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Gentle Healing Journal Lesson 96 2-11-19

LESSON 96
Salvation comes from my one Self.

“Spirit makes use of mind as means to find its Self expression. And the mind which serves the spirit is at peace and filled with joy. Its power comes from spirit, and it is fulfilling happily its function here. Yet mind can also see itself divorced from spirit, and perceive itself within a body it confuses with itself. Without its function then it has no peace, and happiness is alien to its thoughts.”

For most of my life my mind has served ego and because of this I have tried to see myself as two; “as both good and evil, loving and hating, mind and body.” This has caused so much conflict that I have never been completely peaceful. It is not possible to reconcile opposites and so it is like there has been a war raging within.
For a while now, my mind has been wavering in its fidelity. I still hear the ego and I still sometimes believe the ego, but I have come to understand that I will never find peace with the ego and so I am learning to turn to the Holy Spirit for my advice and guidance. This is not the unreserved allegiance to my true Self that I must have if I am to experience the peace of God, but it is going to be.

We have been seeking that Self for the last several lessons as we give our commitment to the single choice for God and in stillness seek Its Thoughts and claim them as our own. I have not succeeded yet, but I feel differently about the process. I know, now, that I am not alone in this. I do all things with my Creator because we are One. I feel Its strength within me as I do my practice.

I see the ego efforts to distract me, showing me problems and making false promises to provide solutions. These problems are not of interest to me at this moment and I recognize the senselessness of seeking solutions where they cannot be found. The ego has one directive, seek and do not find. So even if the problem could be found in time, it would not be solved there. The ego has no interest or ability to solve problems. It’s purpose is only to keep me interested in them.

Something I really liked from Regina’s tips from yesterday’s lesson is that we are steadily raising our vibration as we consistently make higher choices. Raising my level of vibration feels simple and doable. So, I am doing two things. I am paying attention to my thoughts and releasing lower thoughts as I choose higher thoughts. I am also giving time to stillness so that I can put my attention on the desire to know my Self.

“Your Self knows that you cannot fail today. Perhaps your mind remains uncertain yet a little while. Be not dismayed by this. The joy your Self experiences It will save for you, and it will yet be yours in full awareness.”

Regina’s Tips
These tips speak for themselves and only need to be followed.

There are some other fun little games you can play that will help bring Self-realization into your experience.

~ When you are with another person, contemplate their awareness. No matter what they are saying or doing, contemplate the fact that underneath personality and individual thoughts, their awareness is exactly the same as yours.

~ When you are with a pet, contemplate its awareness. Notice as your pet looks out of its eyes. Realize the awareness looking out through the pet’s eyes is the same awareness that looks out through your eyes.

~ When you are with nature, contemplate life. Contemplate the aliveness in a tree, an insect, a bird, a flower, grass, etc. Realize that the aliveness in nature is the same life-force that is in you, and then contemplate Life as what you are.

Today’s workbook lesson says, “Spirit makes use of mind as means to find its Self expression. And the mind which serves the spirit is at peace and filled with joy.”

As you look at awareness, contemplate awareness, and contemplate life, you will come to see life-awareness-intelligence as what you are. This is what the Course calls spirit. You will come to see it as playing through the human body and mind just like the air from the musician’s breath plays through the flute. Seeing yourself as life-awareness-intelligence playing through the human is much different than thinking you are the human, the body or the mind. When you see in this way, you know the difference between the real and unreal. You also see your Self in other people, in animals, and in nature. You begin to sense your eternal ongoing nature, and you experience happiness that unattached; happiness that simply is.

Today as we practice “Salvation comes from my one Self,” embrace every opportunity to contemplate our one Self, and “you lay another treasure in your growing store” of Self-realization.

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Gentle Healing Journal Lesson 95 2-8-19

LESSON 95
I am one Self, united with my Creator.

“You are one Self, and it is given you to feel this Self within you, and to cast all your illusions out of the one Mind that is this Self, the holy truth in you.
1
Do not forget today. We need your help; your little part in bringing happiness to all the world. And Heaven looks to you in confidence that you will try today. Share, then, its surety, for it is yours. Be vigilant. Do not forget today. Throughout the day do not forget your goal.”

We constructed a thought system that allowed us to have this experience of separation from God. If we imagine this thought system occupying a small room in our spacious mind, we can see that we gave the ego the job of keeping the door shut on this room. Jesus tells us that if we remember the love of God we will be drawn into that love, so the only way to have the experience is to be sure that door is never opened.

Lost as we are in our stories, we have forgotten that we made the ego and that it knows nothing of the truth and has no power over us. It can only distract us in some way from going through the door into eternity. It distracts through offering us shiny objects and stories to keep our attention. It distracts through fear and guilt. However, as we are ready to awaken, we are discovering that while it can distract us from wanting to go through the door, it cannot prevent the opening of the door.

Jesus is helping us to discover the door and helping us to move through it. He is doing this gently, a step at a time because we have become so confused that we think the ego is all there is and what it offers is the truth. This is why I keep asking the all important questions: What does this really mean? What am I? It is why I keep questioning the obstructions to that door and rejecting them as they occur to me. It is why I keep working to discipline my mind, frustrating as that is for me.

I am so moved by Jesus’ plea to us to not forget, to do my part to bring happiness to the world. I will be vigilant, Jesus. I won’t forget.

Regina’s Tip
“I am one Self, united with my Creator.” If this is true (and it is true), can I do anything apart from my Creator? In order to do something apart from my Creator, we’d have to be two, wouldn’t we?

This means that if I forget the lesson for a few hours, or if I remember but I have too much resistance to give 5 minutes to practice, that I am forgetting or resisting WITH my creator.

Again, remember The Code. The code that we create has different vibrational levels in it. When we choose the highest level available to us, we raise higher in vibration.

Choosing to believe a lower vibration thought/feeling cannot keep you down; only continuing to believe lower vibration thoughts/feelings can keep you down.

So when you make a mistake, correct it as soon as possible by choosing the highest vibrational thought available to you now. That is, forgive yourself, don’t give power to ideas like failure or guilt, and try again.

My Thoughts
So, this is another way to look at things. I love this way of seeing it because it includes the fact that we are part of God and this never changes, not even while we play at being human. I like the idea that all we are going is choosing to raise our vibrational level so that we get closer and closer to our reality as part of God. It emphasizes that we are not trying to become Divine, we are Divine. We are not trying to get back to God, we are in God and trying to increase our ability to experience eternity rather than time.

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Gentle Healing Journal Lesson 94 2-7-19

LESSON 94
I am as God created me.

This is the only lesson that is repeated. Right there is an indication that this lesson is very important. I remember a time when I must have been listening to a recording with this lesson in its first form and my young daughter overheard it. She was riding her bike around a circular drive and each time she passed me, I heard her singing out, “I am not a body, I am free, I am as God created me. I had to smile and I hoped it was being embedded in her consciousness, though I assumed she didn’t know what it meant.

Well, neither did I, really. I mean, I understood the words and the general idea, but I didn’t really understand how it was that this was “the one idea which brings complete salvation; the one statement which makes all forms of temptation powerless; the one thought which renders the ego silent and entirely undone.” But now, I do understand. I understand that when the ego mind starts its “sin” nonsense, I know it can’t be true because I am as God created me, still. I am always as God created me regardless of the dark dreamscape of my life as a human.

“You stand in light, strong in the sinlessness in which you were created, and in which you will remain throughout eternity.”

Regina’s Tip
Remember, the “I am a body” belief is the basis of the ego thought system. If you can see that you are not a body, you render the entire ego thought system meaningless.

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Gentle Healing Journal Lesson 93 2-5-19

LESSON 93
Light and joy and peace abide in me.

“The self you made is not the Son of God. Therefore, this self does not exist at all. And anything it seems to do and think means nothing. It is neither bad nor good. It is unreal, and nothing more than that.

Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God. Over and over this must be repeated, until it is accepted. It is true. Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God. Nothing can touch it, or change what God created as eternal. The self you made, evil and full of sin, is meaningless. Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God, and light and joy and peace abide in you.”

If I could completely accept this as absolutely true, just an undeniable fact, and if I would then accept that it must be true for all others if it is true for me, I would be done with this world. I am still as God created me. That is the fact that cannot be undone in my dreams. Sometimes, I think I believe this and then I will judge someone or myself, or I will worry or regret something and I am pulled out of my denial. Not denial that I am as God created me, but denial that I really believe that.

So here we go with the split mind again. I know this is true. I believe it. And I think I have made terrible mistakes beginning with the tiny mad idea and I feel bad about myself until I can’t stand the guilt and I think someone else made terrible mistakes. It’s the separation story all over again. But I never lose completely lose sight of my innocence. I never lose sight of the truth even as I slide down the rabbit hole again. This means I climb out faster and with less suffering and so I know I am making headway.

Regina’s Tip
…if I went into a big tirade about what a terrible tree you are, I could go on and on about how you never drop your leaves in the fall; I could go on and on about how trees are suppose to stay in one place and you are always moving around; I could go on and on about how you don’t put off enough shade, and you’d just think that I am crazy. Those thoughts wouldn’t affect you because you don’t think you are a tree. If you aren’t a tree, you can’t be a bad tree.

Well, if you aren’t a body, you can’t be a bad or stupid or ugly body. So we question all of the beliefs and ideas that are part of the “I am a body” thought system by questioning the basis of the thought system itself. What am I?

My Thoughts
I have started a process of asking “what am I?” several times but always forget to do it. Today, I posted notes in various places around my house asking that question. I am helping myself follow my true desire to know what I am until it becomes a habit and then until I know the answer.

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Gentle Healing Journal Lesson 92 2-4-19

LESSON 92
Miracles are seen in light, and light and strength are one.

Wednesday, I worked my way through a significant grievance, the content of which began when I was quite young. It felt really uncomfortable when I was in the grievance but it was worth it to release that unhealed belief that had been taking up space in my mind for my whole life. When I went to my Al Anon meeting, the first two people I greeted commented on how good I looked, like there was a glow about me. I told them that was just happiness.

So, Thursday night more stuff came to my awareness. I suddenly felt this overwhelming sadness about the state of the world, the divisiveness, the completely unfounded fear, the anger and even hatred. I just sat there and choked out sobs, that was how strong the feeling was. I let it out without trying to control it or even think about it. When I thought it was done, I asked what this was really about but the answer didn’t come at first.

Added to the extreme emotional reaction was the fear of not knowing what was going on and the realization that it was not over. Every time I thought I was through with the feeling part, strong emotion moved through me again. I wanted to let it have its way, but I didn’t want to wallow in it. Too much focus on the ego response tends to harden it in my mind. I go from simply watching it, to being lost in it.

Finally, I gave up dealing with it and decided to see how I felt this morning. Much to my dismay, the feeling was still there, not as strong, but then the day was still young. Again, I had another “come to Jesus” moment in which I asked him to help me understand what this was really all about. I must have been ready for the answer because I felt the word hopeless burst out of my mouth on another sob. Good! Now we are getting someplace!

I also heard the word helpless. I was looking at the belief in hopelessness and the belief that I was helpless to do anything about it. So, I reminded myself that this could not be true and I did my best to release it. I was having a hard time, though. I did this over and over and then decided to just do my next lesson for the Gentle Healing group, although I wondered if I would be able to do a good job considering how I felt.

And of course, here in the lesson was my answer and my healing.

3 It is God’s strength in you that is the light in which you see, as it is His Mind with which you think. His strength denies your weakness. It is your weakness that sees through the body’s eyes, peering about in darkness to behold the likeness of itself; the small, the weak, the sickly and the dying, those in need, the helpless and afraid, the sad, the poor, the starving and the joyless. These are seen through eyes that cannot see and cannot bless.

4 Strength overlooks these things by seeing past appearances. It keeps its steady gaze upon the light that lies beyond them. It unites with light, of which it is a part. It sees itself. It brings the light in which your Self appears. In darkness you perceive a self that is not there. Strength is the truth about you; weakness is an idol falsely worshipped and adored that strength may be dispelled, and darkness rule where God appointed that there should be light.

It was like a light came on in my mind and I saw everything in crystal clarity. It seems I was fooled by the strong emotional response into believing that because it was so intense there must be something real behind it, that it must have meaning. I immediately shifted my awareness to my right mind and all the emotion faded away and happiness returned with no other effort on my part.

I feel just a little bit of a lump in my throat thinking about the sad state of the world right now. That is the ego mind wanting to think about the illusion as if it is real. It wants to go back into the story. I release that to the Holy Spirit, too. I want always to be in my right mind because it is as close to God and to the state of Heaven as I will manage while I am still in time.

Regina’s Tip
Today’s lesson also introduces a new opportunity to pay attention to awareness, a method that can be practiced throughout the day everyday no matter where you are or what you are doing.

If you pay careful attention to yourself, you will see when you believe “I am a body.” Some of the symptoms of this belief are judgment, condemnation, fear, attack, self-hatred and a sense of being separate from everyone and everything outside of your body.

Today’s lesson asks us to shift our attention from that weakness (“I am a body”) to strength (awareness). We are asked to repeat today’s workbook lesson to our self throughout the day today. To really maximize the benefit, it is helpful to linger for a few seconds after repeating the workbook lesson. Simply linger in a relaxed state and notice awareness (isness, aliveness).

My Thought
It is helpful to realize that our judgment, condemnation, fear, attack, self-hatred and a sense of being separate from everyone and everything outside of your body are indicative of a belief we are a body. I watch for this stuff all the time and I release it when I find it. Sometimes it feels like I will never get to the end of it, but all of those many thoughts represent the one thought that I am a body, so I will succeed eventually.

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Gentle Healing Journal Lesson 91 2-3-19

Lesson 91
Miracles are seen in light.

I’m starting this study by looking closely at the main points in this lesson.

• miracles and vision necessarily go together
• the miracle is always there
• you will see them in the light; you will not see them in the dark
• light is crucial so that miracles will be seen
• if I deny the light that is there, its presence will be unknown to me and the idea of light will be meaningless. I believe what the eyes show me and so reject what is really there
• I am not alone in gaining vision, I have strong support
•  we will devote ourselves to the attempt to let you feel this strength in you
• miracles your sense of weakness hides will leap into awareness as you feel the strength in you.
• instruct yourself that you are not a body, faith goes to what you want
• Your will remains your teacher, and your will has all the strength to do what it desires
• Miracles are seen in light.
The body’s eyes do not perceive the light.
But I am not a body. What am I?
• What you think you are is a belief to be undone
• The truth of what you are calls on the strength in you to bring to your awareness what the mistake conceals.
• you need to feel something to put your faith in, as you lift it from the body.
• I am not weak, but strong.
I am not helpless, but all powerful.
I am not limited, but unlimited.
I am not doubtful, but certain.
I am not an illusion, but a reality.
I cannot see in darkness, but in light.
• your efforts, however meager, are fully supported by the strength of God and all His Thoughts. It is from Them that your strength will come.
• Their strength is yours. Their strength becomes your eyes, that you may see.

Miracles and light go together. Miracles are always there but because I am not always aware of the light, I am not always aware of the miracle. What gets in the way of the light? My denial of the light blocks it from my awareness and thus keeps me from the miracle. When I deny the light, I believe what my eyes show me instead. This encompasses what my ears tell me and what my body senses. When I deny the light, I will believe I am the body that reports this information to me.

How do I regain the light I have denied? Alone this would not be possible, but I am not alone. I am fully supported by God and all His Thoughts. My part is to increase my willingness through practice. I do this in meditation as I become open and receptive to Their help in remembering what I am. My will is my teacher and my will has all the strength to do what it desires. My will along with the support of God and all His Thoughts will succeed, cannot but succeed.

And here is how my Helpers worked through me this morning. I took this lesson apart sentence by sentence to squeeze all the juice I could from it. I read Regina’s tips carefully for the same reason. This morning I had three people to speak to and in each case, I had the opportunity to include portions of what I learned in this lesson and so the discussion further reinforced it. Thank you, Holy Spirit.

Regina’s Tips
Regina says:
What is the miracle?
Today’s workbook lesson says, “The miracle is always there.” The miracle in this context is what you are.

What is light?
Light is awareness.

“Miracles are seen in light” means: Your truth is known in awareness.

Today’s workbook lesson also says, “To you, then, light is crucial. While
you remain in darkness, the miracle remains unseen.”

The ego thought system is darkness. While we remain focused on the ego thought system, we are not aware of truth. We are not aware of what we are.

I love how Regina simplifies ideas, pulling out what is most important to me.

Regina also says:
When we combine intention with action (spiritual practice), we call out to our true Self with a power that the mind cannot fathom, and the true Self answers. This answer to our call is certain. We simply need to put out the call.

Do your part to the best of your little ability, and the true Self will do its part, and its ability is way beyond yours. Prepare to be amazed.

Self Visualization Plan

This is Regina’s:
This is the visualization plan that I have come up with for me now. It supports my spiritual aspiration.

Relaxed in Self-certainty, I know where to place attention in every moment including how to think, how to perceive and how to spend my time. I easily focus attention without distraction. I use the mind effectively when it is useful. It rests silently when not in use. I abide in Self-realization, even as the body is engaged in activity. I experience truth as it is, without a second. I am the direct experience of truth.

My Thoughts
Could I just adopt her plan? ~smile~ Well, ultimately, yes, but maybe I should start where I am and develop a plan to get where Regina is now.

I will start by asking HS to be in charge of my plan, to guide me to the perfect elements for me right now.

I know I am good at vigilance but I see no reason to abandon that. I already spend the majority of my time directly involved in spiritual activity of some sort and all of my time with a spiritual purpose. That time seems well spent and helpful so I will continue that as well. I resolve to spend more time in meditation and to change my script around meditation from a focus on my past experience with it, to the experience I intend to have going forward. I intend to give more attention to root cause when I notice dark thoughts that I am still tempted to believe, taking it all the way back to the TMI as I forgive them. I am guided to find my gratitude for all things, all people, all happenings and make that a deliberate focus.

This is what I have so far.

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Gentle Healing Journal Lesson 90 2-1-19

Lesson 90
(79) Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved.
80) Let me recognize my problems have been solved.

“The problem is a grievance; the solution is a miracle. And I invite the solution to come to me through my forgiveness of the grievance, and my welcome of the miracle that takes its place.”

This morning, I read a news blurb about a tragedy involving children and I had a strong emotional reaction to it. I prayed for the people involved and then I asked the Holy Spirit for another way to see this because it was breaking my heart. Something very similar happened the day before and I forgave that grievance as well. The miracle that that took its place was peace of mind. Peace came to take the place of my grief because I welcomed it. In time, there is tragedy, but time doesn’t exist, and I do so in spite of appearances I must not be in time.

“I believe that the problem comes first, and time must elapse before it can be worked out. I do not see the problem and the answer as simultaneous in their occurrence.”

This quote is not so clear to me. I understand the concept, I just don’t experience the problem and the solution simultaneously so I can’t really speak to that. I can say that the elapse of time is so much shorter now, but until they are simultaneous, I don’t think I can really understand that my problems have been solved. I can accept that this must be true and look forward to the day when this is my experience. Another thought that came to me is that I must be resisting this idea or it would already be my experience. Is there still some desire in me for the problem, the drama, the chance to solve it myself? Sigh.

Regina’s Tips
A Course in Miracles tells us:

“The value of deciding in advance what you want to happen is simply that you will perceive the situation as a means to make it happen.”

In other words, as we become crystal clear on what we want and focus on what we want, we will see clearly our part in achieving it. However, that’s not all there is to it. In the Meta-Secret film we were told to expect quantum leaps. Those are the miracles that we are entitled to. As we envision our spiritual aspiration and as we do our part to achieve our spiritual aspiration, the deeper part of our Self rises to join with us, and shifts occur that are beyond our little efforts.

This will happen!

So as I said, my heart beats excitedly with joyous anticipation of the journey ahead. We can’t imagine it, but it is coming because we are inviting it.

My Thoughts
I join Regina in her excitement. Every day is an opportunity to decide what matters, where I want my focus. I expect quantum leaps!

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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