Daily Inspiration for Living A Course in Miracles

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How to Welcome the Holy Instant

This course is not beyond immediate learning, unless you believe that what God wills takes time. And this means only that you would rather delay the recognition that His Will is so. The holy instant is this instant and every instant. The one you want it to be it is. The one you would not have it be is lost to you. You must decide when it is. Delay it not. For beyond the past and future, where you will not find [the holy instant], it stands in shimmering readiness for your acceptance. Yet you cannot bring it into glad awareness while you do not want it, for it holds the whole release from littleness.

Your practice must therefore rest upon your willingness to let all littleness go. The instant in which magnitude dawns upon you is but as far away as your desire for it. As long as you desire it not and cherish littleness instead, by so much is it far from you. By so much as you want it will you bring it nearer. Think not that you can find salvation in your own way and have it. Give over every plan you have made for your salvation in exchange for God’s. His will content you, and nothing else can bring you peace. For peace is of God, and no one beside Him.

Be humble before Him, and yet great in Him. And value no plan of the ego before the plan of God. For you leave empty your place in His plan, which you must fill if you would join with me, by your decision to join in any plan but His. I call you to fulfill your holy part in the plan that He has given to the world for its release from littleness. God would have His host abide in perfect freedom. Every allegiance to a plan of salvation apart from Him diminishes the value of His Will for you in your own mind. And yet it is your mind that is the host to Him. (A Course in Miracles, T-15.IV.1-3. See also ACIM Text Q & A.)

A central purpose of A Course in Miracles is to help us be willing to accept God’s plan for our happiness, which is our salvation. The fact that we are experiencing a dream of separation demonstrates that we believe that separation, having a kingdom we call our own, is our salvation, what will make us happy. If we look honestly at our experience in the dream, can we say we have found perfect happiness and peace that cannot be disturbed? Answered honestly, we have to admit that no circumstance, situation or relationship has ever satisfied us. We are on a constant quest for something better.

We really want to know God’s Love. We really want peace that cannot be disturbed. We really want to be happy. All this God has already given us. To experience it, we need to release the barriers we have made against it.

The curriculum of ACIM teaches us that our plans for happiness and peace do not work. The Holy Spirit, through His teaching, helps us recognize the uselessness of our plans. Once recognized, we easily let them go. This is how we welcome the holy instant, which brings us the Love, peace and happiness we seek. It strengthens our willingness to accept God’s plan in place of our own.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Finding and Giving Peace and Happiness

When you have learned to accept what you are, you will make no more gifts to offer to yourself, for you will know you are complete, in need of nothing, and unable to accept anything for yourself [alone]. But you will gladly give, having received. The host of God need not seek to find anything.

If you are wholly willing to leave salvation to the plan of God and unwilling to attempt to grasp for peace yourself, salvation will be given you. Yet think not you can substitute your plan for His. Rather, join with me in His, that we may release all those who would be bound, proclaiming together that the Son of God is host to Him. Thus will we let no one forget what you would remember. And thus will you remember it.

Call forth in everyone only the remembrance of God, and of the Heaven that is in him. For where you would have your brother be, there will you think you are. Hear not his appeal to hell and littleness, but only his call for Heaven and greatness. (A Course in Miracles, T-15.III.10:7-12:3. See also ACIM Text Q & A.)

If we seek for peace or happiness in any circumstance in the world, we are seeking where it cannot be found. We are substituting our plan for God’s. We find peace and happiness only in accepting God’s Love as ours, because only God’s Love is real.

While we seem to be in the world of form, we accept God’s Love by letting the Holy Spirit show us the Love and the calls for Love beyond all appearances. As we accept His vision, we see the truth in our brothers instead of the projections of the ego that would condemn him to guilt. As we see the truth in our brothers, we affirm the truth in ourselves.

What seems to be a gift we give our brothers by extending Love to them is a gift we give ourselves. Our brothers are not separate from us, so every gift of Love is a gift to all. Because only Love is real, the only gift we can give is Love. This is God’s plan for our salvation.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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We Choose to Accept God’s Help Today

Unless the past is over in my mind, the real world must escape my sight. For I am really looking nowhere; seeing but what is not there. …what can be forgiven but the past, and if it is forgiven it is gone.

Father, let me not look upon a past that is not there. For You have offered me Your Own replacement, in a present world the past has left untouched and free of sin. Here is the end of guilt. And here am I made ready for Your final step. Shall I demand that You wait longer for Your Son to find the loveliness You planned to be the end of all his dreams and all his pain?

This the day I seek my present happiness, and look on nothing else except the thing I seek.

With this resolve I come to You, and ask Your strength to hold me up today, while I but seek to do Your Will. You cannot fail to hear me, Father. What I ask have You already given me. And I am sure that I will see my happiness today. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 289-290, W-pII.289.1:1-2,6;2:1-5;290.1:6-2:4. See also ACIM Lesson 289 Insights.)

Forgiveness is the key to happiness. Yet the world we experience with the body seems to make forgiveness difficult. It appears that harm is actually possible, and we are weak and vulnerable. Some things that appear to happen seem unforgivable. The means for true forgiveness cannot be found in the world.

But we can call upon the strength of God in us to help us let go of the false images that seem to justify fear and guilt. We are not alone. God’s Teacher is ever present in our minds to help us recognize that what we thought endangered us has no substance whatsoever.

We need only ask for His help and all God’s strength and Love are given us. Through the vision of Christ to see that we remain invulnerable and safely in the Arms of Love. As we accept this vision, we forgive the mistaken images, for we recognize their nothingness. Each time we truly forgive, an imagined barrier is released and we step closer to the real world that total forgiveness brings. We choose to accept His help today.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Accepting Holy Spirit’s Happy Lessons

Each day, each hour and minute, even each second, you are deciding between the crucifixion and the resurrection; between the ego and the Holy Spirit. The ego is the choice for guilt; the Holy Spirit the choice for guiltlessness. The power of decision is all that is yours. What you can decide between is fixed, because there are no alternatives except truth and illusion. And there is no overlap between them, because they are opposites which cannot be reconciled and cannot both be true. You are guilty or guiltless, bound or free, unhappy or happy.

Guiltlessness is invulnerability. Therefore, make your invulnerability manifest to everyone. Teach him that, whatever he may try to do to you, your perfect freedom from the belief that you can be harmed shows him that he is guiltless.

God is the only Cause, and guilt is not of Him. Teach no one he has hurt you, for if you do, you teach yourself that what is not of God has power over you. The causeless cannot be. Do not attest to it, and do not foster belief in it in any mind. Remember always that mind is one, and cause is one. You will learn communication with this oneness only when you learn to deny the causeless, and accept the Cause of God as yours. The power that God has given to His Son is his, and nothing else can His Son see or choose to look upon without imposing on himself the penalty of guilt, in place of all the happy teaching the Holy Spirit would gladly offer him. (A Course in Miracles, T-14.III.4;7:1-3;8. See also ACIM Text Q & A.)


The ego is the belief that separation (harming Oneness) is possible. Guilt is inevitable when this belief is accepted. The Holy Spirit’s lesson is that separation (harm) is impossible, and guilt is causeless. If we believe we or anyone else is vulnerable to harm, we have chosen the ego. We will feel guilty and see guilt everywhere.

The Holy Spirit teaches us how to forgive. Each time we accept the Holy Spirit’s lesson, we open the self-made prison door built by guilt. The fear and depression that comes with guilt is replaced by the peace and happiness of remembering our innocence and unity with God’s Love. Forgiveness is the key to happiness because it removes the barrier to awareness of Love’s presence.

Today we open our minds and hearts to the Holy Spirit’s happy lessons in forgiveness. For we would teach our brothers of their innocence and learn that we are innocent.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Let Peace Guide Us Moment by Moment

Let this day be a day of stillness and of quiet listening. Your Father wills you hear His Word today. He calls to you from deep within your mind where He abides. Hear Him today.

Today He speaks to you. His Voice awaits your silence, for His Word can not be heard until your mind is quiet for a while, and meaningless desires have been stilled. Await His Word in quiet. There is peace within you to be called upon today, to help make ready your most holy mind to hear the Voice for its Creator speak.

He speaks from nearer than your heart to you. His Voice is closer than your hand. His Love is everything you are and that He is; the same as you, and you the same as He.

As every hour passes by today, be still a moment and remind yourself you have a special purpose for this day; in quiet to receive the Word of God. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 125, W-pI.125.1:1-4;6:1-4;7:2-4;9:5. See also ACIM Lesson 125 Insights.)

In the world there seems to be a lot of chaos, uncertainty and conflict. But beneath this appearance is the certainty of God’s changeless Love. His Love is in us now and forever. His peace is our natural state.

In times of external disturbance, we can find clarity by going to the peace that is in us now. In this peace we can receive the Word of God through His Voice in our minds. It will guide us to the truth of our unity and peace in the Heart of God. In peace we receive the vision of Christ that sees past the appearances of the world. In peace we remember that we are safe in the changelessness of Love. In peace we remember we love our brothers who are one with us. In peace we are inspired to extend that Love to all.

The practice of stepping back from our disturbed and disordered mind into the peace within will lead us to freedom from the dream of separation. It will lead us back to our Home in Love.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Releasing the Illusion of Pain and Guilt

My holy brother, think of this awhile: The world you see does nothing. It has no effects at all. It merely represents your thoughts. And it will change entirely as you elect to change your mind, and choose the joy of God as what you really want.

Here will you understand there is no pain. Here does the joy of God belong to you. This is the day when it is given you to realize the lesson that contains all of salvation’s power. It is this: Pain is illusion; joy, reality. Pain is but sleep; joy is awakening. Pain is deception; joy alone is truth.

And so again we make the only choice that ever can be made; we choose between illusions and the truth, or pain and joy, or hell and Heaven. Let our gratitude unto our Teacher fill our hearts, as we are free to choose our joy instead of pain, our holiness in place of sin, the peace of God instead of conflict, and the light of Heaven for the darkness of the world. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 190, W-pI.190.6:1-4;10:1-11:2. See also ACIM Lesson 190 Insights.)

It is helpful to know that the world we perceive is a projection of our thoughts and beliefs. This means that the world is giving us instant feedback about what is in our minds. If we are perceiving pain, guilt or fear, we are believing in a false image of what we are. But we can choose to change what we believe.

We can choose the joy and peace of God, which is already given us. Suffering is not God’s Will for us. If we experience pain, sorrow, conflict or guilt, we can remind ourselves, “This is not God’s Will for me. I am willing to accept the help I need to let go of the belief that has made this perception. I am willing to see this differently. I am willing to accept God’s gifts of happiness and Love.” This practice will help us release the false ideas that have made the illusion of pain and guilt seem real.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Choosing to Be Happy

We have seen that there are only two parts of your mind. One is ruled by the ego, and is made up of illusions. The other is the home of the Holy Spirit, where truth abides. There are no other guides but these to choose between, and no other outcomes possible as a result of your choice but the fear that the ego always engenders, and the love that the Holy Spirit always offers to replace it.

Think about the many forms the illusion of your function has taken in your mind, and the many ways in which you tried to find salvation [happiness] under the ego’s guidance. Did you find it? Were you happy? Did they bring you peace? We need great honesty today. Remember the outcomes fairly, and consider also whether it was ever reasonable to expect happiness from anything the ego ever proposed. Yet the ego is the only alternative to the Holy Spirit’s Voice.

You will listen to madness or hear the truth. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 66, W-pI.66.7:2-5;9:2-10:1. See also ACIM Lesson 66 Insights.)

The ego is the idea of sacrificing Love to have a separate domain it can call its own where Love cannot enter. Because the world we perceive is a projection of the ego thought system, God is seen as demanding sacrifice. In truth, it is the ego that demands we give up the Love that God has given us. Contrary to the ego’s lies which claim to offer us happiness, it is only God Who can give us true happiness. And He has already given It.

We need only accept the gift that is already ours to know that we already have perfect happiness. Happiness is an inside job. As we are willing to accept the loving guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will learn of the perfect happiness that is already in us. Today we choose to follow the Holy Spirit’s Voice, for today we choose to be happy.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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