Daily Inspiration for Living A Course in Miracles

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Awakening to Heaven’s Joy

Forgiveness is the end of specialness. Only illusions can be forgiven, and then they disappear. Forgiveness is release from all illusions, and that is why it is impossible but partly to forgive. No one who clings to one illusion can see himself as sinless, for he holds one error to himself as lovely still. And so he calls it “unforgivable,” and makes it sin. How can he then give his forgiveness wholly, when he would not receive it for himself? For it is sure he would receive it wholly the instant that he gave it so. And thus his secret guilt would disappear, forgiven by himself.

It is not you who are so vulnerable and open to attack that just a word, a little whisper that you do not like, a circumstance that suits you not, or an event that you did not anticipate upsets your world, and hurls it into chaos. Truth is not frail. Illusions leave it perfectly unmoved and undisturbed. But specialness is not the truth in you. It [specialness] can be thrown off balance by anything. What rests on nothing never can be stable. However large and overblown it seems to be, it still must rock and turn and whirl about with every breeze.

The special ones are all asleep, surrounded by a world of loveliness they do not see. Freedom and peace and joy stand there, beside the bier on which they sleep, and call them to come forth and waken from their dream of death. …Open your eyes a little; see the savior [your brother] God gave to you that you might look on him, and give him back his birthright. It is yours. (A Course in Miracles, T-24.III.1;3;7:1-2,7. See also ACIM Text Q & A.)

The wish for specialness, to have something that is ours alone, is the basis for all conflict, fear and guilt in the world. To keep something that is ours alone, we must defend it. Believing we have something that is ours alone brings guilt with it. We treasure it but also realize that we are depriving our brothers of this treasure.

The changelessness of God’s Love given equally to all makes conflict impossible. There is nothing to defend. Everyone has all that is. We are united as one in God’s Love. To know this Love we must let go of the wish to keep something for ourselves alone. We must forgive this wish, for in the forgiving we clear away the barrier that hides the eternal Love of God from our awareness. This is how we waken from the dream of specialness to the joy of Heaven.

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Christ’s Vision Is Already Given Us

…sink down and inward, away from the world and all the foolish thoughts of the world. You are trying to reach past all these things. You are trying to leave appearances and approach reality.

It is quite possible to reach God. In fact it is very easy, because it is the most natural thing in the world. You might even say it is the only natural thing in the world. The way will open, if you believe that it is possible. This exercise can bring very startling results even the first time it is attempted, and sooner or later it is always successful. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 41, W-pI.41.7:2-8:5. See also ACIM Lesson 41 Insights.)

We have already been given the vision we need to see past the appearances of the world. This vision does not come through the body’s eyes, but through an inner vision in our mind. It is the vision of our true Self, which sees only truth.

We welcome this vision by taking time to relax and let ourselves settle into the quiet mind of our true Self. We let the distracting thoughts of the world pass by without giving them attention. We focus our attention on the reality of Love. Without our attention, the thoughts of the world fade and we become more aware of the Love that is everywhere.

We see how Love connects us to everyone, everywhere. We see that behind the forms of the world, Love is there. We feel the peace of Love’s changelessness and we see how to express and extend Love in the world. Appearances of problems are seen as opportunities to let Love show us the way.

Love’s expression in the world can solve all appearances of problems. As we let Love be our guide in all things, we find peace and we experience the joy of joining in Love.

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Awakening to Our Identity as Love

I seek my own Identity, and find It in these words: “Love, which created me, is what I am.” Now need I seek no more. Love has prevailed. So still It waited for my coming home, that I will turn away no longer from the holy face of Christ. And what I look upon attests the truth of the Identity I sought to lose, but which my Father has kept safe for me.

Father, my thanks to You for what I am; for keeping my Identity untouched and sinless, in the midst of all the thoughts of sin my foolish mind made up. And thanks to You for saving me from them. Amen. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 229, W-pII.229. See also ACIM Lesson 229 Insights.)

The ego is the denial of Love, the wish to be separate and special. Fortunately, denying Love has no effect on Love at all; it only makes us unaware of Love. So almost everyone in the world is seeking for Love. But all the ego offers is empty substitutes that never satisfy. Love cannot be found in a world made by the denial of Love.

Love is not lost. We can find the Love we seek by looking where it can be found — in the part of our mind that remembers we remain Love as Love created us. The Holy Spirit is the bridge between the part of our mind that identifies with the ego and the truth that we are Love. As we choose to follow Holy Spirit’s guidance and accept His vision instead of the images the ego mind makes, we awaken to our Identity as Love.

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Choosing the Way to Happiness

I give my life to God to guide today.

Father, I give You all my thoughts today. I would have none of mine. In place of them, give me Your Own. I give You all my acts as well, that I may do Your Will instead of seeking goals which cannot be obtained, and wasting time in vain imaginings. Today I come to You. I will step back and merely follow You. Be You the Guide, and I the follower who questions not the wisdom of the Infinite, nor Love whose tenderness I cannot comprehend, but which is yet Your perfect gift to me.

Today we have one Guide to lead us on. And as we walk together, we will give this day to Him with no reserve at all. This is His day. And so it is a day of countless gifts and mercies unto us. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 233, W-pII.233. See also ACIM Lesson 233 Insights.)

Since God’s Will for us is perfect happiness, giving our life to Him to guide is choosing happiness. The ego tells us that if we choose God, we will be required to sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice to give up illusions of pain, suffering, loss, lack of love, fear and guilt? That is all the ego has to offer.

God will always lead us toward happiness and peace because that is His Will for us. Stepping back and letting Him lead the way is the choice to remember Who we are. It is the choice to remember our true Home in God. It is the way we open the door to receive and accept the blessings God has already given us as His one Son. We choose the way to happiness today.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Welcoming the Love in Our Brothers

The Holy Spirit cannot punish sin. Mistakes He recognizes, and would correct them all as God entrusted Him to do. But sin He knows not, nor can He recognize mistakes that cannot be corrected. For a mistake that cannot be corrected is meaningless to Him. Mistakes are for correction, and they call for nothing else. What calls for punishment must call for nothing. Every mistake must be a call for love. What, then, is sin? What could it be but a mistake you would keep hidden; a call for help that you would keep unheard and thus unanswered?

Look upon your Redeemer, and behold what He would show you in your brother, and let not sin arise again to blind your eyes. For sin would keep you separate from him, but your Redeemer would have you look upon your brother as yourself. Your relationship is now a temple of healing; a place where all the weary ones can come and rest. Here is the rest that waits for all, after the journey. And it is brought nearer to all by your relationship. (A Course in Miracles, T-19.III.4;11. See also ACIM Text Q & A.)

In a holy relationship we see our brother as our one Self. To judge a brother or even to see him as a body identity is to see our brother as different and therefore not our Self.

The belief in sin maintains the perception of differences and separation. This is why in the ego’s world everyone is constantly looking to find fault, see differences and justify belief that we are separate. This sense of separation must be maintained for the ego thought system to seem real. This is why sin — an uncorrectable mistake — is the foundation upon which the ego builds its illusion of separation.

As we are able to lay down our judgments with the Holy Spirit’s help, the walls of separation begin to crumble. The Light of Love that we share with all our brothers shines more brightly. Love shines through. Mistaken perceptions are corrected with Love. We welcome the truth of Love in our brothers as we see them as part of our one Self, God’s loving Creation.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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We Are Never Alone

My present happiness is all I see.

Unless I look upon what is not there, my present happiness is all I see. Eyes that begin to open see at last. And I would have Christ’s vision come to me this very day. What I perceive without God’s Own Correction for the sight I made is frightening and painful to behold. Yet I would not allow my mind to be deceived by the belief the dream I made is real an instant longer. 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 290, W-pII.290. See also ACIM Lesson 290 Insights.)

The uncertainty, anxiety, pain, fear and guilt that we experience in the world need not be. It is not God’s Will for us. All that we experience in the world is nothing more than the effect of believing that we have succeeded in changing ourselves from what God created. Only in illusion could this seem to be true.

We have already been given the Correction that will dispel the illusion and open our eyes to the present happiness God wills for us. Along with the Correction, God gives us all His strength to help us lay down all false perceptions and beliefs. We are not alone nor can we ever be alone.

Today we choose to accept the Help already given us to let go of the past and welcome the happy present that is already ours. As we choose our present happiness, we bless the world, for the world is one with us.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Forgiveness Returns Us to Love

Forgiveness ends all suffering and loss.

Forgiveness paints a picture of a world where suffering is over, loss becomes impossible and anger makes no sense. Attack is gone, and madness has an end. What suffering is now conceivable? What loss can be sustained? The world becomes a place of joy, abundance, charity and endless giving. It is now so like to Heaven that it quickly is transformed into the light that it reflects. And so the journey which the Son of God began has ended in the light from which he came.

Father, we would return our minds to You. We have betrayed [our minds], held them in a vise of bitterness, and frightened [our minds] with thoughts of violence and death. Now would we rest again in You, as You created us. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 249, W-pII.249. See also ACIM Lesson 249 Insights.)

We were created as Mind in the Mind of God. Mind can only extend Itself and does so without limit.

Because God is Love, the Mind we share with God is Love. Mind extends with the thought of Love. This thought of Love never leaves Its Source. As God’s Thought of Love, we are His Creation, His one Son united with Him. We share God’s attributes — eternal, changeless, indivisible and wholly loving.

To believe we are anything but the Love of God is a denial of What we are. Mind cannot make bodies, except in illusion. But believing we are a body does not change the truth that we remain the loving Thought of God.

When we experience anything but the peace, joy and Love of God, we need to forgive the mistaken belief that we are not as God created us. Forgiveness will bring us Home to the truth that we remain Love in the Mind of Love. This is how forgiveness ends all suffering and loss.

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