My conversation this morning with God

Me:  Father, we need you to be more involved.  The world is insane, so much suffering and pain.  We need your help.  Please! (I expressed this with a little bit of anger)

God:  (Lovingly and gently) Remember my child, the world is an illusion and what you see happening is a reflection of the world's consciousness.  My children still want to do things their own way and rarely come to Me for guidance. They believe they are separate and can do things on their own. Remember, I am always with you, all of you.  But, I respect your will and do not impose Myself.  That is why you are so needed in the world.  You are the light, you are the healer.  I need your words, your love, your forgiveness in the world precisely now.  Be all that is needed to heal the world as I guide you.  I am your strength, your peace, your joy, and you can bring this to everyone you encounter and are with.  I am with you always and through you.

Me:  Thank you Father for the reminder.  I tend to get pulled in by all that seems to be happening and then think it's real.  Stay with me always.

God:  Always my child.

❤❤❤❤❤❤

I Have Given Everything I See The Meaning It Has for Me

This is a very challenging concept for me.  But it feels true and I constantly remind myself of it when happenings in the world seem so real and tend to suck me in.

A Course in Miracles goes on to state in the Text:  "When you made what is not true visible [the world of form], what is true became invisible [the spiritual, formless world, or reality]."

What is Reality?

Through my studies of A Course in Miracles I've encountered over and over the teaching that the world that I see is not reality.  Its effects aren't real either.  Hmmm.  This has been challenging since it all does seem so real.

But, at some point in my (and our) time here, I have asked this question.  If I am created in God's image, as love, limitless, powerful, spirt (not form), then, what is it that I am seeing and experiencing?  

It seems I give meaning to all that I see and experience.  And as I choose differently, trying out these new principles, what is going to happen??  I am going to have a different experience for sure.  

It has taken me some time to open my mind to this but it is already having its healing effects on my mind.  

 

This World is Not My Home

This world is not my home, and I've known this, sensed it, since I was a young girl.  Haven't you at some point realized that this world makes no sense?  That there is injustice, inequality, struggle, etc.?  It's just plain hard (and insane).

And I used to blame God for it.  

But, through my search for truth and clarity and wanting to understand, I have found answers.  But, not in the world.  I have found them within, as I open up to spiritual principles and practice them.  Studying and practicing the principles of A Course in Miracles consistently has taught me to "see" with clarity.

Heaven, Peace, Love, God are all within each of us.  And it is in moments of deliberate stillness and quiet, in our desire to know the Truth and ourselves, that we find Home.  Yes.  Home is there, waiting for us to make a stop from all the stuff of this world that keeps us busy, worried, fearful.  Can you imagine?  It's always been there.  Waiting.  

We can begin by just spending a few moments at a time going within.  Breathe. Ask.  Practice gratitude.  With each moment, we come a bit closer to experiencing Oneness.  

See Beyond Mistakes

To be in the world and not of the world is about having a true perception of myself and my brothers.  The world's perception sees everything and everyone as sinful, and we in need to be in a defensive frame of mind, warding off retaliation or harm. 

Whereas true perception, "seeing" with the spiritual eye, or Christ Vision, is seeing beyond the body, beyond mistakes and connecting with the truth of everyone.  This is the practice; eventually and progressively, I begin to be in a world where I see my brothers (and myself) as innocent, their mistakes being just that, mistakes. I relate from my true Self to theirs.  Peace, joining, joy and defenselessness become my experience.  And the obvious result is to spread this joy.  This is healing.  This is being in the world and not of it.  This new focused and true perception is what takes us Home.  

Seeing Beyond the Body

As I read through this section of the Course ("Using the Body Solely for Communication"), I stop and think about what this means: "When you look upon a brother as a physical entity, his power and glory are lost to you and so are yours."  

By now, I am understanding we are all God's creation, created from love, as love, whole, perfect, in oneness with God and with each other.  There is one holiness, divinity within us that we all share.  This unity and Self is changeless and eternal.  Not like the body.  So, when I see someone as a body (personality, role, physical) I am attacking their true identity and seeing them as weak, impermanent, lacking and myself as well.  What I believe I am I will see in another.  

I practice seeing another vision with the spiritual eye, or Christ Vision.  I look beyond the body (not with my physical eyes) and see the truth.  As I do this consistently, I am healing their mind and my own.  I am remembering for both of us what we truly are.  I ask Spirit for help in this because of myself I can do nothing really.  I am so programmed to see the body, judge it and attack.  This seems to keep me separate (feelings of isolation and aloneness).  In order to experience oneness, joy, peace of mind and truth, I need to see my brother as a pure and innocent being.  Not a body.  

Don't Take Things Personally

How easily I can make things always about me.  This quote attributed to Yogi Bhajan is true wisdom.  

I never know what's really going on with anyone.  I don't have that kind of wisdom.  But I easily can project my own stuff onto another.  Let me instead choose to be understanding and respectful of another's journey.  I never know the full picture, so it's not all about me.  It's probably not about me at all.  I am learning not to take another's behavior personally.  There's peace in this.  

Your Grace is Given me. I Claim it now.

 

As always, today's lesson, #168 of A Course In Miracles workbook,  is a beautiful one, where I spend the day claiming God's gifts to me as His Child.

So, I start my day with this thought:  "YOUR GRACE IS GIVEN ME.  I CLAIM IT NOW"  and throughout the day I recall these truths that form part of the lesson's content....(I have personalized them by changing "us" or "we" to I or me:

God speaks to me.  Shall I not speak to Him?

He is not distant.  He makes no attempt to hide from me.

I try to hide from Him, and suffer from deception.  He remains entirely accessible.  He loves Me (my true Self).  There is no certainty but this, yet this suffices.  He will love Me forever.  

Spending my day bringing these ideas to awareness hourly and when I'm thinking idle, ego thoughts, uplifts me and I feel peace again.  

Practice!

I Will Step Back and Let Him Lead the Way

"Him" can be understood to be God, Truth, Love, Light.  

This is another one of my favorite lessons in A Course in Miracles.  I repeat it to often as a reminder that I don't know what is best for me, but God does, and God is within me.  So, I decide moment to moment to let go of the reigns, release control (as best as I can), and allow Truth to guide my way.  I cannot judge because I don't know the whole picture.

This is today's lesson, #155.  I spend the day, hourly, repeating the idea so it stays fresh in my mind.  

It also states that we walk to God.  This is our journey here, to return Home.  And we are also here to remind each other through acts of kindness, compassion, love, and recognizing the light in our brother.  

One of my favorite Ram Dass quotes is: "We're all just walking each other home.  Ain't that the truth!!!

Maturity

Maturity isn't acquired necessarily with age.  We can be advanced in years and still think and behave immaturely.

Maturity comes with understanding Life, having a relationship with It (God), and through this relationship know ourselves.  Being honest with ourselves is primary, as we look within with non-judgmental yet clear vision, so we can let go of beliefs and thoughts that keep us in fear.  

As I deepen my faith and relationship with the Divine, I find that I trust more, am more at ease and let go of the need to control.  I am also less "reactive" to life's challenges because I know I'm loved and cared for.  

This maturity comes with knowing myself through the eyes of God.  

As I willing choose to see others through this Vision, the sense of separation, the resentments and unforgiveness I hold in my heart begin to give way to oneness, true forgiveness, and ultimately love.

"I Am Everything and I Have Everything"

 

I love this idea from A Course in Miracles.  It's a concept that I had never encountered before.

God has given us everything through His Spirit as an intrinsic part of us.  Nothing can change that.  Imagine, His spirit is always with us, no matter what we do or say or think.  

And God Is:  Love. Truth. Peace. Joy. Light. Strength. Eternal.  And much more.

God created each of us with all His attributes....but we have forgotten.

Holy Spirit (God's Voice within us) is always reminding us of this truth.  As we remember this moment to moment, that we have everything and are everything in Him, the old self-concepts fall away.  

The ego (our false sense of self) keeps itself alive in our awareness through anxiety, fear, and feelings of unworthiness (as we believe we aren't enough) But this is not what we are.  We need to remember this truth.  God says so.  We are everything and we have everything.

I'm not going to argue with the Almighty!!!  

The World I See Holds Nothing I Want.

 

Our experience has already shown us that the world doesn’t deliver what we want. We know this deep inside us.

Today's Course Lesson 128 is a good reminder of this truth: "The World Holds Nothing I Want."

This is so true. How long does the romance or happiness last when que finally have the house, the car, the job, the relationship, money, power? It's quite fleeting. After a while, we want more or something else.

Only God's Love can satisfy. Why? Because it's real, changeless, it has no degrees, it doesn't judge and is ever present. That seeking we have inside our hearts that nothing seems to fill it? God's Love can and will. Be still. Know God. Within.

Blessings.

How Do I know Which Voice to Follow?

When having to make a decision, how do we know which inner voice has our best interest?  How do we choose between the two voices in our head, Spirit or ego?

I found some guidance reading today’s section in the text of A Course in Miracles that helps me identify each voice.

In the section titled The Voice for God it says:

“The Call to return is stronger than the call to depart, but it speaks in a different way.  The voice of the Holy Spirit does not command, because it is incapable of arrogance.  It does not demand, because it does not seek control.  It does not overcome, because it does not attack.  It merely reminds.  It is compelling only because of what it reminds you of. It brings to your mind the other way, remaining quiet even in the midst of the turmoil you have made for yourself.”

The Call to return is definitely referring to returning our mind back to the truth, back Home to God. 

The Voice of the Holy Spirit is always reminding us of our true Self, with gentle nudges and signs; it feels right and peaceful, whereas the ego’s voice is loud, pushy and demanding. It tries to force us into doing something we don’t really want to do.

With practice, trust and faith, we get better at discerning which voice has our best interest.  And, when we feel unsure, we pray, we get still and sometimes even wait. 

Blessings.

A Great Tool to Process Feelings

Last weekend I was involved in a fender bender.  Thank God both vehicles were going at a slow speed and the damage to our cars was minimal.  But, I still had to report the accident to the police and to our insurance, tell my husband I had been in an accident in a Walmart parking lot, and be without a car for almost a week.  

In spite of being grateful that no one was hurt, I began to experience feelings of guilt and to doubt my focus.  I am a careful driver and this incident was my fault because I somehow went into the intersection and didn't see the other car coming.  

You know that accusing voice inside our heads?  Well, I began to hear myself questioning my ability to drive, and if this is the beginning of my decline due to age...a whole lot of BS.  

I decided to nip this in the bud and sat down to write a Love Letter, which is one of the many tools I learned in You University that has been foundational in helping me clear out my negative feelings and reach a place of love and/or understanding.  

I went through the whole process on paper...anger, sadness, fear, taking responsibility and finally understanding and self-love.  I was relieved by the conclusion of the letter, having released all those feelings.  

I learned love letters in 2010 and I am grateful for them....they work and are a great tool for healing.

True Light is Strength

Lesson #93 and 94 are so freeing and revealing of God's Love for me (and all of us).

Today, the above statement included in lesson 94, titled "I am as God created me",  stood out for me.  I don't gloss over the reading material as in previous years, as I want to understand the real meaning of the A Course in Miracles teachings and continue to experience the peace and transformation they bring.  

So I asked:  what does it mean to me that true light is strength?  I closed my eyes and allowed some clarity to come.  

Why is true light strength?...because it's the truth about me; I am light, we are all light, as we have been created.  Changeless.  And this light has the power to heal, to unite, to shine away all darkness and illusion and reveal our true being.  And what is our true being?  Purity, innocence, peace, joy, and so much more. I could feel that truth within me.  And I repeat it as I go through the day, especially when any contrary thought comes to mind.

I am as God created me.  I am strong, light is in me.  I do not need to prove my goodness, as it is given by God Himself.

Beautiful!!!  

Love Created Me Like Itself

I’ve done the review lesson #84 in ACIM several times in the past, but yesterday I practiced it with more devotion, determination and attention.  I did the reminders throughout the day and also sat quietly with the idea for 15 to 20 minutes, as per the instructions.  There were a few times I did skip the short practice periods, but I kept at it.

To repeat the idea throughout the day keeps my mind in awareness and connected.  Sitting quietly for 15 to 20 minutes with the idea, asking for clarity from Spirit and going deeply into its meaning shifts my mind to a lighter, truer state. The old begins to be released and the new welcomed.

During my longer practice period, I did my best to still my mind.  I sat quietly and attentively.  I then asked, WHAT IS LOVE?  I substituted Love for God, All that Is, the I Am, Creator.  

Words and meanings began to flow into my mind.  Love is:  kind, wholeness, perfect, unchanging, beautiful, gentle, strong, uniting, oneness, light, all-encompassing, inclusive.  

I thought:  if I am created in Its likeness, then what am I??  I remembered the Course states: “you are a miracle.” “God and His miracles are inseparable.”  “The Word is really a thought.”  I somehow understood and envisioned God extending Itself and creating me (not as form or a body which is perishable, but as spirit, eternal, with His attributes as stated above).   I had such a feeling of joy and love at that moment and all through the day.  I rose up from my quiet time with the sense that I am a thought in the Mind of God.  Inseparable from Him.  Wow!!

Perception Versus Knowledge

"Perception is temporary.  It is an attribute of the space-time belief, and is therefore subject to fear or love.  Misperception produces fear, and true perception induces love.  Neither produces certainty because all perception varies.  That is why it is not knowledge.....but knowing is the affirmation of truth." 

When I perceive anything, it is coming from my own mind and from my belief system.  So, as my beliefs change, what I perceive will vary....and that is why perceptions may produce fear or love and are temporary.

Truth, on the other hand, is steady, changeless, as God is. 

Knowing is certainty.  You can count on it.  No one can take it away from you.  Because you know.  It's experience.  

I remember a conversation I had once with a dear friend who asked me how could I be sure that God existed.  I could not say anything convincing to prove the existence of God to them because my knowing came from experience.  It started with faith, but ultimately it became a knowing.  This no one and nothing could take away from me.  That was exactly what I said to my friend.  I know.  I have experienced God but I can't explain it or prove it to you. It's personal and available to all of us as we desire it.  And we will eventually.  It is what we search for. 

Love Created Me like Itself

This workbook lesson, #67, from A Course in Miracles really hit home for me this morning.  

For as long as I can remember, I identified with a different self-image.  

People I loved and trusted from my past repeatedly told me I was selfish, uncaring and unloving.  I believed them at a deep level because they were important and close to me.  

I spent most of my life and relationships trying to prove them wrong (in my head) by being extra loving, by giving at times even more than was necessary or healthy, while never really feeling the truth about myself.  Their inner voices became my voice.  And it has been very unforgiving.

As I read today's lesson, and sit with it, I allow it's truth to sink in deeply.  I feel its message of changeless, eternal love, which is what God's love is; the old voices are replaced by this love. I've read this lesson many times before, yet today my inner being is ready to embrace this true image of me.  

I am forever grateful for God's love. And, since I place my faith and trust in what these lessons say about me (because they feel true to me), I accept this as a complete and accurate statement about what I am.  Love created me like Itself.  Then this Self must be in me.  

In the quiet stillness, I repeat this idea along with other attributes of Love, such as holiness, wholeness, wise, loving, kind, and so forth, as I reach deep within.  I spend my day repeating this truth about myself because I need to hear it as often as possible.

Love created me like Itself.

No Idle Thoughts

I am being very aware and observant of my thoughts as I learn from the Course that all thinking produces form at some level.  I was never too careful nor mindful of what I was allowing to live in my head.  But not anymore.  The truth is, I feel much more at peace by doing so.  When a fearful or disruptive thought comes up, I recognize it, release it and replace it with the truth.

"I Have No Neutral Thoughts"

This is the title of workbook lesson #17 in A Course in Miracles.  Today this lesson is included in a review and it still makes me ponder.  Hmmm. No neutral thoughts.  And it goes on to expand its meaning:

"Neutral thoughts are impossible because all thoughts have power.  They will either make a false world or lead me to the real one, but thought cannot be without effects.  As the world I see arises from my thinking errors, so will the real world rise before my eyes as I let my errors be corrected.  My thoughts cannot be neither true nor false.  They must be one or the other.  What I see shows me which they are."

It amazes me how powerful my thoughts are. They truly aren't neutral as I used to think.  I am more mindful of what I think and even more mindful of what I believe.  

My practice is to correct my erroneous thoughts with what is true, all throughout my day.  I've also realized having other thoughts running in the background, like a computer program.  Old stuff, slowing me down.  Every thought I allow without examining its veracity will have an effect in how I feel and experience life.  So I am very mindful now; I value my inner peace. My goal is to awaken from this dream by holding only what is true in my mind.  

Am I the Ruler of My Mind?

Am I the ruler of my mind? Or, as this quote from A Course in Miracles states, does my mind seem to rule me?

All sorts of thoughts can fill my mind.  Some of them are kind, some are concerning, some are fearful, others judgmental and some even insane.  

As I pay attention to the thoughts (and noticing how I feel), I replace them with what is true.  This has become my practice! 

You see, in this world, we have been programmed to be fearful and to believe in lack, struggle and that we are unworthy.  We can spend our days (and nights) feeling guilty, regretful and fearful of the future.  

I refuse to live this way.  My goal is peace.  My goal is love.  My goal is letting go of all the programming that has occupied my mind for so long.  It's time.  I consistently hold loving thoughts about myself and others and it has changed my whole perception. 

Yes, it takes effort and awareness.  But the rewards are priceless.  Truth, love, forgiveness sets us free.  

I am becoming the ruler of my mind. 

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

 

These principles from the text of A Course in Miracles affirm the state of perfect love as reality, and the state of fear as unreality.  

Fear of not being enough, of having another see the ugliness within me (how unworthy I am of love, etc.) had kept me feeling isolated, alone and always trying to win the love of others by giving, giving, giving for many years.  

For the past 15 years, I have allowed these loving principles from the Course enter into my awareness and soften the blocks and false concepts that have kept my mind asleep and held it captive from my true being, which is love.  

As I practice stillness and go within, I connect with the peace, innocence and love that I am.  It's a place in my mind that has been covered up way too long and that I now access.  Here, I meet with God.  And as I open up to His love, I extend it to others.  This love is healing, it's freeing and it's available to all of us because it is what we really are.