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October-December, 2012

Immigrants, Aliens and Ditties from Home

by Rev. Bob Stebbins

There is a form of communication that exists between us, as strangers in a strange land of illusions, and Heaven, our true Home. Although often overlooked and seldom discussed, it is frequently mentioned in A Course In Miracles, for example:

“Listen, and see if you remember an ancient song you knew so long ago and held more dear than any melody you taught yourself to cherish since…” (T-21.I.7:5)

“...the melody that pours from God to you eternally in loving praise of what you are…” (T-24.II.4:4)

“Say His Name, and you invite the angels to… sing to you…” (W-pI.183.2:2)

It is, of course, the music or singing coming from Heaven that looms so important, for it is this that helps in bringing us Home. Still, I don’t know of anyone who has actually “heard” such music… I sure haven’t. And we haven’t for a very good reason, for according to the Course, to hear this music we need to:

“[The Holy Spirit’s] Words are born in God, and come to you with Heaven’s Love upon them. Those who hear His Words have heard the Song of Heaven.” (W-pI.198.6:4-5)

Yet, still again, I know of no one, including myself, who has actually “heard” any talking either. But it doesn’t matter, I think most of us know what God, through the Holy Spirit, is saying. He speaks to us of Love, reminding us Who We truly Are, and from Where It is that We came.

God’s caring is for our awakening from this terrifying dream that we call “reality,” and as much as we may want to think otherwise, our Father has no desire that we become more proficient in living in this dream. But as long as that is where we think we are, He wills that we be happy… although the “happiness” of which He speaks comes through our expression of love and forgiveness, with our intention being toward helping others to remember Who They truly Are, and that this world and the universe(s) is not Our Home.

But it was us who believed that there could be “someplace else” that would be more satisfying. And from such…

“…a tiny, mad idea, at which the Son of God [having taken the idea seriously] remembered not to laugh…” (T-27.VIII.6:2) and in merely…

“…a tiny interval of time, [so short] that not one note in Heaven’s Song was missed.” (T-26.V.5:4)

there was made a whole, new reality.

This venturing off to find “someplace better” sort of reminds me of the early immigrants who came to the strange new land called America. They, too, had an idea… maybe not as tiny or mad… but they definitely saw coming to this “new world” as a way of making a fresh start in a place that promised a life more to their liking.

And there were those among them who had no doubts about wanting to become “Americans,” yet just as surely were there also those who were more reticent and simply saw coming to this Country as an adventure… but not a place to which they wanted to become attached.

And with those who were not so enamored, part of the reason had to be that they experienced some rejection from those already here who saw themselves as “real Americans” and the newcomers simply as “intruders.” So it wasn’t long before some of the dissatisfied immigrants started missing their homelands, and to compensate they tended to cluster together according to their heritage, thereby forming small pockets of “similar attitudes,” which eventually became such places as German Town, Harlem, Little China, The Barrios, etc.

This type of joining together allowed them to feel “not so distant” from their previous homelands. But, for all their attempts at duplicating their previous living styles, they really weren’t able to recreate them well enough to alleviate a sense of longing that seemed always to be with these immigrants.

And so they would write back to their friends and family that were still in “the old country,” asking for information on daily happenings, and for pictures that would remind them of “home” because they wanted so much not to forget who they really were and where they came from. And they cherished the letters from home which they would read to each other as reminders of their heritage. As well, would they often sing the “old songs,” and their singing would spark a flame of yearning for memories past.

And so it was not only the letters from home, but also the music that would then be taught to the upcoming generations, inculcating a lineage that held certain stories and melodies capable of awakening in a person a sense of pride and belonging to a place not of this new world.

Of course, by now I’m sure that you’re sensing the parallel I’m drawing with the Sonship and those immigrants… even to the point that just as poorly as did the immigrants fail in duplicating the “old ways,” so too does the Sonship make a mockery in trying to replicate Heaven here on Earth. Interestingly, the Course very seldom uses the word “foreigner, and even less often the term “immigrant” to describe us overall, preferring instead to call us “aliens,” as in this example:

“This world you seem to live in is not home to you. And somewhere in your mind you know that this is true. A memory of home keeps haunting you… you are an alien here, from somewhere all unknown. (W-pI.182.1:1-4)

And from this same passage, who is to say that the “haunting memory of Home” isn’t coming to us in the form of Music… even though, if it were, we would doubtful recognize, or even acknowledge Its presence. Nevertheless, it seems to be Music that is capable of rousing within us the memory of Home, just as it did for those early immigrants. But, unlike those immigrants who loved singing the “old songs,” we hardly even accept that there is any such “Heavenly Music” coming to us at all.

What all of this means, obviously, is that it’s not to us that God is talking or singing, but to the Self within our Mind. It is to this Self that God, through the Holy Spirit, keeps reminding us of our Home in Heaven, for our Self is truly but an alien here. This communication that is between God and His Son most surely is why our body’s ears cannot hear any of our Father’s Words, or the Music continuously coming to us from Heaven.

The Course tells us:

“Accept the vision that can show you [are the Christ] and not a body. You know the ancient song, and know it well. Nothing will ever be as dear to you as is this ancient hymn of Love the Son of God sings to His Father still.” (T-21.I.9:4-6)

Yet, do I wonder if another part… perhaps even a larger part… of the reason we do not hear the Song of Heaven may be due to our own inattentiveness… so very seldom do most of us ever think about God or Heaven. We have too many other things going on in our lives… centered as they are, certainly, on our living in this crazy, imaginary world. And, quite frankly, we’ve become rather adroit at keeping ourselves occupied with enough other things to think about, maybe not to intentionally put off listening to, or even recognizing, those Calls to come Home, but nonetheless is that the outcome.

Unlike those immigrants who took pride in their ancestry, the vast majority of us “aliens” try to hush or discount those memories of our Home with God, to the point that we truly have no recollection of ever having lived (and still live) in Heaven. Out of a deep sense of guilt and fear for believing that we have left our Father, we have kept the memory of our mutual Love buried away within our unconscious, giving now only lip-service to our connection with God.

Jesus, in giving his Course to the world, was not naive regarding how we try to cover our feelings about returning awakening to our Father.

Some try to put by their thoughts of God with jobs and games, hobbies and pastimes, or just watching TV, that they do to occupy their time, and keep this fearful recollection from them. Others do not recognize their fears at all. “We speak today for everyone who walks this world, for he is not at home.” (W-pI.182.3:1)
And this…

“He hears the sounds the senseless, busy world engenders, yet he hears them faintly. For beyond them all he hears the Song of Heaven, and the Voice for God more clear, more meaningful, more near.” (W-pI.164.1:5-6)

But I also want to believe that in that Part of our Right Mind where our Self abides It hears continually, not only what God is saying, but also the music and singing that comes from Heaven. How beautiful it is to realize that our Self has not missed any of It. Thus, have we no cause for fear, for we have never really been separated from our Father.

“…a melody is heard that everyone remembers, though he has not heard it since before all time began. Forgiveness, once complete, brings timelessness so close the song of Heaven can be heard, not with the ears, but with the holiness that never left the altar that abides forever deep within the Son of God.” (T-29.IX.8:4-5)

As well, does Jesus tell us in one of the Course’s lovely prayers,

“Father, let not Your Holy World escape my sight today [our Self’s awareness]. Nor let [our Self] be deaf to all the hymns of gratitude the world is singing underneath the sounds of fear.” (W-pII.293.2:1-2)

And so, whether we speak of those immigrants, or of ourselves as aliens, when, at last, we hear the Song of Heaven, if only but a ditty…

“…[we know that we] have never heard It not.” (T-29.IX.8:6)

Rev. Bob Stebbins is a Pathways of Light minister living in Adrian, Michigan.

© 2012, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September, 2012

Good News! Pain Is Not Real!

by Rev. Myron Jones, O.M.C.

The Course is very simple. The only thing that makes it seem complicated or hard to understand is my resistance to believing what it says. Sometimes that resistance is active and other times I simply overlook the words. This year when I did Lesson 190, for some reason I decided to believe what I was reading. It was like I had never read the lesson before and was seeing it for the first time.

This Lesson says that “If God is real, there is no pain. If pain is real there is no God.” These are simple, one syllable words. Anyone can understand them. The concept is simple and understandable. The only disconnect between understanding and experiencing them is the decision to accept or deny. I had to ask myself why I would bother doing this work if I did not intend to accept what I am told.

One sentence in paragraph 5 is the key to this lesson. It says: “It is your thoughts alone that cause you pain.” Again, simple one syllable words that are easy to understand. A simple easily understood concept. Do I choose to believe it? I took inventory of my relationships, my emotional state, my financial situation, my body. I decided the body would be the best place to practice this lesson.

I’ve talked about my experience with this in my postings, so I will just re-cap and bring us up to date.

First: When I read, “If God is real, there is no pain. If pain is real there is no God,” I realized that this made perfect sense. God is all there is and so I must be in God. God is not pain, so pain can’t be real. I cannot be in pain, no matter what my experience seems to be telling me.

Second: It is your thoughts alone that cause you pain. So the problem cannot be in my body. It must be in my mind. This was reinforced for me one day while I was practicing this lesson. I had some severe pain in my leg and I used my current mantra which comes from the book, The Inner Ramana. Regina asked, “What is pain?” and the answer was, “Pain is nothing.” That is so easy to remember that I often use it to help me move my thoughts off the pain and allow the Holy Spirit to talk to me.

On this particular day I felt a really bad pain shooting down my leg. I grabbed my leg and through gritted teeth I said, “What is pain? It is nothing.” Then I said, “Holy Spirit, if pain is nothing, what is this I feel in my leg?” He said, “That’s your belief in pain.” Ahh. Of course. So it is not my leg that needs healing because it is not my leg that is causing me to be in pain. It is my mind, my thoughts that are the cause. I have a belief in pain and suffering in my mind and that belief is being projected on the body.

I have spent all the days since I did Lesson 190, on July 8th of this year, practicing diligently. Every time I have a pain in my body, I use it as a reminder that pain is not real. Pain has a new purpose for me now. It is to trigger this healing thought. This pain is not about the body. It is a reminder that I still have the belief in pain and suffering in my mind, and to give me a chance to make another choice. Everything in my life has one purpose — to help me wake up by choosing God over ego, truth over illusion. Why should pain be any different?

So this is what has happened. I began using the body for this practice because I have had a lot of pain in my legs. I drive for a living and after driving for many hours, I would start experiencing sciatica pain and over a period of a couple of years that pain has gotten more severe and was for awhile almost unbearable. I talked to my boss about quitting my job because I didn’t think I could take the pain anymore. Then in July I started using Lesson 190 to heal my belief in pain, and things began to change.

At first I was just saying the words more than I was meaning them. I wanted them to be true and on one level knew they were, but the thing is, my experience did not match the words and so it was hard for me to hold onto the truth. I was constantly being distracted by what seemed to be happening in the world (specifically my body) and would start to believe the pain and doubt Jesus.

But I know that what the Course says is true. I know it in my Heart, even if my head is confused. So I kept doing the practice and slowly I noticed that I believed the words more and more. I stopped thinking of the pain as something to dread and became grateful for the opportunity to practice, knowing that I was healing my mind, and by extension healing the one mind. This is my job, my purpose, the reason for my seeming existence here, and I was doing it.

A lovely side effect is that the pain has lessened to the point that it is no longer an issue with my job. I still get pain but, instead of being nearly constant, it is much less frequent and not nearly as severe. I continue my practice. Any pain, headache, nausea, stiff neck, is an opportunity to heal the thoughts in the mind.

Then recently, while I was removing staples from a chair seat I want to re-cover, I gouged a hole in my finger with the screwdriver. I grabbed my hand protectively waiting for the pain, and when it didn’t come immediately, I remembered, “Oh yeah, pain is not real.” Ok, I admit, I was surprised when the pain never came. But not too surprised.

I bled the finger to get rid of bacteria from the dirty screwdriver and it didn’t hurt. I washed it with soap and water, and it didn’t hurt. I poured alcohol on it and it stung but not too bad. I realized that the belief in pain and suffering is being healed in my mind. I am not projecting pain onto the body as readily as I have in the past.

My finger began healing very quickly but a few days later I noticed that it seemed red and was a little tender. It looked like it was getting infected. I had thoughts of doubt and uncertainty about the whole thing, though it is hard to completely discount the lack of pain. But I asked the Holy Spirit to heal my mind of my doubts.

I stood there looking at my finger, wondering what I should do. I asked the Holy Spirit what He would have me do and without thinking about it at all, I touched my finger and said, “heal.” And it did. Almost immediately it began to heal. By the next day the redness was gone and there was no tenderness, and now it is just a rough spot on my finger.

As it happens, I have been experiencing urinary discomfort ever since I had a kidney stone and the last few weeks it has gotten really painful. It was bad enough that I made an appointment with a urologist, and that I was worried about what could be wrong. If it was simple irritation from the stone or the procedure, then it should be getting better, not worse. After I made the appointment, the pain became almost constant and I considered calling the doctor’s office and begging them to fit me in sooner.

But as I was standing there watching my finger heal right before my eyes, I experienced a stab of pain in my urinary tract and thought, “What the heck?” I put my hand on my side where the pain seemed to start and said, “heal.” And it did. Right there. Right that moment.  And after weeks of progressively worsening pain, it is now gone and has not returned.

What happened next is so typical of the ego that you have to laugh. I started thinking about what just happened. What did it mean? Was this going to be the way of things from now on? Was my mind completely healed of the belief in pain? Could I heal anything that went wrong? Could I do this for others? Is this the way I was supposed to do it; just put my hand on something and say, heal?

What would people think if I told them about this? Would they roll their eyes? Would they think me delusional? Would they think I was arrogant? What if I did it and it didn’t work? Would people then laugh at me? Would that mean I had fallen out of favor with God?

Whoa, the ego went too far. I realized that I was listening to the thinking mind and it was misleading me. I asked the Holy Spirit for His words. He reminded me not to think about this. He said not to decide what it means and not to make decisions about the future based on what happened now. Instead, do as I did today, and come to Him each time as if the last time had not happened.

I let it all go and simply felt gratitude to myself for the work I had been willing to do and to the Holy Spirit for His help in healing my mind. I felt gratitude that I am obviously letting go of some of the beliefs that block my awareness of the truth and are an obstacle to my remembrance of God and of my True Self. I returned my mind to my only purpose, the healing of the mind.

Rev. Myron Jones, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Read more of her inspiring Healing Journal articles on the Pathways website.  Myron’s website is:
http://www.forgivenessisthewayhome.org Note: Be sure to see Rev. Myron Jones and Rev. Larry Glenz at the 2013 Chicago ACIM Conference, where they will be the speakers representing Pathways of Light.

© 2012, 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, 2012

A Journey of Wellness Through Mind Healing

by Rev. Linda Wisniewski, O.M.C.

I have been facilitating the Pathways of Light Miracles Practitioner course 909: Wellness Through Mind Healing. Some of the ministers who signed up to do the course have also volunteered to be of service through a support group for people with chronic illness.

Well, I had the perfect opportunity to put into practice the principles I am learning.

I woke up one morning with pain and a gum infection. At first I ignored the symptoms even though I had been learning that the symptoms are only a projection of guilt which we carry in our separated minds. I didn’t even bother to look at what was going on in the mind. As the day progressed the symptoms worsened.

In the past, when I noticed symptoms, I would immediately look to where I was carrying guilt and then ask Holy Spirit for forgiveness. Usually the symptoms would disappear as the cause was forgiven.

Course 909 starts out by saying: “This is a course about being willing to experience wellness by healing our mind. In order to heal our mind, we need to understand what is happening in our minds right now. In each moment we are either experiencing the peace of God’s oneness or trying to maintain a separate unique identity.”

To me this means trying to have a will separate from God’s, a separate will that we imagined was real when we believed we separated from the Mind of God and wanted to usurp God’s authority. And this is the real source of every problem in the world. With this separate will we also believe that we are guilty for separating from God and that sickness is our punishment.

After two weeks, I still had the infected tooth. There was fear in me because of a belief that if I didn’t take an antibiotic, the infection would go through the body and kill me.

Where did this belief come from? Did it come from God? Does God believe in sickness, death, sin? Two years ago the dentist told me that my tooth was infected and needed to come out and it could be dangerous to leave it in there. Is this belief true? Is it a fact or a medical opinion? Is the belief in physical laws which are man-made based on a human belief that our identity is with a body and the laws of health are there to support this belief? Is it God’s law? So, why after two weeks, was I still experiencing an infected tooth?

Page 2 in course 909 states: Jesus describes why we reject healing. To the ego, healing would signify defeat and, “…the triumph of His Father over him.” (M-5.I.2:1)
“We are learning that the control of self authorship is the payoff for sickness.”

Throughout these weeks, I have become aware of how this self-authorship works. First, I kept focusing on the symptoms. In this way I was continuing to make the body real and the error real.

Second, everyday that I didn’t experience a relief in symptoms; I kept blaming myself for doing something wrong. I still believed the ego was in charge of the healing and the outcome.

Third, I was demanding that healing happen on my time.

In all these ways, I was trying to usurp God’s Will and replace it with mine. Also, if I used the principles of Wellness Through Mind Healing and it didn’t relieve the symptoms, the ego would have me believe that God’s way was wrong and ego’s authority would triumph over God’s.

The question that came up for me was: Do I want to play God or do I really want to know God? I can’t know God if I still want to maintain a will separate from God’s and still want to buy into the beliefs of physical law rather than place myself under the Laws of God, the Laws of Truth.

Ego’s laws want me to believe that my true identity is in the body and with this goes the belief in sin, sickness, weakness, helplessness, vulnerability, victimhood, attack and death.

The Laws of God want me to remember that my true Identity is created out of the Mind of God and is the Idea of Love, Peace Joy, invulnerability, wholeness, holiness, innocence, Life. We are created out of the Spiritual Idea of Love; God is the Spirit of Love, of all that is good.

These are very two completely opposite ideas. If I believe I am subject to sickness, weakness, a victim of the world and that I can attack, how will the body reflect this? If I believe I am an extension of God’s creative idea, Love, Life, Truth, how will the body reflect this? I am learning that the body is only a reflection of what the mind projects. The Source of all healing is in the mind, not the body.

“The presence of fear is a sure sign that you are relying on your own strength — separate from your Source. This need not be, for you are not separate from your Source. Lay down your reliance on a separate self-identity. It is not worthy of you. It is weak because it is identification with nothing. But you are strong because you share the strength of God. There is no other strength. …God loves you and will let no harm come to His holy Son. Let His Voice lead you. His Voice will guide you to meet all your needs in peace and joy, while seeing that no harm comes to you or anyone.” (from p. 28–29 Course 909: Wellness Through Mind Healing)

I’m sure by now you’ve all heard that fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. The symptoms in the body are false evidence. Holy Spirit then told me what is Real: Real Evidence As Love. So don’t believe the false evidence; get real and turn first to God in every situation. Holy Spirit will correct all errors with our willingness. As the errors in our thinking are corrected and we remember the truth that we are whole, perfect and innocent Divine Love, our bodies will reflect the truth instead of error.

I am grateful for this course because real healing is taking place as I surrender my separate identity and claim my true Identity. It’s my inheritance and gift from God Who created me in His image under His Laws. As I return to my true Identity, I am healed and this is guaranteed by God.

“I experience healing and wellness by accepting my true Identity as Love.”(From the laminated poster included in course 909: Wellness Through Mind Healing)

And the healing continues…

Rev. Linda Wisniewski is a Pathways of Light minister living in Plymouth, Wisconsin.

© 2012, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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July-September, 2012

The Open Door House at the End of The Open Door Road

by Rev. Bob Thompson, O.M.C.

Here’s a place where life is simple,
a truly, rural country scene.
A place to rest, and meditate,
it’s so quiet and serene.

You may browse in summer gardens,
or help harvest in the fall,
watch the dancing snowflakes,
or, not do a thing at all! 

Just you, your self, that’s all you need,

You are all you need to bring,
to watch the leaves fall in the autumn,
or the grass grow in the spring. 

This home has lots of bedrooms,
and you may come whene’er you please.
All you have to do is get here,
’cause here there are no costs, or fees. 

So write down on your bucket list:
A home that’s filled with trust!
And give your self the peaceful gift,
which you’ll also give to us. 

So? Gas up your car,
or walk if you must.
But really make up your mind,
it’s The Open Door, or bust.

Then, bring along all your cares,
and the rest of your load,
to the Open Door House,
at the end of the Open Door Road.

To visit Rev. Bob Thompson in Portage, Wisconsin, call at 608-742-4438. 
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2012, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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