Inspiration for Healing Through Changing Your Mind --The articles in this newsletter are written by people from around the world who are taking their perceived problems to the Holy Spirit, and sharing their miracles stories of how their thoughts are being healed.

Request Free Printed Program & Product Catalogs

For more information, call
1-800-323-PATH (US & Canada) or 920/894-2339. Or click here to email your questions.

Recommend This Site to a Friend --Click here to send an email to your friends with a link to this page.

Pathways Free Electronic "Magazine" --Sign up to receive periodic emails with thoughts to ponder, inspirational articles and the latest news.

Share Your Miracle Story --Learn how you can share your miracle story here and in our printed newsletter. More info.

Subscribe to Miracles News --Click here to have the printed version of this newsletter mailed to you quarterly (US$15). When you enroll in a Pathways of Light Self-Study Course, Credential Correspondence Course or an A Course in Miracles Study Program, you receive a free, one-year subscription to Miracles News.

Pathways of Light®
13111 Lax Chapel Rd.
Kiel, WI 53042-3954
920/894-2339 Fax: 920/894-2122

Pathways of Light and the logo design are registered trademarks of Pathways of Light, Inc. a nonprofit organization.

All stories are © copyright 2002, Pathways of Light and/or the author. They are offered for your personal use. They may not reproduced, published or distributed for profit, in print or electronically, without written permission of the copyright holder(s).

Now Serving --by Rev. Deb Frantz

We see the sign at bakeries and delis and other places. We try to wait patiently for our time to come. The bright red numbers beckon to us. We focus our mind directly on the sign determined to make the sign change at will so that the numbers soon match the one that is held in our hand. Soon it does match and we step up for our turn to be served. We are greeted and our present needs are fulfilled.

But there is more to serving and being served…

A Course in Miracles tells us that we are all ministers of God. How do we accept our function? We are to listen, listen to the needs that are ever present in our brother. No one is sent to us by accident. As it says in the Psychotherapy pamphlet, "Would God send His Son to you and not be sure you recognize his needs?" P-3.I.2:8. His need is our need and vice versa. We are at the counter, looking into our brother's eyes, anticipating what it is he will ask for. We greet him with a holy smile, knowing that within we are One. When we minister and serve another, we come into a holy relationship with that person. We offer the miracle, the shift in perception as we see our brother as whole and as perfect Love.

Giving from our heart, we place their need first.

I studied with trainers from the Robert K. Greenleaf Center about nine years ago. Robert Greenleaf was a former executive of AT&T, but he is better known as the man who brought the words and thoughts together surrounding what he calls "servant-leadership." He says in his writings:

The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. He or she is sharply different from the person who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions. For such it will be a later choice to serve, after leadership is established. The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at least, will they not be further deprived?" -- From The Servant as Leader, published by Robert Greenleaf in 1970.

Combining this philosophy with that of ministry, one lives to serve, one is an example of service to others and in doing so, one finds that he/she leads almost effortlessly. Stepping back, and letting God lead the way is vital. We see this example illustrated biblically when Jesus was with the adulterous woman who was about to be stoned. He stops, drops to the ground and silently draws in the sand, until He rises up and declares "Let those without sin cast the first stone." He stops and seeks within for guidance, then decides what the next step is. Similar in the Course, we are to ask the Holy Spirit, "What would you have me do? …say? …go?"

So true, I have found in my own ministry and service. I stop, use the Holy Spirit to discern, and allow God to take the lead. The maximal service we can do for another is a miracle. Love your brother as you love yourself, as you love your Father. We can recognize their need by recognizing our own. Do not deny the blessing of another, whether it is paid or unpaid, it is only the attachment that we have placed on our service, our money, or our time.

When we look again at the bakery sign, we see that all of the numbers are made up from the one character. So are we all. We are here to share with one another, for giving and receiving are the same. We will always have exactly what we need, for that is the miracle of it all. It is your turn to be served… and to serve.

Note: If you would like more information on servant-leadership, go to http://www.greenleaf.org.

Deb Frantz is a Pathways of Light minister living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Email: revdeb@miraclesministry.org

Peace First --by Rev. Michele Hojnacki

It's valuable to look at what happens when we engage ourselves in fear. With fear and tension, comes projection. We awefulize in our mind what we believe is destined to happen next, because FEAR = (equals) an experience we do not want to go through is about to occur in our lives. The mind gets caught up in a tailspin. Resistance, fear and tension build with each new thought projecting negative and painful future experiences, as a result of what is happening in the present moment. We find ourselves in "hell" mentally, physically and emotionally, upset over something that has not actually occurred yet in our physical experience and may never occur, though in our mind it is very real. The mind has selected one possible outcome and determined that it is the only possibility available to us. We see ourselves as powerless and limited by life. Before we know it we are feeling angry, and instead of acting, we attack.

By choosing "Peace First," we take a step back from our projections. We open up to the possibility that other options exist, ones that we may not be presently aware of. We open in trust to our Spirit. It will carry us safely through every moment if we allow It to.

Life seems to work miraculously when we choose "Peace First." Situations work out better than we might have imagined. When we are at peace, we are relaxed. We allow our Spirit to inspire, guide and empower us to act in our own best interest and respond harmlessly toward others.

By choosing "Peace First," we invite the Holy Spirit to undo the harmful beliefs we learned in the past and teach us another way of being. We open to the most magnificent discovery we could ever make. By choosing "Peace First" we discover our own True Self.

As a Pathways of Light facilitator, inviting course participants to choose "Peace First" encourages participants to begin breaking down their old habit of turning to fear whenever life triggers one of their limited beliefs or self-perceptions. We are teaching participants (and learning for ourselves) how to become "miracle minded." "The miracle undoes the past in the present and thus releases (frees) the future." This is part of miracle principal 13 from ACIM. (Thank you Holy Spirit for this insight.)

Going through a course will bring these limited beliefs and self-perceptions into the light for healing. It is at these moments that we have the opportunity of "discovering a better way" by taking the hand of the Holy Spirit, in peace, to give us a brand new experience of ourselves and of life. New experiences bring about new insights, understandings and beliefs. We trade the limited for the unlimited each time we let go of the way it was in the past and open up to fresh, new possibilities in the present moment.

Michele Hojnacki is a Pathways of Light minister living in Blackwood, New Jersey.
Email: Mini_m2@yahoo.com
TOP

Being on a Spiritual Journey --by Rev. Cheril Goodrich

Being on a Spiritual Journey can feel like the loneliest journey in the world. It feels like no one really understands because the path that has been chosen is seldom walked on by others, so the journey can become long and difficult at times. We walk on the physical plane, yet we reach to Heaven to try to resolve the feelings that are new. No one else is "tuned in" to these feelings because the physical journey is so different from trying to reach beyond what is known and comfortable to unfamiliar and unexplored territory that exists in our mind.

Yet, we have not been abandoned, although it feels this way at times. The Course tells us to "Look up, where God has written your name in the stars, where He has placed your name along with His." This place where our true name is does not exist in time, it is at a higher level of awareness. The problem is that we keep looking for some kind of solace where there is none. The lesson is that it does not exist here, so it is us that must "reach out of time and touch it."

When we feel lonely and depressed, we are out of our true element. This is the lesson. We are looking out into time when we should be looking "up" into our own mind to find what only God can provide. Because we do not understand the meaning of this, we are provided with a Guide that can help us relearn of this "other existence." This Guide helps to alleviate the loneliness when we turn away from what we think we know, to another Source of information that can reinterpret our loneliness into thoughts that are acceptable to the Kingdom and thereby resolve the loneliness that we feel.

The Course says that whenever we feel alone or depressed, we have looked to an idol to give us only what God can give us. God is alive and when we touch Him, we feel alive. When we touch an idol, it is cold and will not provide the comfort that God provides, because it contains no life.

Time and space and the things that time and space provide do not care about us. This is the substitute kingdom that we have made to replace the True Kingdom. Time and space have no life. The Kingdom is alive and when we reach it we know because of how we feel.

Whenever we feel alone it is because we have not looked to Heaven to provide the answer that only God can provide. This means that somewhere in time we believe we have lost the ability and we keep searching for what we believe we have lost. It is not lost. It is merely not where we are looking. If we are to be spiritual leaders and teachers, the Holy Spirit is leading us to find the Kingdom so we can lead others there. If we do not know where it is, how can we lead?

Cheril Goodrich is a Pathways of Light minister living in Waterford, Michigan.
Email: BCher2@aol.com

TOP

Eleven Days of Eternity --by Rev. Stephanie Pokorzynski

"Eleven days of Eternity." When I heard this statement, I thought, "Yes! Exactly!" Later, after leaving the Pathways on-campus ministerial training for home, the thought came, "What an excellent title that would be for a book." (okay, maybe just an article for now.) I wondered, "Are there words to describe such an experience?" One thing I am learning is that with Spirit guiding me, I will find them.

I want to start out with a little background information about myself. I wasn't raised with a lot of affection or compliments. I was taught to always be striving for something better (perfection). I thought I had to struggle to get there. Accepting myself as I was? Huh! I wasn't good enough for that! Life was tough and so I had to be. That was just a fact. When I cried, which was as little as possible, my tears were made to manipulate. I wanted everything to change around me. The more I wanted outside change, the harder I cried.

When my daughter was born, I knew I wanted her to feel more unconditional love in her life than I had, but I thought I was lacking strength in love. Four years later, my son was born, and I was still searching, more desperate than before. My thinking was still focused on the outside of me, wanting others and circumstances to change first before I could give love fully. Happiness, love, and peace slipped through my fingers as easily as sand.

Finally, after many bouts of depression, I was led to A Course in Miracles through two wonderful, inspiring books, A Course in Love, and A Return to Love. Since then, my life has never been the same. I still have had times of deep sadness, yet because of the realization of my God-powerful mind, my beliefs and prayers carried me through with much more hope than before.

I have decided to follow God's direction, no matter what fears I am feeling. Am I glad of this decision, because it brought me to those eleven days of Eternity. Thank you! A bit of Heaven was revealed through this experience. If there is more to it, I cannot imagine how I will keep my feet on the ground. Perhaps that is why angels fly. I want to attempt to share that Heaven, at least the possibility of it.

At first, I believe all six of us felt a little unsure about being at Pathways for the ministerial training. But after a few days and with the help of the amazing facilitators and staff, we began to strengthen each other and meld into an experience of oneness.

One day, Jennifer shared her idea about supporting one another in a group called "Synergy." Perfect! And later, without knowing about that conversation, Loretta confirmed the idea when she expressed the word that kept coming up for her in her meditation -- synergy. I know there was at least one other pair of eyes as wide as mine!

Another time I was sharing with Doris and Loretta about the experience of my spiritual counseling session. What I had learned through it was that I was feeling stuck. Just as I finished saying that, an ice cube, which was in a glass of water sitting on the table next to us, suddenly went "pop!" freed itself from the bottom of the glass, and floated to the top. We all looked at the glass, then at each other and laughed. Since then, I haven't felt stuck. Imagine that! There were other symbolic instances the Universe provided us in those eleven days, but I won't go into detail about them. I am sure they are remembered!

One night, I lay resting on the couch as our group talked in pairs around me. The voices became like a hum, unifying. I recognized them from the voices I had heard as I fell asleep the night before. They had startled me awake, and I felt uneasy, all alone in my room. Now, here were those same voices, and I was not afraid. It was amazing, and as I closed my eyes, I envisioned angels relaxing and chatting together alongside a stream of water. Even though I couldn't make out faces, I recognized these angels as us.

The vision became clearer as we all became closer and more familiar to one another, souls recognizing souls. We had brought ourselves together to hold a sacred space for one another, a space that provided support, affection, encouragement, unconditional love, acceptance, and all the goodness imaginable. Singing, praying, dancing, hugging, being silent, seeing the Christ in one another, and expressing our love for each other filled me up to overflowing. Never had I imagined such an experience for me in my life! By remaining open and going where I felt led to be in my heart, it was made possible for me anyway. By the end of that shared time, I believe we all knew just how much we were meant to be together.

Our paths may lead us elsewhere and unto new horizons, but for a moment, we were meant to create Heaven together. This is what I had come for, what I had longed for in my life. Once again, my life will never be the same, knowing that such a Heavenly state is possible and within our reach when we choose to trust, believe, and follow. I look forward to the day when, instead of saying eleven days of Eternity, I can say, "Ah, Eternity!" And now I know it is possible!

Stephanie Pokorzynski is a Pathways of Light minister living in Alpena Michigan.
Email: stephiewonder1@yahoo.com

TOP

The Soul Perspective --by Rev. Petra Sundheim

The accumulation of hand written journals as well as the awareness that I am closer to the end of this life than the beginning has prompted me to want to do a life review or memoir.

For at least fifteen years I have wanted to do a book with a title given by Spirit in 1980, Everything Scattered Will be Gathered, to pull together the pieces of my life into a mosaic that makes sense to me. Procrastination has had it's way; now is the time to review these journals and burn them after extracting what seems to have value. It hasn't been very pleasant to review the painful experience of separation from my Self. I see the thick fog I was in. My dreams seemed to reflect this process. Most recently a dream of handling manure with great revulsion seemed to indicate I should abandon the project until I reflected on the value of fertilizer!

Because of lack of focus, disorganization, distraction, struggle with prioritizing, forgetfulness and difficulty sustaining attention has been a lifetime problem, now known as Attention Deficit Disorder. Writing is not easy for me. It is only in remembering that my true Self does not have ADD that I endeavor to ask to write with the eyes and energy of the Holy Spirit.

The stories that come back from people who faced an imminent car crash relating that their life flashed before their eyes would seem to suggest that a deliberate review before such a crises would have value. Looking at our lives through the eyes of Spirit and with the intent of seeing the perfection of all that has occurred is a principle of radical forgiveness.

One of the ways I have discovered to release judgment is to look at myself and others as acting out a role that we may have chosen to do before entering a body on this earth stage. As souls we may have agreed to be antagonists or heroes in order to act out the drama of separation and to experience the body. The veil of forgetfulness causes us to see our bodies and experience here as reality.

Sharing my journey is a bridge from religion to spirituality, from a God out there to God within, from an identity with a body as a sinner to that of Spirit and Love.

A Course in Miracles has been the primary force behind my identity shift. My current reading titled, The Borderland describes it as, "a meeting place where thoughts are brought together, conflicting values meet and illusions are laid down beside the truth" and seen to be untrue. "Salvation is a borderland where place, time and choice still have meaning." Yet in Spirit's perspective, only one choice can be made to undo all illusions of separation, save forgiveness -- the one illusion that bridges separation.

The section in the Text titled, The Little Hindrance refers to time, where we have two choices -- to go with ego/fear or Spirit/Love. We are told that time, but an instant, has no effect on eternity. Yet while we believe we live in time the "Holy Spirit still guides me through the infinitely small and senseless maze I still perceive… Not one illusion will remain unanswered in my mind… leaving only certainty." How powerful is certainty, another gift of comfort provided by Spirit. I do well to remember that "he who lives in memories alone is unaware of where he is." because he is in the past. "Forgiveness is the great release from time… and the key to learning the past is over… Madness speaks no more. There is no other teacher (than forgiveness), and no other way …what has been undone no longer is." What a comfort these words are to me when I review the past and sometimes worry about the thoughts of my children and my former husband about the mistakes I made in relationship with them. A Course in Miracles will teach me only what is now. "…the dreadful instant of the past, now corrected, is of no concern nor value."

In paragraph 11, Jesus recognizes our process of "shifting back and forth between past and present. Sometimes the past seems real, as if it were the present." The borderland between the worlds is that experience of the shadow of the past while seeing a present light -- the memory of God creating me. My perception of my self-hatred (shame) "has been transformed into a world of love."

Rev. Petra Sundheim is a Pathways of Light minister living in Kauai, Hawaii.
Email: coachpetra@myexcel.com.

TOP | More Fall 2002 Articles | Miracles News Index