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Gentle Healing Journal Lesson 98 2-14-19

LESSON 98
I will accept my part in God’s plan for salvation.

The guiltless have no fear, for they are safe and recognize their safety. They do not appeal to magic, nor invent escapes from fancied threats without reality. They rest in quiet certainty that they will do what it is given them to do. They do not doubt their own ability because they know their function will be filled completely in the perfect time and place. They took the stand which we will take today, that we may share their certainty and thus increase it by accepting it ourselves.

I must still harbor guilt because I still suffer fear and do not recognize my safety. I still appeal to magic for help when I am sick. I still invent escapes from reality rather than always going to Spirit with what seems to be the problem. For instance, feeling exhausted from a busy day and instead of sitting in silence to have my balance restored, I switch on the TV to silence the inner unhappy voice. I know that guilt is in my mind, but I also know that it is not so much guilt as I used to have and I don’t suffer it easily. I know that as I release the belief in guilt my certainty in my purpose will increase and it will be much easier to fulfill it.

“4 They will be with us; all who took the stand we take today will gladly offer us all that they learned and every gain they made. Those still uncertain, too, will join with us, and, borrowing our certainty, will make it stronger still. While those as yet unborn will hear the call we heard, and answer it when they have come to make their choice again. We do not choose but for ourselves today.”

When I feel like nothing is happening, and when I end the day knowing I didn’t live up to my own expectations, and when it looks like the world is beyond redemption, I read this paragraph. I bring myself back to my simple part and I realize that many who have already accomplished their part are with me. They stand witness that this can be done, and more than that, they offer me what they have gained.

At least I know my purpose and I know I want to fulfil it. I see how important it is and how great the reward. This certainty keeps me trying even after a day of forgetfulness or a day of distractions where it seemed I failed. There are many who are uncertain yet, who have not made that decision, and in my practice with all my seen and unseen help, those who are not sure will borrow our certainty, and in so doing make will make it stronger still.

Even those who yet unborn will hear the call we heard and will answer it when they come here. It is so encouraging to know that I am not alone. I had not before even realized that being alone was a great unacknowledged fear. How strange it must have been to feel alone the very first time it happened. How strange and disconcerting to be one with all there is, to never feel alone and separate from the Source of Love.

What a shock it must have been! I think I am not over it yet. I think that is the reason I used to run from relationship to relationship always trying to get what I lost in the moment of the tiny mad idea. It never worked because union is not about taking from someone, but about sharing and I seemed to have forgotten how to do that when I chose separateness. But now, this morning, I am being invited to join again with my precious selves in a glorious purpose that will touch us all and bring us closer to unity. How could I say not to that?

Give Him the words, and He will do the rest. He will enable you to understand your special function. He will open up the way to happiness, and peace and trust will be His gifts; His answer to your words. He will respond with all His faith and joy and certainty that what you say is true. And you will have conviction then of Him Who knows the function that you have on earth as well as Heaven. He will be with you each practice period you share with Him, exchanging every instant of the time you offer Him for timelessness and peace.

In that terrible moment when fear and guilt entered the mind of the Son, God placed the Call for Love right there where it was needed, not to force the Son into submission. Love does not force, it only allows.
The Call for Love was given us in love that we might always find our way back to sanity and joy, that we may not be ever separate from our Source even if we chose for a while to be unaware. The Call is our Guide, the Answer, our Healer, and our Comforter. We are so loved.

Tell Him once more that you accept the part that He would have you take and help you fill, and He will make you sure you want this choice, which He has made with you and you with Him.

I am intrigued by this sentence. First, I will tell him once more (ignore yesterday’s half-hearted effort, please) once more I accept my part. I am eternally grateful that I have certain, unfailing help in fulfilling my part. And then he tells me that My Help will make sure I want this choice. No matter how much I say that my only desire is to awaken to the peace of God, it seems that there are other things I want as well, and often other things I want instead.

How very seldom it is that I follow the simple instructions without fail. But if I do my part in spite of my evident hesitancy, if I just do it anyway, He will help me… no, he will make sure I want this choice. So I just have to push through my reluctance and He will do the rest so that never again will I hesitate because I will want what is being offered.

And if that frisson of feeling that rushed through me at the thought of my will being manipulated like that, Jesus answers it before I even realized it had happened. He made that choice with e and I made it with Him. He is not manipulating me back, he is fulfilling our desire for perfect union according to my own will.

Regina’s Tips
What is God’s plan for salvation? In the language of the Course, it is forgiveness. What is forgiveness? It is removing your attention from the untrue.

Removing attention from problems.
Removing attention from grievances.
Removing attention from fears.
Removing attention from regrets.
Removing attention from jealousies and envies.
Removing attention from judgments.
Removing attention from all of our ideas about how other people should be.
Removing attention from all thoughts about our weaknesses and shortcomings.
Removing attention from our doubts that the truth is true.

Today’s lesson says, “We take a stand on but one side today. We side with truth and let illusions go. We will not vacillate between the two, but take a firm position with the One.”

My Thoughts
This part of the lesson I have down pat. The problem thoughts have not stopped coming, but seldom do I place any belief in them, and when I do temporarily fall for them, it is very temporary, indeed. The part I have problems with is the mind too undisciplined to give those five minutes every hour. It is so little to give and still I fail to do so. That is the part that requires my attention.

© 2019, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Gentle Healing Journal Lesson 97 2-12-19

LESSON 97
I am spirit.

“We state again the truth about your Self, the holy Son of God Who rests in you, whose mind has been restored to sanity. You are the spirit lovingly endowed with all your Father’s Love and peace and joy. You are the spirit which completes Himself, and shares His function as Creator. He is with you always, as you are with Him.”

Here is something I wrote just a few months ago. I am already past this stage of doubt. It is amazing how quickly we move along on this path once we make a decision and dedicate ourselves to it.

I believe this enough to take it seriously and to yearn for it. I also aware of the ego mind doubting, not that it is true, but that it will ever be true for me. How could it? I am so far from this. I don’t leave my attention on the ego long, though, or it will gladly pull me into a dark pit of despair. It is what the ego does because despair is what it knows. I have a choice, though. While the ego is in my mind, so is God. The next paragraph reminds me that I can and will change my mind.

“Today we try to bring reality still closer to your mind. Each time you practice, awareness is brought a little nearer at least; sometimes a thousand years or more are saved. The minutes which you give are multiplied over and over, for the miracle makes use of time, but is not ruled by it. Salvation is a miracle, the first and last; the first that is the last, for it is one.”

Now, I know that this is all true. I don’t always live as if it is, but I know it is just a matter of time and time doesn’t really exist.

This is so encouraging. I know how to practice. I am happy to practice. I see where I can increase my practice of meditation. I am grateful that the miracle increases the time I give to meditation and to practice of all kinds. I am making use of Bentinho’s method of relaxing the mind of its stories for seconds at a time, and though it is not yet an automatic habit, I am making it so. This seems to be really helpful to me.

“The Holy Spirit will be glad to take five minutes of each hour from your hands, and carry them around this aching world where pain and misery appear to rule. He will not overlook one open mind that will accept the healing gifts they bring, and He will lay them everywhere He knows they will be welcome. And they will increase in healing power each time someone accepts them as his thoughts, and uses them to heal.”

I am reminded that while awakening has a personal component, in that this “me” seems to awaken within the world, in reality it is not personal. This is what we awaken to. The miracle saves a thousand years because it is offered to every mind that will accept it. God knows, it is needed right now, that the world is suffering and in great need of the miracle. This is something I can do for us all and it requires so little of me. And, this gift will come back to me greatly increased in power.

Spirit am I, a holy Son of God, free of all limits, safe and healed and whole, free to forgive, and free to save the world.

I placed this reminder on a card and am putting it where I will see it often so I will remember my purpose today.

Regina’s Tip
Today, be a part of this fire. Contemplate this:

Whatever you are aware of today is spirit.
You, which is aware, is spirit.

Contemplate the everywhereness of spirit, the allness of spirit.

“The kingdom is within you and it is outside you.” ~ The Gospel of Thomas

Let the entire day be given to contemplation of spirit. It will be with you throughout the day everywhere that you go and in everything that you do.

My Thoughts
I look forward to a day of contemplation of spirit. I am further encouraged and inspired by Regina’s thoughts on this lesson. I will set the world on fire with the realization of spirit.

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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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