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April-June, 2019

Journeying Through This World

by Rev. Maria Kingsley, O.M.C.

… with the Course in hand. So many lessons, so much time, so many thoughts, and feelings that lead us into many different directions. I am busy un-learning.

What belief do I need to let go of? What pain is creeping in that is uninvited and yet keeps me focused on it? What has gotten me into this grumpy mood that I don’t want to do anything but bite back and attack?

I try to quiet myself and still those thoughts that come flashing in from all sides. Breathing in, breathing out. Forgiving and letting go.

Then, out of seeming nowhere comes the Thought: “I Am the Christ.” I stop and listen. Really? Where did that come from? That would not be the ego.

And so I focus on being Christ. I feel a gentle joy within my heart, and for this moment, and the next and the next, I feel at peace and feel a light shining; first a small one, then it is growing … How big can I let it grow?

I know this is me also. I have not totally let go of this personality, this worldly appearance in a made-up world. But, for the moment, I can feel the strength of the Light within me, and nothing else is really important right now. I sense there are many around me who are loving companions, and I am grateful.

I am welcome in the Christhood. How peaceful the Joy.

Rev. Maria Kingsley is a Pathways of Light minister living in Tucson, Arizona. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  520-780-0170

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

Miracles News, January-March 2019

 

The Light of
Love brings the
experience of
peace and trust.

Pathways of Light Miracles News is published quarterly in print and online to provide a forum for Pathways of Light ministers to share their process of allowing the Holy Spirit to heal their minds. As we read and share these miracle stories with each other, we are inspired and we inspire each other to accelerate our return Home to Love, peace and happiness.

Subscriptions to the printed version are available without charge, but tax-deductible donations are gratefully received to support the printing and mailing expenses of this magazine. A suggested donation of $20.00 a year is invited.

Pathways of Light is nonprofit, providing spiritually focused courses with A Course in Miracles orientation, and has served spiritual awakening for over 27 years. Pathways of Light is dedicated to joining with people around the world in awakening to the Love and peace of God. As part of this joining, Pathways of Light offers training in a new kind of spiritual ministry.

© 2018, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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January-March, 2019

Practice, Practice, Practice

by Rev. Colleen Fee, O.M.C.

You may recognize the phrases, “a little practice pays off” or “practice makes perfect.”

I have had many opportunities in my dream to practice what was important at the time. I loved playing softball so I spent many hours in the batter’s box or playing catch with anyone I could talk into throwing the ball. I remember when the perfect pitch came across the plate and I would swing and feel the bat hit the sweet spot of the ball and I just knew it was a double or triple.

Practice paid off.

When I was 14 years old I began riding horses and had the opportunity to learn English equestrian and hunter jumper style riding. I practiced every day and rode many horses to exercise and train them. As my abilities grew, I became a professional and taught and showed on the “A circuit” with riders who would qualify for the Olympic Games. With a ton of practice I was able to win several classes on form and style in equitation to qualify for Madison Square Garden in New York City — the top show every rider dreams about.

Practice makes perfect.

Two weeks ago, practice paid off once again from studying A Course in Miracles by reading and applying the daily lessons. I have been told, and read in the Text, that you can’t learn the Course, you have to practice it to get the mind healing that brings about peace and inner Guidance.

Like many of you, where I work provides great opportunities to apply the daily lessons over and over again in just about every encounter. One particular morning it happened. All my practice and connection with Spirit gave me an experience I won’t soon forget. Let me tell you how it happened…

Currently, I am a maintenance person at a condominium complex on the beach here in Florida. Every day on the way to work after reading and listening to the daily Workbook Lesson, I drive to work and talk to Holy Spirit and ask to see the Love behind the illusion (world of form). I ask Him to remove the blocks to Love’s Presence. I also ask for help on what I am to do for the day.

Then I sing little songs out load to put myself in a happy space, like “This little light of gratitude, I’m gonna let it shine…” (I know, right?) LOL

So, back to my “Miracle Moment.”

One morning, I had been working with the pest control man letting him into condos to spray for bugs. He and I were having a good time and talking about his new condo he bought for a rental with “Air B and B.” He was excited and telling me all his plans for this new adventure with the property. During our rounds of the complex we had to skip a unit because the owners were getting dressed and were not ready.

The Orkin man and I had finally finished and were exchanging information when along comes a tall older man (I had never met or seen before) who approaches us and says abruptly, “Hey! We are out of our condo. Go spray it now while we are gone!” He really was starting to yell. Then, without skipping a beat, he looked right at me and started to confront me about his broken porch light and wanted to know why it had not been fixed since he had turned it in for repair last February! (Still yelling.) I had only been working there for three months and I know he knew that as a board member for the HOA.

As this was unfolding, I became aware of my Awareness and that I was not having any ego reaction to the confrontation. I stayed calm and relaxed. My thought was, “This is not about me,” and to just be helpful and kind. I was dealing with a call for Love.

When he finished yelling, I calmly said I would help him right after we took care of spraying his unit. The man stormed off towards his waiting car and wife.

In that moment, I felt a miracle had happened for me. I felt the practice pay off because I didn’t lose my Peace or fall for the ego’s “Big Hairy Deal.” I had no fear or anxiety while a bully was being a bully.

Even the Orkin man turned to me and said, “How could you stay so calm? I could never work with a guy like that.” I said, “That’s ‘insanity happening!’,” and then we both laughed.

The next day, when I saw this man again, he was completely different and kind to me. For the next week, we had the opportunity to speak several times on related topics concerning the condominium complex. He even asked me to do some work on his unit for extra cash.

I know that as I recognized his innocence with the Holy Spirit, and extended Love during our experience together, it created a Holy relationship between us that week. This opportunity brought me great gratitude for my commitment to study groups, daily lessons, Sunday ACIM Teleconference calls with Mary and Robert, and my Holy relationship with my spouse, Deb.

Practice, Practice, Practice pays off!

Rev. Colleen Fee is a Pathways of Light minister and volunteers her time in the Pathways of Light office in Ormond Beach, Florida. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2018, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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January-March, 2019

It’s All Right to Pause

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

We live in a green light world. One of the main messages is to GO. We are told by others or we tell ourselves to keep going, go faster, you go, way to go, go here, go there, go now . . . go, go, go, go, go. I am suggesting today to pause from going. The world isn’t going to fall apart if I pause, if you pause. It’s all right to Pause. Not only is it all right to Pause, it is highly necessary to Pause. To not Pause is to get in one’s own way, to rule your own show, follow a crowd that is not your crowd and make decisions under stress. Decisions made in the state of stress cause more stress!

Why the fear of taking a pause? I find that the more I don’t Practice the Pause, the more likely I will not Practice the Pause in the future. Not pausing becomes a vicious cycle, a way of life and frankly something our culture seems to value. It is a challenge to move against the grain, to Pause in a nonstop world, to do things differently, to not go with the status quo, to not agree with the way everyone else is doing it, to not follow the crowd; it is a challenge to truly be willing to BE INSPIRED. In my experience BEING INSPIRED requires pausing from going and going. The fear of pausing is that if I pause, I might miss out on something, something that needs to be done might not get done, and the main fear is that I will have to notice my fear-based thoughts that are driving my not pausing!

The more we don’t pause, the more fear we are making for ourselves. The more we are unwilling to pause and look at the fear running our lives, simple decisions, and daily choices, the more fear will build up on the inside. The more fear that builds up, the more uncomfortable we become with who we are and the lives we are living.

How do we know we are fearful? Fear can give rise to anxiety, depression, impulsive behavior, anger, guilt, yelling, fighting, jealousy, telling lies, cheating, stealing, name-calling, irritation, frustration, fatigue, suspiciousness, loneliness, gossip, on and on. Fear can lead us to say and do things we later regret. Fear effects our ability to learn, our job performance, our relationships with family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and even your relationship with yourself. Fear causes poor decisions and unhelpful choices in daily life. We always have a choice to pause instead.

Today I am going to help myself and you pause. We can pause together. Read the following aloud to yourself:

I am willing to choose to pause, be in the pause and move in the pause.

As I pause, I begin a domino effect of the pause; extending the pause to untold others.

I don’t need a special place to pause.

I pause where I find myself and I find my True Self in the pause.

I pause for as long as I like; wherever I am, whatever I am doing and whomever I am with. Relish the pause. Relinquish the fear. Receive the Help you Need!

It’s All Right to Pause.

PEOPLE ARE WORTH A PAUSE!

Today began as any typical morning, but then the phone rang! Now, I had a full agenda ahead, but… sometimes we are moved in a different direction than planned and it is wiser to go with the flow — today is one of those days. I see a missed call on my phone, but no message. Instead of ignoring it, I pause, and hear within to call this person back. As soon as he answers the phone, I can hear he sounds stressed. Clearly, he needs someone to talk with, let him vent his worries and simply listen. I had this exact experience yesterday with a friend who called to see how I was doing, but I heard an uncertain sound in her voice, so I knew something was up — I listened, encouraged her to be safe and take care of herself, and I called her back later to check in.

No matter how in a hurry, how busy,
how this and that we are, we can
bring peace of mind to one another
through a simple pause.

On the way to work I stopped to pick up my lunch. As the café owner was suggesting what smoothie would be good for me, I saw the fatigue and stress on her face. Instead of cutting the conversation short, I sat down a few minutes with her to hear her thoughts on wellness. I found myself simply pausing to be present with her as she shared her expertise. She was enjoying someone listening to her valuable knowledge and I received the help she was giving. Within a few minutes we had helped one another and had smiles on our faces. That’s another way to Pause for People – RECEIVE the love, wisdom and peace they are extending.

Pausing for People works in business too! No sooner do I land at my desk, I had to call someone for what I thought would be a quick conversation – nope. He too was having a rough day struggling in his communication with a business liaison who was not doing what they said they were going to do, so I listened. Something I noticed is that when I Truly Pause, the other person feels Truly Heard and I feel Truly Helpful. Something about being Truly Present with another — upset can give way to calm; conflict can fall away, and solutions come to light. With a lighthearted voice I suggested we pause together and open to the Inner Wisdom our Inspired Minds and see all parties involved opening to their Inspired Minds; he agreed. We hung up and he called back within two minutes sharing that the situation was resolved!

Pausing for one another heals the experience of disconnection that so many of us are experiencing in this chaotic world and in one’s disjointed mind. I open up my lunch and you got it, the phone rings! I pocket-called someone and it was clearly no accident. This was a person I rarely connect with, but occasionally run into at the grocery store. After realizing it was a pocket-call, I was ready to say sorry and goodbye, but the words from his mouth were, “I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.” He went on to name the several challenging situations all happening at once. In the pause I was able to hear what to say and what not to say; I am steered away from clichés as my Helpful Self leads with wise words, timely pauses, and encouraging and inspiring thoughts to share. He expresses gratitude, “This clearly was no accident that you pocket-called me. I feel much better.” People are worth a Pause!

Pause During Conversations —
A Deeper Connection

Have you ever asked for INSPIRATION and it immediately showed up? Wow, I was just driving to the PAUSE studio where we create in the pause, (I say this now instead of “work”), and while driving I was pondering the fear of pausing. What is it about the thought of pausing that can make us anxious? At that moment, my phone rings and it was a friend offering to volunteer for PAUSE. In our conversation he began telling me a story about something else that he has told a number of times. In the midst of his talking, he paused, and emphatically said, “You know, I’ve told this story over and over and it’s just an excuse… an excuse not to do what I know I need to do!” I replied, “Yes, I’ve heard this story!” We both got a good laugh out of calling his me-character out on an unhelpful way of thinking. I do the same thing and have experienced the freedom of stopping myself in the middle of another blah, blah, blah.

One way to break a habit is to break a habit in the middle of doing the habit.

How often are we honest with ourselves in the moment? I notice my friend is practicing Pause; I hear him getting out of  his own way — calling his cubicle mind out — and opening to seeing himself Another Way. In this practice he shares matter of fact, “I do that, just keep talking, because I am uncomfortable with any silence in conversations. I’m afraid of the silence. I’m afraid to pause.” Right on awareness right there in the midst of practicing Pause.

Why are we afraid, uncomfortable of silence? If we stop the Pause Practice at PAUSE, the silence may be overwhelming. So, I can continue with STEP BACK — Getting Out of My Own Way — and observe what I am experiencing in the silence without judging my experience.

For example, sometimes I may feel like I have to impress someone, or someone is trying to impress me, but now I can notice this me-character need, not judge myself or the other, and simply step back.  Now, I STEP ASIDE — Open to Receiving Inner Inspiration — I can listen within to the deeper knowing of my Helpful Self. Now, LET INSPIRATION GUIDE — Choose to follow what Inspiration is giving. During conversations expectations of self and others can distract us from being present to the Inspiration we are receiving. Focusing on following helpful inner guidance, what to say, how to say it, or what not to say, one can experience a deeper connection with the person with whom they are speaking.

That deeper connection IS Inspiration!

Especially while teaching the Pause Practice I have to let silence happen, my own silence and the silence of students.

It’s okay. The wisdom that often rises up out of our silence shows us the value of saying nothing. Being silent together can give us permission to be silent. Often students find the silence gives them space to listen within and they begin sharing what is going on in their hearts, minds and lives and see how using the Pause Practice may be helpful. We seem to notice that as we are all living in this world, each one of us is dealing with something and we are connected to one another in ways we may not have imagined. The Pause Practice may at first feel awkward especially in conversations. Consider practicing Pause in a simple conversation and see where it leads. You may see that your so-called “comfort zone” of repeating the same old stories, covering the usual topics, may not be so comfortable after all. I find the Pause Practice is worth the peace, clarity of thought and deepening connection that awaits us all on the other side of our uncomfortable zone!

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

© 2018, 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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