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July-September,  2023

Practicing Forgiveness

by Rev. Joyce Peebles, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

I do not normally calculate in my mind how much gas I am going to get for a certain amount of money I give the attendant. When gas hit $3.00/gallon, I gave the attendant $30.00 and because the math was so easy, I expected ten gallons of fuel. The pump stopped at eight gallons. Clearly displayed was the $30.00 I had given for the gas. I asked for $6.00 back or two more gallons of gas and was refused. I had not pressed the button for a higher grade of fuel. I left feeling unfairly treated. It was only a few dollars, but my ego would not let it go until the next morning when I read my daily lesson. This is the time of day that determines how the rest of the day will look.

Why was I holding on to this grievance? The answer came that I valued being the victim, seeing myself as vulnerable and unfairly treated, more than I valued peace. A Course in Miracles tells us ”The ego’s plan is to have you see error clearly first, and then overlook it. Yet how can you overlook what you have made real?” (T-9.IV.4:4-5) I had focused on seeing “error clearly first.” Judgment was made as I esteemed the story as reality.

The Holy Spirit’s plan is to practice forgiveness, or overlook the ego/body story, zeroing in on true reality. As I sat there that morning, I heard “you are seeing what you want to see.” If I value and want the thought of myself as separated, vulnerable, unfairly treated, the gas pump scenario supports this desire. This thought I projected came from nowhere else but my Mind. It did not make me happy, but I knew I could choose again.

Gary Renard’s book, The Disappearance of the Universe, contains a sample forgiveness prayer on page 258. “You’re not really there. If I think you are guilty or the cause of the problem, and if I made you up, then the imagined guilt and fear must be in me. Since the separation from God never occurred, I forgive “both” of us for what we haven’t done. Now there is only innocence, and I join with the Holy Spirit in peace.”

I shall break this down step by step. “You’re not really there and if I think you are guilty or the cause of the problem, and if I made you up, then the imagined guilt and fear must be in me.” I recognized that what my body’s eyes were seeing were the projected thoughts in my Mind. There was nothing outside of my Mind. I deceived myself by believing the lie I am an ego/body. I literally made this projection up. These images I see have value! They show me my insane mistaken thoughts. This is something the Holy Spirit showed me, the exact opposite of what the ego says is reality. The choice is always between these two voices.

“Since the separation from God never occurred, I forgive “both” of us for what we haven’t done.” Life is a dream, an illusion, a classroom in which we wake up. Reality is that I have never left the Love of God and that Oneness. It is true that my mistaken thoughts can obscure this fact, but nothing actually happened. This is also a truth that the Holy Spirit revealed to me. Again, we each choose which voice we want to hear. Let it be known I have not always been as willing to hear as I am now. ACIM has a convention once a year (pre-COVID), where people come from many different countries to hear great speakers, including Gary Renard. What was the most important thing I gained one year? The humbling knowledge that I was not as willing as I thought I was.

“Now there is only innocence, and I join with the Holy Spirit in peace.”  My erroneous thoughts were just that, thoughts. I gently let them go. It has been helpful to read, “The secret of salvation is but this: That you are doing this unto yourself. No matter what the form of the attack, this still is true. Whoever takes the role of enemy and of attacker, still is this the truth. Whatever seems to be the cause of any pain and suffering you feel, this is still true. For you would not react at all to figures in a dream you knew that you were dreaming. Let them be as hateful and as vicious as they may, they could have no effect on you unless you failed to recognize it is your dream.” (T-27.VIII:10:1-6)

From this perspective, my story at the gas pump is petty, nothing but a learning, healing opportunity. When forgiveness has been accomplished, I feel different. There is always gratitude which feels much better than victimization. The text continues, “This single lesson learned will set you free from suffering, whatever form it takes. And you will understand that miracles reflect the simple statement, I have done this thing, and it is this I would undo.” (T-27.VIII.11:1,6)

Somewhere in Gary Renard’s book, his helpers advised him to read Chapter 27, VIII. “The Hero of the Dream” ten times. I tried that for myself, and it changed my life. The ego’s plan brings suffering. The Holy Spirit’s plan brings happiness and peace. Each of us makes the choice every day of whose plan we follow.

Rev. Joyce Peebles is a Pathways of Light minister living in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2023, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September,  2023

Your Overflowing Love

by Rev. Bob Thompson, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

When you reach out to another,
you are reaching in to you.
So all you do for others,
you also do for you.

All that you may ask of me,
you ask for me and you.
And all that you are giving me,
you also give to you. 

The gifts that you have given,
are always with you still.
Your cup is never empty,
It’s always being filled.

All that you give another,
is also given you.
All your thoughts…
and all your words…
and all that you may do.

Peace and love are truly yours,
reach in and you’ll receive.
Happiness is yours to have,
to have… if you believe.

So keep on with your offerings,
Your joyful gifts of love.
Just give and give all that you can
You’ll always have enough.

When love walks with another,
and goes the extra mile,
You’ll see your love reflected,
in the other’s joyful smile.

To give while you receive,
what bliss for you and me!
When everything I’m giving you,
I’m also giving me!

When you give love to others,
which you have so much of,
Your love cup’s ever filling,
from your overflowing love.

Rev. Bob Thompson, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in Portage, Wisconsin. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  Website: bumpityroadretreat.com

© 2023, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September,  2023

Letting Go of Discouragement and Opening to the Love of God

by Rev. Christine Anderson, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

Here is a song that brought me much enjoyment through the years and that I played for a Sunday school. As time went by the meaning of this hymn grew and brought me to a place of being ready to open to my true Self.

Song: “His Eye Is On the Sparrow”

Why should I feel discouraged,

And why should the shadows come?

Why should my heart feel lonely,

And long for Heaven and Home?

When Jesus is my portion,

A constant friend is He,

Oh, His eye is on the sparrow

Oh yes, I know He watches over me.

This past year I have been concentrating on opening to the Presence of Love, this real, genuine Presence that A Course in Miracles tells me about. It sounds so good and I’m told that I’m worthy and deserving of such a thing. So I’m surrendering every chance I have to this loving Presence.

Many times in my life, I have had the habit of becoming discouraged. You might say I have at times been a doubting Thomas of sorts, and that’s where the discouragement comes from. At the time, in my ignorance, I chose the ego as my friend, thinking that it could help me navigate the world. Of course, as ACIM students, we know it’s not a wise choice to choose the ego as our teacher.

As a result, I have had a “I can’t do it” script and it’s played out in many different ways in my life. So A Course in Miracles offers me the opportunity to let all of that go and open to that beautiful Presence of God. I didn’t know that such a Presence was available, so how could I tune into It if I didn’t know It was there? I had to have a friend to let me know that Its Presence was right within me, not far away, nearer than breathing, closer than hands or feet, and that Presence is Jesus. The being that helped me open to God’s Presence was Jesus. As I’m letting myself be coached by Jesus, my life experience is changing for the better.

So how do I open to this Presence that is so available and so near, and so dear? I must make time for this experience to happen. This means withdrawing from the noise of the world and just opening to that experience, trusting that it will reveal itself to me. And so I say, “Dear Presence, please reveal yourself to me,” and then I relax and wait and listen. I’m finding that it’s not so much the words as it is the reality of that Presence. I also need to be willing to receive whatever that Presence has to give me, trusting in full faith that there really is a Presence that is willing to share with me my Identity as a child of God.

It’s the first time in my life to experience so much trust and non-judgment of that Presence. When I’m in that place of quiet within, my mind is totally quiet and waiting, sure of that Presence’s helpfulness. I can only say after many of these experiences, the Presence in its perfection is getting stronger and stronger. Mostly, it’s a sense of peace and an awareness that I am so loved and so cared for. It reminds me of a mother’s love for her child.

There’s no right way to do this. I think it is just being present and allowing the Presence to be there and I give It space to communicate in whatever way It needs to. So I will continue in this practice with faith and trust and open my heart. This experience can only get more and more loving in my awareness. Thank you, Jesus.

Rev. Christine Anderson is a Pathways of Light minister living in N. Aurora, Illinois. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Phone: 773-704-5483

© 2023, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September,  2023

It Is Always 1:11

by Mary Michele, Pathways of Light Member

Many of us have heard the phrase, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” referring to “happy hour” at a bar nearby. Well, I am happy to have the perception of time, given by Holy Spirit, that it is 1:11 (One, One, One) at all times, everywhere and that no matter what a clock spells out, this is always the truth.

Time is now to return to the oneness that we all are — one Self, united with our Creator. It is a miracle to be aware of this and entails no effort or strain, only willingness to be inspired by Holy Spirit, Whose Voice we can count on 24/7.

I have been aware of so many miracles lately, and this morning Holy Spirit offered me an option. He said that I don’t necessarily need a grievance to reveal the miracle hidden within, but that I can be reminded of my miracle-mindedness (actually inherent in our One Mind of only Love and peace) in a new way. He suggested that I can let ANYthing and EVERYthing I might be aware of remind me of miracles, if I so choose.

I have taken Him up on His offer ever since, and am serenely happy with the results of my willingness — stepping back and following Him, letting Him lead the way… (Lesson 155) He only leads back into the truth of what never has been anything but the changeless, eternal, all encompassing Love of God. Our reality is Heavenly.

It’s 1:11. One One One

It’s endless, obvious miracles and it’s about time for this awareness 24/7!

Mary Michele is a Pathways of Light member from Grapevine, Texas.
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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