Miracles News

Tweet

October-December, 2010

Thoughts with Power

by Rev. Nancy Miiller

Today, in my workbook practice of A Course in Miracles, Lesson 281 resonated to the core of my being with an astounding feeling of truth. Lesson 281 states “I can be hurt by nothing but my thoughts.” As the sentence finished, the whirling sense of truth began to fill my mind. The Course teaches us that we have never left our home in God. We just think we have and our thought of this has created the dream we see with our eyes. Each time I believe that someone, something, some event or some issue is causing me pain, I am not thinking about the truth of my Self; I have never left my home in God.

I find this lesson very significant right now, at this moment, at the beginning of the new week. Recently, my work has become extremely busy, more than I think one or anyone can handle. In knowing what my coming week looks like, and it being three times busier than the last, I am reminded by this lesson that only my thoughts can hurt me.

What does it mean to say ‘my thoughts’? ‘My thoughts’ are thoughts that judge, thoughts of opposition, thoughts that include and exclude, thoughts that make specialness (good or bad) real, and thoughts that I believe I am alone in this world, surrounded by others outside myself. These are thoughts that reside in my ego mind, not the mind of the Holy Spirit. In other words, wrong-minded thoughts vs. right-minded thoughts. Thoughts wrong-minded in nature perpetuate separation, keeping us from knowing and awakening to our true Self at home in God.

I shocked myself this past week in how many times I caught myself focusing on wrong-minded thinking. I knew I was caught in a whirl wind of chaos with judgment after judgment and then chastised myself for it. Oh how my ego had fun. This is the lovely game the ego plays and enjoys so much. The first part of the game is where you judge someone else to make you feel better, or you might complain about him or her to others, to still make your feel or look better. Second the guilt arises as you realize the horrible things you have said about that person. Third, the final icing on the cake, you get ill or twist your ankle or get a headache.

The third piece to the game is not something commonly known, but equally important to understand and overturn. The ego must punish us to keep itself around; this is a vicious cycle and one that we can learn to eliminate with the right tool.

Our thoughts are very powerful. While this is nothing new, most times we are not aware what is really going on behind the scenes. The ego scenes are filled with judgment, hurt and pain. It starts with wrong-minded thoughts, finishes with wrong-minded thoughts and these thoughts produce actions all back on the owner of those thoughts. Needless to say I felt ill all this weekend.

The Holy Spirit knows we have never left our home in God and knows that we are only dreaming. His voice quietly waits for moments when our minds have quieted down and then whispers truth to us. When we are willing to listen more, the Holy Spirit’s voice can be heard more often and more clearly. The more we listen to the Holy Spirit, the quieter the ego gets and the more peaceful we become and the more truth we see in all around us.

So how can we apply this knowledge and what tools can we use?

In A Course in Miracles we are given the tool of true forgiveness as the way to heal the dream we see with our eyes. Forgiveness opens up our vision to see like the Holy Spirit, seeing the truth of Spirit in our brothers and sisters.

Watching our thoughts with earnest and coupled with true forgiveness doesn’t give the ego a chance to have its way. Each time we have a thought that is not in alignment with the Holy Spirit, give it over to Him to heal. This is true forgiveness. Consider thinking thoughts the Holy Spirit would give to you like in Lesson 281.

“My Father placed me safe in Heaven, watching over me.”

“My thoughts I think with You alone are true.”

Or even the simple thoughts of, “I am at Home in Heaven and I have never left.”

“I am innocent, whole, and pure Love.”

The understanding of, “I can be hurt by nothing but my thoughts,” is a foundation of strength in knowing who you truly are — the One Self in God. Fill your mind with thoughts that open you up to seeing Love in everyone and thus knowing the truth of you. None of us have ever left our Home in God; truly remembering this is enlightenment.

Rev. Nancy Miiller is a Pathways of Light minister living in Scottsdale, Arizona.

© 2010, 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.

Tell a Friend

Printable Page

---

Tweet

October-December, 2010

Letting Go of the Need to Understand

by Rev. Larry Glenz

I know that many people believe that God has abandoned them when they suffer the tragic loss of a loved one. After turning to Holy Spirit during the seven years that my son, Kevin, battled with an opiate addiction, he relapsed again and died last winter of an overdose at the age of 27.

The question often asked in such a situation by the loved ones left behind is, “How could God let this happen?” My understanding of ACIM teaches me that God didn’t let it happen. The metaphysics of the Course explain that it never happened. But while I remain in this dream of the human condition, I need Holy Spirit to help me with this. I turned to Holy Spirit consistently throughout his years of addiction, his efforts at recovery, and his relapses. The answers that I received from Spirit were also consistent.

In different ways Holy Spirit said, “Love him anyway. You don’t know what Kevin needs to go through. Release all judgment, condemnation, and fear. Offer help but don’t try to shame him or use guilt to get him to change.” Sometimes I followed Holy Spirit’s advice; but often I was too scared to listen and used whatever leverage I had to force him into rehab and recovery. It didn’t work.

Heroin addiction forces the addict to constantly lie and steal in order to keep getting high. The compulsion to get high overcomes his love and respect for family, friends, and especially himself. At those times, it was difficult to see the innocence of that Child of God. And today, it is difficult to see how his death could be for the greater good. Certainly, there is much I don’t understand for I cannot conceive of the “Big Picture” here.

Nevertheless, since his passing, I have been inundated with the love of so many people. This love has come my way in many different forms; but this flow of love has been constant. I no longer feel the terror that I often felt during the years of his addiction. In fact, Kevin’s love is always with me in my heart and mind.

I am very grateful to Holy Spirit for this ability I have to feel Kevin’s love and his guidance as I go through my day. Talking to Kevin and communicating with Holy Spirit seem the same to me now, although my words are much more irreverent when I think it is Kevin to whom I speak.

I realize there is no way that I can understand what is for the greater good. But ACIM has taught me some things that I can experience. I have been taught that in every situation, only the love is real; and I have been able to experience great love from so many people since Kevin’s death.

And when I cry and have my moments of deep sadness, I sometimes hear Kevin’s voice say, “Hey Dad, you know better. That whole story was never true. Only the love we shared was real.” And I can answer with certainty, “Yes, Kevin, I know better.” And I feel gratitude for this experience.

And I will let go of my need to try to understand how this could all be for the greater good. My perceived need to know is one of the ego’s best tricks. But my only function is to let go and let God.

Rev. Larry Glenz is a Pathways of Light minister living in Long Beach, New York.

© 2010, 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.

Tell a Friend

Printable Page

---

Tweet

October-December, 2010

Living in the World While Waking Up

by Rev. Peggy Booth

I’m in the middle of doing the Pathways of Light Miracles Studies Course 910: “Living in the World While Waking Up.” Part of why I was drawn to this course is my trying to make sense of my employment situation which is seemingly getting more complex and daunting all the time.

Today as I bicycled to work, I though about the ACIM lesson I’m doing today — Lesson 72, “Holding grievances is an attack on God’s plan for salvation,” which suggests saying “What is salvation, Father? I do not know. Tell me that I may understand.” I said a version of this over and over as I biked along — except I didn’t remember it exactly and what came to mind was “Having resentments is an attack on God’s plan for salvation.” And of course the situations annoying me at work loomed in my mind. So I’d say to myself; “What’s salvation?” And before long, what clearly came is, “I cannot be but in the right place at the right time.” Why this? I kept wondering over and over what this means for me. “I do not know.” Yet, at least, I was having a lovely bike ride.

And so, I resumed this thought when I left work this evening — having an even lovelier bike ride with a tail wind. Today, what would appear to be a catastrophe in my program at work decidedly got worse. There is a landowner’s perspective and a department leadership perspective in relation to something I am responsible for. It’s a fundamental difference in perspective and value. No solution or common ground seems possible. It’s just another intractable problem that has fallen in my lap.

Yet, as I started my bike ride home, I wasn’t in the least angry or fearful or upset at all. I was a bit saddened having heard the pain and anger on each side. But, all-in-all I was in a very good mood recognizing that this is only a dream — a very insane one at that.

Then, out of the blue, the thought of Lucille Ball and the “I Love Lucy Show” came to me. I have never liked that series and have avoided watching any episodes because Lucy was always getting herself into such terrible messes. There would always be so many noisy outbursts and so much drama. She’d connive and dig herself into a deeper hole as she’d try to solve one problem, only to get into another and make matters worse. Such situations — even on TV — make me very uncomfortable. There’s nothing funny about them, I would think.

It simultaneously came to me that this whole issue at work is like a ridiculous comedy — but this time I’m laughing along. I am supposed to be here in this job now to see it as that. Also, I can be the actor like Lucille Ball. In my case, rather than playing the serious, earnest, work-is-so-important role I call Margaret, I can instead (even perhaps looking and seeming the same) play a role of a new character I’ll call Margie who always follows an ACIM script. Margie’s role would be to recognize it’s a dream, see everyone as the same holy child of God, be in the now, let go and turn it over, etc. Today I was a good listener and that’s part of it. I also didn’t take anything personally which was helpful too.

As I rode along, I explicitly tried to connect heart-to-heart with the landowner, our division director, and to myself and the two younger guys who also seem caught in the middle, saying “This is only a dream. There is nothing to fear, and no reason to be angry or guilty. You’re doing just fine.” I kept extending love and enjoying myself in the now. Nonetheless, I observed again and again, my ego trying to pull me back into stewing on “the problem.” Over and over, I caught this, refused to get sucked in, and returned to extending love, smiling, noticing the blue sky, the beautiful day and the wind at my back.

At some point, it occurred to me that the reason that these seeming intractable, dramatic problems happen and why I’m in the right place at the right time is that Holy Spirit is so obviously showing me how insane this dream we’re in really is. There is absolutely nothing I could ever do in the world of form to make things right and to resolve or avoid all problems. One is solved and another will always appear.

Being right here, right now in my job is making it very easy to be willing to let go – it is so very insane. Thanks for such clarity, Holy Spirit. I just keep smiling and chuckling to myself when I recognize this. Yet, I recognize not everyone is here. In the play called “my job”, Margie doesn’t need to say to others: “get over it, it’s only a dream.” Instead, her role (my job) is to be kind, gentle, respectful, and to extend love.

Ego may find ways to exploit this and turn such innocence upside down and manufacture unintended consequences. But, I’m not afraid of saying without any guilt, “I’m sorry. I made a mistake. What can I do for you?” I will just keep focusing on the now, turning things over, seeing everyone as one and perfect inside, remembering it’s a dream, just doing what needs to be done in the moment without fuss or worry, letting go of outcomes, and walking out work’s door everyday with a smile on my face and leaving it all behind.

So, today, this is how I will “live in the world while waking up.”

Rev. Peggy Booth is a Pathways of Light minister living in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

© 2010, 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.

Tell a Friend

Printable Page

---

Tweet

October-December, 2010

The One About Peace

by Rev. Stephan Mead

After spending a day in seclusion at my family’s farm cabin, an hour driving and a short ferryboat ride away from Seattle, I realized what I was looking for — Peace! What a fabulous word! It even sounds attractive. Why do I always end up thinking peace has either been withheld, or denied to me? Or, that for some strange reason, I just have to suffer a little while longer and then I can enjoy peace. As I sat out on the porch surveying the acres and acres of ready to cut alfalfa, watching several deer wandering through the pasture, I experienced one of those rare (for me) moments when my mind was just quiet.

Along with the warmth of the sun, the sensation of peace literally enveloped me. “This must be what the Course is talking about” I thought. Time was standing still; I had the strong feeling that all was well with everything. After about eleven seconds, my ego kicked in and assured me that to believe living with the thought of peace was not only impossible, but also so selfish and self-centered, I should be ashamed to even want peace. Examples after examples were quickly provided of past misdeeds, some recent and some from long ago, proving why I should not be enjoying peace of mind.

I remembered reading, one cannot get rid of the ego, but it is possible to not value its counsel. I discovered that day, it was possible! I sat back in my chair and just stopped thinking. I’m smiling right now even writing about it! The Course has much to say about peace. I recently read through the text again, starting with the thought that what I was reading was a love story from God to me. What story could God share other than love? And, if God shares all, and He only shares Love, then Love must be all there Is. Who wouldn’t experience peace with those thoughts! “There is a way of living in the world that is not here, although it seems to be.” (ACIM Workbook Lesson 155) What if living in peace was as simple as listening to a love story all day?

Rev. Stephan Mead is a Pathways of Light minister living in Seattle, Washington.

© 2010, 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.

Tell a Friend

Printable Page

---

Back to main page of Miracles News.

Has this page been helpful to you?
Your contribution to support this site is greatly appreciated. To make a tax deductible contribution with a credit/debit card, click here.
Click here to donate from your PayPal account.
Or send a check to Pathways of Light, 12530 Lions Chase Court, Huntley, IL 60142.