which voice to listen to? That is why you are not a victim.

http://www.facim.org – Lesson 199 –

“I am not a body. I am free.

I hear the Voice That God has given me, and it is only This my mind obeys.”

God Blesses YOU!

You Are Pure Consciousness

“The mind of an enlightened human being is flexible and adaptable. The mind of an ignorant person is conditioned and fixed.” Ajhan Sumedho, ‘Don’t take your life seriously’, Buddhist Publishing Group

As a student of non-duality, a friend recently loaned me the above book. Ajahn Sumedho. Ajahn, (“teacher” in Pali) was born Robert Karr Jackman, July 27, 1934, in Seattle. He is the senior Western representative of the Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism. A bhikkhu since 1967, Sumedho is considered a seminal figure in the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings to the West. During the Korean War he served for four years from the age of 18 as a United States navy medic. He graduated in 1963 with an MA in South Asian studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Per Wikepedia

A Course In Miracles has many similarities with Buddhism and the one that stands out from all others is our judgment of ourselves and others. I don’t know about you but I’ve been fixated on politics, our nation and world conditions since the January changes in government. Chaos and change happens in our lives and that creates nervousness and anxiety, the opposing poles of inner peace. Ajahn says the world is: “just the way it is!” Accept! We are not at peace when we judge anyone; feel superior or inferior to others.”As Babies we were not born with a self-view. That is developed over our lifetime. We therefore become a “created concept” and we suffer and seek answers to the suffering.

Whatever our self-concepts are we are not that! When we choose, we can acknowledge innate pure consciousness to receive wisdom. Wisdom operates through the marriage of awareness joining with consciousness. Suffering is the theme in The Four Noble truths. Judgment is suffering. As we become aware of pure consciousness, judgments shift and soften: “so it is” or “like this” to pure subjectivity. The ego personality says: “I like this or I don’t like that.” It is my choice then, should I get caught up in the annoyance, suppress it or try to change it? I know I want my way but can I be assured that will bring me peace? Until I can accept the world is just ‘like it is’ and ‘what is just – is’, I am the one choosing to suffer. Buddha called it Dukkha.

When you say: “I AM pure consciousness uncreated” your mind is at rest. Say it slowly with eyes closed. Say it slowly with eyes open. Pure consciousness does not have a sex, nationality or a world view. It means, I AM – not a permanent body; rather I am eternal, consciousness. Consciousness is behind awareness and when melded spark an awakening experience, like the Buddha, or Christ .

Contrast this with the impermanent, unsatisfactory “not self” that we think we are. The idea of “me and mine” created out of ignorance and separation from pure consciousness. The personality and life circumstances always change. You don’t stay the same person as the ego personality is reactive. Old age is another seeming failure but pure consciousness does not age. Awareness transcends the conditioned ego state. If we continue to give our allegiance and beliefs to the ego rather than to our natural pure awareness, we will suffer – until we tire of it. We can see seek refuge in awareness and pure consciousness.

As we look at national and world conditions, be aware and say: ‘so it is.’ The Course calls it our script. It just is and we can view it through the ego i.e. suffering or Awareness i.e the Holy Spirit. Consciousness is stainless, it cannot be contaminated. I am reminded of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, working for peace yet staying in pure consciousness throughout the tumult of his life and Jesus who assures us we are “As God Created Us” and not the thing or ego we created.

Perhaps we will become enlightened as insanity propels us to approach pure consciousness; non-attachment vs pure hell. The Holy Spirit within that is the alternative voice to the ego.

As the months and years unfold, our mindful practice, whether with Buddhism or A Couse In Miracles workbook lessons, will guide us to the wisdom and peace available at the center of our One luminous being.

See A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson 45. God is the Mind with which I think

Give up the grudge & grievance

It is hard to believe that our grudges, grievances, worries and envious thoughts do us

more harm than good. That is because they hide the light.

We actually hide it from our selves.

We are the culprits and are the victims of our own thoughts!

Our mind is as twisted as this snag on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Today devote some time to bringing all dark thoughts to

the Light within. Shine the light on them and honestly look at how they hurt

your beautiful Mind. Do they make you happy? Do they bring you peace?

Recognize the light of Truth is within YOU and no where else. Replace all attack

on others or yourself with acceptance. It is as simple as not believing the thought!

As long as we attack and judge we cannot know the Light and we are keeping

ourselves in misery and away from salvation. Say the following:

“I will there be Light. Darkness is not my will” and allow Peace to flow over you.

You are Loved!

http://video.nhptv.org/video/2365951602/

The Elusiveness of Peace and Joy

The Elusiveness of Peace and Joy!

Do you want peace and joy? Of course you do. As least you think you do until you have a judgment or an upset that you won’t let go of. You are upset because something was done to you and you feel you are in the right and the offending party should go to hell. Or places like that. Right? OK – Let’s say you are right but do you still want peace and joy? You can’t have it if you want someone to go to hell or hold onto an upset that you will not consider in another way.

I know someone who is holding onto a grievance. He was actually attacked, pushed up against a fence and would have been hit if someone hadn’t interfered. Why did the perpetrator assault him? He had responded to an insult with his own insult and that angered the attacker and so he took matters into his hands, literally. Who started it? It doesn’t matter. What matters is how we now find the peace that eluded us the first moment we reacted. That will be the subject of another article and an important one but for now let’s look at how we can obtain the peace we want.

We have not found peace by remembering and replaying the event because we are stuck in our thoughts and we are sure we are in the right. But are you happy being in the right? Would you rather be right or happy? Currently whenever we see that person or think of them we are unhappy. Ask yourself: Do I want peace and joy?

If the answer is YES, then decided to STOP believing the set belief you have in your mind (just for a moment) and choose another way to look at this? Say: “OK – I’ll look at this another way for the sake of my own peace.”

*“Begin to think of that (person) brother who has been denied by YOU the peace and joy that is his right under the equal laws of God. You have denied them to yourself and now you claim them as your own. Think of this brother a little while and tell him in your mind:

My brother peace and joy I offer you,

That I may have God’s peace and joy as mine.”

We don’t think that just because we have denied peace and joy to someone that in so doing we are in effect really denying them to our self. If you hold hate or a grudge in your mind, you are the one HOLDING the hate and the grudge in yourself. You are the sufferer. Do you think your brother is suffering? We don’t know but we do know you are.

Would you rather say to that brother?

My brother, misery and suffering I offer you

That I may have the ego’s misery and suffering as mine.

Which version do you choose? If the word God bothers you, take it out. God won’t care. That mystery is love and love never condemns. It doesn’t know how to. Make a copy of the pledge and paste it around the house. Take yourself on as a student and train yourself to accept that peace and joy is your inheritance and that you are worth it. You are worth it and you will experience peace and joy when you offer it to others and especially to the one you are upset with or have judged or who has offended you.

* The above quotes come from the spiritual book, A Course In Miracles, Workbook lesson 105 God’s Peace and Joy are Mine. Visit www.acim.org go The Workbook lessons and then when the lesson comes up, click on “hear” and listen to the entire lesson and close your eyes. Choose peace!

Hint: When you give you also receive!

Can we ever agree?

Yes we can! Agreement happens when we find common ground on SOMETHING!

The gift is in finding what that SOMETHING is that we can agree upon!

When we are in agreement there is peace. Where is peace when we disagree?

Eventually when we master the Course In Miracles we will have PEACE even when “disagreement” is seemingly before us.

The Course says “See love or the call for love.”

As we learn to master the Course, little by little the judgments are fewer.

They gradually become challenges to find shared values rather than separation.

I wanted to share the link below of Professor George Lakoff of the University

of California Berkley. He explains why we disagree and has an example of how

we can learn to find common ground and become more agreeable!

It is 27 minutes interview with Tavis Smiley of PBS (if you cannot open it just google

Tavis Smiley)

Professor of Cognitive Science, George Lakoff, UC Berkeley:

“Teach only love, for that is what you are.” A Course In Miracles Text Chapter 6. Section I, 13.

You are a Decision Making Mind

You are a decision making mind! Right?!

However, you are a decision making mind that has decided it is NOT a decision making mind! At least not all the time and here is why.

IN our world of illusion we have a split mind: the ego and the right mind which the Course calls the part of the mind we use to access the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Love within. Observe your mind when it is on automatic. There are thoughts of worry, envy, judgments, fear, and also thoughts of appreciation, a friend, a loved one, clouds or spring flowers, raspberries, chocolate, or coffee. Understand that there are various categories of ideas, thoughts running helter skelter, hither and yon and where are you? If you are following your ego lock, stock and barrel you are not using the right mind. You are off course! The Course in Miracles, tells us our egoic thoughts are not out real thoughts. Our real thoughts are the thoughts we share with God, with love. It also says the memory of God comes to the quiet mind. Suicidal thoughts are NOT the thoughts of God. They are painful thoughts of the false mind, the ego. You are NOT the ego.

The Course In Miracles has a workbook of 365 lessons, one per day, that trains us to see through the clouds and reclaim our decision making mind and the light that you are. That process helps us learns to make the choice between the ego and the right mind. It is a journey without distance. You don’t need to travel to see a guru or take a workshop but you will be led by a quiet voice of love within. The journey is inner, it is between your Self and the Love within that will hold your hand the entire time and for all time. Take the journey with the intention and determination that you are doing something very Holy. It is truly a mind training and life changing journey and you will succeed.

Take the journey to your real home. Start at lesson number 1 and read one every day no matter if you understand it or not. Keep going!

When you get to lesson 35 you will read: “My mind is part of God’s I am very Holy.”

Keep going – your decision making mind is in charge! You are on your way HOME to the true Self!

www.acim.org – look at the lessons and the text

www.miraclecenter.org – find a study group in your area.

www.facim.org – lots of wonderful books by Dr. Ken Wapnick

The Light Has Come

The Metaphysical/Spiritual book called A Course In Miracles contains a year long workbook study that offers a lesson for each day.

You can start the lessons anytime you want but be sure to start at lesson #1, as they follow a mind training process that is powerful and helps us see through the world and the illusions that make us sad, angry, depressed, anxious, happy at times, sadness over death, destruction, injustice and more. I believe the Course has brought many back from the brink of suicide and hopelessness because it did for me.

Would you like to forgive the world? It may not seem that you need to but the world has a way of showing us what we dislike as well as what we like. The world is dualistic. It contains the opposites that we judge as good or bad! We can give up our suffering by forgiving everything and everyone and when we do we ultimately know the inner Light that is our true identity!

Below is a link to the lessons. Today’s lesson #75.The Light Has Come.

The lessons can be read but they are recorded so you have the option of sitting back, closing your eyes and have the lesson read to you!

Go to http://www.acim.org

On the Left column click: Online Lessons

Click on Workbook table of Contents

Choose 75

Enjoy being the Light that you are and see it everywhere!

New Year Promise

January 3, 2017!!

What a trickster time is!

“For what is time without a past and future? It has taken time to misguide you so completely, but

it takes no time at all to be what you are. Begin to practice the Holy Spirit’s use of time as a

teaching aid to happiness and peace. Take this very instant, now, and think of it as all there is of

time. Nothing can reach you here out of the past, and it is here that you are completely absolved,

completely free and wholly without condemnation. From this holy instant wherein holiness was

born again you will go forth in time without fear and with no sense of change with time.”

The above quote is from A Course In Miracles, Chapter 15. The Holy Instant, Section I. The Two Uses of Time, p.9. 2-7.

And what are you? The ego is a trickster, it uses time to age us (we think we are bodies); heap regrets and guilt; plant the seeds of self doubt and or grandiosity; keep us in fear of the future by reminding us of the dreaded past and we are suffocated by grievances we have promised never to overlook or forgive. The ego doesn’t know what you are!

But to know who you are, chose to use the Holy Spirit’s practice of accepting the holy instant as soon as you become upset and remember “God Is” present at this very moment – your mind is free. Sometimes when I am aggravated, beyond words I repeat “God Is” quickly, about 10 to 20 times! It shifts me from the ego to the Holy Spirit, from Hell to Heaven. Does it last – no! But gradually, little by little, I have Faith that I am ascending the ladder and One Day, One Fine Day, I will reach True Perception and the Real World.

My New Year’s Promise: To use the Holy Instant and remember when upset, to STOP and take that very instant and think of it as being “Out of Time”- no past, no future, just God Is, God Is, God Is! This is what the Course calls the Atonement: Remembering that the “seeming” separation from God is an illusion! Not True!

When I remember God Is, I cannot think of hurting myself because I want to be in the Holy Instant, In Peace where eventually I will reach the Real World of True Perception.

Bless you in 2017 and for that matter – for eternity!

For more information about the Course check the following websites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZIr85Rxln0

http://www.circleofa.org

What are you afraid of?

Below is Jon Jorgenson reciting his rap poem asking “What are we afraid of?” He so beautifully reminds us to give up fear and recognize the Love within YOURSELF!

Merry Christmas,

What Are You Afraid Of? – Jon Jorgenson

http://www.youtube.com

How is Peace Possible in your world?

“Peace now belongs here, because a Thought of God has entered. What else but a Thought of God turns hell to Heaven merely by being what it is?” M. 11.How is Peace Possible in this World? P.4.8 & 9.

The above quote from the Manual of A Course In Miracles can relax our tortured mind if we remember that Peace is the Thought of God. The memory of God is in our mind and we, mankind, have denied it but it is impossible to destroy that memory. Mankind has forgotten who we are. We are of God, we are all His children. We are therefore related because we came from the same “Father” who loves us equally. We are One.

This is how peace is possible in this world: Thinking of God, remembering God IS and that you are LOVED, we are ALL LOVED EQUALLY. We are ONE. Your mind is a judgment FREE ZONE!!

We are related beyond the color of skin; culture; religion, country of origin; language or sex. We are One.

Since God is mysterious compassionate all encompassing eternal LOVE and we are His offspring, then we inherited the same attributes of compassionate eternal love. This means we will never really die – our bodies will, but our true SPIRIT SELF is eternal like God.

No one can exist or has ever lived that is not of God. Our task is to remember who we are and we do that by ceasing all judgment.

“Ask yourself whether your judgment or the Word of God is more likely to be true. For they say different things about the world and things so opposite that it is pointless to try to reconcile them. God offers the world salvation; your judgment would condemn it. God says there is no death; your judgment sees but death as the inevitable end of life. God’s Word assures you that He loves the world; your judgment says it is unlovable. Who is right? For one of you is wrong.” M. 11. 4. 2.8.

“Peace is impossible to those who desire war. Peace is inevitable to those who offer peace. How easily, then, is your judgment of the world escaped! It is not the world that makes peace seem impossible. It is the world you see (through the eyes of the ego) that is impossible. Yet has God’s Judgment on this distorted world redeemed it and made it fit to welcome peace.

Peace now belongs here because a Thought of God has entered.” M. 11.4.1-8

http://www.acim.org (The Course In Miracles is now in several languages.)

I bless myself when I bless you

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The title of Workbook Lesson 187 in A Course In Miracles is:

I Bless the World because I Bless Myself.

The lesson begins: “No on can give unless he has. In fact, giving is proof of having.”

If you are depressed it is time to send Blessings to Yourself and the way to do that is to bless someone else too! When you give LOVE to someone with your thoughts you are holding LOVE in your mind! Therefore you are also receiving that love!

We make room for thoughts that bless someone or something then we share in that blessings in our mind and heart. If you don’t have anyone to bless, what about your favorite flower, tree, river, lake, mountain, the world, teacher, coach, dog or cat? When we send a blessing i.e. LOVE then we also bless ourselves wherever we are right now!

Bless yourself for all the thoughts of love that you have ever extend to friends and family. Extend love to the person you saw standing in line at the grocery story who you judged as _________ (fill in the blank) by sending them message now. A simple little thought like -“I saw you there and my ego judged you but now I withdraw that thought and see you as a Holy Son of God that you are.”

Since you send the blessing you have right now blessed yourself. You have also blessed the world because you powerful mind sent a the powerful thought of LOVE and acceptance. The Course says all minds are JOINED at some level, so just know your loving thought was received not only by that person but to others – the whole enormous family!

In the Course, Chapter 1, Page 14 in the text:

Perfect love casts out fear. If fear exits, there is not perfect love. But

Only perfect love exists. If there is fear, it produces a state that does not exist.

Your perfect love casts out not only fear but all the worries, doom, gloom you are holding onto in your life. Let it all go and the way to do it is to LET LOVE IN…..NOW.

Visit

http://www.acim.org and click on Lessons to see lesson 187

God Bless!

I AM COMPLETE, HEALED AND WHOLE

Note: You may not believe the statements below, you may not accept or welcome them but do not allow yourself (the ego mind) to question or judge them. Merely repeat over and over several times a day, while falling asleep or upon awakening or anytime you find your mind wandering. The purpose of repetition is that eventually you WILL believe. The ego will try to convince you otherwise to keep you from ascending the ladder to be HOME free!

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!

How do you attain inner peace? Practice, practice, practice!

CHOOSE ANY STATEMENT THAT “FEELS RIGHT” AND REPEAT SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, WHENEVER DEPRESSED, HAVE SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR WORRIED ABOUT ANYTHING. PRINT THE STATEMENT OUT, CARRY IT IN YOR POCKET AND TAPE IT TO YOUR BATHROOM MIRROR!

I AM COMPLETE, HEALED AND WHOLE.
I AM SPIRIT, A HOLY SON OF GOD.
I AM ONE WITH GOD.GOD IS LOVE AND THEREFORE SO AM I.
GOD GOES WITH ME WHEREVER I GO. GOD IS IN MY MIND.
GOD PUT THE HOLY SPIRIT IN MY MIND TO ANSWER PROBLEMS.
RECOGNIZING I HAVE A SPLIT MIND, IN THIS DUALISTIC WORLD, I CHOOSE THE HOLY SPIRIT IN MY RIGHT MIND, NOT THE EGO.
IN QUIET I ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR HELP – NOT MY EGO.
WHEN I GIVE LOVE TO EVERYONE I FEEL THE LOVE THAT I AM.
I AM LOVED, I AM A MIND, I MOVE FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE BELIEVING IN THE STRENGTH OF MY SPIRIT AND GOODNESS.
I AM NOT GUILTY OR A VICTIM THE EGO WOULD HAVE ME BE.
I AM A DECISION MAKING MIND, AN INNOCENT HOLY SON OF GOD WITH POWER TO CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT THE WORLD.
INNER PEACE IS IN MY MIND – I CHOOSE PEACE NOW.
FORGIVENESS IS: RECOGNIZING PAINFUL THOUGHTS AND LOOKING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, ASK TO SEE IT DIFFERENTLY.
IN MY DEFENSELESSNESS MY SAFETY LIES.
I CAN BE HURT BY NOTHING BUT MY THOUGHTS. I THEREFORE CHANGE MY THOUGHTS AND CHOOSE PEACE.
I EXCLUDE NO ONE FROM MY LOVE.
I AM ALWAYS HELPFUL AND HARMLESS IN ALL THINGS.
YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE IN GOD, BUT GOD BELIEVES IN YOU AND LOVES YOU!

The above was inspired from the Spiritual/Metaphysical book: A Course In Miracles

Visit: www.facim.org or

http://www.acim.org or

Can Peace Be Found in this World?

When we look out at the world, the problems, the Presidential Election, no matter which one you like or dislike…..and we wonder……where is the PEACE?

Peace can be found but IT is not found in the world. Well you say, what about the quiet stream and the birds singing and the flowers and the walk in the woods.

Yes, some remnants of peace can be found in the world BUT…..for how long? Snippets at a time.

Then what are your thoughts about as you sit by the steam? What are you thinking about? When you took the kids fishing and….. OH….and that son is now dead. Where is the peace?

Peace can only be found when we FORGIVE EVERYTHING and FORGIVE OURSELVES from thinking I am a separate little EGO and a lonely little person and instead remember:

“I could choose peace instead of this thought.” Then the thought doesn’t matter. Yes that son is now dead but A Corse In Miracles says there is no death in this world.

This world is not REAL.

Yes, this world has betrayal, upsets, even fun, excitement, danger, competition and strife but the only way to BE in the WORLD but NOT of IT is to remember with the help of that tiny small voice found only inside:

RISE above the BATTLEGROUND……this is NOT ALL THERE IS. Yes you may be looking at devastation but this world is not REAL.

PEACE is within and what is found within is that still small voice that reminds you there is TRUTH and it is not here…..but it is REAL. God IS

Peace can be found in a Spiritual Path….that is where GOD IS.

There are thousands of Universal paths….and they all say “The Son of God is innocent.”

One path to Peace is: A Course In Miracles –

http://www.facim.org (Ken Wapnick books and tapes found here)