Miracles News

Articles by
Pathways of Light Ministers

Subscribe to printed version of Miracles News.

Most Recent Articles

(Drag to scroll down.)

Archives

Complete Archives

Tweet

Jesus in the Window

by Rev. Dan Strodl, O.M.C.

When I was four years old I walked out of my house holding my granddad’s hand. As we walked down the path, I looked back and saw in my bedroom window Jesus smiling at us. I said to granddad “Look! Jesus in the window!” Granddad yanked my arm, pulled me into his car, and told me not to be so stupid.

My family used to drag me to church every Sunday. I didn’t like seeing Jesus hanging on the cross with nails in his hands, and being told he died for my sins. That didn’t make sense to me even at an early age. I left traditional religion as soon as I could escape, and turned to a different god, the god of materialism. I went into advertising, and was given a job in the creative department of a big advertising agency on Madison Avenue, and flourished in this insane world.

Years later I owned an advertising agency with an alcoholic creative partner. He was going to AA meetings and was seeing a 12 step therapist to try to heal his addiction. One day my creative partner gave me a book called ‘The Road Less Traveled’ by Scott Peck, and I had another gentle nudge.

It dawned on me that this materialistic lifestyle wasn’t working. I thought I had everything I could possibly want to be happy: a big house, tennis court, swimming pool, horses, expensive cars, an advertising agency with my name on the door and all the power and prestige that comes with it. But the truth was I felt sad, lonely, and depressed. I knew that what was missing was Spirit.

I went to my business partner’s therapist and started to get real about what was going on. I was able to be honest about how unhappy I was. He suggested I go to a 12-step meeting, co-dependence anonymous, and it was there I had another gentle nudge. This 12-step program woke me up to something deep inside me … my Higher Power. Suddenly I felt joy and happiness reappear in my life. I loved my new life and lost interest in the world of possessions. My business partner and my wife both kicked me out of their lives, and I was fine with that. I went from having immense material abundance to a suitcase with a few books and a change of clothes. And I was so happy, I was connected to my Source again.

From there I was drawn to Buddhism where I learned to meditate, but was upset when I asked where God was in this teaching. I was told that Buddha never talked about God, because it was indescribable. I felt lost and confused following a spiritual program with no mention of God.

And then A Course in Miracles came into my life with another gentle nudge. I went to a workshop and the speaker talked about everything I was looking for. I embraced this teaching from Jesus with all of my being, and my connection to Spirit deepened. I now walk through my day holding Jesus’ hand, and experience God’s beautiful gifts — love, peace and joy.

I can see now that I have been guided all through my life with gentle nudges, starting with Jesus in the window.

Rev. Dan Strodl is a Pathways of Light minister and publisher of Miracle Worker magazine in London, UK. His email is: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Visit Miracle Network online at www@.Miracles.org.uk

© 2018, 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.

Tell a Friend

Printable Page

---

A Holy Instant

by Rev. Susan Comello, O.M.C.

I met a man. First of all, the ego got involved and labeled him “man.” OOOO! A MAN! In Reality, he is the Holy Son of God. As am I. But it took awhile for the ego to let go of this belief that he is anything other than the One Love we all share.. This Man/Woman thing has been a recurring theme in my life: a way I had learned to separate myself from half of the Sonship. So Holy Spirit provided the perfect gentle lesson and it goes like this: (Spoiler alert: Love wins!)  

He was/is so nice and kind and fun and is even into ACIM!! Wow! At first, it was all so easy, flowing. But, then, some things started to come up. Things which were not his fault or mine, just things which seemed to not work. It seemed to not be easy. It is supposed to be easy, right? We both agreed, it should be easy. But on other things, like how much time to spend together, or where to meet or what to do, it seemed so complicated. Looking back, I can see clearly that the ego was creating roadblocks out of nothing. These things were so not important, yet they seemed to cause conflict, and what’s more, when we tried to talk it out, it still felt like something was between us. Now, I know it was fear.

Why would I be fearful with such a loving, spiritual man? I could not really bring the fear into full awareness, because the ego was saying, “Well, he just wants too much from me. I will lose myself. What if it doesn’t work out in the long run? I’ll just be hurt again.” I did pray to Holy Spirit often. I knew everything would work out, whichever way things happened. But I held onto the belief that this man and I “should” be able to work things out.

After a few weeks, I began to feel that we really were not able to work it out, our communication and efforts were just too frustrating for both of us. In one of my many prayers to Holy Spirit, I heard, loud and clear, “What I really want is to be friends with him.” Oh! The relief!! I felt free and much lighter as I waited for him to come over the next day. I would tell him and we would be beautiful friends.

The next day, he came as planned, except, it did not go as planned. We began to talk and I told him of my fears and my need to follow my guidance from Holy Spirit. I talked for awhile, clearing up some things that had happened. Then he talked for awhile. I began to get an inkling, that he was leading up to breaking up with me. We had talked about it before, but it seemed too soon to give up. This time, he definitely was leading up to the end. Sometimes, he would pause and was checking in with Holy Spirit as to how to proceed. I became aware of how much Love he was communicating to me. It was with and through Love that he felt our relationship was not helpful for either of us. As I let his message reach me, I began to feel the Love he was extending.

I am forever changed by the Love he extended as he took both my hands. We were One in that moment. We were One with Holy Spirit. The ego’s defenses were gone,

I could feel the purity of the Love that was present. When I felt this Love, I was able, for the first time, to let go of all fear with him. I was able to accept in the present moment that everything was all right. 

I said, “OK.” Simply. Because there was nothing more that needed to be said. I accepted the Love that filled the room. The Holy Instant had arrived. There was no fear of the future based on past suffering. In that present moment, there was nothing outside of our shared union with Love. A tear welled up in my eye. We stood and hugged. As we hugged, I said, “This is all I ever really wanted, to be relaxed with each other as friends.” He agreed. In that moment, we were joined with God, and all our brothers. In extending Love to each other, we extend Love to the whole Sonship. The whole world is healed in our choice for Love. 

The world changed because we chose to give our relationship to Holy Spirit, to commit to a Holy Relationship. A Holy Relationship always follows Holy Spirit’s guidance. Only by giving all stories, fears, and expectations to Holy Spirit for gentle loving correction, can we have happiness in this life. It matters not if I am with this man, another man, or no man. When I extend Love to everyone equally, including myself, I am living Christ’s vision. Peace is my only goal. I can only find peace by constantly practicing giving all fear to Holy Spirit. When I give up control, open to Love and accept the Truth, I live the happy dream.  

The Course says that in the holy instant, we see in each relationship what it will be when we perceive only the present. In the moment I let go of the past, I let go of judgment, I let go of guilt and the fear which is the source of all suffering. Love is always here.

The tricky ego used the very thing that I was afraid of happening, losing love, to create a story that I could be hurt by this wonderful man! Thank you God for always bringing me back to the Light of Truth. I am perfect Love and so is he. And so are you, my beautiful friends. Just ask Holy Spirit!!   

“With Love in you, you have no need except to extend It. In the holy instant, there is no conflict of needs, for there is only one. For the holy instant reaches to eternity, and to the Mind of God. And it is only there Love has meaning, and only there can It be understood.” (T-15.11:3-6)

Rev. Susan Comello is a Pathways of Light minister living in Madison, Wisconsin. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2018, 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.

Tell a Friend

Printable Page

---

Get in the Boat

by Rev. Paula Richards, O.M.C.

One of my favorite things to speak about is following Inner Guidance. What do we ask? How do we listen? And, more importantly, how do we learn to trust what we hear?

I definitely had to trust what I heard one afternoon while sitting by the river near my home. As I sat on the stone wall, a man who looked to be about my age cruised by in his motorboat. He was alone. For some inexplicable reason I had the feeling he was going to speak to me, so I wasn’t too surprised when he waved as he passed by. On his way back up the river, he slowed his boat and said, “Hello.” We struck up a conversation that quickly turned into a deep discussion about living on one’s own.

It seems crazy now that we could possibly have gotten into a deep conversation so quickly and under those circumstances, but we did, and I felt very comfortable talking to him. The problem was that it was difficult for him to hold his boat steady. There was no place for him to dock, and there was too much physical distance between us to talk easily. The next thing I knew he was shaking his head in disbelief and saying, “This isn’t something I would normally do, but I feel compelled to invite you aboard so we can continue this conversation.” And even more surprisingly, I found myself saying, “Yes.”

I couldn’t believe my own ears. Getting in a boat with a complete stranger? No one even knew I was at the river. They wouldn’t know where to look for me if I disappeared! But underlying those scary thoughts was a growing certainty that we were supposed to talk and that everything would be okay. We ended up cruising the river for over an hour. The man was considering leaving his wife and was nervous about being on his own. He had many questions and seemed to find information about my own experience helpful. We had a deep and very rewarding conversation. No contact information was exchanged. We both seemed to know that this was a one-time encounter.

I was quite pleased with myself that day; pleased that I was learning how to listen to and trust my inner guidance. I took all my precautionary thoughts into account, but then I went deeper to make my decision. My heart told me it was okay to go with this man, and I was right. I’m glad I listened. When I shared my adventure with a circle of my newest friends, I had to laugh at their reactions. I knew my friend, Mary, would understand. As I told my tale she sat there smiling and nodding in agreement, but the others were appalled. “Oh my God, Paula! How could you? You could have been killed! Nobody knew where you were!” On and on they went. I tried my best to explain, but they could not seem to understand why sometimes —

You simply have to get in the boat.

Rev. Paula Richards, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in North Billerica, MA. View her inspiring videos at:
http://www.pathwaysoflight.org/home/video_links Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Web: spiritrisingministries.com

© 2018, 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.

Tell a Friend

Printable Page

---

Overcoming Fear

by Rev. Larry Glenz, O.M.C.

Ever since I was a young boy I respected people who showed courage under difficult circumstances. But I never really felt courageous myself. I was afraid of so many things, so many people, and so many negative outcomes that I would imagine. But those that appeared to have more courage than I certainly impressed me.

I lived in a racially mixed town that was segregated by neighborhoods. The elementary school I attended was all white. I recall incidents of being very afraid whenever I saw black kids on the street. They recognized my fear and sometimes enjoyed threatening me with bodily harm. I hated being so scared and was ashamed of my cowardly thoughts and behavior.

In my teens I was a pretty successful student athlete but I still feared not being good enough. As a high school wrestler I had some impressive skills and a good record. Nevertheless, I had a haunting fear of losing. I would exhaust myself with worries about the imagined abilities of my opponent before each competition. I remember wishing I had a screw in the side of my head that I could turn to get my thoughts to change.

Other people did not see me as fearful. I had good grades and was recruited by some of the best schools in the country. I received awards for both academics and athletics. But I remember feeling the fear of failure greatly when I graduated high school at age 17.

Few people would have believed I was a fearful man in my 20’s and 30’s. I had a beautiful wife, two fine sons, and good job, a nice house, and many friends. But when my marriage fell apart after 19 years, I felt scared, weak, and full of doubts about my life.

I had always claimed to be an agnostic. I remember saying, “There may very well be a God but he is not paying any attention to me.” My divorce felt like an open wound and my fears about the future were overwhelming.

It was then that a close friend handed me a cassette tape of the book, A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson. He knew I was turned off by religion but he said the tape might be something that could help me.

I listened to the author of the book speak about A Course in Miracles. She spoke about the Workbook of the Course and how it gave one a process to gain spiritual strength. It was described as spiritual weight lifting.

I listened to the tape repeatedly for weeks and eventually bought the three books – the Text, the Workbook, and the Manual for Teachers. I felt inspired to devote myself to the lessons in the Workbook. In a very short time I was connecting with the Holy Spirit that resided in me.

Although I did not understand much of the Text and the contents of the Workbook, I somehow believed that I was holding the truth in my hands. I had the answer to all my fears if I was just willing to hand them over to my Higher Self for clarity.

It was not a quick process but I never missed a day of picking up the Workbook. I was told I did not have to like the lessons or to even believe what I was reading. But if I were willing to keep devoting myself daily, I would gain spiritual strength from my personal connection to the Holy Spirit.

Now I had a place to take all my fears and doubts. I was being guaranteed that if I handed over my fears to the Voice for God, the Holy Spirit, they would dissipate and be replaced by the strength of God’s Love. My studies of the Course served as the screw in the side of my head that I could turn to get my thoughts corrected.

“Whenever you are afraid you are deceived, and your mind cannot serve the Holy Spirit.”  (T-2.III.5:9)

The Course was convincing me that fear was never justified and every tough situation was the perfect lesson and forgiveness opportunity for my continued spiritual growth. I now had the perfect place to take my fears. Just hand the fears to Holy Spirit and let go of the outcome.

There would be many tough times ahead. The Workbook, however, had transformed my thinking. I would still become afraid– sometimes terribly afraid. But I now had the strength of Holy Spirit’s help and guidance.

“All healing is essentially the release from fear.” (T-2.IV.1:7)

I now depend on Holy Spirit’s guidance. I forget to listen sometimes but He will always bring me back. And I am so grateful for the strength I have received.

Rev. Larry Glenz, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in Long Beach, New York. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2018, 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.

Tell a Friend

Printable Page

---

Back to main page of Miracles News.

Featured Store Items

Spiritual Counselor Training — based on principles of A Course in Miracles, including ordination. More….

24 ACIM Practitioner courses including 50-page study guide, CD's or MP3s, with facilitator. More….

Healing Inner Child 8-week program will help you nurture your inner child, connect with your Higher Self and heal relationships.

Listen & Receive 30-Day Home Study Learn to receive insight for your life in a form that is perfect for you …heal fears, find joy & peace. Learn more.

Hey, Holy Spirit, It's Me Again by Rev. Myron Jones. An indispensible guide for anyone on the path of ACIM with insights on the 1st 90 lessons. More…

True Forgiveness by Rev. Jennifer McSween. The Proven Path from Pain to Power and personal happiness in 5 Simple Steps. Learn more.

From the Christ Mind Book II scribed by Darrell Morley Price. A great supporting supplement to A Course in Miracles. We highly recommend it. More….

Forgiving Kevin Audio book by Rev. Larry Glenz. A moving and inspiring true story of a father/son relationship that withstood seven years of addiction, recovery, and relapse. More….

Healing Family Relationships Applying the Principles of A Course in Miracles audio book by Rev. Myron Jones. Learn how family relationships offer fertile grounds for forgiveness and healing your judgments of the world. More.