Daily Inspiration for Living A Course in Miracles

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Seeing the Light in My Brother

Robert:
There is a Light in every brother. It is the Light of the one Son of God that we all share. But I cannot see this Light if I believe that my brother is a body. This is so important to remember that the ACIM Workbook has us practice for 20 days in a row, reminding ourselves, “I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.” This is a complete reversal of what the body’s eyes show us.

This is why it is so important that we reinforce in our minds the fact that we are not a body. Remembering this is the foundation of forgiveness. If my brother is not a body, then what a body does has nothing to do with my brother and I can let it go. The fact that I am experiencing myself as in a body and seeing other bodies demonstrates that I am believing in the ego thought system of separation. From that belief it is impossible to see the Light in my brother. I need help from beyond my beliefs. That is why it is essential that I ask the Holy Spirit to be my interpreter of everything I perceive in the world.

As I start the day, I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my seeing and interpret on my behalf. As frequently as I can remember during the day, I remind myself that I want to see as the Holy Spirit sees because I want the peace of God. And as I prepare to sleep at night, I once again ask the Holy Spirit to guide my seeing through the night. As my willingness grows, I remember more frequently and I experience more and more of the peace of God. And I give thanks.

Mary:
This morning we read A Course in Miracles, Chapter 13, Section VI: Finding the Present on pages 250-253. What stood out to me the most was the following:

There is a light that this world cannot give. Yet you can give it, as it was given you. And as you give it, it shines forth to call you from the world and follow it. For this light will attract you as nothing in this world can do. And you will lay aside the world and find another. This other world is bright with love which you have given it. And here will everything remind you of your Father and His holy Son. Light is unlimited, and spreads across this world in quiet joy. All those you brought with you will shine on you, and you will shine on them in gratitude because they brought you here. Your light will join with theirs in power so compelling, that it will draw the others out of darkness as you look on them. (T-13.VI.11)

This paragraph is so powerful that I am going to print it out and read it throughout the day. It defines very precisely how I can be truly helpful and how I wake up from the dream of separation. This is my practice today and every day.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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The End of Fear

Mary:
This morning in our reading of A Course in Miracles, we found very clear instructions for our practice for today:

Today, practice the end of fear. Have faith in Him Who is your Father. Trust all things to Him. Let Him reveal all things to you, and be you undismayed because you are His Son. (W-pII.232.2:2-5)

To let Him reveal all things to me today, I need to step back from the ego’s thoughts of separation. I need to allow the Source of all Love to be in my mind all through the day. If I find that I gotten lost in dreams of separation again, I will merely practice stepping back once again. I choose to remember Heaven. And Heaven is right there within my mind, waiting for my return. Today I practice strengthening my “willingness muscles.” I begin by opening my mind to the peace of my Father. This is how I let Him reveal all things to me today.

Robert:
What stood out to me in our reading today was, “Father, I give you all my thoughts today. I would have none of mine. In place of them, give me Your Own.” (W-pII.233.1:1-3) In other lessons the Course tells me that my only real thoughts are the thoughts I think with God. So this prayer is a prayer to accept Reality as it is, without made up images and stories of separation, guilt and fear. In truth, this is what all of us really want.

I really do want release from all thoughts of fear and guilt. I really do want to remember God’s Love. That’s all any of us really want, no matter what our behavior is in the world. It is helpful for me to remember that whenever I judge another’s behavior, it is simply an attempt to project the guilt within me that lies hidden beneath all attempts to make separation appear real.

The good news is that God knows I never succeeded in truly separating and has insured that His Spark of memory still remains in my mind, reminding me that I remain as God created me. Today I will practice giving all my thoughts to God. I really don’t want any of my thoughts because they are simply denials of God’s Love, no matter how appealing they may seem to be. I am grateful that I need only be willing to receive God’s thoughts. In that willingness the veil that seemed to separate me is lifted. Then I see that Love is everywhere and there is nowhere else — I remain safe in the certainty of Love.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Willing to Follow

Mary:
In our reading of A Course in Miracles, this is what stands out in Workbook Lesson 69:

Try to remember that you are at last joining your will to God’s. Try to keep the thought clearly in mind that what you undertake with God must succeed. Then let the power of God work in you and through you, that His Will and yours be done.” (W-pI.69.8:4-6)

To let the power of God work in me and through me, I must become as a little child. I must let go of the reins. I ask Holy Spirit how to do this. The Holy Spirit reminds me to relax and let go of all body tension… Holy Spirit reminds me again and again and again to relax and let go of the past, to let go of thinking that I know anything… I need to continue to let go until there is a strong feeling of quietness… I must place all I think I know on God’s altar, where all that is not helpful disappears in the Light… I continue this process of letting go… I am reminded once again that it is not my job to make anything happen.

In this place of quietness there is a growing sense of peace… I am more willing to follow where peace leads me in my mind… I see that joining with God’s power lies in my willingness to accept God’s peace… I am aware that my job is to continue to accept God’s peace and follow where peace leads me all day today. As I practice this everything falls into place, with God’s Will leading the way… Easy does it…

Robert:
Every day I make plans. Every day I am reminded to let them go and follow Holy Spirit’s lead. It is interesting to observe how tenaciously I hang on to the belief that I can make meaningful plans on my own. I certainly have had plenty of demonstrations that my self-made plans do not get me what I really want. But in line with the ego’s motto, “seek and do not find,” I keep trying again to make some plan that I think will get me something I value.

Still I see progress. I more quickly recognize when I’m trying to take control and I more quickly step back. I still hold some areas back as ones that I am clearly more qualified to plan for. Of course I get the consequences of those plans and eventually get the message that I’m not as qualified as I think. These self-made attempts to plan and analyze to resolve problems simply delay my return to the happiness and peace that God has already given.

I am grateful that I have gotten a taste of the happiness and peace and Love that is within me when I am willing to set aside my little ideas of what I am and what the world is. I am grateful that I have the means in my mind to learn to see past the false images of the dream and see the reality of Love everywhere. I am grateful that as I forgive the past I move into the happy dream, where I see all images with forgiving eyes that let the Light of Love shine through. Today is another happy day of practice.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Let Love Carry You

Holy Spirit to Robert:
Rest in My Love. Rest in My Love as you work at the computer. Rest in My Love as you go to the post office. Rest in My Love as you talk on the phone. Rest in My Love as you eat your meals. We walk together, you and I. Let My Love carry you through the day, remembering My Love is yours, for there is but One. Welcome Love and be happy.

Holy Spirit to Mary:
Let yourself be carried by Love today. Give time to receiving the gift of Love being extended to you… Give time to allowing Love to be extended through you… As you practice this, everything else disappears in Love’s Light.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Forgiveness: The Key to Happiness

Robert:
I’m getting it: Forgiveness is the key to happiness. Forgiveness is how I let go of the battle against the world and the battle against God. Judgment and unhappiness go together. I think I’m getting it that I’d rather be happy than be right in my judgments.

A Course in Miracles is so infused with the importance of forgiveness that it seems a wonder that it has taken so long to recognize the beautiful treasure that forgiveness offers. But the Course acknowledges that we resist its message of forgiveness because we still hold out hope that the world still offers us something we want.

So I have been practicing forgiveness because that is what the Course told me to do. At first it was just on blind faith with little confidence that there would be any benefit, or that I could even truly forgive. But like it says in the introduction to the Workbook, you do not have to believe in what it is telling you. In fact you can actively resist it. Just do the exercises anyway.

I feel that now I am experiencing some of the payoff, the great blessing, that forgiveness offers. I’m recognizing that forgiveness offers me what I want more than anything in the world. My judgments still get triggered and I lose my sense of peace and happiness, but I am less and less willing to sit in that unhappiness. The need for forgiveness comes to mind quickly and I offer my disturbance to the Holy Spirit, asking His help to see as He sees. As I accept His vision, my happiness is restored.

I thank you Father for your gifts to me.

Mary:
As I get quiet and listen, I am reminded that there is only one Self. There is only one Mind. This same Mind belongs to everyone. We are one Self, joined in the Mind of God. Today my practice is to give time to returning to that Mind in quiet listening. What I experience is beyond words. Letting go of the little separated mind is all this day is for.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Make Way for Peace

Mary:
In our reading of A Course in Miracles this morning, what stood out to me was prayer in Workbook Lesson 208:

I will be still and let the earth be still along with me. And in that stillness we will find the peace of God. It is within my heart, which witnesses to God Himself. (ACIM W-pI.208.1:2-4)

This prayer reminds me that the peace of God is in my heart right now. It reminds me that as I am willing to be still, I find the peace of God. Here is my salvation. Here is everything I want. Today is devoted to accepting the stillness that lies within my heart. This is how I put God first.

Robert:
This prayer reminds me that

the peace of God is already in me. I can’t “make” peace; peace is an attribute of God’s creation. But to know the peace that is already in me, I need to be willing to step back from the turmoil of the world. I need to rise above the battleground and disconnect from the thought system of separation. There is no peace there.

But when I am willing to step back and let go, I make way for the peace that is always there to shine forth. So any time I notice that I am not at peace, it is time for me to step back, let go and rise above the battleground. It is not my battle and I no longer need to make it mine. I need only clear the way and peace will come of itself. So today I will practice stepping back and letting go to make way for peace, make way for God’s blessing.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Accepting Love’s Gentleness and Patience

Mary:
This morning I was guided to return to the poster that comes with course 914: The Power of Gentleness and Patience that I keep nearby to remind me when I forget. It is so helpful to me and I want to share it with you:

My Prayer of Accepting Love’s Gentleness and Patience

Love, I surrender to Your gentle and patient care.
I let go of my perceptions of a past.
I let go of my perceptions of a future.
I accept only Your eternal Loving Presence.

I have no need to plan for my safety.
My needs are provided for continuously
in Your gentle and patient care.

I let go of all I thought the world was.
I let go of what I thought my brothers were.
I give back to You all I thought was mine alone.

I accept Love’s gentleness and patience by giving
Love’s gentleness and patience to the whole Sonship.

Robert:
The ego believes its safety lies in form. It tells me that if I have a good plan for the future, I will be safe. It tells me that if I acquire certain things and avoid other things, I’ll be safe. Yet because these forms are illusions, they are always subject to change. Either the forms themselves will change or they will not bring the effect of safety that I sought. The ego has an answer for this: Find some other form. Thus it keeps its primary goal of seek and do not find in play. No safety can ever be found in the ego thought system because it is the denial of the certainty of changeless Love.

In moments of right-mindedness, I feel the all encompassing presence of Love. I feel safe in Its changelessness. I feel blessed by Love’s flow through me as it joins with all my brothers. I am certain that all my needs are met. But I toggle between this alive and peaceful feeling and the uncertainty and vulnerability that comes when I think I am a body in a world where everything seems a potential threat. The idea of changeless Love seems like a meaningless fantasy that could not possibly protect me from the dangers of the world.

I am grateful now that I know that I have the means in my mind to let go of this fearful image of myself and remember Who I really am. I remember the right-minded moments when I recognized the safety and certainty of Love reflected in the world. This motivates me to practice offering all my fearful thoughts, all my attempts at planning for my safety, to the Holy Spirit in quiet. As I am truly willing to receive His answer, all my perceived problems are quietly resolved. And so today is another day of happy practice of turning my thoughts over to the Holy Spirit and following His lead.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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