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Manual for Teachers: 13. WHAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF SACRIFICE? P4. 8-22-18

13. WHAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF SACRIFICE? P 4
4 God’s teachers can have no regret on giving up the pleasures of the world. Is it a sacrifice to give up pain? Does an adult resent the giving up of children’s toys? Does one whose vision has already glimpsed the face of Christ look back with longing on a slaughter house? No one who has escaped the world and all its ills looks back on it with condemnation. Yet he must rejoice that he is free of all the sacrifice its values would demand of him. To them he sacrifices all his peace. To them he sacrifices all his freedom. And to possess them must he sacrifice his hope of Heaven and remembrance of his Father’s Love. Who in his sane mind chooses nothing as a substitute for everything?

Journal
I cannot say how I will feel when I have completely given up all value of the world, but as I have some experience with this, I can extrapolate from that success and say that I believe what Jesus says here. I am not angry that we made the world or that we chose to have this experience. I don’t even regret it. I am ready to be through with it, but I don’t condemn it or any of those who are still interested in it.

But nor do I regret any part of it that I have given up already. I used to take great pleasure in winning. I loved competitive games. I enjoyed being better than others at my job. My last job was in sales, which is very competitive. It was a perfect job for someone like I was, and it was a perfect job to discover that winning didn’t have any real value and that it didn’t really make me happy. I don’t miss competing or winning at all.

When I began to do my job solely with a focus on being helpful, I enjoyed it more and so much of the stress fell away. It did not happen all at once and I had to work at it, but it was worth it. Work helped me to let go of other things I used to value, like projecting guilt. I used to think that finding someone to be guilty instead of me was quite literally my salvation. Now, I just notice the old habit trying to reestablish itself and I choose again. There is no value in guilt. Taking responsibility and making different choices is far better.

I can enjoy standing on the shore of a beach and listening to the surf. I can enjoy good music that stirs my soul. I can enjoy trees and the green of the grass and the vibrant colors of my zinnias, and at the same time, I can enjoy the stark beauty of the desert earth colors. I like movies and vacations and family gatherings and all manner of beauty in the world. And yet, I would not hold onto any of it. I suspect that there is something far more beautiful than what my eyes show me and that it is just waiting to be known.

Special relationships are maybe the most convincing prize the ego offers, and it is the one that still compels my attention. It is one of the few things that can draw me into the ego story so deeply that I still have trouble resisting. But even that fails to keep my attention completely, and, always, eventually, I turn from this false happiness. I remember that I can have a holy relationship instead and that it is the only kind of relationship I want. The relinquishing of the special relationship is not the sacrifice the ego claims it to be.

© 2018, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Study of Text, C 15: X. The Time of Rebirth, P 1. 8-14-18

X. The Time of Rebirth, P 1
1 It is in your power, in time, to delay the perfect union of the Father and the Son. For in this world, the attraction of guilt does stand between them. Neither time nor season means anything in eternity. But here it is the Holy Spirit’s function to use them both, though not as the ego uses them. This is the season when you would celebrate my birth into the world. Yet you know not how to do it. Let the Holy Spirit teach you, and let me celebrate your birth through Him. The only gift I can accept of you is the gift I gave to you. Release me as I choose your own release. The time of Christ we celebrate together, for it has no meaning if we are apart.

Journal
Jesus is not free until we are, so we have the power to release him as we accept release for ourselves. This moment of release can be now or later. Why do we wait? Jesus says that it is the attraction of guilt. I saw the attraction of guilt in my own mind just this morning. I read something on Facebook posted by a friend. I didn’t like what I read and I felt irritated with her.

I asked myself why it was that I was irritated and I followed the thought to its root cause. As always when I do this, it was not about the other person at all. It was my own thoughts that were the cause of the perception I was holding about her. What I also noticed is that my irritation with her was another way of saying that I think she is guilty for what she wrote. So there is the guilt that Jesus was talking about.

I was strongly attracted to guilt in this case. I had noticed the same irritation before and thought I had released it, only to have it show up again today. The attraction to guilt is like the attraction of metal to a magnet. But like the metal that has been pulled to the magnet, guilt can be removed and as the magnet can be put away, the belief in guilt can be released.

© 2018, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Manual for Teachers: 13. WHAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF SACRIFICE? P3. 8-13-18

13. WHAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF SACRIFICE? P 3
3 Once this confusion has occurred, it becomes impossible for the mind to understand that all the “pleasures” of the world are nothing. But what a sacrifice,-and it is sacrifice indeed!-all this entails. Now has the mind condemned itself to seek without finding; to be forever dissatisfied and discontented; to know not what it really wants to find. Who can escape this self-condemnation? Only through God’s Word could this be possible. For self-condemnation is a decision about identity, and no one doubts what he believes he is. He can doubt all things, but never this.

Journal
An example of a “pleasure” that I have valued and allowed to define me is the special relationship. The only enduring special relationship I have ever had is with my children. Even though I had considered myself a failure in many ways as a mom, my children persist in loving me and thinking well of me; I think even liking me. And yet, I have never felt secure in these relationships and since I value them above all else, I have gone to great lengths to keep them in place.

As I look at these relationships with the Holy Spirit I see that I have used bribery, sacrifice, martyrdom, guilt, and fear to bind my children to me. I remember when my youngest child graduated from college and moved away, I felt bereft, adrift and anxious. When a very short time later he needed my financial assistance I remember the flood of relief that came over me. That was my first clue that something was seriously sick in this relationship. But it would be a long time before I was able to look at my thoughts without judgment and allow the Holy Spirit to help me see what was going on.

Because I believed that I could not be happy without the special relationships in my life, I condemned myself to misery. Special relationships are inherently guilt driven and destined to fail. What will not fail is the certainty that if I continue to hold onto the specialness in a relationship I will never experience real love, and if I don’t know Love, I will not know my Self. I fully understand the fear of letting go of special love because it seems to be all that I have ever known and yet, holding onto the specialness is what prevents me from knowing Love.

I have grasped these relationships so tightly and for so long that it has taken me a very long time to let them go. I am still letting go, but now it is easier because I see that the specialness I thought was precious was actually painful. It defined me in ways that diminished me, and in my desperation to hold onto it, I tried to teach those I loved that they were needy too. Specialness defines me as separate from others and holds that belief in place. I believed in this definition of myself until I began to accept the Word of God through His Voice. Through the healing of my mind, I am letting go of my definition of my self and accepting His definition instead.

Today I have a much healthier relationship with my children. I don’t know if they have even noticed a difference because the change had nothing to do with them, as it was all about me. I slowly, through vigilant mindfulness, watched my thoughts about these special relationships and accepted healing where I could. There is less pain now, less neediness, and more actual love. It is an ongoing project but I have no doubt of the outcome because I am not alone. The Holy Spirit works with me and guarantees my success. It is not the Will of God that I suffer.

© 2018, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Gentle Healing Journal Day 6

Journal for Day 6
LESSON 6
I am upset because I see something that is not there.

Yesterday when I was thinking of my daughter and granddaughter and worrying about them, I saw that I was not upset for the reason I thought. Jesus helped me get to the root cause of the upset and that was very helpful. Today, as I apply this same problem to this lesson I see that I had been anxious for my daughter and granddaughter because I was seeing something that was not there.

On one level, I was seeing a story long over, as Jesus points out, an ancient memory that I held before my eyes. (T 26, V) On another level, I was seeing danger where there was none. I had to look into a non-existent future to find the danger. I had to look into an ancient past that existed nowhere but in my memory in order to find the reason for my fear.

In the moment we were together, absolutely nothing was happening except a lot of fun and a lot of love. It was marred only by thoughts in my mind. So really, I was upset by thoughts in my mind, not anything happening. Well, jeez. The bad news is that I did it to myself. The good news is that I did it so myself. Having given it to the Holy Spirit for healing, I can rest easy now.

NTI Luke 16 continued
I read the second part of this chapter. It is very much telling us what the lessons are saying. All experience is really only thought and thought is meaningless until we give it meaning. We think that we are focused on the world, that is, we are living in a body in the world.

We think that we either know what it means or that we can figure it out. So much seems to be happening and we have so much to do. But the joke’s on us. There is no world out there to focus on or interpret or act upon. There is only thought in the mind.

On another level this can be seen as meaning that whatever we see or experience in the world is filtered through our beliefs. So nothing we believe about the world means anything. After all, where did our beliefs come from? Do they stay the same or do they change all the time? How real can they be if they are not stable?

For instance, there is a generally agreed upon law that prohibits murder, and yet, the very government that enforces that law commits murder when they decide the person deserves to be murdered. So we have all these beliefs and we judge what we experience according to our belief, not even the belief, but our present interpretation of the belief. We are constantly focused on our thoughts, constantly interpreting, constantly choosing the perception we prefer.

Or we can become aware of our tendency to judge and stop ourselves. We can rest the thinking mind instead of listening to it and believing what we find there. In that rest, we can allow the truth to become known to us, or perhaps it is true perception that is revealed. But whichever it is, the interpretation is given us rather than coming through the filter of our beliefs. What will we see then, I wonder. I know the mind would finally be calm and we would experience stability for the first time.

© 2018, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Gentle Healing Journal Day 5

Journal for Day 5
Lesson 5
I am never upset for the reason I think.

There are no small upsets. They are all equally disturbing to my peace of mind.
At first, I thought I only had a couple of upsets in my life, but then I read that there are no small upsets. Oh yeah, I forgot about that. This is a world of division where we separate everything into categories such as big and small. But any upset disturbs my peace so all upsets are equal. I, of course, first think of the ones that feel most disturbing to me. Someone dear to me suffers from depression and is often suicidal. It scares me and breaks my heart. But, I am not afraid and sad for the reason I think.

Then the seemingly smaller upsets began to surface in my mind. I visited my daughter yesterday and as usual, I felt nervous about my granddaughter climbing the stairs and stumbling over something on the floor. I hate that I react to those fears that she will hurt herself. I know this makes my daughter uncomfortable, and really, it is like I am telling her that she is not a good mother. I really want to stop. I really want to give this fear to the Holy Spirit. I know it comes from my own memories of things I did wrong when my kids were little and some remaining guilt about that. I am not worried about my granddaughter for the reason I think.

Jesus, how do I stop being afraid for my granddaughter?

Jesus: You are really afraid for your daughter. You have suffered so much guilt from your perceived parenting mistakes that you are terrified your precious daughter will suffer the same thing. Your mind is mired in the past and in guilt and it holds you in place. Remember that this is only an ancient memory you hold before your eyes. Step back from the story a little and you will see what it is for. As you step back you can free yourself from fear enough to see that you are experiencing this story for a purpose. Do you see what it is for?

Me: Well, I see that guilt and fear make for a very miserable life and that I no longer want to keep this story alive with my desire to experience it. I want to forgive myself and the beliefs that perpetuate the fear and guilt.

Jesus: Yes, exactly. You simply forgot your purpose and when you did, the story became your focus, and the story is one of fear and guilt as it often is in the separation stories. Remember that your only function is to accept the Atonement for yourself. This ultimate forgiveness will bless you and all the world with you.
Your daughter and your granddaughter will receive the blessing. Your son will receive the blessing. Your heart will lighten and you will remember the truth about them and this will bless them. You will lighten all of the Sonship with your holiness as you remember your purpose, and fear and guilt will fall away.

Me: Ok, thanks. I know this but there are times I forget. I accept the Atonement for myself. I forgive myself for my apparent past errors and I forgive myself for projecting them onto others and bringing them forward in some unending hellish desire to keep the guilt and fear. I cannot undo this alone, but I know I don’t have to. I give all of this to the Holy Spirit and leave it with Him. I accept His healing.

Oh well, as it turns out, that wasn’t one of the “little” problems. LOL.

August 1, 2018 Daily Quote
“I don’t know who I am” is a helpful response to any thought that tries to define who you are. Definitions are closed and limiting. “I don’t know” opens to potential and discovery. “I don’t know who I am” is a statement that facilitates Self-discovery, because it is a statement that dissolves the idea that definitions are fact.
~ Thoughts of Awakening

I fully accept that I don’t know who I am and it makes me tingle with anticipation knowing that I am going to discover the answer to that. I am not interested in trying to think this out. I know that is not how I find the answer. It seems I am to let go of what cannot be in my true nature as a part of God and that my true Self will just naturally reveal itself to me. Perhaps. Because, of course, I don’t really know. I am certain, though, that I will not know whom I am until I stop believing that I already know, and that the limiting beliefs about myself are true and define me.

NTI
Luke 16
This was a perfect reading for this morning. He talks about confusion and worry and reminds us that if we feel these things we are not listening to Him. He reminds us that we are always choosing between willingness and resistance. Sometimes that is hard to see. This morning when I was talking to Jesus about my fear and guilt, I felt like I wanted to be free but clearly, I was holding onto that which entraps me. My wanting seemed genuine, but my holding onto was resistance.

Then He talked about right and wrong. I felt guilty so that means I was judging and finding myself wrong. He said, “Have I not asked you to lay aside judgment?” Oops.
The next part I read this morning was a helpful reminder. He talked about our thoughts. He said that always, in everything we seem to do, we are choosing among thoughts within our mind. I see that I was making the mistake of focusing on the world just as Jesus told me. I need to focus on the thoughts that are causing the world if I want to return to peace.

The Holy Spirit reminded me in Luke of another thing that became clear this morning when I was talking to Jesus. He said this: Let me tell you that of yourself, you cannot stop judgment by the law that has been believed within your mind. That is because you chose to believe this law, and so the law is your desire. In order to have the law erased from your mind, you must give your willingness that it be erased.

This is the same thing ACIM tells us. It says that we cannot do this ourselves. It says that the Holy Spirit will remove from our mind the thought that we don’t want. This is the one thing I don’t forget. I have proven over and over that I cannot heal myself, but that if I truly want to be healed, it will be done for me.

© 2018, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

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