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January-March, 2023

Moving with Spirit

by Rev. Paula Richards, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

I could sense her angst before she even spoke. “This is such a hard call to make,” my landlady said. “I’m so sorry to tell you, but my son has decided to sell the house.”

What? My mind was reeling. Just ten months earlier, I had moved across the country to Arizona and began renting a lovely townhome in a fifty-five-plus community. Moving out here on my own at age seventy, leaving behind everyone and everything I knew, was a big deal! Having a wonderful landlady and a very affordable rent had made it easier. I settled in quickly and had everything in place in my new home. It was exactly the way I wanted it, and I would often dance around my place in gratitude because I loved it so much.

Getting that call did give me instant clarity about one thing. I didn’t even consider moving back to New England. I knew for sure; Arizona was my home for now. However, it was very unclear whether I would have to move again or not. There was a chance that a future buyer would want the house as a rental property, and I would be able to stay. So, should I look for a new place or not?

To complicate matters, I had just learned that my mom had passed away. Prior to my move to Arizona, I had moved Mom from Massachusetts to an assisted living facility near my brother in Maryland. Now, my already planned, upcoming trip to Massachusetts would include her memorial service and burial which we were trying to organize remotely.

Whether it was shock or denial, I did not instantly begin looking for another place to rent when I got that call in mid-June. I sat around reading novels, doing jigsaw puzzles, and planning my trip to Massachusetts. That and dealing with my mom’s passing was about all I could handle. I did look at one small place the day before I flew home, but I wasn’t very excited about it. I texted a friend saying, “It is definitely not my first choice, but at least I have an affordable backup plan.”

I was so certain I was to remain in my current home that I explored every possibility to make that happen, even seeing if one of my friends wanted to buy it and keep me on as a tenant. But nothing was working out as I planned. And there’s the rub. I was trying to follow my plan. Meanwhile, Holy Spirit was hatching a whole different plan. I couldn’t see it materializing until I reached a point of complete surrender.

For days, I had been throwing my hands in the air and saying, “I don’t know. I just don’t know! Am I supposed to stay? Do I have to go? Will I be able to find a place I can afford in this difficult market? Will I have to sell all my belongings (there were no storage facilities available) and live in a friend’s guest room for a while?” Now, I see that Holy Spirit finally had me exactly where I needed to be to be led — in the I don’t know mind.

Once I stopped scheming and clinging to the old place, and started paying attention to my inner voice, I saw that all roads were leading me back to the rental I had viewed just before my trip. The first time I saw it, it was just a drive-by and I wasn’t particularly impressed. The next time I saw it was “by accident.” I had set up an appointment with a Realtor for viewing but was surprised when my GPS led me to the place that I had crossed off my list. “This isn’t the place I thought we were coming to see,” I told my friend. “Oh well. We’re here. Everything for a reason. Right?”

One bedroom was small, the bathrooms even smaller. The place overflowed with the current tenant’s belongings. The kitchen was mustard yellow with weird hieroglyphic-style artwork on the walls. Ugh. And yet . . . there was something sweet about the wall cut-out between the kitchen and dining area, and I loved the reddish-brown tile floor. Very southwestern. The Realtor, who was buying the place to use as a rental property, was lovely. The current tenant pointed to her and said, “She has wings.”

The next time I saw the place was, again, “by accident.” I went to view another place across the street and noticed that the garage door to the first place was open. Two men were setting up for an estate sale. Hmmm. I could go in and hang out awhile. Get a better feel for the place. One of the men also told me about another rental possibility. Maybe that’s why I’m here, I thought. I will go check it out.

I went back a third time for the estate sale, two friends in tow. Their silence upon seeing inside was editorial enough. But still . . . there was a lovely hutch there that charmed the dining space. There was less clutter, and it was more organized. I was beginning to see the potential. I found myself asking one of the men to check if there was an outlet behind the hutch. “I think my desk would fit perfectly there,” I mused.

Later, I called the Realtor to ask if I could have the right of first refusal. I was honest that I didn’t want to move unless I had to, and that possibility was still unclear. I had booked a moving company for a date as close to my August 30th deadline as possible, hoping I wouldn’t need them at all.

The wonderful part of all this back-and-forth was that, for the most part, I wasn’t anxious. With Holy Spirit’s help, I was able to stay in the uncertainty with an inner calm. Each day, I arose with an open mind and asked for guidance. I kept telling my friends, “I know God’s will for me is perfect happiness. I have to trust the process.” They rode the rollercoaster with me, waiting to see where I would land. I still didn’t know. Would I end up in a place I liked even better than what I had, or was this just an exercise in staying calm and staying put?

Gradually, the signs that I would be moving became even clearer. My current landlady could not find a buyer that wanted a rental property, and I began receiving interesting emails from the other Realtor with wings. “I’m considering putting a Murphy bed and desk in the second bedroom. Would that suit your needs?” Ummm, no. But I couldn’t believe she was asking! I had not made a commitment yet. I answered that I had my own bed and desk and that could I come to see the place again. Along with her reply, the Realtor invited me to meet her at the local hardware store and “pick out paint colors.” She also told me of other improvements she was planning to make.

Seeing the place this time was no accident. I had listened, and Holy Spirit kept leading me back to the same place, time, and time again. When I arrived, I was surprised to see that the hutch I loved was still sitting in the dining room. As I pointed to it, the landlady said, “Yeah! I can’t believe no one bought it, so I did. It comes with the house.” Yippee, I thought as I smiled and signed on the dotted line.

I have been living here for two months now. It is much lighter and brighter than my old place. The smaller bedroom is perfectly cozy. The larger, well-lit bedroom makes a wonderful art studio/guest room. I have a larger patio now with a beautiful mountain view. My neighbors are wonderful, and I am a two-minute walk from a beautifully landscaped park. My new landlady is delightful, and she keeps saying she hopes I will be happy here for a long time. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you for walking me home.

Rev. Paula Richards, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister from Green Valley, AZ. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Web: SpiritRisingMinistries.com 508-517-9361

© 2022, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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January-March, 2023

Flexing My Faith Muscle

by Rev. Ashley Rose Legrand, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

Got me a case of the winter blues. Way ahead of winter time. Makes sense. I always do things in my own time. And I’m always painfully early. 

I’ve always been uncomfortable during these transition times (or the times in general, when for whatever reason, my mood seems to take a nose dive and I feel a little stuck, regardless of the season or time of year). I use the word uncomfortable loosely because it’s more of a soul-shattering, spirit-crushing, demolition of my mental health and the construct of my life that I’ve built in my mind. It’s ugly. It’s voracious. Its strength is unmatched.

I try to pry its fingers off my neck, off my heart, one by one, but to no avail. It’s relentless. I’m the perfect target. This sadness reveals my imperfections. The dark side of my mind. And I’ve succumbed,  yet again.

What is wrong with me? Screams the judgy, bossy voice inside my head. Why, again?! Haven’t I transcended this? Haven’t I not learned? Grown. Come so far! The spiral returns. I’ve come right back around. That U-turn just looked so enticing I had to turn off again.

Is it my subconscious doing this to me, leading me away … from where I know I deserve to be? Where I long to be? Right beside God and the Holy Spirit. Basking in their gentle love and the warming light of their peace. Unending. Beautiful. Holy. Filling my whole being.

Watching as those ugly fingers of fear and anxiety around me crumble and deteriorate. In one Holy instant. The instant I remember I am one with him and He hasn’t left me.

This IS, yet again, another opportunity to trust in Him. But more deeply this time. Because I DO have a choice. And no matter how strong my resistance, I can come back each day, each moment, and try again. Giving it all I’ve got. Because eventually the change I’m hoping for will stick. All the wheels and locks will click, the doors will open and I’ll be released.

I may not see that while I’m in the thick of it. In fact I don’t. Not even a little. But I’m flexing my faith muscle because I know, “Through the love of God within (me), (I) can resolve all seeming difficulties without effort and in sure confidence.” (W-50.4:5)

Although I may feel unsure, confused and low, I can be sure that He is leading me through this difficulty. I can leave all things in God’s hands and know that this too is part of His plan, one that I can’t fully see yet, from my limited vantage point. He’s doing a good work in me and in time I will discover what He wanted me to know and I’ll be stronger and wiser for it.

I’m reminded of workbook lesson 135, “What could you not accept, if you but knew that everything that happens, all events, past, present and to come, are gently planned by One Whose only purpose is your good?” (W-135.18:1)

I don’t have to have it all figured out or scramble and race to find an answer of my own. I can place less stock in my own strength and instead trust in His.

“Once you accept His plan as the one function that you would fulfill, there will be nothing else the Holy Spirit will not arrange for you without your effort. He will go before you making straight your path, and leaving in your way no stones to trip on, and no obstacles to bar your way. Nothing you need will be denied you. Not one seeming difficulty but will melt away before you reach it.” (T-20.IV.8:4-7)

If there’s one thing I know, He’s always led me back from my insane perceptions. With my willingness, He’s always course corrected for me and returned me to the path of peace. He’s given me everything I need. His will is all there is. As I trust in Him, I remember that this is just a passing season. Like braving the cold of winter with a warm coat and gloves, I can bolster my spirit with God’s love and my remembrance that “God’s will for me is perfect happiness.” (W-101) All that occurs is leading me to that end.

If you’re having your days and your “times” too, know that I’m with you. And let me remind you, it’s not just you. There’s nothing wrong with you or missing in you. You’ve just forgotten who you are for a little while. But faith WILL restore you to your loving, right mind.

Close your eyes… Envision Holy Spirit dropping a seed of Love right in the center of you… Imagine it blossoming, blooming exponentially, permeating every inch of your being… Let that Love handle all your misperceptions… Flowing over them gracefully and dissolving each one effortlessly… Not one is too great. Not one excluded. Because after all, “There is no order of difficulty in miracles.” (T-1.I.1:1)

Even when all I can see are my flaws, my mistakes and what I think I haven’t done right. Even when I feel like I’ve come up short again, God reminds me that He WILL guide me home. I am held in his Holy embrace, even when I forget.

As one of my most beloved mentors has often reminded me, “God has not changed his mind about you.” No matter what I think I’ve done or have not done, He is my constant guiding light, even in what seems to be, the darkest, coldest, nights.
God, I love you.

God, I trust you.

Rev. Ashley Rose Legrand, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in Metuchen, New Jersey. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2022, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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January-March, 2023

Wakey, Wakey, Rise and Shine

by Rev. Robin Singler, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

In a moment of deep asking for help from the Spirit, I was given this little song; a nursery rhyme for a scared little child. I share it here as a poem.

Wakey wakey, rise and shine,
Clear the cobwebs from the mind.
Let go of space, let go of time
Fearful dreams, they are not mine.

Wakey wakey, breathe in deep
Take a rest when the path is steep.
Suffering no longer reap
Unending Love is what I keep.

Wakey wakey, wake up child
In the arms of Love abide.
Save and sound eternally
Rise and shine —
it was just a dream.

Rev. Robin Singler is a Pathways of Light minister living in Huntley, IL.
Email: rev .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
To hear the audio recording of this song, visit Robin’s YouTube channel
(Rev Robinbird: A Course in Miracles Journey) at https://youtu.be/88S7nxXNhf4 .
You can connect with her on the Pathways of Light website, via Facebook or by email at rev .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

© 2022, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this copyright notice and website address are included.

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January-March, 2023

The Stars Are Brightly Shining

by Rev. Laurie Nevin, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

One of my favorite teachings in A Course in Miracles is about the “star” ...

“The sign of Christmas is a star, a light in darkness. See it not outside yourself, but shining in the Heaven within, and accept it as the sign the time of Christ has come.” (T-15.XI.2:1-2)

For years I’ve added this beautiful passage to Christmas cards and letters with a feeling of intellectual understanding. Now it holds a much deeper meaning.

A period of darkness involving self-blame and condemnation fostered a phase of depression. Every day literally passed by like “Groundhog Day” as I went through the motions.

I realized I had lost sight of being the Light even though it was my aware Self witnessing the mind becoming consumed by thoughts of separation, fear, guilt, and loneliness.

As long as I was stuck on feelings of guilt, the eGo mind/false self-gladly became the driver and the “movie star” of the nightmare. Everything became meaningless and empty. And the mind was like an eclipsed moon. I wondered if I had entered a spiritual desert of some kind? My spiritual practice remained a priority with morning meditation, journaling, and reading, etc., but the hole got deeper.

At last, a dawning cracked through like a star shining in a black sky. I received the Thought, “Where there is love, there is life” three times consecutively.

At first, I concluded that Love and Life are synonymous by way of an intellectual or conceptual understanding. I even shared it in a meme on social media and a friend put it on a Christmas ornament for me.

Two years later, while communing with the Holy Spirit this message landed even deeper with a correlation to the teaching about the Christmas star. The Holy Spirit reminded me that as the Light of Awareness (star shining in the Heaven within) I have the power to bring to “life” to whatever I place value (“love”) upon. Therefore, all the focus on guilt, shame and blame was indeed becoming a reality even though it could not be true nor real in the Mind of God. No wonder I had become so depressed! As I continued to pay attention to the nightmarish thoughts in my mind, a dark cloud blocked out the shining inner star. And consequently, the stars within all of God’s creation.

It became clear that I had a decision to make. Do I want to continue identifying as a “movie star” of the ego-mind’s nightmare? Or accept my True Identity as the eternal shining “Christ star” in God’s Mind?

Even though we have the power of decision in our minds, I knew I couldn’t heal without the help of the Holy Spirit, as it conveys in this passage.

“This Christmas give the Holy Spirit everything that would hurt you. Let yourself be healed completely that you may join with Him in healing and let us celebrate our release together by releasing everyone with us. ³Leave nothing behind, for release is total, and when you have accepted it with me you will give it with me.” (ACIM, T-15.XI.3:1-3)

I am overcome with deep Gratitude and Peace filling my entire Being as Love’s Presence heals my mind.
“Oh Holy Night… The Stars Are Brightly Shining!” And the time of Christ has come.

Blessings of Loving Peace to All.

Rev. Laurie Nevin, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in Lucan, Ontario, CA. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Website: http://www.lifenavigator.ca; Phone: 519-854-8541

© 2022, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this copyright notice and website address are included.

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