Did you know that!! Do you believe it? Why would a loving God want you miserable or upset? The Course In Miracles tells us that God is LOVE – Only Love, All is Love and loved. You are Loved so is your enemy (if you have one): Democrat, Republican, Independent, all cultures and Religions. We are all loved equally. There is no wrathful judgmental God in the Course!
The problem we have is we believe “sin” is real and the Course tells us there is no sin! Imagine that! Yes, we all make mistakes or errors but God never blames because all he knows is love. The Course tells us that God’s last judgment of us, His Holy Son is:
“Holy are you, eternal, free and whole, at peace forever in the
Heart of God. Where is the world, and where is sorrow now?”
When we judge anyone or anything we are judging our self because projection makes perception. What we see “out there” we judge…..or not. For example think about the U.S. Capitol on January 6. It was upsetting looking at it through the ego. But if something upsets me, it is up to me to see it as either love or a call for love. I look calmly with love and understand that people are angry. They were suffering and they needed to act out their fear and or rage. If I can see it as a call for love, I extend love to ALL. Did I do that? No! But I know I can do that when I see it replayed on TV. When something upsets me I can change from the ego part of mind, and go to the part of my mind that I share with God. Step back and say: Opps, I can see this with the eyes of Vision and extend love to all. Consequently, I will have love too because when you give you also receive.
We can look upon the scene and remember what Jesus is reported to have said “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” We don’t know their path or what they came here to learn.
It is up to us to allow happiness to be present in our mind, to let all judgment go. You are not guilty but innocent. As we realize that mistakes are part of the learning process of this classroom, we stop blaming ourselves because we learned something and it was beneficial. Open up your heart and mind to the beauty of the Love that you inherited from God and in fact are.
God Bless
See and listen to ‘A Course In Miracles’ Lessons 101; 102; 103 & 104
Recently I listened to the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers perform “Softly” on YouTube. It was composed with Christmas in mind by Will Todd, British Choral composer. However, we need its message throughout the year regardless of our Faith. Below is the YouTube link to their performance and the poem so you can read the words and experience the reality of the softness in your soul, the True spirit of your life.
It is a prayer put to music and it is humanities prayer. We need to be reminded of the mercy always available within our minds. Mercy for ourselves first of all and then extended and seen outside in the world we see. Our thoughts determine the world we see. In A Course In Miracles, early lessons, 16, 17 and 18 we are told that we project out onto the world, the thoughts we are holding and therefore create the world we see. Sounds crazy right? Either your thoughts extend the truth or illusions, love or fear, acceptance or judgment.
We think our thoughts are unimportant but they can be destructive to our peace especially when in a negative frame of mind and if so, you are “deciding” what you will see. If you are thinking thoughts of fear; worry; hate; judgment or condemnation; guilt or negativity you are projecting it out onto the world and coloring your life with the opposite of “softness.” Projection makes perception; you think it and then “see” it out in the world – thus no neutral thoughts. Mystics tell us we think we left God or Love, a negative act and came into the world rejecting love, so we see negativity until we realize we did not leave Love, It is still in us. We can change our “way” of seeing through eyes of fear to eyes of mercy and acceptance. We can see a kind world if we see through eyes of kindness. We will also see softness “out there” being softer. We will see the softness inside of us that can never be destroyed.
Experiment with this idea. Decide to see everyone as a loving brother or sister; they are doing the best they can; see the rain as the gift it is; the traffic slow down as a gift to slow you down; a crazy driver as someone who is in fear; offer them love; and change judgment from separation to inclusion; think with your inner kindness and True Self. It is a gift you give yourself!
You can also offer kindness to our Home Planet by doing your best to learn how to keep it healthy. Check out www.wakeupworld.earth an educational tool friends Anita and Bob Dygert-Gearheart, formerly of Ashland have created.
EVERYONE NEEDS INNER PEACE – GIVE THE GIFT OF PEACE!
When you give this gift to a friend or relative you never know, but it may be just what they need!
This essay collection offers reflections on choosing peace while living in the world. We live in a world that has problems; the wars, sorrow, tragic killings, and death. But inner peace is possible. It is a choice made consciously, nurtured and attended to carefully.
The world is dualistic with opposites; good and bad; love and fear and life and death. We inherited a split mind. The ego part chooses judgment and separation. It is NOT your friend. It is the opposite of love. It is a manipulator and gives only to get. It must win at all costs, its stingy; jealous; lies; and judges everyone and everything. We learn to watch it and see how it works. Becoming aware is critical to silencing it and choosing the voice for love inside. Just because a thought enters the mind, it doesn’t mean it is true. Don’t believe everything you think. The ego runs on automatic. It makes you miserable, separate and alone.
But the other voice in the mind resides in the higher Self. Turning away from the ego, you have the power to see the world in a different light; thoughts of healing grace and forgiveness. This is your choice: listen to the ego or to the voice of truth residing in your Self. Only you can do it. No one can do it for you. A mind is a beautiful thing to change. When we get tired of the pain, we look for another way; the way of peace. We ask to see things differently.
These essays will help in learning how to access the perennial wisdom residing within. It is simple and it only takes mindfulness, watching and mind training. You are worth it! And so are those you love.
A CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOURSELF, RELATVES AND FRIENDS.
Have you been glued to the TV this past political season? Still are? Ohhh the world is a crazy place with its twists and turns, betrayals, ego’s running amuck through the swamp. On one talk show someone quietly and gently mentioned that we needed more acceptance and love. Several politely rolled their eyes as if to say: Love?? What’s love got to do with it? Everything as it turns out.
I’m sure you’ve noticed the ego always speaks first. We think this is natural since we are used to it. When we scoff at an idea that is the ego speaking. Another reason it speaks first is to gain the upper hand. I’m sure you’ve noticed that the ego has created wars since time began. The reason is that the ego is deathly afraid of love. Love is its opposite and would kill it. That is why it asserts itself when nice words like: inclusion; joining; love; same interests; oneness; brotherhood or anything similar is mentioned. Since the ego is terrified of love it will become very vicious knowing its end is near. Poor ego.
There is however another voice. The one the ego is afraid of, the voice that suggested the need for acceptance and love. This voice with a gentle accepting message we’ve known all our lives as well. The ego says those who are different must be condemned; run out of town; the other voice says “love thy neighbor” they would be interesting to. We don’t have to judge or reject someone because they are different but the ego does. It’s impossible to love someone you have condemned. This adversarial stance blocks us from joy and “love” that is ours naturally. We can choose the gentle voice by simply dropping the hand of the ego. It is a simple change of mind; change of heart to choose the gentle voice on the path to inclusion; the path to peace. Just say No ego!
Here is a good way to test the two voices if you haven’t; watch TV for a few minutes. As you watch notice the people, take note of what you see; like or don’t like. What were the judgments like? How do you feel? Now watch TV with and open mind and heart. Now you can feel the difference. Inclusion vs exclusion feels very different. The ego projects guilt out of the mind and makes us feel special and innocent. It’s like a cleaning lady pushing dirt under the rug so we don’t see it or know it is there. What is pushed under the rug emerges in time.
This projection is not evil or bad as long as we recognize it as the ego ploy of separation. Merely look at it and realize it is our stuff; we let it go, forgive it because it is old learning from the past. If the word “forgiveness” bothers you, think of it as giving up grudges; letting go of the past errors to be free. It’s up to you to free yourself. If you still feel some guilt; it’s the ego slipping in. The truth is you are innocent at your core.
Your Christmas gift is to know you can stop believing or identifying with ego thoughts and have peace. There is another thought to choose. You are a Light in the World. That is your reality. Hear the alternative voice which represents understanding and mercy that’s always available.
So this Christmas write down the old ego beliefs; put them in an envelope under the tree with a gift tag; “To The Christ Child” or “To God.” Either one will be happy with your gift. God will gladly take it off your hands as he does not judge. This child doesn’t recognize anything but love so it’s not a problem. They know who you are: Eternal Spirit, a loved Son, and a dear Brother. Whatever your concepts of God or the child could be, just think: Love. Love knows your reality.
Extend acceptance to all this Christmas. Why not? When you offer it to all; you accept yourself. Kindness is who and what you are. You are the Christ Child. Welcome to your Self; your true identity offering freedom from separation, pain, worry and have a Merry Christmas. You are Loved!
A Course In Miracles Lesson 61 – I am the Light of the World – Click on the “volume” to hear the lesson read to you.
“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!!
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!
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 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
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 iswithin 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!
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.
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
Suicide Is Hurtful 