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October-December, 2023

Peace Is Our True Nature

by Rev. Dan Strodl, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

We live in a world of separation, fear and guilt. But under these dark clouds lies the real world… of love, peace and happiness.

Peace is our natural state that we experience when we release the blocks in our minds. The world was made by ego to distract us from who we really are. As we let go of the world of the ego…  conflict, judgments, separation, pain… we create space in our mind that will fill with peace.

We have been given a Guide to help us release all these insane thoughts, and return us to our true home; that is what the Holy Spirit is there for. As we learn to notice our insane thoughts and give them to the Holy Spirit for healing, we are released from the dark clouds, and the light of our true Self shines through.

When we let the Holy Spirit be in charge of our mind, thoughts of conflict will fall away. As they fall away, notice the peace that comes into your mind… it has always been there. And we will be more motivated to put the Holy Spirit in the center of our life.

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October-December, 2023

Roses of Forgiveness

by Rev. Robin Singler, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

I’ve recently had the opportunity to look at a destructive and depressed part of my mind, a very dark thought pattern, as it rose up and seemed to take over me for an evening. It’s a part of me that I’ve been carrying around all my life, sometimes more in the background, and sometimes right in my face.

I’ve tried to mask, demonize, ignore and push it aside, but it’s still there. I’ve tried to talk myself out of these beliefs using metaphysical logic, tough love self-talk (which amounts to yelling at myself), self-help mumbo-jumbo, and A Course in Miracles concepts. I have also admonished myself for having this pattern in my life, and for all of the behavior it leads me to do, or not to do. The shame has been crushing on and off throughout my life, just for it being part of me and seeming so strong and real. It is a place of distraction, of putting off what is truly helpful, joyful or fulfilling. It is a hopeless, sad, depressed, dejected part of my identity that represents a lack of self-love and care.

It tells me of having no motivation to rise up, to love and be loved, to put effort into anything meaningful, yet this part also dreams of a future release into a passion-filled life of purpose and childlike joy that is free of these beliefs of unworthiness. While it used to run the show in my life in far more overt ways, it is indeed still there, lurking in the shadows and pulling the strings on this Robin-puppet.

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October-December, 2023

What Is It For?

by Rev. Lee Catalano, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

What do I want the outcome of this day to be? This meeting? This conversation? This email? This workday? 

Jesus teaches us a very important tool to utilize during the process of purifying and healing the mind (of guilt). He tells us to decide in the morning how we want our day to be.

Why does He do this? He teaches us that the ego is always speaking first and projecting its misery and guilt onto the world. If we decide ahead of time, the Holy Spirit is in charge, and we will have a happy day.

I want to picture myself smiling and others smiling back at me. I want to imagine feeling peace and seeing others around me at peace as well. I can hear the gentle laughter of myself and others (specifically). We are at peace and in good humor. As I lay in bed first thing in the morning, I fire up the Holy Spirit in my mind and see an easy day FILLED with miracles of Love. How crazy is that, right? Love is a miracle! Wow, huh?

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October-December, 2023

So Grateful!

by Rev. Greg Hesch, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

Yes, I am so grateful! I am so thankful to each and every person, everything and every situation — past, present and future! Can I really feel this way? Yes, with the genuine love and peace that I feel inside from giving thanks.

This article started formulating a week ago, when a friend and I were talking on our weekly call. During our beautiful conversation, I was guided to say how grateful I was. For some reason I also said that I give thanks hundreds of times a day and also give thanks to the Holy Spirit for always being with me. Also, I am so grateful that the observer self that thinks it is Greg wants to stay connected with Spirit’s love and peace. Yes, I am so grateful.

After that, the ego started up in the mind. Hundreds? Right Greg! No way Greg! Lol. I have been with Spirit on this for a week now. And yes, I can say that I do say thank you hundreds of times a day.

I will use today as an example. As I was tossing and turning before I got out of bed at 4:00 a.m., I kept on saying thank you for this peace. Before these feet touched the floor, I bowed my head, paused and said thank you for several long breaths. I headed to the bathroom, yup — I am so grateful — I am. I am so thankful that this whole thing of being a body is not the truth. I am so grateful for this peace!

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October-December, 2023

Refrain from Complain!

by Rev. Vicki Evans, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

My journey of working towards healthy relationships: I woke up one morning and I sat outside in a humid temperature of 101 degrees. I started a verbal complaint of feeling singled out by the weather. Then a domino effect started when I tried to turn on the coffeemaker while hoping to listen to some music and the weather on my smart speaker. The coffee maker did not respond to the start button and the sound of music never materialized.

It seems as if I could go on and on about the discomforts of life both physically and technologically as I realized that not even Alexa listens to my requests! I decided I needed a peace break to go to Holy Spirit and delve within myself to take a new direction for a new perspective! A phrase came into my mind: Refrain from Complain! I challenged myself to trade a positive statement for a complaint and made the commitment to try this activity for the next 12 hours so by evening time, I could evaluate my mood and outlook from the day.

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October-December, 2023

Accepting My Role in God’s Plan

by Rev. Lynne Whitehill, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

“I will be still and listen to the truth. What does it mean to give and receive?” (W-106.7:5-6)

I was invited to meet friends for lunch near a busy shopping street in central London. I decided to get there early to see if I could buy some walking shoes in preparation for a Camino, later in the year. It was a sunny day and there were throngs of people everywhere.

As I walked along the crowded street, I noticed there seemed to be more homeless people than ever before. Some were in groups of 2 or 3, calling out for money, others were holding up handwritten cardboard notices or cards, all with the same words, ‘I’m hungry. Please help. God bless you.’

As I made my way along the street, I was aware of a growing feeling of discomfort when I passed people asking for money, so did what I learned to do in India, which was to put my hand on my heart in acknowledgment. I tried to look at the people directly and say a silent blessing with Holy Spirit in mind, but sometimes I felt intimidated and passed too quickly to do even that.

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October-December, 2023

Healing the Split Mind

by Dani Novak, Student of the POL Ministerial Program

For many years I suffered from depression. The irrational fears, dense self hatred and guilt were so great that I could not face them. They were too scary. I was barely breathing.
It all started one fateful day when I was 14. I was sitting by another student in a high school class in Israel. We were pushing each other’s arms and he told me one sentence with just two words in Hebrew. The English translation has three words: “You are gay.”
The words penetrated my mind like a sharp knife. When I came home I opened the old testament and read in Leviticus 20 13: “And a man who lies with a male as one would with a woman both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon themselves.” I wanted to die.

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October-December, 2023

Perfect Love and the Mind of God

by Rev. Peggy Rivera, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

I have a friend I have been talking with who has been dealing with a lot of problems. She has had more on her plate than she feels she can deal with. I wondered how I can help someone who is visibly unhappy and seems to feel like a victim of their circumstances.

If I sit and listen and try to console, am I adding to the problem, because the Course says none of this is real. If I acknowledge that I hear them, am I acknowledging that it is real?

I asked Holy Spirit for guidance when I truly wanted to help. I got an answer so fast it was funny. As I was asking for guidance from Holy Spirit, the telephone rang and it was someone who was very distraught and upset with others saying that “they won.” She felt humiliated and like a loser. And Holy Spirit said to me that very moment, “There is no competition, you are love and so are they.”

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October-December, 2023

Growing into My Glasses

by Rev. Paula Richards, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

“Let’s see if we can help you to see more clearly,” the attendant said. I wasn’t at the ophthalmologist for a routine eye exam, but they quickly ascertained that one was needed. I’m in my seventies and my last appointment was over two years ago.

There is always an adjustment period when I get new eyeglasses. The frames might need some tweaking to feel comfortable, but there is also an adjustment to a different field of view. Even though the view is clearer, I usually experience a brief period of slight disorientation, a sense of being unbalanced.

Although my perceived physical vision seems to be declining, I equate getting a new eye prescription with my spiritual vision becoming clearer. And, though getting new frames can be a fun fashion statement experience, I believe it can also be an outward representation of an inner state of mind. Two years ago, physically, and emotionally drained from a five-year care-giving experience, I chose meek, mild-mannered, nearly invisible frames. A lot has changed in those two years. I moved across the country alone, leaving behind all I’ve known for the past seventy years. Nine months later, I dealt with my mom’s passing and having to relocate again. With all the turmoil, I also wrestled with several health issues, some of which felt life-threatening at the time.

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October-December, 2023

I Am Entitled to Miracles

by Rev. Dani Wells, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

I had been estranged from my family for many years. They were dishonest, manipulative, lazy, and would do anything to avoid an honest day’s work. They embarrassed me, so as soon as I got out on my own, had my own life and my own little girl, I changed my name and disowned all of them! I was finished with being lied to, lied about, and pulled into all of their collective neurosis!

Everything was fine until my daughter, Sophia, became old enough to start asking questions, such as: “Do I have a grandma and grandpa? Do I have aunts and uncles and cousins?”

My response was always the same: “You are better off not knowing them. They’re a bunch of losers and I don’t want them anywhere near you!”

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July-September,  2023

Miracles News, July-September, 2023

 

I Identify
with Love
Peace & Joy

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July-September,  2023

Bring Darkness to the Light

by Rev. Dan Strodl, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

We live in a world of darkness, covered with clouds of fear, hate, anxiety, separation, defense and attack. These dark thoughts block the light from entering.

“You are the Kingdom of Heaven, but you have let the belief in darkness enter your mind and so you need a new light. The Holy Spirit is the radiance that you must let banish the idea of darkness.” (T-5.II.4:1-2)

It is impossible for us to reverse the darkness to the light by ourselves. It is only when we bring our illusions to the light that they disappear. For light automatically dispels darkness.

“He brings the light to darkness if you make the darkness open to Him.”  (T-14.VII.6:4)

The Holy Spirit will shift our perception from false ego thinking to true healing, and grant us instantaneous deliverance from the imprisoning problems of the world. All that is needed is for us to be vigilant for our thoughts without judgment, and give them to the Holy Spirit for healing. He will do His part if we do ours.

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July-September,  2023

I Fell into a Fantasy

by Rev. Daniel Cratcha, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

I fell into a fantasy. I was a famous musician, accepting accolades and awards and acting all humble. I may have let it go on a bit too long. At some point in this daydream, I came back to the present. I came back to Spirit’s time and snapped out of it.

I had temporarily allowed ego to hijack my mind with one of its endless supply of fantasies and day dreams. It loves fantasies about power and sacrifice and revenge or, like in the above example, the humble hero. It loves fantasies about who deserves punishment, because of something they did that was over the proverbial top. Ego is always the hero in these fantasies and likes them because they’re all about winners and losers, victims and perpetrators, an endless supply. And of course, all these fantasies are based upon a distorted view of the past.

What is an ego fantasy but an attempt to bolster the body and strive for separation? It tries to brainwash us into thinking we’re either better or worse than everyone. “Specialness” is its magic elixir.

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July-September,  2023

The War Is Over if We Want It Over

by Rev. Lee Catalano, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

The ego is at war with its God and sees that war on every face with every encounter. It compares looks, intelligence level, homes, possessions, is easily offended, etc.

The ego projected this entire cosmos in order that it may convince the Son of God he is a body and therefore at war with everyone and everything.

A body lives by the scarcity principle Jesus speaks of in the Course. We (the ego) experience ourselves lacking love, respect, companionship, abundance, happiness and the like. This is the result of not knowing who and what we are — Spirit.

The ego is cunning and baffling, and has us convinced that IT is us. In order to be free, we need to begin the purification of our hidden hate and be willing to become humble in the face of hate. No one really hates anyone here, we are hypnotized by the ego’s war with God. When we really and truly understand and believe this, we are then able to meet hatred with Love.

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July-September,  2023

Finding God Within

by Rev. Lynne Whitehill, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

One morning, as I woke up, I set the intention of feeling the oneness and peace of God within me for the day ahead. I was aware that I had a number of tasks to do, including going out for some shopping. I couldn’t decide what to prioritize and when I should do things so that my time was used most effectively. Then I remembered the practice of listening as described in Lesson 164.

Christ “…hears the sounds the senseless, busy world engenders, yet He hears them faintly. For beyond them all, He hears the song of Heaven and the Voice for God more clear, more meaningful, more near.” (W-pI.164.1:5-6)

I decided to first practice listening to the Song of Heaven. I didn’t hear anything specific but my mind became very quiet and still. I trusted that I would do whatever I was moved to do by Spirit and that would be sufficient in itself. It wasn’t necessary for me to micro-plan, hour by hour, the day ahead.

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