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July-September, 2019

True Prayer — Prayer That Is the Medium of Miracles

by Rev. Jennifer McSween, O.M.C.

I started hosting a Weekly Podcast in December 2018. The title is “Understanding the Language of A Course in Miracles.”

As the title suggests, the purpose of this Podcast is to help fellow Course students to better understand what the Course is really saying so they can more effectively apply the Teachings to their specific circumstances and situations.

I have been A Course in Miracles Student, Teacher, POL Counselor and Course Workshop Facilitator for close to 20 years, and I remember how much I struggled in my early years as a Course student, trying to figure out what the Course was really saying.

I used to be at a loss as I would often find myself reading a line from the Course over and over again, saying to myself, “I know what it says, but what does it mean?” During those times I used to think that either A Course in Miracles was not for me, or I was a remedial spiritual student. 

What I later came to understand was that the Course speaks from a metaphorical perspective and therefore the words, themes and ideas are to be looked at within a metaphorical context and not taken literally. Reading the Course literally is what was making it difficult for me to understand what the words in the Course really meant, because it literally limited my perspective and as a result, my understanding of what it was saying.

My new understanding ended my struggles because I gained a new way of looking at what the Course was saying and how it related on a practical level. I began sharing this new understanding with other Course students through Study Groups; then through classes and workshops on specific topics such as “Forgiveness.” I also shared it in seminars, conferences during my 13-year tenure on the Faculty of a local Spiritual College.

Two years ago, 2017, I wrote and published a book titled “True Forgiveness” based on having used Forgiveness in my coaching and counseling practice, and inspired by the deep healing I experienced in my own life as a result of practicing True Forgiveness. I felt led to write this book to serve as a platform for reaching and helping others who want to heal and transform personally, their relationships and their lives by becoming aware of and understanding the teachings of A Course in Miracles.

Hence, my Weekly Podcast. It provides a speaking venue where each week I select a central idea, theme, teaching or lesson from the Course and share, giving an overview of how to take it from the metaphorical, often abstract concept to a more concrete or practical perspective. The Podcast Episodes are published every Wednesday. The recording is usually completed by late afternoon on Tuesday and is posted sometime between midnight and 2:00 AM Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday afternoons I usually begin drafting the outline for my next Episode.

On Wednesday May 1st, I sat down to draft the outline for Episode #21. I had decided to talk about the Course’s central Teaching “Projection makes Perception,” for that week. I put my phone on “vibrate” and placed it on the table to the right of me where I usually ignore the notification buzzes, until I’m done with that writing period. On this Wednesday however, something about this particular “buzz” led me to check the notification and the subject line got my attention:

“About Robert Stoelting”…

Now fully attentive to the notification, I thought… What about Robert Stoelting…?” and quickly opened the email. I read that Robert had been hospitalized with an intestinal obstruction, and we were being invited to take a moment to join in remembering the truth about Robert with the following words:

‘We extend Peace… Love… and Light to Robert…

We support him as we remember together that he is safe in God’s loving arms…

We pray that God’s Will be done… We remember together that we are all safe… we are innocent… we are loved… we are all Home…”

As I read on, we were further being invited to “join in loving support for Robert in a 10 to 15 minute prayer circle that was being led by Debra Bredican” that evening. As I read those words, I realized that this was the practice of “True Prayer,” the type of prayer I wanted to pray for Robert.

I was reminded that “True Prayer” is not about asking to change circumstances or conditions so we can get something we perceive to be lacking but rather, as it says in The Song of Prayer: “Asking…to receive what’s already given; to accept what is already there.” (S.1.I.1:7)

I was not going to be able to join the prayer circle that evening, so I decided to take 15 minutes right then to join in “loving support” as we were asked, i.e. to pray for Robert. As I centered in prayer — acknowledging the truth about Robert and all of us, I felt a sense of deep peace… and while in that state of peace, thoughts of people sharing with me how they find it difficult to pray; or those who feel like their prayers go unanswered came into my awareness… I maintained my state of peace… 

As I calmly returned to writing the draft of my podcast episode, a new topic came clearly into my mind. I felt led to put the topic “Projection makes Perception” on hold for that week and talk about “True Prayer” instead. So “True Prayer…Prayer That Is the Medium of Miracles” became the topic for Episode #21 of my weekly podcast to help those who might be struggling to practice “True Prayer,” and those who feel that their prayers go unanswered.

Rev. Jennifer McSween, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light Minister living in
Montreal, Canada. You can listen to her Weekly Podcast at: http://www.revjennifermcsweenpodcast.com
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2019, 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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July-September, 2019

How Do You See Your Life? How Does Your Helpful Self See Your Life?

by Rev. Mary Gerard Lenihan, O.M.C.

Do you ever notice those thoughts in your mind telling you all the things wrong with you and your life? I do. As a Pause for Inspiration Mentor, I run across a lot of people who do too! We tend to think we are alone in having these thoughts; we’re not. Thoughts telling you that there is no hope for you, you’ve made too many wrong turns, why bother, it’s too late for me, etc., are favorite one-liners of this me-jokester. But we don’t have to believe the words of this confounded joker.

Yesterday, I was about to do some simple movements to help calm my mind and wring out accumulated stress. I always begin with a Pause for Inspiration, and in this one pause, I received the following suggestion from My Helpful Self, “Let go of your perceptions and judgments of you and your life.”

WOW! This was a direct solution to a problem so many of us roll over again and again in our minds. The list of negative opinions we have about ourselves and the lives we live — a dirty laundry list from this cubicle mind who is always gossiping about us to ourselves! I can forget about what I think anyone else thinks of who I am and look at the nonsense and lies I am thinking and believing about who I am. 

In that momentary Pause for Inspiration I was shown how easily I can make my day miserable or peaceful by choosing to not listen to that me-character who is by the way, constantly assessing itself, analyzing itself, sizing itself up and down, and comparing itself to others.

Your Helpful Self has a whole different view of you. So, switch out the headphones playing such greatest hits as, “Something is wrong with me and my life.” How?

Instructions For Switching Out Headphones: Pick up a Pause for Inspiration practice card, read it and be willing to be easily guided out of hassling yourself and into Accepting Your Helpful Self. If the new headphones seemed to have failed, repeat instructions.

A student of Pause for Inspiration courageously shared his experience after being guided through, “Getting to Know Your Helpful Self.” He shared that at first it felt weird to open to connecting with his Helpful Self, but his experience shifted from feeling weird to feeling comfortable as he realized that his Helpful Self is him!

So, who has time to Pause for Inspiration? One student dealing with impatience shared how after asking her Helpful Self, “What will be truly helpful now?” she saw herself staying with someone through a conversation even when she felt like bolting out the door. She could practice Pause to be present and listen to another. She also had the insight that this practice is like “multitasking and meditating at the same time!”

She is right on! I don’t have to stop doing the things I need to do to Pause for Inspiration. I can pause in motion with my helpful self!

Rev. Mary Gerard Lenihan is a Pathways of Light minister living in St. Louis, MO.
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Website: http://www.pauseforinspiration.org      Now available pocket-sized cards: Kids Can Pause, Parents Can Pause, Teachers Can Pause. There also is a new book, “Kids can Pause for Help …and Parents too!  Get to Know Your Helpful Self”

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September, 2019

Letting Our True Self Lead

by Elizabeth Hurwitz, Ministerial Candidate

Our greatest challenge to staying in Peace, chaos free, is to retain the memory of our deepest truth. It is indeed not easy to keep this precious gem close to our hearts continually. The world throws questions, situations where once again we believe the reality of the events and the truth fades at those times. As we relax, focus on peace and love, always strive to look beyond appearances or our individual perceptions, and insist on only looking all the way to the inner light/unity, we can retain this truth.

With a relaxed, easy attitude that is easygoing and a no-sweat mentality allowing fun and joyfulness we truly live as God created us to. We are not to take anything too seriously (dreams are but dreams). Willingness to release the need for perfection, self criticism and all “not good enough” beliefs gives us Holy Spirit’s continual guidance and stops the ego in its tracks. Remembering that life is but a dream, we the dreamer, truly opens the key to a life of peace and joy while giving us back our power to create dreams of our heart.

Let us ask our true Self to write the script and guide us to extend love each moment. By persistent, gentle focus we can let our true Self lead and change the dream to one of joy, peace and tranquility.

Elizabeth Hurwitz is a Pathways of Light ministerial Candidate living in Norwood, MA. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September, 2019

A Lesson on Impatience from My Inner Guidance

by Rev. Barbara Goodman Siegel, O.M.C.

My lesson on impatience came while I was meditating on A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 151 –“All things are echoes of the Voice for God.” The lesson says, in essence, to give God all the thoughts that come into your mind while you are meditating on this main thought and let them be purified.

What kept coming into my mind was my anger at an individual (who I will call Sue) that I had been with at a meeting the evening before I did this lesson. Sue, in my ego mind, had displayed considerable impatience with me while I was sharing and I felt myself reacting with anger. I didn’t like these thoughts of anger toward Sue and I asked to see what they were about and to have them “purified.” Below is the conversation I had with my Inner Guide.

Guide: Here is your lesson: Impatience is unloving. It makes the recipient feel unworthy, unloved and unlovable. This is a lesson for you to see what impatience does because, as you know, you have a tendency to be impatient and I want to help you heal that. So thank Sue for her impatience as it teaches you directly what you are doing when you are impatient. That is all the lesson is for. It is not to make you feel less than or unlovable. Sue certainly wouldn’t say you are unlovable. Remember, anger is there to make the other person feel guilty. You want to make Sue guilty for being impatient with you.

Me: But she always seems to want to disagree with me or one up me when I share a thought. Purify that please.

Guide: Again, anger. We will not analyze her needs which, like yours, have not been totally healed. So, even if she is doing this, the “Why” is none of your business. Your business is to not to react from your ego and project guilt onto Sue for that is judgment. And, in the same vain, do not project guilt toward yourself for your ego reaction either, for that is judgment also.

The anger you allowed to happen from what you perceived as Sue’s impatience came from your ego’s interpretation that said that her impatience meant that what you were sharing was unworthy of everyone’s time. Then the ego, which is very good at manipulating your old beliefs about yourself, turned the thought of unworthy into your being unloved and unlovable. Amazing, isn’t it that all of this could come from an egoic interpretation of someone being impatient? You felt you lost your “Mo Jo.” Actually, that was just your ego reacting and she let the air out of it. That is good. Now come back to Me being your Voice and your Guide and not your ego. All is well. Good lesson!

Me: Thank you! Yes, that was a great lesson and I truly no longer feel any anger toward Sue. She enabled me to have a very deep understanding of what my impatience does and I am very grateful to her.

Rev. Barbara Goodman Siegel, author of “Finding Your Self in the Mirror: Awakening Through Mirror Affirmations for the 365 Lessons of A Course in Miracles O.M.C. is a Pathways of Light minister living in St. Louis, MO. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  Web: Barbaragoodmansiegel.com

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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