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October-December, 2022

Rules

by Rev. Paula Richards, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

Skimming through a book of writing prompts, this one stood out, “Break your life (up to this point) into three chapters and give each chapter a title.” Instantly, these three headings came to mind:

1. Following the Rules  
2. Breaking the Rules
3. No Rules

Having already lived seventy years, those were broad generalizations to be sure, but it didn’t take me long to clearly see the dividing points.

Basically, I spent my first fifty years following the rules. There was a lot to love about that first chapter of my life, and I would make many of the same choices again, but it was a safe, predictable, conforming lifestyle. I rarely rocked the boat.

In chapter two, as I became more spiritually aware and inner-directed, I began acting in less traditionally accepted ways. I believe my decisions were divinely guided, but many of them rocked the boat. I would likely make those choices again too, but since I was still navigating the journey of learning which voice to trust, they weren’t easy to make. The end of those twenty years found me as a retired, single woman moving across the country for an adventure in Arizona.

Enter chapter three. This is the most carefree time of my life. I am no longer responsible for or beholden to anyone. I am living where I want to live, and I come and go as I please. Many days, I wake up to a clean slate, with nothing I must do. Don’t we all dream of that kind of freedom? Then, why is it sometimes so terrifying?

As a little girl, I remember going to the ocean with my family. When we first stepped onto the beach, the vast expanse of sand on which to run and play and the seemingly endless horizon would sometimes overwhelm and immobilize me. Which way do I go first? What if I get lost? Then mom or dad would take my hand and suggest that we build sandcastles or go dip our toes in the water. Gradually I would adjust to the vastness of it all and find my place within it.

Arizona may be landlocked but moving here feels kind of like when I first encountered the ocean. So much space, both mentally and physically. Each new day begs the question, what does Paula want? And what I’m discovering is that I’m not sure of the answer! One thing I am certain of is that I want to feel safe. When I arrived here, I was driven to get my new place furnished and decorated quickly. Visitors would marvel that I was already “so settled.” I do love decorating so it was fun, but I was aware that it also gave me a sense of security.

This human experience is one of limitations and boundaries. For seventy years I had my roles to play. Daughter, wife, mother, nurse, artist, caregiver, etc. And I let my life be somewhat dictated by those roles. What is defining me now? Yes, I’m creating art and doing some writing, but I have an enormous amount of space in which to live my life. The more freedom I have in which to make choices, the less clear I am about what choices to make. I’m discovering that a blank slate can be scary.

We are beautiful, unlimited spirits having a human experience, and we have so acclimated ourselves to living within the confines of physical and mental limitations that it can seem quite fearful to let them go. Being unlimited can feel more like death than life. We don’t remember how to handle so much space. I’m discovering that, when life gets too big, we find a way to rein ourselves back in.

Once I finished decorating my new home, I found a new direction by busying myself with one physical ailment after another, some of which felt life-threatening. My days became structured with medical appointments and even a trip or two to the emergency room. No serious diagnosis came from any of this. It was all fear-based. Now, I am settled in my lovely new home, have little or no responsibility, and have been given a clean bill of health. I’ve landed in the freedom I have always dreamed of. What now?

During the last twenty years, I learned to turn inward to access higher Wisdom some of the time. Now, I understand the importance of surrendering to that inner Guidance all the time. Do I really know what would make me happy, what is in my highest good, and how to stay “safe”? I’ve learned that, no, I don’t. But I’ve also learned that there is a wiser part of me that does know, that can help me safely expand into my vast potential as a Spirit Being while still dreaming that I am here on earth.

I felt strongly guided to move to the southwest. Spirit told me, the desert will lead you to your heart, where I will speak. So, each morning, before I become overwhelmed with the spaciousness of my new life, I remember to turn inward and let Spirit take my hand as I say, “I’m here. Now, what?”

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

© 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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October-December, 2022

Daily Free ACIM help at Pathways of Light

 

Many options are available to you on the Pathways of Light website to help you work with A Course in Miracles and stay connected with Holy Spirit.

• Daily Inspiration for Living ACIM

• ACIM Daily Lesson Insights

• ACIM Text Made Simple

• Ministers’ Inner Healing Journals

• POL Ministers’ Audio/Videos

You may have ACIM Workbook Lesson Healing Perspectives and/or Daily Inspiration emailed to you daily. Also available to you are questions and answers on the Text of A Course in Miracles.

Also, many Pathways ministers share their healing process through Inner Healing Journals and sharing audio/video’s.

Click the links above to view them now.

 

© 2022, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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October-December, 2022

A Memo from God

by Rev. Barbara Adams, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

Based on W:32, “I have invented the world I see.”

To: All of God’s Creations

Date: Eternity

Time: Doesn’t exist
Re: Love, Light, Wholeness, Unity, Forgiveness, Truth

My Dearest Beloved,          

When I created you, I extended My Spirit and formed your essence. You were neither separate from Me nor removed from Me. You were, are, and will always be an extension of Me, as I am of you. We are one.

The pain that you have been carrying around with you, although it has felt very real, does not exist except within your mind. For as long as you nurture the pain, in pain you shall remain. However, when you choose to release your perception of the world, Spirit will hear your call and will remove any shred of doubt of your oneness with Me.

Your perception of yourself has resulted in you choosing to form a foundation of perceived weakness, vulnerability and powerlessness. Again, this is not real, nor true, but a belief that you hold deep within your mind. Based on this, you have formed the pattern of your relationship with others. As you interact with those around you and you perceive that they do not share your ‘rules,’ you react by getting angry. What you are perceiving, however is that you are weak, vulnerable and powerless. As a result, you fear that your foundation will crumble. You chose to attack before being attacked.

You have perceived yourself as standing on the shore of a rising, raging river and, in an attempt to protect yourself, you have blinded yourself to your true power. Holy Spirit is your Life Raft!

My Love, since you are one with Me, you have already been saved, but as Spirit whispers this in your ear, only you are capable of acknowledging this truth.  

I invite you to recognize your strong foundation. A foundation made of LOVE, LIGHT, STRENGTH and POWER. Have the vision to see that together, you and Holy Spirit, are the bricks and mortar of this invulnerable base that supports your Life.

I am omnipresent; within you and all around you. You are an expression of Me, my love. If you perceive yourself as vulnerable and weak, then you are sending Me the message that you believe I am the same. We both know this not to be true. In our unity, we are STRONG, LOVING and CAPABLE. We are Light. We are Love.

Dear One, the answer is simple, but your will must be strong. Offer yourself up to Me through the Holy Spirit. Rid yourself of your false perception of yourself. It does not exist unless you choose to give it life. Do not mourn its passing. Instead, celebrate your true journey Home.

Forgive yourself, love yourself and extend your love and forgiveness to all your brothers and sisters. In this way, you will finally be free to be.

With Love Abounding,  God

Rev. Barbara Adams, O.M.C. was recently appointed Associate Minister and Spiritual Director of Unity Church of Greater Rochester (NY). She may be contacted at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 
Rev. Barbara Adams, is a Pathways of Light minister living in Webster, New York. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Website: PeaceAndHarmonyMinistry.org (585) 633-8769

© 2022, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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October-December, 2022

Self-Deception

by Rev. Joyce Peebles, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

Recently I saw a poster on someone’s wall. It read, “Life has many variations, the Truth none.”

In desperation years ago I asked God what was my purpose? I got an answer I did not understand or accept at the time, but I am positive what I heard. It was to relax and be calm! This did not seem possible with what I experienced in life. I had yet to accept who I truly am, that there is nothing I need do, nowhere to go and nothing needed changing — except the voice I most often listened to. I was unaware I practiced self-deception.

“Pain is a wrong perspective. When it is experienced in any form, it is a proof of self-deception. It is not a fact at all. There is no form it takes that will not disappear if seen aright.” (W-190.1:1-4)

We think we are a body because we seem to have physical and psychological pain. A Course in Miracles tells us that only a thought in our Mind can hurt us and we alone are responsible for our thoughts. This life is literally a thought we made up. It does not exist outside of the Mind.

We are seeing and experiencing what we want. Does it sound insane to want pain of any kind? The answer is yes if it “proves” we are a body, and this world is real. This makes sense to the ego. To Jesus and the Holy Spirit,  it is considered insanity to prove you are something you are not. “The body can act wrongly (feel pain) only when it is responding to mis-thought.” (T-2.IV.2:5)

We think the bad news is that we cannot blame a person or circumstance for our perception of pain. This is actually the good news. Accepting the responsibility that pain only exists as a thought means I can now choose a different thought.

The answer is not to get rid of the pain. The answer is to ask, “What is this for?” Pain is a sign telling us that there is a part of the Mind that needs healing. This is my opportunity for growth and healing. You can call it your Higher Self or the part of your Mind that is not sick, but this situation was made and desired by you.

If you choose not to use this growth experience, another will present itself in a different form until you get the lesson. Once the lesson has been learned, the pain will disappear as we no longer need it. As we make our way up the ladder, we discover our lessons do not have to be painful.

I have chosen to believe what Jesus says about pain. This does not mean I tell other people their pain does not exist. That would sound cruel and insensitive to a person that believes they are really this ego-based story. Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” This is exactly what Jesus tells us. Looking at pain from the ego perspective is completely different than that of the Holy Spirit’s view. Keep in mind our ability for self-deception is enormous.

I judge or attack someone else that I decide is unkind or has treated me unfairly. I ask Holy Spirit, “What is this for?” I hear, “You know this can be coming only from the thoughts in your mind, so you are attacking yourself and believe you are unkind and treating yourself unfairly.”

This makes perfect sense as I understand that when I am unwilling to look at that part of my mind that needs healing, I am indeed treating myself unkindly. Every projection is always about me. “What you project you disown, and therefore do not believe is yours.” (T-6.II.2:1) If I believe otherwise, I can continue to deceive myself for as long as I want to be unhappy.

Personally, I am practicing remembering every day, every hour, that it is impossible to be hurt except by my own thoughts. Make no mistake, I can indeed suffer pain,  but only by my own thoughts.

“It is the mind that interprets the eyes’ messages and gives them meaning. And this meaning does not exist in the world outside at all. What is seen as “reality” is simply what the mind prefers. Its hierarchy of values is projected outward, and it sends the body’s eyes to find it.” (M-8.3:4-7)

Lesson 232 asks us to practice the end of fear. How can we do that? First by recognizing that we made fear up. In Chapter 2 of the Text, Jesus says,

“You may still complain about fear, but you nevertheless persist in making yourself fearful. I have already indicated that you cannot ask me to release you from fear. I know it does not exist, but you do not.” (1.VII.1-4) This is a prime example of our desire for self-deception. Love and fear cannot both exist, they are mutually exclusive. Regardless of how things at first appear in the world, seen with the Holy Spirit, we can see differently.

To own responsibility for how we experience the world is to give up the idea of victimization. We can no longer be misunderstood. We cannot place guilt on someone else or a situation for our sad plight in life. We accept we made the projection because this is what our mind preferred. Jesus is identifying the key out of our self-deception. Nobody did anything to me, I did it to myself. Power is taken back, and it is understood completely that I gave it away.

I was a sad, voluntary prisoner of false thoughts I wanted to entertain. The price to be the victim was too high. The forgotten memory of the real Self is restored as willingness reveals Christ’s vision. Once I truly own my self-deception, a lightness of being is experienced. I reject the reality of this dream figure except as a teaching tool in waking up from the dream.

What has motivated me to stop deceiving myself? I’ve come to realize I am rejecting my real Self or Love. I was looking for Love in all the wrong places. It was not outside of me but within. 

Ridding oneself of self-deception is a process. It takes vigilance and practice. We alone decide how long we want to remain asleep to reality. While we are making this decision, we are not asked to deny what the body’s eyes see but to give it a different interpretation. We can see beyond hate, innocence instead of sin. We can cease to judge not just others but ourselves.

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)

© 2022, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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