Living A Course in Miracles — The Decision to Accept Peace and Joy

Returning to Awareness of Our True Self

You will believe that you are part of where you think you are. That is because you surround yourself with the environment you want. And you want it to protect the image of yourself that you have made. The image is part of this environment. What you see while you believe you are in it is seen through the eyes of the image. This is not vision. Images cannot see.

The idea [that your mind is part God’s and you are very holy] presents a very different view of yourself. By establishing your Source it establishes your Identity, and it describes you as you must really be in truth.

If your mind is part of God’s you must be sinless, or a part of His Mind would be sinful. Your sight is related to His Holiness, not to your ego, and therefore not to your body. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 35, W-pI.35.1:1-2:2;36.1:7-8. See also ACIM Lesson 35 Insights.)

The recognition of our true Self requires a complete thought reversal. The image of a separate identity tied to a body image is the denial of our true Self. This denial makes it impossible for us to recognize our true Self. To return to awareness of the oneness of our true Self, we must let go of all the barriers of denial we have made. All our judgments, our fears, our sense of loneliness and guilt must be undone.

To do this requires help from outside the thought system that makes the images of a world of separation. We have that Help in the form of the Holy Spirit’s Presence in our minds. This Presence is always with us. We need only be willing to accept this Help.

The practice of holding our mind open to the Holy Spirit’s reinterpretation of all our perceptions leads us on the journey of awakening that gently and progressively lays aside the false images. As we set aside the false, the truth of our oneness in Love fills our awareness. Where we saw cause for fear, we now see opportunities to extend Love. Where we saw guilt, we now see innocence in our brothers and ourselves. Where we saw death and destruction, we see eternal Life in the Heart of God. We remember that our mind is part of God’s and we share His holiness.

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Accepting God’s Purpose as Our Own

Think what is given those who share their Father’s purpose, and who know that it is theirs. They want for nothing. Sorrow of any kind is inconceivable. Only the light they love is in awareness, and only love shines upon them forever. It is their past, their present and their future; always the same, eternally complete and wholly shared. They know it is impossible their happiness could ever suffer change of any kind. Perhaps you think the battleground can offer something you can win. Can it be anything that offers you a perfect calmness, and a sense of love so deep and quiet that no touch of doubt can ever mar your certainty? And that will last forever?

No one who knows that he has everything could seek for limitation, nor could he value the body’s offerings. (A Course in Miracles, T-23.IV.8;9:4. See also ACIM Text Q & A.)

God is Love, and Love’s only purpose is to extend Itself. As God’s creation, His Son is only Love. The Son’s only purpose is to extend Love. The eternal, changeless extending of Love is joy. When we recognize that we share our Father’s purpose to eternally extend Love, we experience joy beyond comprehension in the dream world of bodies and forms.

Our sole purpose is Love’s purpose. Fulfilling that purpose brings us the experience of Heaven — quietness that cannot be disturbed. Certainty that makes doubt impossible and an awareness that we have need of nothing, for we share God’s completion. This is Heaven.

In the dream of bodies and separation, we are not aware of the Heaven that is our Home. But forgiveness releases us from the false ideas that hide Heaven. Forgiveness is the key to happiness. Forgiveness is the key to peace. Forgiveness is the key to awareness that we are whole, perfect and complete as Love created us.

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Seeing the Reality of Harmlessness

Projection makes perception. The world you see is what you gave it, nothing more than that. But though it is no more than that, it is not less. Therefore, to you it is important. It is the witness to your state of mind, the outside picture of an inward condition. As a man thinketh, so does he perceive. Therefore, seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world. Perception is a result and not a cause. And that is why order of difficulty in miracles is meaningless. Everything looked upon with vision is healed and holy. Nothing perceived without it means anything. And where there is no meaning, there is chaos.

Damnation is your judgment on yourself, and this you will project upon the world. See it as damned, and all you see is what you did to hurt the Son of God. If you behold disaster and catastrophe, you tried to crucify him. If you see holiness and hope, you joined the Will of God to set him free. There is no choice that lies between these two decisions. And you will see the witness to the choice you made, and learn from this to recognize which one you chose. The world you see but shows you how much joy you have allowed yourself to see in you, and to accept as yours. And, if this is its meaning, then the power to give it joy must lie within you. (A Course in Miracles, T-21.In.1-2. See also ACIM Text Q & A.)

The Course says repeatedly that the body and the world we see are illusions. Illusions have no power of their own. Illusions are not real, so what illusions seem to do have no real effect.

Because this is true, forgiveness is justified. If there is no real effect, then there is really nothing to forgive. As we can learn to accept this, we free ourselves from the ego thought system of separation, fear and guilt. We are able to see the reality of harmlessness, innocence and the eternal, changeless Love we are in God.

Because we are so identified with the body as our identity, we need help to recognize that it is an illusion along with the world. By the grace of God, we have the Help we need to recognize illusions for what they are. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can learn to see past the images of the world to see the face of Christ in everyone, everywhere. We can learn to look beyond appearances and let ourselves be shown that only Love is real. This is our practice for today

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Remembering Who We Are

We have a mission here. We did not come to reinforce the madness that we once believed in. Let us not forget the goal that we accepted. It is more than just our happiness alone we came to gain. What we accept as what we are proclaims what everyone must be, along with us. Fail not your brothers, or you fail yourself. Look lovingly on them, that they may know that they are part of you, and you of them.

Today accept Atonement, not to change reality, but merely to accept the truth about yourself, and go your way rejoicing in the endless Love of God. It is but this that we are asked to do.

We have not lost the knowledge that God gave to us when He created us like Him. We can remember it for everyone, for in creation are all minds as one. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 139, W-pI.139.9;10:2-3;11:4-5. See also ACIM Lesson 139 Insights.)

We came to this world to remember Who we are. We will not find ourselves in the forms of the world. We came to learn that the forms of the world offer us nothing in truth. The practice of opening our minds to the Holy Spirit’s vision in each moment is how we learn to see past the dream world of forms.

With Holy Spirit’s vision we see the Love that is the truth in every brother and remember that same Love is the truth in us.

This recognition is our mission. This is how we remember our real Home. This is how we find our Self.

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Accepting Our Holiness

Your holiness is the answer to every question that was ever asked, is being asked now, or will be asked in the future. Your holiness means the end of guilt, and therefore the end of hell. Your holiness is the salvation of the world, and your own. How could you to whom your holiness belongs be excluded from it? God does not know unholiness. Can it be He does not know His Son? (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 39, W-pI.39.4. See also ACIM Lesson 39 Insights.)

We are holy because we are innocent. We were created by the extension of God’s Love and innocence is an attribute of God’s Love.

The world is the projection of the idea of separating from Love. This denial of Love automatically brings with it the denial of innocence, which is guilt. When we judge anyone, we are denying their innocence. At the same time we are denying our own innocence.

To get out of the endless cycle of projection and guilt we need to accept the truth that we remain as Love created us. We share Love’s holiness. Because only Love is real, only our holiness is true.

As we let the Holy Spirit show us the holiness in our brother, we learn of the holiness in us. This is why forgiveness is the key to freedom from guilt and fear. We can help ourselves forgive whenever our peace is disturbed by reminding ourselves that we were created holy by Holiness Itself. The disturbing appearance cannot be real and so we are willing to accept the Holy Spirit’s help to let go of the false image. As we do this, our holiness brings salvation to the world.

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Opening Our Mind to God’s Love

Grace is acceptance of the Love of God within a world of seeming hate and fear. By grace alone the hate and fear are gone, for grace presents a state so opposite to everything the world contains, that those whose minds are lighted by the gift of grace can not believe the world of fear is real.

Grace is not learned. The final step must go beyond all learning. Grace is not the goal this course aspires to attain. Yet we prepare for grace in that an open mind can hear the Call to waken. It is not shut tight against God’s Voice. It has become aware that there are things it does not know, and thus is ready to accept a state completely different from experience with which it is familiarly at home. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 169, W-pI.169.2-3. See also ACIM Lesson 169 Insights.)

The Course tells us that God/Love does not condemn. Whenever we judge anything we are closing our mind against Love’s presence. Love cannot enter a closed mind.

Each time we forgive, let go of judgment, we open our minds to accept God’s Love. The seemingly smallest forgiving thought opens the door a little wider to let in the Light of God’s Love. The moment by moment practice of letting Holy Spirit reinterpret our perceptions to show us the Love that is eternally present beyond the judgmental thought leads us to the ultimate goal of complete forgiveness.

In full forgiveness, the real world is recognized where fear and hate cannot abide. Only Love is there. All else is recognized as illusion and passed by. Here we are released. Here we welcome all our brothers to share in this release. Here our hearts overflow with joy as we remember we are Love and nothing else.

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Quicken Our Footsteps, Father

Steady our feet, our Father. Let our doubts be quiet and our holy minds be still, and speak to us. We have no words to give to You. We would but listen to Your Word, and make it ours. Lead our practicing as does a father lead a little child along a way he does not understand. Yet does he follow, sure that he is safe because his father leads the way for him.

So do we bring our practicing to You. And if we stumble, You will raise us up. If we forget the way, we count upon Your sure remembering. We wander off, but You will not forget to call us back. Quicken our footsteps now, that we may walk more certainly and quickly unto You. And we accept the Word You offer us to unify our practicing, as we review the thoughts that You have given us. (A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 171, W-pI.V.2-3. See also ACIM Lesson 171 Insights.)

In truth we are eternal Love, as is everyone. We choose now to return to this truth. We know the journey Home is accelerated as we step back and listen for Holy Spirit’s gentle guidance. Today we accelerate our willingness to let Holy Spirit lead us all through the day. The Holy Spirit leads us to receive and extend God’s Love, and we willingly follow.

© 2016, Pathways of Light. http://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this copyright notice and website address are included.