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Forgiveness Offers Everything I Want

by Rev. Naomi Cage

Two years ago my daughter and I were involved in an accident. We were uninsured. We went to court and paid the fees. I thought this was over until September 1st, 2006, when I received a motion for a lawsuit.

My first thought was to get angry and defensive. Then I thought, “I must choose Holy Spirit, not ego.” I laid the papers in a box. A few days later, I picked up the papers and decided, “I will turn this over to Holy Spirit and ask for His instructions.” The papers said that I had to make an appearance and file a response. I asked the Holy spirit, “What kind of a response?” This is what He gave me: “Ask for forgiveness of everyone in the situation.” I wrote a letter asking for forgiveness and attached it to the response.

On the day our case was called, the plaintif lawyer and I want up to the judge. The judge and lawyer had quick words. The judge then asked me what I had to say. I stated, “I plea for forgiveness of both sides.”

There was such a surprised look on the judge’s face. She asked us to go outside and come to an agreement. When we talked, the lawyer said, “Ms. Cage, I apologize for any embarrassment and inconvenience I have caused by this. My client’s insurance company will not pay anything to them.” He asked if I would help by giving a statement that we were uninsured during this accident and telling our side of the story. He would present this to the insurance company. I could see the face of Christ in his eyes.

“Forgiveness lets the veil be lifted up that hides the face of Christ from those who look with unforgiving eyes upon the world.”

Rev. Naomi Cage is a Pathways of Light minister who lives in Harvey, Illinois.

© 2006, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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My Grievances Hide the Light of the World in Me

by Rev. Maria Kingsley

What a true statement I have come to understand this Lesson to be! I recently took a trip to India to attend a beautiful celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Foundation called The Art of Living.

It was a wonderful celebration, and I support their loving work that goes all around the globe. The teachings of the founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, are not really in conflict to the ACIM, even though they have a touch of Hinduism to it.

However, it was the plain people of India who really taught me the big lessons. So I bless them for their so very valuable teachings that they give just by being who they are.

India is considered by some to be a third world country, and indeed life is very very different from what we are used to in the western world. Most people know this, of course, but to experience this in the physical is a powerful teaching tool. I did not know this when I signed up for this adventure to India, and I did not realize the full extend of the gifts I would receive until I came back to the U.S. and started processing it.

Before I left, I met several people who had been to India or similar places, and they all had very good advice for me: “Don’t drink the water, bring a lot of toilet paper, don’t eat the food that is offered by street vendors, don’t eat anything that is not boiled, cooked or can be peeled; don’t give much to beggars, don’t tip but a very small amount, etc.” Along with every bit advice there were horror stories of what had happened to people, why this approach was the right one, or who got sick for how long.

So, when I arrived at the airport in India late that long traveling day, I was immediately suspicious when I was offered roasted peanuts by street vendors, and refused to accept any from fellow travelers who had bought some. The little metal bowl in which the vendor was heating the peanuts looked very dirty to me; the loud clanking noise he made with his ladle to advertise his goods was made by hitting another part of his metal cart that looked even more suspect, and so I was on high alert. No wonder that I continually was exhausted.

I felt relatively safe at the Ashram. The food was prepared for an international crowd, and my concerns for safety overall were reduced by smiling faces and English speaking people, but I was still very watchful. It took a lot of energy to maneuver myself around, and I dozed off the moment I was able to relax during meditation times.

The entire trip was very hectic, and with a very loaded schedule and being away from my room for 12 to 16 hours, I was glad for every meditation time that was on the schedule. I had taken with me the ACIM Lessons that I was doing during this time, and so I stayed in touch with these daily reminders in an abbreviated version.

The really strenuous part of the trip was the sight-seeing tour I took around Delhi. These five days were not buffered by the happy faces of the Ashram, but instead I was looking at beggars and vendors in droves. They gathered at every tourist attraction, and were more persistent than flies at a picnic. It was amazing how many different things they could sell you. Making eye contact would assure you that they would follow you more closely and shout more loudly to buy their very special items. This was my perception. I blessed the beggars and cripples who hung around the bus, but somehow that did not make me feel any better. I truly felt beleaguered and also very guilty.

I considered myself lost three times when my group suddenly disappeared, and I felt left without a hint of a clue where I was, or how to get back to the group, the bus, or the hotel where we dropped off our luggage.

Once I was lost at some huge palace. We had stopped along the route with our bus. There were around 5-6 other buses that had stopped there, and the usual huge number of vendors with or without animals were all around us. It was almost like a circus, because there were painted elephants and colorfully dressed camels. Monkeys on a leash were performing, and cobras coming out of baskets.  All their keepers wanted to sell themselves to you to take their picture. We took small Jeeps up the steep cobble stone road into the palace and were guided to view the important and beautiful parts of this ancient place.

I was certain to stay with the guide because previously I had lost the group, and so when we returned to the main court yard, the guide and I were early and waited for the rest of the group to catch up. I mentioned that I would use the toilets, and he said, “OK, but hurry.” I did hurry, but when I returned to the square, there was no one from my group there. They had all left, and I was totally clueless as to which direction to turn.

There were several roads leading down this hill, but which was the one my group took? Nothing looked familiar. I walked in one direction, thinking I might see someone I know, or recognize the road, but the further I went, the less sure I was that this was the right way. I started to panic and realized I did not even know what to ask for… if someone were to understand me. And I did not really know where our bus trip was going, because the guide only shared so much at a time, and it often did not mean anything to me because I did not know these places.

I knew that they would leave if I was not there… they figured that I would find my way somehow.

As I went further and did not see any familiar sight, I knew I had to call on the One Who Knows. So I called on the Holy Spirit to guide me to where I was supposed to be. It took the edge off my panic, but I certainly did not give it all up. There was too much at stake, I thought.

I found my way back to the bathrooms, and I thought really that I had been left behind, because so much time had passed. I prayed continuously. What else can you do? 

And then I saw a familiar face. It was someone who was on the bus with me, actually looking for me. I shouted, “Oh, a familiar face!”  We walked over to where the jeeps were to take us down to the bus. Whewwww! That was close. Thank you, Holy Spirit!

There were several occasions when I called on the Holy Spirit to guide me. I am glad to report that nothing serious ever happened to me, and even though I got sick for a couple of days, it was manageable and not debilitating.

After returning home, it took me a while to adjust. I could not sleep at night and was not totally physically present. Many people asked me about my trip, and I was not sure what to say.

I was not balanced. I needed to process and meditate on what happened. As I looked back, I felt that I had not really been in touch with India. I would describe my experience as resembling a feeling of floating above the ground by about 50 feet, and that there was a layer of parchment paper separating me from the ground, or what was really going on around me. I definitely felt separated.

This word ‘separation’ was the key to my understanding what really happened. I had separated myself from these people out of fear. I looked at them all as my enemy, a threat to my health and my welfare, as well as my pocket book. And to think my caution was only based on stories other people told me.

Nothing negative ever happened. I was just afraid that it would happen. “My grievances hide the light of the world in me.”

What was I doing when I refused to look at these people as ‘real people’? I only saw them as irritants who wanted something from me. They irritated me and I felt I needed to look away, to not see them, to not acknowledge that they were my brothers and sisters right in front of me.

Yet, the Course tells us that everyone is my brother, that we are all one. I was not seeing my Self. I was ignoring Me, I did not recognized Me in another form than what I am used to. And I was not extending Love.

I usually tell myself every morning that it is my intention to extend Love. Yet, somehow I did not see love. In my anxiety I forgot to love them. When I realized the error of my perception, I felt like a huge load fell off of me.

I FORGOT TO LOVE THEM! I can love them now. And I cried for a long time that I could put that much separation between me and my beloved brothers and sisters. What a lesson that was! I will never forget this. And for this lesson, it was worth traveling around the world.

Rev. Maria Kingsley is a Pathways of Light minister living in Taos, New Mexico. Read more of her inspiring Healing Journal articles on the Pathways of Light web site.

© 2006, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice and website address are included.

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A Course in Miracles Text Q & A: The Lifting of the Veil

by Revs. Robert & Mary Stoelting

On the Pathways of Light web site, you will find questions and answers for each section of the Text of A Course in Miracles. Below are questions and answers for Chapter 19, Section IV D-i: The Lifting of the Veil, from pgs 421-424.

What does Jesus mean when he talks about lifting the veil?

In this insightful section, Jesus tells us that lifting the veil to see the Christ in every brother is our only meaningful purpose on our journey of returning to the truth. Again and again in the Course, Jesus reminds us not to make the error of separation real or we will remain in hell, along with our brother. “No one can look upon the fear of God unterrified, unless he has accepted the Atonement and learned illusions are not real.” (9:1)

Again and again Jesus reminds us that we do not go Home alone. The reason we cannot go Home alone is that in truth, we could never really be alone. The truth is we are united with every brother in the Christ Mind as the one Son of God. We are joined in the one Mind of Love. “Let him be what he is, and seek not to make of Love an enemy.” (13:8)

 

Why is forgiveness such an important part of lifting the veil?

Throughout the Course Jesus talks about forgiveness and how important it is for us to look past error to the truth in every brother. “Here is the holy place of resurrection, to which we come again; to which we will return until redemption is accomplished and received. Think who your brother is, before you would condemn him. And offer thanks to God that he is holy, and has been given the gift of holiness for you. Join him in gladness, and remove all trace of guilt from his disturbed and tortured mind. Help him to lift the heavy burden of sin you laid upon him and he accepted as his own, and toss it lightly and with happy laughter away from him. Press it not like thorns against his brow, nor nail him to it, unredeemed and hopeless.” (16:1-6)

The way out of madness is not to join with it. The way out of madness is to be willing to look past illusions of differences to the real Spirit of Wholeness in every brother. This is how we heal together. Jesus tells us, “You see his madness, which you hate because you share it. ... Brother, you need forgiveness of your brother, for you will share in madness or in Heaven together. And you and he will raise your eyes in faith together, or not at all.” (12:5,6-8)

 

How do we practice lifting the veil?

Because lifting the veil is such an important part of our returning to sanity, we will focus on practicing this in our daily life. The following is a way to practice what Jesus is teaching us in this section. To get the most out of it, pause to do each step as you read each paragraph below:

Think of someone you consider close to you, someone who is in your life a lot, whom you see frequently. Because you see them with your body’s eyes so frequently, it is easy to imagine them as you see them through the body’s eyes….

Now we’re going to practice letting the Holy Spirit lift the veil of separation and show you the truth about them behind the body façade… The Holy Spirit lifts the veil and shows you that they are still God’s Light, God’s Love… And you become aware of and feel the essence of peace and Love that they are…
You become aware of the constancy of the truth about them… You see that it never changes… Your friend is still as God created them… Nothing has happened to change the truth about them…

Now move into this Love, join with this Love… Blend with this Love… Because you are the same Love, there are no differences to separate you… You are aware of your holy union… your wholeness… your oneness… Feel the peace that comes with this remembrance of the truth… You are one united Love in truth… You rest awhile in this remembering…

The Holy Spirit now shows you that this is the way to return Home… As you consistently practice letting the Holy Spirit lift the veil, you see the truth about every brother… You are shown that we all are one Light… We all are the same peace… We all are the same Love… All differences have been just false ideas and were never true...

As you are able to practice this consistently and join with the Love that is there in every brother, all unconscious guilt will be undone… You will no longer need to project guilt onto an outside world. You will no longer need to believe in differences…

You will feel safe because you know that you are surrounded by God’s Love… You remember it is everywhere you are and everywhere everyone is… You know that your journey Home is accomplished by letting the veil be lifted. The Holy Spirit will show you the truth about every brother and every thing as you let Him…

You feel the peace and fulfillment and quiet joy in letting this remembrance of wholeness return to you… And you give thanks that only eternal Love could ever be real… You give thanks that this is your reality and this is everyone’s reality now…

You remember that both time and space do not exist. They are merely hallucinations and you are grateful that this is so… You thank the Holy Spirit for being your Guide in your daily practice of letting the veil be lifted so that you can again see the Love that is there eternally…

 

What are other key ideas to remember as we practice lifting the veil?

1. There are only two thought systems, the ego’s or the Holy Spirit’s. We join with what is real as we consistently step back, pause and let the Holy Spirit lead the way.

2. The Holy Spirit shows us what is real and what is not real.

3. When we make separation real, guilt is the inevitable effect. As we accept everyone’s innocence, guilt is released.

As we learn to see innocence instead of guilt, we free ourselves and our brother. We join Jesus in the one goal of freeing every brother of illusions of guilt and pain. “The crucified give pain because they are in pain. But the redeemed give joy because they have been healed of pain. Everyone gives as he receives, but he must choose what it will be that he receives. And he will recognize his choice by what he gives, and what is given him.” (20:3-6) The more we practice seeing innocence where we once saw guilt, the more we are lifting the veil for ourselves and every brother. We all go Home together.

Mary & Robert Stoelting are co-founders of Pathways of Light. They live in Kiel, Wisconsin. To find ACIM Q & A on the Pathways of Light web site go to: http://pathwaysoflight.org/acimtext/textindex1-10.html

© 2006, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice and website address are included.

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Giving and Receiving

by Revs. Paul and Deborah Phelps

There’s an old song that goes, “Love is nothing ‘til you give it away… you end up having more. Love is like a magic penny, hold on tight and you won’t have any. Lend it, spend it. You’ll have so many, they’ll be rolling all over the floor.” And this is true with miracles today.

What we focus on increases and expands, be it love, miracles, forgiveness, or God’s healing light. It all will become abundant and all my brothers can reap the harvest. The more we try to control in our lives, the less we will truly be happy.

I am grateful for having received this lesson. I know others who are going through this very lesson now. We often do not see that the way we keep handling situations is bringing the same results and of course resulting in unhappiness. Yet, when are we ready, we will experience it another way.

Fear is what keeps us guarded from allowing love in. We may fear that we are losing something or we may feel that we are abandoned. But by switching into a loving mode and giving the love away, loving freely, allowing others to do so, we will find that we will have more love than we ever imagined. We may not want to give because of our own insecurities caused by our own past of pain. And so we continue to live our lives seeking for happiness outside of ourselves, controlling and managing each situation so all is perfect in our eyes. But it never is. It appears that situations are always outside our control. We cannot control others. But we can decide in our mind on which voice to listen to, the Voice of Love or the voice of fear.

In this decision, we will remember the truth. We will love as God would have us love. We will offer forgiveness. We will offer healing. We will offer miracles. In truly knowing our abundance in all, we can give what we have received because we have received all from our Father. This is the lesson to teach. It is a simple lesson of love. We will smile more. We will be truly happy. We will experience a lightness in our body. We will walk with certainty and trust. We will experience peace. All because we have accepted the treasure that is already ours. We have accepted our worthiness. We have accepted our True Self. We have remembered God.

Revs. Deb & Paul Phelps are Pathways of Light ministers living in Madison, Wisconsin.  Revs. Deb & Paul Phelps web site: miraclesone.org

© 2006, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice and website address are included.

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