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Our Body Reflects Our Beliefs

by Rev. Peggy Rivera, O.M.C.

A friend of mine told me she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was devastated because she said, “I did everything right. I eat right, I exercise, and I take supplements. And now I have cancer.” She told me she was so bewildered that she is having a difficult time leading her weight management group. I felt really bad for her.

We talked for a while and then I told her I would be there for her no matter what. I went home and read in the Text of A Course in Miracles, hoping to find some comforting words. It is sometimes difficult to approach a non-Course student about words of wisdom from the Course when it may not be something that they can grasp. But I read in the Text on page 187, “All magic is an attempt to reconcile the irreconcilable. If God created you perfect then you are perfect. If you believe you can be sick, you have placed other gods before him.” ….

I thought about how I could say something to her without making her feel like she was to blame for her illness because that is the last thing I would want her to feel.

When we spoke again and she said she was having a hard time leading the group now, I smiled and reminded her that she is doing everything right, she already conquered her diet and her exercise and now she is working on her thoughts and that it is sometimes more important what comes out of the mouth than what goes into it.  That seemed to make her really happy, and then she hugged me and thanked me for showing her a new way of seeing that.  I thought about how beautiful it was to see someone’s face transform when they come to a new reality.

God, thank you for loving me and the entire Sonship, and thank you for showing my friend how perfect she is.

Rev. Peggy Rivera, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in Miami, Florida.

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

by Rev. Mary Manke, O.M.C.

The insane mind tries to keep its illusions. It defends against the Truth with intensity, ferocity and with guile. It will “do” anything to keep truth from entering its abode, and makes the false appear to take the place of Truth.

We are learning that the insane mind is only foolishness, not to be taken seriously. The insane mind is the desire to see special wishes come true. The faith or belief in these wishes makes this world appear very solid and real. The insane mind does not want to wake, yet beneath all its noise and magic, its grandiosity and pride, there is the Truth. And the Truth calls to you again and again to be Itself.

The Truth is hidden by layers of clouds and screens of smoke. It waits, eternally patient for your willingness to accept a change of mind. Truth holds no grievances because there is nothing in the clouds or smoke to fight against. It knows you will wake and return to the only Home you’ve ever known. It knows that your true Will cannot be denied, and this true Will will bring you Home with Light shining everywhere and at once.

The good news is that you are not the insane mind, though it seems often to be the one part that you are aware of and place your focus on. There is a Part of you that knows and accepts the Truth. There is a Part of you that holds every answer to any question, that lays the Truth before you in any circumstance. There is a Part of you where peace is welcomed and Love is given room. This Part of you has never been away or disconnected from you. You may choose dreams in place of the awareness of this eternal Part of you, but dreams cannot touch or change It.

You can learn to choose again — to choose for awareness of this Part that seemed so distant to you. You can learn that this Part can only help you and not deliver punishment, pain or death to you. You can learn that what was hidden was only your perfect innocence and Love. The Part of you that was denied asks only that you open and receive the gift of Truth. This Part of you that can never depart because It is one with you. It has never been separate from you, and what is part of something must be in the whole. What appears to be part of you, in reality is the only Part, the only “You.”

This loving Self that you seem to connect with on “certain” occasions is what you really are. The loving Self Is you, not the fragmented fantasy image that you dreamed. The loving Self is your one Identity.

As you allow the Truth to be remembered more and more, you will find all fear removed in accepting this Identity. All the fear-generated ideas around the body will be released. The practice to remember the Truth, to welcome the Truth, seems to take time. But with every instant of practice, you shorten time. In each instant of accepting truth, you move closer to Home, saving eons of time in the dream. 

PS: What more could you want? What else could ever bring true happiness? You are one Self, united with your Creator, your Source. You have never left your Source. There is no distance between you.

Your loving Self gives you every answer to every problem, every dilemma that seems to confront you, every fear that would inhibit you, or stifle you to not extend Love. Your loving Self gives you everything. It touches anyone or anything with Love. With Love are all released, made free from sick dreams of guilt and separation. With Love, you are freed from illusions, freed from the dream, freed from fear and despair.

Your mind and mine can unite in shining your ego away, releasing the strength of God into everything you think and do. (T-4.IV.8:3)

Rev. Mary Manke is a Pathways of Light minister who lives in Wautoma, Wisconsin. Read more of her inspiring Healing Journal articles on the Pathways of Light web site.

© 2012, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Listen to One Voice

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

I am always amazed at the myriad ways Spirit finds to communicate with us. As I was passing by the television set recently, a commercial that was playing caught my eye. The image on the screen was of a young woman’s face looking straight into the camera. Then you began to hear the inner dialogue that was going on in her mind, which went something like this. “What happens if I fail again; what if I’m not strong enough; what if I give into temptation; what makes you think you’ll be successful this time?”

This inner dialogue went on for about 15 seconds or so until you heard another voice say “Shhh… There’s only one voice you need to be listening to, and that’s the voice of encouragement, support and compassion.”

It turned out it was a commercial for Weight Watchers telling how with their program you would receive all the support necessary to stay on course and achieve your goal.

I was immediately struck by the similarities between the commercial I had just watched and a powerful exercise from Pathways of Light Course 111: Awakening to Your True Self called ‘Personality Aspect Role Playing.’ Since there is only ever a choice between one of two voices playing in my mind, the voice of ego or of my true Self, it is my responsibility to decide which voice I want to hear. And as my true Self will not impose It’s views as the ego does, it is up to me to quiet the ego and tune into peace to be able to hear my true Self.

Then, just like in the commercial, the Voice of my true Self will give me all the love, encouragement, support and compassion necessary for me to stay on course and achieve my goal, which is awakening from the ancient dream of separation into the full remembrance, awareness, and experience of my true self in God. Thank you Holy Spirit, for reminding me that there is only One Voice I need listen to!

Rev. Larry Pueppka, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light Minister living in North Platte, Nebraska.

© 2012, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Defeated by A Course in Miracles

by Rev. Ken Gorman, O.M.C.

My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world. (W-pI.11)

This is one of the most important aspects of ACIM training yet one of the most difficult to accept, especially for ego that builds our image as individual life forms, separate from everything else with an entire universe constructed of and by thoughts. This concept is found in many other traditions such as Ramana Maharshi who said… “the degree of the absence of thoughts is your measure of progress on the spiritual path.” It has been said that Krishna Murti teachings can be summarized in two words… “Don’t Think,” despite producing reams of material on spirituality. Even the Buddhist canon could fill several libraries. This is also similar to the ACIM material many of us have studied for years which consists of words and more words, pages and more pages of text… why?

I was listening to Eckhart Tolle, who gave a great explanation of this in speaking about ACIM. He said, “It meets us where we are in the noise and then takes us by the hand out of the noise.” He also goes on to say that a good explanation of the experience of emptiness, enlightenment, realizing our true nature, unlimited spaciousness… whatever you want to call it is “Thoughtless Awareness.”

For me there was a moment a couple years ago when I realized after studying ACIM for almost 20 years that the Text had well and truly defeated me. No matter how hard I studied, I could not seem to stuff all of the concepts into my mind. I would stumble on sections I thought I had ‘mastered’ a couple years earlier only to realize I had totally forgotten about it. Others that I was sure I understood, would take on a totally different meaning months later, leading me to realize the everything I thought I understood today was at risk of having a totally different meaning in months or years. And then the Workbook… I started doing that again by the days of the year and it was like I was starting over again each time with a new Workbook. I am convinced there are thousands of Lessons masquerading as 365, one for each day that we decide to do them for the rest of our lives.

Oh yea… and then there was my favorite ACIM quote, the one I like to constantly forget — “I do not understand what anything, including this, means.”

Fortunately, I think what all of the teachers above are trying to tell us is that the answer does not lie in our thoughts and our thinking mind, in fact that is the problem.  They are pointing to a reality that actually surrendering ‘thought’ and the insatiable desire to ‘understand with my mind’ (which is always based in an imagined past) is the gateway to remembering; that my awareness without thought is always waiting for me in the present moment, and connecting with it leads to peace. I also have a feeling that this is pretty close to what forgiveness is all about.

My ego will tell me that if I don’t pay attention to its stories, analysis, judgments, fears, plans, etc. that I will be lost, like a paper cup blowing on a lake. What I think ACIM may be trying to teach us is that when I let go of this and rest in this awareness, the Voice of the Holy Spirit now has space and can fill in all the gaps I think I might experience with what things really mean… maybe this is Christ Vision?

On a practical level, I find (and am told) I cannot just stop thinking, but what I find I can do is gradually ‘de-value’ the thoughts that are passing through my mind and actually rest my awareness on the space in which they are arising. I like the passing clouds in the sky analogy. This takes continuous practice as my thinking mind is a giant flywheel made mostly of habit energy. I also think it takes continuous inspiration which I get through reading, study groups, fellowship and service.  But the good news is we are told we only need ‘Willingness’ and something in my mind (HS/Higher Self/Inner Guide/Power Greater than Myself/etc.) does the work for me. So now I am back to surrender, which makes a lot of sense as surrender is what normally happens after ‘defeat’ (also Step 1 of the 12 Steps) …a defeat I am very grateful for Jeshua engineering through many means and especially A Course in Miracles.

Rev. Ken Gorman, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in London, England.

© 2012, 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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