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july - September, 2007

Our Experience with Weekend with Holy Spirit

by Revs. Robert & Mary Stoelting

We recently experienced a weekend here at Pathways of Light called, Weekend with Holy Spirit.

As a group we made the commitment to give time to quieting our minds and listening to the Holy Spirit. We started the weekend focusing on a message from A Course in Miracles: “The Holy Spirit will, of Himself, fill every mind that so makes room for Him.” (T-14.XI.13:6)

After a guided meditation to set the stage, we as a group practiced opening our minds to the inspiration that the Holy Spirit brings to us as we are quiet and receptive.

The first day we practiced again and again letting the busy-ness and hustle-bustle of our everyday lives gently fall away. We practiced opening our minds to periods of receptive listening to Holy Spirit.

Together we read ACIM Workbook Lesson 106: Let me be still and listen to the truth. We prepared our minds to receive Holy Spirit’s miracles. We focused on this idea from the Course: “Be not afraid today to circumvent the voices of the world. Walk lightly past their meaningless persuasion. Hear them not. Be still today and listen to the truth. Go past all things which do not speak of Him Who holds your happiness within His hand, held out to you in welcome and in love. Hear only Him today, and do not wait to reach Him longer. Hear one Voice today.” (W-pI.106.3:1-7)

We let everything slow down and gave time in quiet to God. During our quiet times, if we found our mind wandering, we would reread to ourselves the message: “I Go Within to Find God. I turn inward very deeply into my mind… I go inward past all form, past all thoughts of bodies, time and distance…
I go to the quiet place in my mind. I sink into and feel the Light of Love that is in me and surrounds me. I accept and experience the quiet peace of God within my mind, and rest awhile… In quietness I receive God’s gift of peace… and Love… and joy. In stillness I receive God’s Word.” (from Miracles Practitioner Course 911: The Healing Journey Inward)

After a period of quiet, we all returned to the group to share about our experience with listening to the Holy Spirit. The following are excerpts from messages we received during the weekend:

Robert: There is no barrier between me and the Love and peace of God. If I perceive one, I put it there in my imagination. It will disappear as soon as I no longer want to imagine it. Anything I perceive that is not the peace and Love of God is imagined. It’s not there. I imagine it because I value separation. I think it offers me something I want. In truth, Love is my only Home. Love is my nature. Love unites me with all that is. When I see “others” as Love, I have no fear. I feel safe and gentle. If I see someone who appears to be angry or depressed, my only thought is that they are safe in Love along with me.

The gift of peace is worth practicing to receive. You are worthy of receiving it. When you are unwilling to give time to opening to peace, it is because you think you do not deserve the gift. You disguise this in scenarios where you seem to need to solve problems yourself. But that is just reinforcing the belief that you are by yourself. You are not alone. When you think you are, you are mistaken. Allow that mistake to be corrected by diligently practicing opening to peace. In peace you remember that you are one with all that is real and you could never be alone.

All concerns for the body are of the ego because the body is the ego’s defense against God. Any thought that a circumstance in the world should be different is a concern of the body and therefore a defense against God. This is why it’s so important to step back and follow Holy Spirit.

Sometimes I feel like I ask for guidance and don’t seem to receive it. What’s really going on?

Answer: Remember, Love is ever present. There are no barriers except those you imagine. You ask for help because you feel you have a need. You could only feel a need if you felt a lack. That could only occur if you believe there is a barrier between you and the Love that is ever present. So, at it’s core, a request for guidance is a call for Love.

While you believe you are in this world, there will be appearances of lack because you believe you are separate from Love. The form of perceived lack will change from one moment to the next. A machine will seem not to work. There will seem to be too much to do in too little time. You will plug in the wrong cable. Software will seem to fail. Someone will not do what they said they would do, or do something you didn’t want done. There are endless variations to these stories. They have one thing in common: They all reflect belief in lack of Love or separation.

The antidote for them all is Love. But you won’t recognize that the antidote is present unless you forgive the circumstance for not meeting your definition of salvation. You believe you will be happy if the outer circumstance changes. It is this belief that must be let go or forgiven. When you have forgiven, or let go of judgement, your mind and heart will be open to receive the Love that you are really seeking. Then you will recognize the solution in form as it pertains to the circumstance. And it may look very different from what you thought the answer would be.

Because the peace and Love of God is in me, if I am not experiencing it, I must have made a barrier against it. In some way, that barrier is a judgment that (I think) something other than the peace and Love of God is all that is real, I must be choosing hallucinations over reality. This is the insanity of the ego thought system.

If I am offended because I think someone has misunderstood me, misinterpreted what I said or misrepresented what I value, then I must believe that I am not the peace and Love of God and that I am vulnerable to loss. This can only mean that I believe I am an hallucination, a false image of myself. It is time to open my mind to the Holy Spirit to receive His gentle correction of my mistaken belief. Call upon the peace of God in me to return me to the state of openness to Holy Spirit’s vision. Peace first! Then everything I need will follow. Practice, practice, practice. In peace ask: “What would You have me do?” Make every decision with peace.

Mary: Pay attention to what is true eternally — now. Pay attention to the eternal now. Let go of the past and future, that is of time and that is coming from the ego mind. Give time to quiet listening, now. Let this practice prepare you to accept this way of being always.

Allow yourself to feel the peace of your true Being. See that it is always there… Give yourself time to rest in the truth about you… Rest in the stillness and changelessness of God’s peace… your peace… the peace that is the real you… formless peace… formless joy…

Practice resting in the truth… You are in Heaven now, along with everyone… Allow yourself to become aware of this truth…
You are being carried… Allow yourself to trust enough to become aware of this…

Let everything in your mind quiet… These thoughts that come up do not matter… They are thoughts connected with a world of separate bodies… Hand them over… You do not need these thoughts…

Rest… Let your mind quiet and rest… Let the deep still waters of peace replace all the thoughts of what you think is real… In peace you find these thoughts are not real. They are just false ideas of separation…

Only what is of the Father is real… Only your Source is real… Return to your Source… Like the prodigal son, return to your Source and receive the banquet awaiting your return… Receive the riches of your Father… Welcome Home. Welcome Home. You are still as God created you… Everyone is still as God created them…

No matter what anyone dreams, know that everyone has a complete support system… Everyone is totally immersed in God because they are part of God. They cannot leave their one Identity as Perfect Love. Think about that for everyone. That is being truly helpful. As you remember it for others it helps you remember it for yourself.

Your Beingness in God is connected with everyone’s Beingness because it is one undivided Beingness in God.

Take time to rest in God… Let this practice this weekend quicken your remembering during the rest of your week. Let this habit of resting in God become strong…

Let awareness of God’s Love in everyone’s mind become strong. Be willing to see God’s Love in everyone’s mind… Practice that… With this consistent practice you are becoming more familiar with what it is like to consistently step back from the world and receive the happiness that is inherently in you…

You are in Heaven now. Let yourself feel the happiness and contentment the real you is aware of while resting in God. Hand over everything that appears to be separate from you. See that only Love is really there. The rest are hallucinations. There is only God. There is only Love.

My Prayer: I rest in Love… I rest in remembering oneness… I give up trying to make something different than Love’s oneness. I stop trying to make the world of bodies appear to be real…

Where am I placing my faith? With placing my faith in the Holy Spirit I am able to see the Christ in everyone, no matter what the body’s eyes show me. Am I energizing the ego’s world or am I energizing the Holy Spirit’s way of seeing past the world to the fact that everyone is in reality resting in God?

God is peace… God is oneness… God is universal Love. I accept God as God is. I would not try to change God. There is nothing but God.

Mary & Robert Stoelting are co-founers of Pathways of Light. They live at the Pathways of Light Center in Kiel, Wisconsin.

© 2007, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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july - September, 2007

The Mentor Within

by Rev. Mary Gerrard Lenihan, author of The Mentor Within

God is a far-fetched idea to many; too hard of a concept to grasp – invisible, intangible. Because humans cannot often image God, we fail to be in a relationship with God. This is why depending on our self-made images is a tool the ego uses to maintain separation.

Christ is the true “nature” of God, the essence of God available to us all. Jesus played this out here on earth. He became an image of God by shattering all of our images. By overcoming the illusion of death he overcame the illusion of life on this earth. He resurrected our perception of God from one Who satisfies our earthly desires, judges and condemns, to one who simply loves by seeing the Innocence within.

Jesus, many thought, was not ever supposed to leave the world behind, much less leave it so unattended, and certainly many are still awaiting his return. Again, the human image of God became a projection of a superhuman. That ego never gives up.

Holy Spirit resides in our mind and upon our willingness, merges us with Christ, the essence of God. It seems we are left unattended when we are not paying attention. I started paying closer attention. Here, I discovered The Mentor Within. Many wake-up calls have I been given, but oh that snooze button. Thankfully, God provides. The book, The Mentor Within, Let your SELF be seen, was the beginning of my willingness to awaken.

Here are three excerpts from the book which is a series of conversations I had with the Mentor, the Holy Spirit, over a nine month period. The Mentor is in italics. In Joy, Mary Gerard.

“Do You Hear”?

It is on this day that I am given the title of the book. The Mentor begins to speak.

It is not outside of ourselves — whatever we are looking for is not outside of ourselves. We are making ourselves sick looking for answers out there in a world where there are no answers. Oh yes, we may be temporarily satisfied, have an “aha” moment, but are you not fleeting frantically to the next endeavor, experience, goal, guru, friend, family member, therapist, doctor, financial advisor, church, book, job …? Are you not feeling anxious, lost, depressed, numb, out of control, in control, controlling between gurus?

How many gurus does it take to screw in a light bulb? There will never be enough because the Light is within. The peace of God is within. The moment of truth is within. You will feel whole when you accept that no one outside of you can make you whole — you are in fact complete because God completed you before you were born. Nothing or no one in this world can complete you who are already finished. Additions make for distractions.

How many rooms does a house need before it is a home? How many blades of grass does a field need before it can be called a field? I am telling you; one room makes a home, one blade of grass on a spot of land makes a field. You are that room, you are that blade of grass; you are home, you are a field. Nothing else matters.

Life will unfold as we listen. Do you hear the sound of your own unfolding? What a gift.

I cannot make anything happen. I can only be a gift to that which is already happening. It is the greatest freedom I have.

“The Untrained Mind”

What a beautiful day. I sit in such beauty. Do you have any advice for me today?

Clear vision arises from within that which is already clear. Rinse your mind of all grief and let yourself be carried on into the healing waters. An open pool of water awaits us.

Ah, that sounds so refreshing. I see myself standing naked in the center of expanding water circles, a pool of new life melting all over my mind. How do I bring others to this healing water?

Quit fantasizing about “reality.” Your purity of consciousness saves even the worst of egos. As your mind settles out of rationalizing your behavior, you release others into the hands of God. A lot of requirements await the minds of those still imprisoned. Get out of the way.

What do you mean, “quit fantasizing about reality”?

Reality (the real thing) is seen in the purest of sight and stands side by side with fantasy. One calls us, luring us into deep sleep, frustrating all of our attempts to stay awake. One keeps us awake.

So fantasizing about reality keeps me from reality?

Reality cannot hold fantasy. Fantasy slips like sand through open fingers. There is never enough to fill; the sandbag is always empty. Fantasizing about reality keeps you craving more fantasy.

What do you mean by “a lot of requirements await the minds of those still imprisoned”?

Before rules and regulations there exists freedom.Not freedom from rules and regulations, but freedom in and of itself. Freedom, like truth, stands apart from fantasy, rules, and regulations, for true freedom is seen only in relationship to itself, otherwise it would be seen 100 different ways within relationship to 100 different thoughts, beliefs, or actions.

Imprisoned minds know not of freedom, rather only escape hatches that lead one out of one “framed” thought into another. All of these thoughts framed within relationship to other thoughts quite similar to them, though appearing different to the untrained mind. So one runs from one mode of thinking to another, takes a snapshot, and implants the new picture in one’s mind which then serves as the updated version of “reality.”

So what are the “requirements”?

Each mind has its own set of requirements that it has chosen for itself. Now of course none of these requirements are real. They are fantasy requirements that keep us engaged in countless searches. Fantasy requirements are like our own individualized computer programs that interface with other programs to keep the fantasy going.

What do we have “requirements” for?

The game states that with each requirement met we are one step closer to freedom. Eventually, we rise to the occasion and see the requirements for what they really are — nothing.

That sounds familiar. Been there, done that! You told me to “get out of the way.” What does this mean?

The joy of movement for you is when you do not have to choreograph, right?

When I have a hard time getting out of the way is when people start professing their ideas about whatever and they sound professional, educated, business oriented, spiritual – like they know all of the answers. I jump in there and try to resonate with what they are saying so that they feel heard and so that I sound intelligent. I do not know how to insert what I think and have experienced without coming off abrasive.

Let your Self be. The truth can sound abrasive to the one who believes in that which is not the truth.

“Spiritual Teachers”

What about spiritual teachers?

Those who have gone the way open doors amidst bolts and fire.

How do I know who has “gone the way”?

They sit behind open doors. Everlasting love in union with God precedes them; they love.

When you say those who have “gone the way,” what do you mean?

Those who have risen from the dead. Like a white daisy among a bed of red roses. The seed that has been planted emerges as pure truth.

Why are not the red roses in your description also pure truth?

For they know one another only as a mirror, a reflection of one’s small self. They see only that which they believe themselves to be.

What does the white daisy see?

Nothing. It looks within and becomes nothing in its own eyes.

When the white daisy looks within and sees nothing, then what is its motivation to live?

All the red roses, awaiting salvation.

How does the white daisy save the red roses?

By seeing them differently, for who they truly are.

How do I rise from the dead; how do I go the way?

Seamlessly walk in God.

Seamlessly? What is seamlessly?

We cannot know the path until we take it.

Rev. Mary Gerard Lenihan is a Pathways of Light minister living in St. Louis, Missouri. Mary is the author of the book, The Mentor Within, Let your SELF be seen. You may purchase this delightful book at the Pathways of Light bookstore and soon online. Visit Mary’s web site at: http://www.thementorwithin.com

© 2007, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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july - September, 2007

The Spiritual Journey Is Here and Now

by Rev. Étienne Pait

On my personal journey, in my own way, I asked Spirit to guide me to the next level of my spiritual awakening — to the next level of my spiritual awareness of remembering Who I am. In my asking, I had envisioned my own particular fantasies of how this spiritual journey would be and appear in this physical world of form.

For some reason, I thought I would either be touched by the “hand of God” or “Spirit would whisper in my ear” clearly leading me directly to the next level and fulfilling what I perceived to be in my best interest. In the back of my mind, when I was being honest with myself, I knew I was indicating to Spirit how this spiritual journey ought to unfold.

From my request, I immediately recognized my internal inconsistencies resulting in conflict. Was I willing to surrender? Was I willing to surrender what I thought I knew and allow knowledge to be transformed into wisdom? Knowledge is the “collection of data.” Wisdom is the “movement of allowing.” Knowledge is of the mind. Wisdom is of the heart.

I was reminded of a Truth I discovered very early on in life: I no more have control of my next step any more than I did with the process of my own birth — my ego attempts to deceive me that I do and can!  At best, I can be aware! Life is way too simple, too complex and far too advanced for me to figure it out from an individualized egotistical perspective.

Even though I may not have the control, I can be aware of the next step when I arrive. Another Truth I discovered: Spirit always has my best interest “in heart” and is guiding my every footstep. Knowing Spirit always has my best interest “in heart,” I am aware that the predominant desire of my heart is Spirit’s dominant interest for me.

I was confronted with a challenge. I thought I fully trusted Spirit and the process. I do now trust the process knowing that all is well in spite of appearances that may be judged to the contrary. I say this because I never thought the next step of my spiritual journey would entail selling cars at Saturn of Green Bay.  Never in my wildest dreams or fantasies did I ever deduce in my thinking mind or embrace in my consciousness that selling cars would be an important and necessary step in my spiritual journey.

Spirituality, in my previous limited thinking, took on different images. Spirituality, to me, meant participating in an integral part or directing a healing center, ministering to the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical needs of my clients, publishing my spiritually oriented book, giving workshops, biking or walking across America as part of a vision quest or any expression that my ego’s point of reference considered “spiritual” based upon my definition. These activities do not define my spirituality nor do they necessarily lead to greater Self-Awareness as I asked of Spirit — on the same token, they can!  Oh, what a paradox!

As I now clarify, the spiritual journey is “here and now,” not “there and then.”  My spiritual journey is the moment-to-moment application of the Divine attributes (calmness, kindness, sincerity, patience, compassion, steadfastness, integrity, etc.) as best I know how, wherever I am and with whomever I am engaged.

One of many arenas in which I currently apply the Divine attributes is with Saturn team members and guests (customers).  The focus of attention of applying these Divine attributes absolutely, undeniably, leads me to greater Self-Awareness. How?  I lovingly and non-judgmentally observe myself applying the attributes with the aim of not engaging or reacting to “my stuff” that may come up while in the process.

My application of the Divine attributes is the truth of me. My reactivity to any stuff coming up in me is the false part of me.  By not engaging the false, the truth of me is easily revealed — voila, Self-Awareness!  This process of Self-Awareness helps me to remember Who I am.

With that said, the first few weeks of employment with Saturn wreaked havoc in my mind, not only because of the process of learning a totally new and absolutely alien job to my previous professions, but also because of the resistance I felt in trusting Spirit’s Wisdom. I was, in my own fearful way, interrogating Spirit’s Guidance.

Every morning for these few weeks I felt scared that I had derailed from my journey, anxious about grasping a new and unfamiliar profession, overwhelmed by the intricacies of the business, confused about Spirit’s intention for me and plagued by a hyper-thinking mind trying to “figure it out.” The emasculating experience literally resulted in intense inner body heat as I dripped with uncontrollable sweat at the breakfast table.
My constant mantra throughout the days as I was trying to learn the product, the profession and allowing non-resistance were: “Thy will be done; Only good can come from this; Thank you, God, for receiving your guidance.”

I asked Spirit to move me to the next level (whatever I thought that was) and I was given the gift of “willingness,” more accurately, “conscious willingness.” The question resonating in my mind was, “Am I willing?” Am I willing to let go of the image of what I think the spiritual journey is and simply be present and apply the appropriate Divine attribute now?

My spiritual journey is not defined by the place or image, for they will change. My spiritual journey is defined by my conscious willingness and non-resistance in allowing the expression of the Divine attributes in all places and images. Spirit has moved me to the next level as a sales consultant with Saturn.

My real job at Saturn is not selling cars; for that will happen because of my intention of being present to Spirit within the profession. My real job is to express the Divine attributes in each moment, as best I know how. And as I express these beautiful Divine attributes, the guests’ needs and wants will be automatically fulfilled with the tangible (the vehicle) and the intangible (someone cares about them).

The common need and want we all have is to feel loved. The product is the vehicle (no pun intended) that facilitates that experience to happen. Saturn of Green Bay is the forum where divinity is in movement.  Wow! I never would have thought it!

Spiritual awareness is a ‘non-experience experience’ of observation without reactivity. It is a result of the fulfillment of my mission — Self-Awareness, Self-Discovery. Spiritual awareness can happen to anyone at any time in any place. Spiritual awareness, like any spiritual intention, is not reserved for only those individuals praying at a consecrated wall, walking on a specific plot of land or kneeling inside of an elaborately constructed stained-glass ornamented building. The wall, the land and the building are all crystallized temporal structures. Spiritual awareness is not contingent on any structure, but is both invited and recognized by a pure heart,  which is inherent in all of us.

Spiritual awareness can and does happen anywhere. We don’t have to reserve a spot in the semi-annual ‘hurry-up, last chance, only a few seats left’ workshop.  It’s not necessary to retire from our job and retreat to a monastery to experience spiritual awareness.

Spiritual awareness can happen in a workshop, but it is not necessary to go there to receive. Spiritual awareness can happen to anyone at any time in any place. We don’t have to go to a faraway exotic place or island to experience spiritual awareness. Wherever we are — God is!

It’s a motionless journey — a journey of stillness and non-judgmental observation recognizing what is false, consequently, revealing what is true. We’re all equal recipients of the spiritual awareness, if we simply — BE!

Spiritual awareness happens in a moment of allowing — allowing now! The spiritual awareness can happen Monday through Friday. It can happen on the weekend. It can happen on the Sabbath. It can happen on any secular day. It can happen on any Holy day or holiday — day or night.  It doesn’t even have to be quiet to experience the ‘non-experience experience’ of spiritual awareness. Spiritual awareness is not governed by our man-made creation or perception of time, event or place — never happening in the past, future or “there.”
 
Spiritual awareness is available only in the now — and in every now — by simply committing — committing to be fully Present in the Moment — here and now!

Rev. Étienne Pait is a Pathways of Light minister living in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

© 2007, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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july - September, 2007

My teleconference Experience!

by Rev. Deborah Bolton

It is true; circumstances continue to present themselves for further healing of my mind! When I trust that, I have had wonderful connections and experiences… Guess what! More comes! It is infinite, the power to grow and heal!
 
When I had a student approaching ordination, I felt a pull to join with her… however, the entire teleconference experience was not something I could fully embrace. I found myself finding many reasons to not include myself in the weekends it entailed. After all, Mother’s Day weekend (my favorite holiday), then again Memorial Day weekend? Six hours on the phone, two days in a row? The resistance was there, I felt it strong. How could this experience hold a candle to the Pathways/ Kiel experience?

I selfishly held on to my own image of my ordination experience. The people joining, growing, all tumbled in my mind like a gift that was so powerful that there was no way a phone call could hold a candle to it! Well, let me tell you…

The teleconference proved to me (once again) the power of Spirit. It had nothing to do with our bodies being together. It has everything to do with our one and only Spirit! This experience was powerful!  We were 11 people, with headphones, notebooks and enthusiasm, scattered all over the map… all connected. I felt such a beautiful connection to everyone on that phone line that in my mind the phone didn’t even exist. Not only did the students grow, I grew. Let me share the growing…

1. It affirmed that we are Spirit. We were one, we are one, and we felt one! The processes were just as powerful, and the connections strong.

2. It was like a spiritual tune up, revisiting the courses again en masse. I also got to be the recipient of two Accessing Inner Wisdom Counseling’s! It was wonderful, and I had the most powerful counseling ever!

3. It deepened my strong belief in the connection of Spirit and I felt so blessed to be able to know the new ministers and the wonderful people Pathways is attracting. We are so blessed!

4. We got to have Mary and Robert be part of the entire experience. That was a treat!

5. I have released my teleconference fears!  It was all a silly illusion!

6. I know that from this experience, my phone counseling’s will be raised to a higher level.

If you, like myself, have any trepidation about the teleconference experience, I strongly nudge you to participate. It is loving, peaceful, joyous, affirming and fun!

Rev. Deborah Bolton is a Pathways of Light minister living in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

© 2007, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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