"In everything be led by Him, and do not reconsider. Trust Him to answer quickly, surely, and with Love for everyone who will be touched in any way by the decision. And everyone will be. Would you take unto yourself the sole responsibility for deciding what can bring only good to everyone? Would you know this?" -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 14, Section III, 17:4-8
A friend asked why, when forgiveness is practiced, it sometimes seems to not be working... in other words, why there is still no peace with the situation, or why there is still fear, etc. The answer lies in the passage above... "In everything be led by Him, and do not reconsider." All of us have the experience of going through the motions of forgiveness, of completely giving over the situation to Holy Spirit, and then continuing to think about it and what we will do. This is reconsidering.
This habit of reconsidering is so ingrained that it's easy to forget that you are choosing to do it. Like all habits, it is a choice that has been relegated to the subconscious so it's automatic. But like all choices, it can be brought to awareness, so you can change your mind. It simply involves the choice to stay present with your own mind.
"You do not guard your thoughts carefully enough. You are not used to miracle-minded thinking, but you can be trained to think that way. All miracle workers need that kind of training. Miracle working entails a full realization of the power of thought in order to avoid miscreation. The miracle worker must have genuine respect for true cause and effect as a necessary condition for the miracle to occur." -- ACIM; Chapter 2, Section VII
Open your mind and heart to the Holy Spirit, the part of your Self that has never gone unconscious. Give everything over to the Holy Spirit, which is your very own sane Christ Mind. Let this Presence of pure Divine Love decide for you. Let this Divine Love care for you. Let this Divine Love take care of all the details. And because it is your true Self, you will always know if there are actions to take or words to be spoken. You can absolutely trust this Self, which is all-loving because it is pure Love. This Love is You, the Holy Son of God.
Reconsidering is a deliberate decision to forget Who You Are, in an attempt to maintain autonomy, to stay separate. Never doubt the power of your own holy mind to choose... and it is really good at hiding. When the Son of God chooses to hide, he convinces even himself that he is lost. It reminds me of small children when they first learn to cover their face and play peek-a-boo. When their face is covered, they are convinced no one can see them either! Such is the power of the mind!
Only when we insist on reconsidering can we not experience the ever-present Peace and Joy forgiveness reveals. Which really means we have still not made the decision to stop hiding. Our Reality remains ever-present, simply awaiting our decision to Awaken.
"This is the only thing that you need do for vision, happiness, release from pain, and the complete escape from sin, all to be given you. Say only this, but mean it with no reservations, for here the power of salvation lies:
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.
Deceive yourself no longer that you are helpless in the face of what is done to you. Acknowledge but that you have been mistaken, and all the effects of your mistakes will disappear." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 23, Section II, 2:1-7
Showing posts with label Presence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Presence. Show all posts
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The Light of Strength
"The light of strength is constant, sure as love, forever glad to give itself away, because it cannot give but to itself. No one can ask in vain to share its sight, and none who enters its abode can leave without a miracle before his eyes, and strength and light abiding in his heart." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook Lesson 92, 8:1-2
Constant, sure, abiding... these are the shining attributes of the ever-present, unchanging Christ Self that is our Reality. Vacillating, uncertain, always in flux... these are the attributes of the conditioned self, the egoic self-concept. Sometimes in the midst of the egoic delusion, the only way to give ourselves over to the Holy Spirit and return to sanity is to gently remind ourselves that what is true doesn't shift and change, and so this (whatever version of egoic stuff is arising) must not be true. It's like Ramana Maharshi asking, "Who am I?", and going through the process of elimination... "Not this, not this..." All of 'this' that the mind can conceive is simply concept, not reality. When the mind is wiped clean of all its concepts, what remains is the effortless light and strength of Mind Awake, which is pure Love.
Forgiveness is the process of washing the mind of concepts. As we give over every thought, emotion, judgment, and experience to the Holy Spirit for healing, the mind becomes quiet. In the Introduction to the Course, we are told that, "The Course does not aim at teaching the meaning of Love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of Love's Presence, which is your natural inheritance." (ACIM; Introduction, 1:6-7) Every single apparent block to awareness is a mental construct, a concept held as true in the sleeping mind. "Salvation can be seen as nothing more than the escape from concepts." (ACIM; Chapter 31, V, 14:3)
As we forgive all concepts of a world and of a self, the mind becomes still, radiating only the light of strength and that is the ever-present reality of our true Self.
"The power of decision is our own. And we accept of Him that which we are, and humbly recognize the Son of God. To recognize God's Son implies as well that all self-concepts have been laid aside, and recognized as false. Their arrogance has been perceived. And in humility the radiance of God's Son, his gentleness, his perfect sinlessness, his Father's Love, his right to Heaven and release from hell, are joyously accepted as our own." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook Lesson 152, 10:1-5
Constant, sure, abiding... these are the shining attributes of the ever-present, unchanging Christ Self that is our Reality. Vacillating, uncertain, always in flux... these are the attributes of the conditioned self, the egoic self-concept. Sometimes in the midst of the egoic delusion, the only way to give ourselves over to the Holy Spirit and return to sanity is to gently remind ourselves that what is true doesn't shift and change, and so this (whatever version of egoic stuff is arising) must not be true. It's like Ramana Maharshi asking, "Who am I?", and going through the process of elimination... "Not this, not this..." All of 'this' that the mind can conceive is simply concept, not reality. When the mind is wiped clean of all its concepts, what remains is the effortless light and strength of Mind Awake, which is pure Love.
Forgiveness is the process of washing the mind of concepts. As we give over every thought, emotion, judgment, and experience to the Holy Spirit for healing, the mind becomes quiet. In the Introduction to the Course, we are told that, "The Course does not aim at teaching the meaning of Love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of Love's Presence, which is your natural inheritance." (ACIM; Introduction, 1:6-7) Every single apparent block to awareness is a mental construct, a concept held as true in the sleeping mind. "Salvation can be seen as nothing more than the escape from concepts." (ACIM; Chapter 31, V, 14:3)
As we forgive all concepts of a world and of a self, the mind becomes still, radiating only the light of strength and that is the ever-present reality of our true Self.
"The power of decision is our own. And we accept of Him that which we are, and humbly recognize the Son of God. To recognize God's Son implies as well that all self-concepts have been laid aside, and recognized as false. Their arrogance has been perceived. And in humility the radiance of God's Son, his gentleness, his perfect sinlessness, his Father's Love, his right to Heaven and release from hell, are joyously accepted as our own." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook Lesson 152, 10:1-5
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Give All to All
"Only those who have a real and lasting sense of Abundance can be truly charitable. This is obvious when you consider what is involved. To the ego, to give anything implies that you will have to do without it. When you associate giving with sacrifice, you give only because you believe that you are somehow getting something better, and can therefore do without the thing you give." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 4, Section II, 6:1-4
Whoa... this is really true, isn't it? I pay my cable bill because I think I'm getting something for it. I buy feed for the horses and dogs and cats because I think I'm getting a sense of satisfaction taking care of all these animals. I give to my children because I think it gives me a sense of satisfaction and connection.
Now the Course is not telling us to stop paying our bills or giving to our children. But it is pointing out the way the egoic mind works. Our conditioned self only gives to get. Because getting is what the ego does to maintain the illusion of separate self, and to make sure guilt stays repressed and hidden.
"The ego never gives out of abundance, because it was made as a substitute for it. That is why the concept of 'getting' arose in the ego's thought system. Appetites are 'getting' mechanisms, representing the ego's need to confirm itself. This is as true of body appetites as it is of the so-called 'higher ego needs'." -- ACIM; Chapter 4, II, 7:3-6
What is giving out of Abundance, then? Abundance is an attribute of God, and therefore of our true nature since we exist as extensions of the Mind of God. God has given us EVERYTHING, because God IS EVERYTHING... literally. There is no other. All means all. So what exists that could be lost, or needed? Giving out of Abundance is just being natural. The Course gives the first teaching of the Holy Spirit as "To have, give all to all." We know that we have because we have it to give. :-))
How do we make such a shift in perception? How do we change our minds to such an extent? Our self-concept, our egoic notion of a self, says we are limited, with limited resources, and only those that are careful with their resources have enough in this world. In other words, our egoic notion of self-esteem is tied up with what we think we have acquired by what the Course calls the 'getting' mechanism. "Self-esteem in ego terms means nothing more than that the ego has deluded itself into accepting its reality, and is therefore temporarily less predatory." (ACIM; II, 4, 6:8) So we think we have by getting, and temporarily think we are safe, as long as we don't have to give. Ha!
True Abundance is the Awareness of God. The overflowing of Being that is our True Self, living and moving and having being in God. By learning to listen only to the Voice for God, the Holy Spirit... by learning to walk in the Awareness of God's ever-Presence... we come to realize we are the Abundance of Spirit. Giving is the only natural extension of this realization, because all giving is mental, and of the mind. We are pure Spirit, reflecting the Mind of God.
"To have, give all to all." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 6, Section V: A
Whoa... this is really true, isn't it? I pay my cable bill because I think I'm getting something for it. I buy feed for the horses and dogs and cats because I think I'm getting a sense of satisfaction taking care of all these animals. I give to my children because I think it gives me a sense of satisfaction and connection.
Now the Course is not telling us to stop paying our bills or giving to our children. But it is pointing out the way the egoic mind works. Our conditioned self only gives to get. Because getting is what the ego does to maintain the illusion of separate self, and to make sure guilt stays repressed and hidden.
"The ego never gives out of abundance, because it was made as a substitute for it. That is why the concept of 'getting' arose in the ego's thought system. Appetites are 'getting' mechanisms, representing the ego's need to confirm itself. This is as true of body appetites as it is of the so-called 'higher ego needs'." -- ACIM; Chapter 4, II, 7:3-6
What is giving out of Abundance, then? Abundance is an attribute of God, and therefore of our true nature since we exist as extensions of the Mind of God. God has given us EVERYTHING, because God IS EVERYTHING... literally. There is no other. All means all. So what exists that could be lost, or needed? Giving out of Abundance is just being natural. The Course gives the first teaching of the Holy Spirit as "To have, give all to all." We know that we have because we have it to give. :-))
How do we make such a shift in perception? How do we change our minds to such an extent? Our self-concept, our egoic notion of a self, says we are limited, with limited resources, and only those that are careful with their resources have enough in this world. In other words, our egoic notion of self-esteem is tied up with what we think we have acquired by what the Course calls the 'getting' mechanism. "Self-esteem in ego terms means nothing more than that the ego has deluded itself into accepting its reality, and is therefore temporarily less predatory." (ACIM; II, 4, 6:8) So we think we have by getting, and temporarily think we are safe, as long as we don't have to give. Ha!
True Abundance is the Awareness of God. The overflowing of Being that is our True Self, living and moving and having being in God. By learning to listen only to the Voice for God, the Holy Spirit... by learning to walk in the Awareness of God's ever-Presence... we come to realize we are the Abundance of Spirit. Giving is the only natural extension of this realization, because all giving is mental, and of the mind. We are pure Spirit, reflecting the Mind of God.
"To have, give all to all." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 6, Section V: A
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Every Single Thought!
"Every thought you have contributes to truth or illusion; either it extends the Truth or it multiplies illusions. You can indeed multiply nothing, but you will not extend it by doing so." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook 16, 2:3-4
Today's blog post is very short. Perhaps it will help you (as it helped me through the writing of it) to rest and to trust.
The above passage from A Course in Miracles is most comforting to me, although to my conditioned self it does at first seem overwhelming. What's comforting is that when I lose myself in my daily routine, or am momentarily shocked or fearful because of seeming events, I haven't really done more than multiply zero. And no matter how large a number you multiply by zero, the result is still nothing.
Similarly, I don't have to do anything to extend the Truth except be Aware. When I'm Aware, I see that the infinite, all-encompassing Truth of Being is all that is ever going on. It extends because it IS. I am safe because I am living and moving and having my being in, as, and through the Infinite Self. I acknowledge this Presence, and It extends through me.
"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." -- The Bible; Proverbs 3:6
Today's blog post is very short. Perhaps it will help you (as it helped me through the writing of it) to rest and to trust.
The above passage from A Course in Miracles is most comforting to me, although to my conditioned self it does at first seem overwhelming. What's comforting is that when I lose myself in my daily routine, or am momentarily shocked or fearful because of seeming events, I haven't really done more than multiply zero. And no matter how large a number you multiply by zero, the result is still nothing.
Similarly, I don't have to do anything to extend the Truth except be Aware. When I'm Aware, I see that the infinite, all-encompassing Truth of Being is all that is ever going on. It extends because it IS. I am safe because I am living and moving and having my being in, as, and through the Infinite Self. I acknowledge this Presence, and It extends through me.
"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." -- The Bible; Proverbs 3:6
Sunday, June 12, 2011
A Different Use in Everything
Yes, I'm still here! I know this is the longest I've gone without posting since this blog began in 2007. And thanks to those of you who e-mailed, wondering where the blogs have gone. As I said in the beginning... I will only post when inspired, led by the Voice of Self. And Self has had other things in mind for me for the past two months... fun stuff, busy stuff, transformational stuff.
Let's start with the quote that inspired today's post:
"Complete abstraction is the natural condition of the mind. But part of it is now unnatural. It does not look on everything as one. It sees instead fragments of the whole, for only thus could it invent the partial world you see... Thus were specifics made. And now it is specifics we must use in practicing. We give them to the Holy Spirit, to employ for a purpose different from the one we gave them. He can use what we made, to teach us from a different point of view, so we can see a different use in everything." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook 161, 2:1-6, & 3:1-4
The fun, busy, transformational stuff that has filled my life recently is very, very specific... lots of details that make it easy to get lost in thinking it all means something. Whether you create beautiful gardens, write elegant XHTML code and create new websites, or learn to create art through Adobe Photoshop, it's easy to think the specific is the point. But I'm very sure the reason I'm being led down this path is to see that the easiest and most joyful route through the briars of details is to stay in the abstract knowing of the Self, the Awareness of Oneness.
When new details threaten to swamp the mind with busyness, there is only one purpose in it... to remind us that there is another point of view that will help us remain open and expanded in the Oneness of Self, right here in the midst of it. I've come to treasure that this is the only purpose anything has, and its only value. A different use in everything.
Let's start with the quote that inspired today's post:
"Complete abstraction is the natural condition of the mind. But part of it is now unnatural. It does not look on everything as one. It sees instead fragments of the whole, for only thus could it invent the partial world you see... Thus were specifics made. And now it is specifics we must use in practicing. We give them to the Holy Spirit, to employ for a purpose different from the one we gave them. He can use what we made, to teach us from a different point of view, so we can see a different use in everything." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook 161, 2:1-6, & 3:1-4
The fun, busy, transformational stuff that has filled my life recently is very, very specific... lots of details that make it easy to get lost in thinking it all means something. Whether you create beautiful gardens, write elegant XHTML code and create new websites, or learn to create art through Adobe Photoshop, it's easy to think the specific is the point. But I'm very sure the reason I'm being led down this path is to see that the easiest and most joyful route through the briars of details is to stay in the abstract knowing of the Self, the Awareness of Oneness.
When new details threaten to swamp the mind with busyness, there is only one purpose in it... to remind us that there is another point of view that will help us remain open and expanded in the Oneness of Self, right here in the midst of it. I've come to treasure that this is the only purpose anything has, and its only value. A different use in everything.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Awareness of Being One
"All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation." -- Mary Baker Eddy
"Heaven is not a place nor a condition. It is merely an awareness of perfect Oneness, and the knowledge that there is nothing else; nothing outside this Oneness, and nothing else within." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 18, Section VI, 1:5-6
I love the way Life continually presents us with opportunities to see Truth everywhere. Truth being, of course, simply another name for Oneness. Discovering that Good is the Reality of this Oneness, no matter how it appears, is so flipping exciting I have a hard time writing about it coherently. After all, we've all heard this a million times: "It's all good," we say hopefully... all the while noticing how not good it appears to be.
The above quote from ACIM helps... there is nothing outside Oneness, and nothing else within. How could there be? So with only the One, there is only, well... the One! All Good, only Good... in Principle and in manifestation.
The thing is, this all sounds good, but I see riots in Egypt and people going hungry and pets being mistreated, etc., etc., etc. I see my bills mounting and donations falling short. I see people judging one another and arguing over things that don't matter. So how does Oneness even matter, in Principle or in manifestation?
Again, A Course in Miracles helps to discern the false from the True: "Perception is a mirror, not a fact. And what I look on is my state of mind reflected outward." (ACIM Workbook 304, 1:3-4) Obviously, when the mind is unaware of Oneness, it projects duality in person, place, and thing. The awareness of Oneness is the Principle that reflects the wholeness and perfection that is Reality. The awareness of Oneness reflects the All-Good in all ways.
I have experienced, and continue to experience, many miracles of healed perception. Always what occurs is that I have, at least momentarily, accepted the One Mind as All. This is the healing... and the healed mind reflects wholeness, abundance, and endless Good in all possible forms. As I mature spiritually, it becomes more and more comforting to rest in the awareness of Being One, which is the miracle for everyone and everything, in every situation. There is nothing else. The seemingly hidden Presence of Good awaits only our recognition.
"In all thy ways acknowledge Him [Biblical speak for the One] and He shall direct thy paths." -- Proverbs 3:6
"Heaven is not a place nor a condition. It is merely an awareness of perfect Oneness, and the knowledge that there is nothing else; nothing outside this Oneness, and nothing else within." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 18, Section VI, 1:5-6
I love the way Life continually presents us with opportunities to see Truth everywhere. Truth being, of course, simply another name for Oneness. Discovering that Good is the Reality of this Oneness, no matter how it appears, is so flipping exciting I have a hard time writing about it coherently. After all, we've all heard this a million times: "It's all good," we say hopefully... all the while noticing how not good it appears to be.
The above quote from ACIM helps... there is nothing outside Oneness, and nothing else within. How could there be? So with only the One, there is only, well... the One! All Good, only Good... in Principle and in manifestation.
The thing is, this all sounds good, but I see riots in Egypt and people going hungry and pets being mistreated, etc., etc., etc. I see my bills mounting and donations falling short. I see people judging one another and arguing over things that don't matter. So how does Oneness even matter, in Principle or in manifestation?
Again, A Course in Miracles helps to discern the false from the True: "Perception is a mirror, not a fact. And what I look on is my state of mind reflected outward." (ACIM Workbook 304, 1:3-4) Obviously, when the mind is unaware of Oneness, it projects duality in person, place, and thing. The awareness of Oneness is the Principle that reflects the wholeness and perfection that is Reality. The awareness of Oneness reflects the All-Good in all ways.
I have experienced, and continue to experience, many miracles of healed perception. Always what occurs is that I have, at least momentarily, accepted the One Mind as All. This is the healing... and the healed mind reflects wholeness, abundance, and endless Good in all possible forms. As I mature spiritually, it becomes more and more comforting to rest in the awareness of Being One, which is the miracle for everyone and everything, in every situation. There is nothing else. The seemingly hidden Presence of Good awaits only our recognition.
"In all thy ways acknowledge Him [Biblical speak for the One] and He shall direct thy paths." -- Proverbs 3:6
Saturday, September 4, 2010
This is My Father's World
"This is my Father's world; He shines in all that's fair. In rustling grass I hear Him pass; He speaks to me everywhere." -- from the hymn, "This is My Father's World"
"All things are echoes of the Voice for God." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook 151
I love singing the old hymns I grew up with... every Sunday for over three years I've been doing one of them Acappella during communion at St. Vincent's-in-the-Vineyard (which is what gave me the idea for the CD). Some of my ACIM friends have questioned how I can reconcile the thought systems, especially my latest YouTube posting. This is a valid question, and I am never one to shy away from deeper inquiry. I've learned the hard way over the years to beware of trying to shine up my illusions with Truth, trying to spiritualize or 'fix' what I am already identified with. And by illusions I mean all conditioned thought and habitual behavior, including beloved traditions. They are all made up, and we give them all the meaning they have for us.
At the same time, when we have forgiven and released the meanings we learned from our families, or that we took on as part of an identity... when we have ceased to judge any of our projections and former judgments as good or bad... then God becomes the only meaning of all things. All the forms and aspects of life take on one purpose and one meaning... awakening to the Presence, and to our true Self. We have given the world of our projection to God: "Give Him your thoughts, and He will give them back as miracles which joyously proclaim the wholeness and happiness God wills as proof of His eternal Love. All the threads of fantasy are gone. And what remains is unified into a perfect Thought that offers its perfection everywhere." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook 151, 14:1, 3-4
Whether it's the words of a beloved hymn or the words of scripture, unless we forgive and release the past we are only reading and listening through conditioned response, and have no eyes and ears to hear. It's the same with the natural world... unless we forgive and release our fixed belief in a concrete, material world we can't hear the Voice and see the Love of God reflected here. A forgiven world reveals the face of Christ everywhere, and the Love of God as the only meaning of all things.
THIS is my Father's world... forgiven and thus transformed to what is so close to Heaven that the transition to Christ's Vision is easily made, through Grace.
"Through your transfiguration is the world redeemed, and joyfully released from guilt." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook 151, 16:3
"All things are echoes of the Voice for God." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook 151
I love singing the old hymns I grew up with... every Sunday for over three years I've been doing one of them Acappella during communion at St. Vincent's-in-the-Vineyard (which is what gave me the idea for the CD). Some of my ACIM friends have questioned how I can reconcile the thought systems, especially my latest YouTube posting. This is a valid question, and I am never one to shy away from deeper inquiry. I've learned the hard way over the years to beware of trying to shine up my illusions with Truth, trying to spiritualize or 'fix' what I am already identified with. And by illusions I mean all conditioned thought and habitual behavior, including beloved traditions. They are all made up, and we give them all the meaning they have for us.
At the same time, when we have forgiven and released the meanings we learned from our families, or that we took on as part of an identity... when we have ceased to judge any of our projections and former judgments as good or bad... then God becomes the only meaning of all things. All the forms and aspects of life take on one purpose and one meaning... awakening to the Presence, and to our true Self. We have given the world of our projection to God: "Give Him your thoughts, and He will give them back as miracles which joyously proclaim the wholeness and happiness God wills as proof of His eternal Love. All the threads of fantasy are gone. And what remains is unified into a perfect Thought that offers its perfection everywhere." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook 151, 14:1, 3-4
Whether it's the words of a beloved hymn or the words of scripture, unless we forgive and release the past we are only reading and listening through conditioned response, and have no eyes and ears to hear. It's the same with the natural world... unless we forgive and release our fixed belief in a concrete, material world we can't hear the Voice and see the Love of God reflected here. A forgiven world reveals the face of Christ everywhere, and the Love of God as the only meaning of all things.
THIS is my Father's world... forgiven and thus transformed to what is so close to Heaven that the transition to Christ's Vision is easily made, through Grace.
"Through your transfiguration is the world redeemed, and joyfully released from guilt." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook 151, 16:3
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