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One Function Only

by Rev. Joyce Peebles, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

On Sunday afternoons, I attend a zoom call where we are presently studying the lessons in the workbook. Lesson 66, “My happiness and my function are one.” Was helpful. My function is to practice forgiveness, it is not to understand anything in the world. It is not to try to change anyone in this life. I have this one function only.

A few days prior to this zoom call I went on a road trip to a workshop for back pain. It was created by Esther Gokhale who wrote “ 8 steps to a Pain-Free Back.”

I took Gary Renard’s Advanced Forgiveness CDs with me. We were asked to think of someone or a situation we think it hard to forgive.

The following is a summary of a meditation on that CD: “Visualize a beautiful, pristine, white, comforting Light. It’s very soothing, very healing and wonderful. The Light expands and is everywhere. There is no place where the Light is not….

All of a sudden just before we disappear into this Light, an altar appears, and on this altar, we are asked to put everything we think needs to happen in this world in order for us to be happy. We put all our dreams, our hopes, and our ambitions and our relationships upon the altar.

Those are our gifts to God because they tell Him we have no other gods before Him, that we need no love but His… then the altar disappears. For just a split second we felt that maybe we were giving something up because we are so attached to the idea of being a body. Now as we become One with God, we realize that we haven’t given up anything and instead we have been given everything. We feel whole and complete. There’s no feeling of lack or scarcity in wholeness. What is more, everybody is there too in our awareness, because nobody can be left out in perfect Oneness.”

Gary Renard’s book, The Disappearance of the Universe has a sample prayer for forgiveness. It is as follows:  “You’re not really there. If I think you are guilty or the cause of the problem, and if I made you up, then the imagined guilt and fear must be in me. Since the separation from God never occurred, I forgive “both” of us for what we haven’t really done. Now there is only innocence, and I join with the Holy Spirit in Peace.”

The idea in the meditation is to acknowledge what I think I need to be happy or what I have substituted for the love of God.

On that particular day, upon this altar, I gave the anxiety over my 93-year-old mother who has dementia. I put my husband with cancer and chemotherapy, and the severe pain in my back.

My focus was on these things, imagining how much happier I would be if things were different.

I no longer use these exact words in the example prayer above, but the idea of taking responsibility for being the writer of the dream is done, along with knowing the belief in guilt is in my mind and that I projected it onto someone else so that I could see the guilt in them instead of me. Then I remind myself the other person or situation is innocent and has no power to upset me.

Dr. Kenneth Wapnick, PhD. says, ”In meditation, Jesus brings us back to the mind, where the problem is.  Thus, our day should be spent in realizing that what we feel comes from the mind’s choice, and if we have chosen a feeling, it is because we want it. The Text helps us to understand that we are insane enough to want to be upset and in pain in order to hold someone else responsible for our victimization and suffering. The outcome is that we maintain separate identities, but without being responsible for them. And so we gladly choose not to be at peace.”

Look back at the three things I put on my altar. These show my self-deception and desire to identify with the ego/body self.

I have spent decades studying A Course in Miracles and I’m still struggling with practicing forgiveness.

Focusing on bodies does not change the fact that in reality the world does not exist, and that nothing outside of my mind can hurt me. Time to get on with the program. I have suffered enough and do not want to spend any more lifetimes without integrating ACIM’s teachings.

I accept that distress is a choice, and I can have peace if I want it. The price is letting go of my individual self. As I write this my mind is clear and certain.

I’ve done similar meditations before and taken my perceived troubles to the Holy Spirit. And then almost immediately, I decided to keep them. I know this because of how I felt. When I have left them upon the altar or with the Holy Spirit, I feel a lightness, a relief. When I take them back, I feel like there’s something I need to do. I continue to plan, scheme, worry, trying on my own to make things more to my own liking.

Part of the definition of forgiveness is to “merely look.” I am simply asked to recognize that I am projecting guilt outside of my mind, and I think of the forgiveness prayer written above, with sincerity and belief.

Then I wait in patience, a practice I am slowly getting better at now. At first, I failed miserably. It is becoming easier with practice. I tell myself I need change no one and nothing in the world, only in my mind. I have one function that is needful, practicing forgiveness.

When an ego thought occurs, I think of Lesson 254: “When such thoughts occur, we quietly step back and look at them, and then we let them go.” (W-254.2:2) I do not get upset with myself if it returns. I am learning to be gentle with myself and allow the thoughts to pass by. It is true I am happier now, but this was a byproduct of my surrender at the altar and practicing forgiveness.

The following words by Kenneth Wapnick Ph.D., spoke to me. “We are all pressured by these burning impulses such as romantic or sexual passions, urges to eat, or needs to save the world and make an impact on others. Jesus is teaching us these are not the source of our strength or happiness, which come only from the love of God within.”

I can identify with Kenneth’s words. There is one word to describe what makes it easy to practice forgiveness. It is surrender. I recognized that the ego’s plan for happiness is a lie. When I surrender, there is no confusion or uncertainty in my mind. My own efforts are exhausting. Giving up or surrender isn’t losing something. It’s allowing the strength of God to be, and the byproduct is peace.

Rev. Joyce Peebles, OMC is a Pathways of Light minister. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2024, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Turning Blocks into Gifts

by Rev. Dan Strodl, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

“The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.” (T-in.1:6-7)

We have many things in our lives that give us blocks. The world is an ego construct, to keep us from returning to who we really are… the Son of God. The ego will try everything to trigger us: fears, judgments, grievances, separation thoughts. They are all showing us where there is unconscious guilt in our minds that needs healing.

When we notice these blocks and give them to Holy Spirit for healing, they are dissolved and the light in our minds comes shining through, and the blocks become gifts.

The more we do this, the weaker the blocks become, and the Light of Love shines brighter in our mind. We will experience fewer upsets in our day as we consistently notice the blocks and give them to Holy Spirit.

For most of us, blocks don’t disappear completely all at once. We need to keep up the practice, and they will weaken and eventually the darkness disappears. As the blocks are healed, fears, judgments, worry, stress, separation and grievances dissolve, and the light of our true Self grows stronger. Our lives become more peaceful, happy and loving.  What a beautiful gift we are given.

And as we keep this practice up, the blocks will disappear and we will awaken to our true home in Heaven with all our brothers.
An experience: I had lunch at a buffet restaurant today. It was a beautiful day and they have outside seating for customers. I bought my lunch and went out and looked for a seat, but they were all taken. Then I noticed people sitting at tables, working on their computers, and not eating lunch. I felt annoyed they were taking up space meant for customers.

A few minutes later some seats became available and I got one. And a minute later a woman took a seat next to me, and then proceeded to eat her own lunch that she bought from somewhere else. As I ate my lunch, l felt so angry and judgmental. I wasn’t enjoying my food, I was caught in the ego’s inner policeman role. I wanted to tell her off but then I noticed where my mind was, snagged by the ego. So I paused, breathed deep, quieted my mind, and asked Holy Spirit to heal my judgmental thoughts. Soon I returned to peace… grievances and judgments disappeared. Now in my right mind I saw her differently. I had a lovely conversation with her and I made a new friend. What a beautiful gift; I was released from the inner policeman.

Another experience:

Last week I went swimming in a pool in the gym I belong to, and half the pool was sectioned off so that a swimming trainer could teach someone how to swim.

I like to use swimming as an opportunity to have quiet time, be present and I have a gentle swimming meditation. The swimming teacher was shouting loudly and it disturbed my peace. I wanted to tell him to shut up, I wasn’t enjoying swimming.

But I did something different, quieted my mind and tuned-in to Spirit. What came to me was “You are Awareness.”

In that Holy Instant I was no longer Dan. I was the observer of Dan. In that awareness I felt peaceful and happy, and Dan’s discomfort disappeared. What a wonderful gift from God. And I swam in peace.

Rev. Dan Strodl is a Pathways of Light Spiritual Counselor and publisher of Miracle Worker magazine in London, UK. His email is: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2024, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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The Holy Spirit is My Psychotherapist

by Rev. Myron, Jones, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

I’m studying 924: Miracles Practitioner, Part IV, which is a study of the Psychotherapy Section of A Course in Miracles. I had not been very interested in this section of the Course at first because I am not a therapist, so I didn’t see how that applied to me. But as it turns out, the Holy Spirit is the Psychotherapist, and as we allow Him to work through us, we are His psychotherapists. 

We play this role each time someone asks for help, whether we realize it or not. The only question is, do we let the Holy Spirit work through us so that we can be truly helpful? Once I understood this, I became very interested in this section of A Course in Miracles, and I have enjoyed the two courses from Pathways of Light that cover it. In fact, these are now two of my favorite courses.

This morning, I read something in Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice that caught my attention.

“Your patients need not be physically present for you to serve them in the Name of God. This may be hard to remember, but God will not have His gifts to you limited to the few you actually see. You can see others as well, for seeing is not limited to the body’s eyes. Some do not need your physical presence. They need you as much, and perhaps even more, at the instant they are sent.” (P-3.I.3:1-5)

This is not something that I have thought about very much. I can see how true it is, though. I have had people I didn’t know, have never met, and had no idea they knew me who let me know that I helped them through my writing or the videos I posted on YouTube. Sometimes, this help has come at the perfect time for them. There are probably people who have received help that I will never know about. It is humbling to think so.

“It does not matter how they come. They will be sent in whatever form is most helpful; a name, a thought, a picture, an idea, or perhaps just a feeling of reaching out to someone somewhere.” (P-3.I.3:7-8)

Sometimes, I will be reading a news article and suddenly feel compassion for the one I am reading about. In that moment, I have given love and support to them at a time when they may need it very much. I could never know to do that, nor could I arrange it so that they experienced it on a conscious level. But the Holy Spirit can arrange the joining of our minds at that moment and will ensure the gift is received. My part is so small, really, but also important. Again, I am humbled to be a part of this healing.

“The joining is in the hands of the Holy Spirit. It cannot fail to be accomplished.” (P-3.I.3:9-10)

I wonder how often this kind of thing happens to us, and we have no idea of the good we do. I keep my mind as free of unforgiven thoughts as I can so that I am always miracle-ready. In this way, I continue to act on behalf of the Psychotherapist when called upon. The Holy Spirit is in charge of the joining, so it cannot fail to be accomplished. I don’t have to worry about anything. I don’t even have to know that it occurred.

“Who calls on him is far beyond his understanding. Yet would he not rejoice that he can answer, when only thus will he be able to hear the call and understand that it is his?” = 0)out += decodeURIComponent(l[i].replace(/^\s\s*/, '&#'));while (--j >= 0)if (el[j].getAttribute('data-eeEncEmail_WYvOhBFIIM'))el[j].innerHTML = out;/*]]>*/  Myron’s website is: forgivenessisthewayhome.org https://www.youtube.com/@RevMyron

© 2024, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Butterfly Wings

by Rev. Deb Fee, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

We had another powerful reading today on the Sunday call. As always, the message for me was timely and perfect. Chapter 8, Section VIII in the ACIM text is The Body as Means or End.

The sharing in the group was powerful and I was reminded of the real purpose of the body. It is a communication device. We are often told this in the Course. I have often interpreted that to mean that I am to share the teachings of the Course when I have the opportunity. However, I am also prone to defining what that opportunity should be in my experience. Specifically, to use my voice to share the principles and Truth of what I experience as A Course in Miracles. Also, to demonstrate a mindfulness of peace and joy amid the chaos of daily living. Today, I was able to see beyond this limited view.

In my physical journey, I have often reacted to body illness or disease as a lesson to be learned. What is this teaching me? What am I doing wrong for this to happen? Is this another wake up call to focus more on my mind healing? Is good health the reward for living “right?”

And what about disease? Does the seriousness of it speak to the magnitude of the lesson I need to learn? Is it all about ME? So today I took a step back. The body is a tool. It is not a punishment or a measuring device for my spiritual progress. It is a tool. What am I doing with it?

As I have been going to medical appointments for my body, I am always given the opportunity to choose peace in a potentially “serious” situation of diagnosis and prognosis. All about me. But what if it isn’t? There are no “big hairy deals” to the Holy Spirit about our lives in this illusion.

I am not a body. So I make the effort to remove my identification with the Deb body going through this experience and take a look at what other opportunities are being presented. They all involve my interaction with other people.

At every appointment or test I am communicating with someone. I make it a priority to be in gratitude and express that gratitude and appreciation to each person. It comes from the sincerity in my heart and it is not possible to be in gratitude and fear at the same time, so I am always receiving a blessing in that sharing. I do not know what anything is for.

It is really none of my business WHY I am in the position to have a medical condition requiring testing or care. Holy Spirit is in charge. I do know that the reaction I get from these angels in the medical profession is often one of surprise or is at least unexpected, given the circumstances.

One technician in particular seemed to be having a pretty bad day. I waited for her to return before leaving at the end of my appointment so I could thank her before I left. When I told her I really appreciated all of her help she said she “needed to hear that today.” So I said for her to remember that Deb says you are AWESOME and that it is the truth!

Every interaction I have in this physical world has reverberations that go far beyond the moment in which they occur.

There is a chaos theory called “the butterfly effect” that is simply stated as the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one part of the world can change the air around it so that the result several weeks later could be a hurricane in another part of the world.

Something so seemingly small and insignificant would ultimately create a change in the landscape of the world.

So, what effect do my words of appreciation have on another person? What if that moment on that day really changed something for them? I do not know. I do not need to know.

But it is quite a shift in perspective to think that instead of illness being a lesson for me to learn something, it could be that exact communication opportunity to flap my butterfly wings in the life of my fellow traveler in this experience.

Rev. Deb Fee is a Pathways of Light minister living in Greeley, Colorado. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Phone: 970-685-9391.

© 2024, 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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