Together, We Light the Way

Click link to go to:
Together We Light the Way Index

Mother’s Day Sermon

MOTHER’S DAY SERMON

I was reading a list of questions and answers from kids about their mom and I loved this one. The child was asked:
What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

I love being a mother. It is through being a mother that I have learned what it means to love unconditionally. There is nothing that my children could do that would make me love them any less. That is what unconditional means. I have absolutely no conditions on my love for my children. I have moments when I wonder at their sanity, moments when I would rather not be with them, moments when I don?t like what they are doing, but never a moment when I don?t love them.

Motherhood has not been a smooth road for me. I started the job when I was too young and immature. I seemed to have no natural aptitude for the work, and no training. Who would have thought that such a difficult and vital job would come with no manual and little guidance? All I had to go on was what my mom did, and she only had what she picked up from her mom.

Add to this that I and society in general, had placed some pretty unrealistic expectations on me. I was measuring myself against June Cleaver and it wasn?t a Leave it to Beaver world. I started out trying to be Beaver?s mom, but I didn?t feel like her, and I didn?t have her script writer. My kids didn?t seem to know their part either. I got really scared because I seemed to be failing and didn?t have a clue what to do about it. I did what I always did when I got scared and when I felt inadequate. I ran.

A few years later I tried again and did better because I was more mature and had begun to grow into my spiritual self-at least somewhat. I learned to love being a mom, and tried to do a really good job. I wasn?t a ?perfect mom? whatever that is, but I did the best I could. I still do. Just because my children are grown doesn?t make me less their mom. My job raising them is over, but my job of loving them continues.

I also understand that the Cleavers only live in TV re-runs, and no one does a perfect job as a parent. The most loving parents in the world make huge mistakes while raising their children. So what do we do with the mistakes? It is too late to fix them, if it were ever possible. We are left with this sometimes crushing guilt and no idea how to live with it.

Here is what th Holy Spirit helped me to understand. Just as I love my children unconditionally, my Father loves me unconditionally. God does not look at my life and think that I am unworthy because I have not lived perfectly. God does not stop loving me because I make mistakes, and that is comforting.

He helped me to understand that I am not here because I already know how to express the perfection that I was created to be, but rather I am here to learn I am God?s perfect creation. This world is my class room. I signed up for this curriculum. I am exactly where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to do. I am here to learn. Since everything I do teaches me something, I can?t really do anything wrong, I can only learn my lessons.

This is equally true for my children. They are here because this is the classroom they chose. I am exactly the mom they wanted, warts and all. We are here to give each other opportunities to learn unconditional love and total forgiveness. We are each others life time learning experience. We have not been thrust upon each other as some kind of Divine punishment or Divine indifference. We are with each other for a Divine purpose, a Divine purpose that we are in on and that we gladly agreed to.

Sometimes the mother who brought us into the world, is not the mother who will raise us. This is not a mistake. There are no mistakes in the Divine Plan.
...“Remember that no one is where he is by accident, and chance plays no part in God’s plan.’”  ACIM-M.26
We are always with the person we are supposed to be with. Sometimes we need to be born to someone, and that is all we need from that person. In that case, we can thank that person, even if it is only in our thoughts, for birthing us, and then move on with the rest of our lessons.  It is not necessary to see this as a loss or as an attack. We can forgive these thoughts and gain our freedom from the prison of our grievances. And believe me, our grievances do imprison us.

That?s the big picture. Now there is another level I must work on while I am here in this place that is not my home. On a day to day basis, I take action-or not, and there seem to be consequences. I am angry at my boss and so when I get home, I yell at my son. I see the look of hurt in his eyes and I feel guilty. I know that I have fallen short of being that perfect mom. I know that I have hurt the one I love.

How do I deal with that? What do I do with all this accumulated guilt? As I bury myself under more and more guilt, I feel separated from my Father and from everyone else. Because I have judged myself and believe that I am guilty, I start to believe that God has judged me and found me guilty. Thinking I am separate from God is hell. Thinking that my mistakes have made me separate from God, I think I am in hell.

But no matter how guilty and fearful I feel, there is a place in me that knows this can?t be true. God created me good, and there is no power that can undo what God has done. My little errors cannot affect God?s Work. I can only think I am flawed. But it is just a thought. It is not reality.

So, how do I get out from under the burden of guilt I have accumulated in this world? First, I realize that there is no value in guilt. I will gain nothing good by feeling guilty. Guilt is only destructive. It is the barrier that keeps me from seeing that I am His precious child. It is the barrier that keeps me from experiencing the peace and the joy that God intended for His children.

In this world, however, it is hard not to pick up guilt as we go. The trick is learning to relinquish it. Just because we accepted guilt doesn?t mean we have to keep it. What does Jesus tell us about this?  ?These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.? John 16:33 As I place my faith in Jesus, I am able to release the guilt I have used to imprison myself. I can be free. I am meant to be free. God wants me to be free. It is freedom that I came here to learn and to teach.

I have a little process I use to help me release guilt. I was at a Course in Miracles conference recently and there was a deaf student who had interpreters using sign language to help her understand what was going on. A friend showed me the sign for release. I hold out my left hand, palm up and fingers facing away from my body. I then place my right hand on my left in the same position, but palm down. Then I move my right hand across my left hand. This is sign for release. Incidentally, it is also sign for forgive.

Now when I sense feelings of guilt, or when I notice a thought that leads to guilt, I do the sign for release with the intention of releasing the guilty thought to the Holy Spirit so that He can correct it for me. I am forgiving myself. God will never take from me my guilt if I really want it. But, as soon as I am willing to release it, it is gone. Sometimes I have to do this more than once because, while I want to be free of the bad feeling, I sometimes feel reluctant to entirely relinquish my guilt. I hold stubbornly to that which causes me pain. But, as A Course in Miracles says, my tolerance for pain may be high, but it is not without limit.

There is another part to this. To experience God?s forgiveness, I must forgive. The reason for this is because I learn what I teach. If I teach you (through my words and actions) that you are guilty, then I am teaching myself that I am guilty, too. If you can be guilty for your mistakes, then I must be guilty for mine as well. On the other hand, if I see that you are not your mistakes, that your mistakes are only something that you did, and that you are really my brother who is doing the best that he can, then I can see that I am not my mistakes and that I am doing the best that I can. If I can see that you have nothing to be guilty about, then I can believe that I have nothing to be guilty about. I can?t have one without the other. I can?t make you guilty and at the same time forgive myself.

I must forgive not only myself, but everyone else including my mother. My mom taught me what love is. She loved me completely and unconditionally. I never doubt that. But, like me, she came here to learn her own lessons.  In the course of her lessons, she taught me stuff that I have spent my life unlearning. She made mistakes, many of which affected me. I spent a lot of time being angry for some of those things, resenting my life as her daughter, resenting her for not being a better mother. Heck, I still get angry that she named me Myron!

In truth, though, she and I signed up for this curriculum. We signed up to be in the same classroom. We wanted to learn these lessons together, and what I know, is that we are exactly where we should be, doing exactly what we need to be doing. I have nothing to resent. My mom is sharing her lessons with me. I learn from her errors just as I learn from my own. There are no exceptions to this, no matter how big the error seems. I owe her only gratitude for her part in my spiritual growth, both the part that seemed painful and the part that seemed comforting.

My mom has Alzheimer. Her brain has short circuited, so I don?t know if she will understand when I tell her I love and appreciate her, and that finally I forgive us both for our errors. Probably she won?t. Love though, is never lost because Love is God, and God never changes or is lost. The love and gratitude I feel for her will be saved and will be waiting for her when she is released from her malfunctioning body. I love you Mom, and finally I understand that you are not the fallible human being I thought you were. Finally I understand that you are a perfect child of God sent to teach me that I am a perfect child of God. Thanks, Mom. 

 

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this article.
Printable Page

II’S AN INSIDE JOB

ITS AN INSIDE JOB

There was a man who was stranded on a desert island for many, many years. One day, while strolling along the beach, he spotted a ship in the distance. This had never happened in all the time he was on the island, so he was very excited about the chance of being rescued.

Immediately, he built a fire on the beach and generated as much smoke as possible. It worked! Soon, the ship was heading his way. When the ship was close enough to the island, a dinghy was dispatched to investigate the situation. The man on the island was overjoyed with the chance to be rescued and met his saviors as they landed.

After some preliminary conversation the man in charge asked the man on the island how he had survived for so many years. The man replied by telling of his exploits for food and how he was able to make a fine house to live in. In fact, the man said, “You can see my home from here. It?s up there on the ridge.”

He pointed the men in the direction of his home. They looked up and saw three buildings. They inquired about the building next to the man?s house and he replied, “That?s my church - I go there to worship on Sundays.”

When asked about the third building, the man replied, “That?s where I used to go to church.”

We laugh at this fellow because we recognize in him someone we have known, and perhaps see our self in some way. Some folks are quick to change churches if the one they are in doesn?t seem to be doing the job for them. Perhaps they are looking for the church that will make them feel safe. They want to think that salvation is within their grasp and so they go to the church that promises to deliver. They soon move on because they find that they don?t feel anymore saved at this one than they did at the last one. Well good luck to them, because they aren?t going to find what they seek in a church. Salvation is an inside job.

This isn?t something we are always comfortable looking at. We are a people looking for a quick fix in all areas of our lives. If we have a pain, we go to the doctor and get him to prescribe a pill for it. Too fat? Look for the magic diet that will take that extra weight off in 90 days, just in time for this years new bathing suits. There?s no problem finding one; every magazine on the stand promises the diet to end all diets right there within their covers. And guess what, follow their diet and you can lose weight without effort, without sacrifice, without exercise! If that isn?t easy enough, Walmart has an entire isle devoted to pills that will do the job for you, sometimes while you sleep! Depressed? No problem, there?s a pill for that, too. Child too rambunctious? Give him a pill. Doing drugs? Just say no. Life not working? Ask Dr. Phil for a quick 10 minute fix. He does it on Oprah all the time.

But guess what. There isn?t a quick fix for what ails us. I?m not going to give it to you in a 15 minute sermon, or even a two hour sermon. You can?t buy it at Walgreens and you can?t get it from a psychologist, not even a celebrity psychologist. Changing churches won?t make us feel better and neither will changing the circumstances of our lives. What is wrong in our lives isn?t out there at all.  What we see as wrong in our lives, what we see as the circumstances of our lives, is just a reflection of what is wrong in our minds. It is a reflection of our wrong- minded thinking.

I created my life as I see it today. The building blocks are my beliefs and if I don?t like the structure I have made, then I am going to have to change my beliefs. I wish there were just a shot I could take, or a magic incantation that I could utter and everything would be different. But that?s not how it works. I have wasted too much of my life trying to fix the effect, while leaving the cause in place. This makes no sense. It is time for a change that will really make a difference.

Joy and peace are the natural state of God?s children. So what happened to me? Where is my joy and peace and how do I get back to them. God, in His infinite love and mercy, placed within me a Guide Who will help me get to the life I am intended to live. Once I give up on the quick fix, and once I quit trying to build this structure from the top down, I can start my real work.

Please let me make a suggestion. If you are unhappy in your relationship, stop trying to make your partner into someone who can make you happy. If you want a strong and fulfilling relationship, your work isn?t in the other person. Begin your work in yourself. No one can make you happy and no one can make you unhappy. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is a state of being. And happiness can be achieved only within yourself. It is your thoughts that create one state or the other, so if you are unhappy in your relationship the change must begin with your thoughts.

I must be psychic because I hear a question from you. What good is changing my thoughts, changing myself, if my partner is going to remain the same? How can this change the relationship? It takes two to make a relationship, doesn?t it? Well, this is the really neat thing about it. If you change your beliefs and thus change yourself, the relationship will change.

Stop wasting your time trying to place blame outside yourself. You might build a great case for your misery being someone else?s fault, but you won?t make yourself one bit happier in doing so. You will simply reinforce the idea that you are powerless. Keep the responsibility for your happiness within you where you have absolute control. In changing your own mind and teaching yourself to live in joy and peace, you will necessarily influence those around you. Your model of self-love will touch all of us deeply. Your inner work will infect the quantum field which will create a change in the physical world. Your life will change. Your relationship will change.

This is the only way to affect real change in your life. Anything else you do will only shuffle around what is already there. You may make a different design that you prefer over the old, but eventually it will prove itself to be as comfortless as the past design.  So how do we make real change? How do we know how to change our thoughts and which beliefs will work? What if we choose new beliefs and they are as ineffective as the ones we have already tried?

This is where God comes to the rescue. This is why He placed within us His Own Voice to gently whisper to us the truth we seek. This Voice for God, the Holy Spirit, will correct our thinking and heal our minds. We only need to be willing to hear a new way. Here is our only part in the process: We need to be mindful of thoughts that do not serve us, and we need to give these thoughts to the Holy Spirit to correct. This will not happen without our active participation because God will not force our happiness on us. He will wait patiently for us to recognize that joy is our will as it is God?s Will.

Remember the passage in the Bible that says seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be open? Well notice that it doesn?t say just stand there and wait for something to happen. First we must knock because God so loves us that He honors our free will. He so trusts us that He knows it is inevitable that we will recognize our will is His Will. How much time will it take us? I don?t know. How much pain can you endure? Your pain is self inflicted, and will not be relieved until you choose differently.

This is not complicated. It is very simple. You have two voices within you. You have your ego voice. This is the voice that got you into this mess in the first place. You may want to reconsider listening to it in the future. It hasn?t worked out so well thus far. This is the voice that assures you your problems are someone else?s fault. It is enticing because it invites you to believe that the blame lies outside of you. If you lose your job, the ego?s voice comforts you with the thought that it is the economy. If you speak harshly to your children, your ego voice says that they drove you to it. It is their own fault. In other words, the problems are not yours, they are outside you where you have no control over them, there is nothing you can do to change things, so sit back, do nothing and suffer. That is your lot in life.

If you are the sort that is not willing to just sit back and take it, the ego has another story line. He tells you that you need to get off your duff and start making changes. If the people at your church don?t seem to appreciate your attitude, find another church with a more discerning membership. If your boss doesn?t like your work, find a new job. It has lot?s of advice like, eat less, exercise more, stop smoking, buy new furniture, change the color of your hair, have another drink, another toke, another relationship, a new best friend. Change the flavor, color, design of your life. Switch everything around because if it looks different, maybe it will be different.

This ego voice tells you that if your relationships aren?t working, if your partner is making you miserable, you need to fix her. Explain to her what is wrong with her; what is wrong with her behavior. Help her see the error of their ways. Make her listen to you with unfailing logic, with manipulation, with force. Make bargains with her. If you loved me, you would do this. If you want me to love you, you must do that. Oh yeah, that has worked really well in the past.

Or you can listen to the other Voice. You can bring your problems to God. You can bring your unhappiness and your lack of peace to your Father and ask for help in understanding what you need help in changing. Give Him your thoughts about work and the boss you can?t get along with. Give Him your thoughts about ungrateful children, uncooperative partners. Search your mind for the thoughts behind the emotional upheavals in your life and ask your Father for another way to see this.

How do you know which voice you are hearing? Is the voice harsh? Is it demeaning? Does the voice place blame? Does it berate, enforce guilt, and deflate your hope? Does the voice suggest you are special in ways other children of God are not? Does it tell you about your mistakes? Does it warn you of dangers and increase your fear? This is not God?s Voice.

God?s Voice is always quiet and gentle. His Voice speaks of love and brings comfort with it. He reminds you of your innate holiness and your perfection. He speaks of your brother with the reverence a blessed child of God deserves. He sees only innocence and speaks to you only of unity. He knows that all of us are special in the same way, and one is not greater than or lesser than another. He knows that you have never done anything wrong in your life; that all of your circumstances are here for the purpose of your personal growth, and He knows that you have met each challenge in the best way that you possibly could have at that moment.

If the ego?s voice seems always to be the voice that you hear first and is always the loudest voice, it is only because it speaks from a place of desperation, and out of fear and uncertainty. If the temptation to listen to that voice is strong, it is only because you have made a habit of doing so. Like any habit, it will require consistent effort on your part to make a change. If you have ever tried to break a bad habit, you know how much work is required of you. It doesn?t usually happen overnight. However, as you do the work, the rewards for your effort, the peace and joy you feel, will be the motivation to continue the work. Like any other new skill, the more often you practice it, the easier it becomes.

There are only two voices. Which will you listen to? One will bring you confusion and unhappiness; the other will bring love and joy into your life. You can have either one. You can choose the fruitless work of trying to change the effects of your thoughts, trying to change the world outside of you. Or, you can choose instead, to work with God on your inner self where the only real change can be affected. Each moment of your life provides an opportunity to choose anew.

 

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this article.
Printable Page

From 920: Being a Miracle Worker

From 920: Being a Miracle Worker

How my life is becoming less complex and agitated as I let go of the separated world belief.

Now when something seems to disturb my world, I sooner or later (and more often sooner) see the disturbance not as something to fix or to regret, but something to forgive. Recognizing that everything is for forgiveness makes all of it very simple.

I was thinking this morning that I needed something I don’t have. Then I thought that if I do indeed need this in my life, it will be in my life. I give the illusion of need to the Holy Spirit. He knows what I need, and will supply all things that will not hurt me. If there is something I need to do, I will be told.

I was thinking how this applies to my body. I have been having trouble applying this principal to my desire for a certain body image because I did not want to surrender my control of this situation. So it felt very complicated with lots of issues. I would become agitated, feeling angry and guilty, and then fearful when my attempt to control went awry.

As I begin to loosen my grip on this situation, I feel lighter. I welcome peace into my life. When I again experience the need to control the outcome, I lose my peace. It’s all a matter of trust. I’ve been thinking that I don’t trust the Holy Spirit to take care of this. What I meant was, I don’t trust the Holy Spirit to manipulate form in the way that I want Him to. I don’t trust the Holy Spirit to make form important in the way that I think it is.

What the Holy Spirit is telling me is that I can trust Him to show me that form doesn’t matter; that it is meaningless. My job is to release the need for a certain outcome.

I was thinking of a time when my little one climbed up a little too high, and when he tried to get down, his feet didn’t touch the floor. He was so frightened and panicky. I told him that it was OK, that I would catch him, and that he could just let go. He desperately wanted down, but was afraid to release his grip. It seemed silly to me because I knew how little danger he was in, but it was very frightening to him.

That’s how I feel sometimes as I learn to relinguish my illusions. But just as my child took that leap of faith and trusted me, I am learning to do the same and put my trust in God. After the first time my son trusted me and he saw that it was OK, it became easier and easier to trust me in subsequent emergencies.

Again I see a parallel here. That is just how I’ve built my trust as I’ve gone through the Course. The first time I released my grip on illusions, it felt like free-falling in space, but then everything was alright. In fact, everthing was better. With each small relinquishment it becomes easier, and as the contrast between peace and chaos becomes more obvious, my motivation becomes stronger.

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this article.
Printable Page

A LETTER TO MY FRIEND

A LETTER TO MY FRIEND

Dear Mary,

Sometimes when we are in the middle of something big, all we see are the details that are right in front of us. We can miss the big picture. For that, we need to move back, get some distance. This is very true of our lives. What is going on right now holds our complete attention. We are unable to see our whole story and how one thing led to the next and how each thing fits like a puzzle piece into the whole. I have written an imaginary story of Mary talking to Jesus at the close of her life.

“Well Mary, you said you could do it; that it wasn’t going to be too much for you. And I’ll tell you the truth, when you came to me with your intentions, some were concerned that you had bitten off more than you could chew, that you had chosen too many hard lessons for one life time. But you felt confident that you could do this and you were determined to get as much out of this life as you could.”

“Some of the others said that choosing to come as Black in this period of history wasn’t as hard as it used to be, but it was going to offer plenty of forgiveness lessons, and coming as a black woman would certainly keep you busy. But then you said you would be gay as well, and that really blew everyones mind! Too much they said, just too much. But you didn’t stop there. When they saw the family environment you chose to learn from, there was a lot of head shaking going on. But you and I agreed, Mary, that you could do this, and that no matter how you handled it, there would be so many lessons learned that it was worth it.”

“But look what you have done with that life. I could not be more proud of your work. Each thing that came at you, you used to grow and become stronger. I know how hard it seemed to you working the dense atmosphere of illusion and I know how painful it all felt. I saw that sometimes you despaired of coming through it, and often you felt like you were failing. But it was all just perfect. I kept whispering that in your ear, so you would never entirely forget. I placed angels all around you to strengthen and uphold you in even the hardest of the forgiveness lessons. From here where we were watching and supporting your every effort, there was nearly a constant chorus of ‘oohs and ahhs’ and ‘you go, girls’. No matter what the reservations were before you started, you had a regular fan club before it was over.”

“Do you see now, how perfectly orchestrated it was, Mary? You met exactly the right people at the right time. Some of them seemed unkind and even cruel, but those were the greatest of the forgiveness opportunities, and we are all in awe of how you overcame your pain to use these opportunities. Now it seems silly, doesn’t it, to be concerned at the seeming failures? You got from each encounter, exactly what you needed. There was never any danger you would fail, each person and situation was a chance to practice a process of forgiveness. There was no right or wrong, no success or failure. It was just practice time. Each time you came away with a puzzle piece in place. Hard to see that when you are in the illusion isn’t it?”

“You had hoped that you would make such progress that in the end, you would be able to share what you had learned in a more direct way, that you would be able to hear me more clearly and pass that on to others. Ah Mary, there was never any doubt. And you walked bravely through your fear into the place that allowed this to happen. When you were feeling overwhelmed by the process, did you think of Moses? I did. I thought about how he tried so hard to get out of his destiny. He thought that because he stuttered that would get him out of speaking for God.(Hah!) There was no getting out of it because beneath his fear was his comitment to the process, and the same was true for you, too.”

“So now, Mary, I, and all of us here, just want to say thank you. Thank you so much for doing your forgiveness lessons. Thank you so much for lifting yourself up, and for lifting up everyone else. We stand in awe of your accomplishments, and we thank you.”

That’s your story, Mary. I’m just passing it on to you.

Love, Myron

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this article.
Printable Page

My Story

My Story

Don?t you love running into someone else who is studying A Course in Miracles? I think that just the fact I found the Course is a wonderful miracle, so I am always interested in everyone?s story. I was attending a Unity center in Lake Charles, La. when I heard that Marge Cass, minister for The Church of the Open Road, was going to a neighboring town to try to get a Course group started. A group from our center planned to be there in support of her effort. I didn?t have an interest in A Course in Miracles, but I did like Marge very much so I wanted to be there. Since I was between jobs, I had plenty of free time.

I can?t tell you what Marge said that grabbed my attention so completely, but when I left there that night I knew I had to have that book. I didn?t know exactly how I would get it, because being unemployed also meant being broke, but I never questioned my decision. Once I got the Course, I started attending a discussion group at the Unity center. Back then, I guess this was around 1982, not many people had even heard of A Course in Miracles, at least not in Lake Charles.

Occasionally as I was reading and studying, I would feel just overwhelmed with my good luck at having found this extraordinary book, and then sometimes I would wonder why on earth I even believed it; it was such a different take on spirituality. But, I knew on a deeper level that this was exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

I was married to a man working construction and we moved around a lot for awhile, so I went long periods at a time with no contact with other Course students. I was pretty isolated in my study and I was also pretty erratic in it. I thought that in the periods when I wasn?t doing the lessons or reading the book that I was not doing anything. However, when I look back on it, I was always learning and growing. When I wasn?t consciously choosing to do it with the Holy Spirit?s help, I was making the job harder and more painful, but I was still growing spiritually.

In these years I raised my children and played out the script of my life. When my last child was getting ready to go away to school, I realized that I was about to experience a big hole in my life. What would I do without motherhood to fulfill me? I knew I had to have something important to take its place. I had been working with the Course sporadically all these years, so I decided it was time to get serious about it.


At the same time I got my first computer. I had heard about the internet, of course, and decided to see what it was all about. I was trying to decide what to look for when I went on line, and decided to see if there was anything about A Course in Miracles. (I told you I was isolated in my study!) Boy, was there ever stuff about the Course! I started checking out some of the forums because I found I was hungry for contact with other people who were of like mind. I tried some different forums, but when I found Pathways of Light, I knew I had found my home.

I soon discovered that they had a structured study program based on Course principles and I started taking them. I knew that I was serious now and I wanted something that would help me develop self discipline as well as deepen my understanding of the Course, and this study program was perfect for what I needed. I had only taken one of the courses when I knew that I would complete their ministerial program. I felt elated at the thought because I knew that this was what I was supposed to do, but I also felt frightened at the thought because it seemed impossibly arrogant of me to think I could be a minister of God. After all, I didn?t have all that good a track record in the past. I had the Course for years and I didn?t think I had made all that much progress. I think the only reason I was able to overcome my own fear was that it took me so long to complete the courses that I was able to lose sight of the fact that someday I would finish them.

Well, I did complete the courses and now I am an ordained minister with Pathways of Light. Now the Course is not something I do. It is what I am. My path to God is no longer a satisfying way to fill my empty nest; it is the purpose of my life. I keep my eyes firmly fixed on that purpose by continuing my spiritual education through Pathways and by studying the Course daily. I give a sermon at a local church every three weeks, have a study group in my home, and facilitate other ministerial students. What a wonderful life I have now!

This is my story. I would love to hear yours.

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this article.
Printable Page

A Holy Union

Dear Friends,

I recently traveled from Louisiana, where I live, to San Francisco to visit my daughter. She and her beloved partner asked me to conduct a ceremony to celebrate their union. It was a truly blessed moment and I feel so fortunate to have been part of it. The ministers address was so well recieved, both from the guests, and then later from those people I shared it with, that I decided to post it here. I hope that you enjoy it.

We gather here today to honor the union of Susan and Jennifer. Susan and Jen have long loved each other, but today they choose to cement that bond by asking a formal public commitment to each other. Such a commitment is not entered into lightly, but is an act of such courage and strength that its beauty and power inspires each of us. For that, we thank you Jen and Susan, because never has the world so needed such acts of inspiration.

Susan and Jennifer, the love of another human being is truly an awe inspiring gift. It is just such a gift that you two are offering each other on this day. Love is a gift that endures through the ages, and yet to experience that love on a day to day basis, to experience the beauty of that love day after day requires an open heart, an open mind, and a lot of hard work. It needs a willingness to roll up the sleeves, dig in the heels, and do the work that is required to keep that love fresh and strong.

If someone gave you a beautiful and valuable set of silver, and you allowed it to tarnish through neglect, to be bent and misused through carelessness; if you allowed pieces to be lost through thoughtlessness and because your attention was no longer on it, you would still have the set of silver, but it would no longer be a thing of beauty. You would no longer take pleasure in it.

And so you must think of your love. The love itself is a gift. The capacity to love is the ultimate gift of a loving creator. It is the only gift in this world with any true value. You cannot destroy this love. You cannot lose this love. It was a gift in your creation.  But in order to experience this gift and to enjoy this gift, you must honor it with your attention, with your care, and with your thoughtfulness.

The real beauty of love is that it gives to you ten-fold what you give to it. You can never out give love. If you give to each other those many small acts of kindness that seem commonplace and simple, love will grow to such proportions that it will fill every space in your life.

And it is such a simple thing to express your love. Life will supply many, many opportunities for you to do so. Jen, you will be given an opportunity to take on a chore that was Susan?s simply because you know she will be too tired after work to do it herself. Susan, you will want to rub Jen?s back to ease the tension from performing. You two will be given the chance to share the rough times in a spirit of comradeship rather than to succumb to the all too human temptation to blame and reprove one another. It is in such little things that you are given the chance to nourish your love and so to give it what it needs to support a life long relationship.

The most powerful gift you can give or receive from the one you love is selective blindness. Not everyday when you wake up, Jen, are you going to feel beautiful and funny. Not every day are you going to be in a happy mood. Not every day will you be filled with optimism. On some of those days your words and actions will reflect your darker thoughts.

Susan, those are the days that you will need to use selective vision. On those days turn a blind eye; look past the script that Jen wrote for her life that day. Look past her body, her words and her actions. Look instead, at the love she is beneath all of that. Keep your eye on that truth so firmly that you see nothing else. Let your love of Jen heal her mind and spirit. That is your challenge. That is the work you do to honor marriage and this love.

Jen, there will be days when Susan will wake up on the wrong side of the bed. She will be out of sorts and moody. She will have trouble deciding what she wants from you and will not appreciate if you notice this inconsistency. There will be moments of restlessness. She may have moments of self-doubt.

This is where you practice the art of selective vision. You learn to look past her script of the day. You keep a clear vision of the truth of who she is. You see her as perfect and pure love. Nothing else about her is real. Nothing else about her will endure. Keep your vision on the truth of this woman. This is your job. Holding the truth about her until she can, again, join in this vision of herself, is how you honor this love and this marriage.

The work you put into this marriage will build the love that will sustain you through all your life. It will support you in rough times, and will thrill you in the easy times. And as you grow old together, it will bestow on you a wisdom and a comfort that all will recognize and long for in their own lives

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this article.
Printable Page

My Purpose

Has anyone in here read The Purpose Driven Life? I haven?t read it myself, but this morning I was thinking about the title. I started wondering about the purpose that drives my life.  What is my purpose? It is important that I have one and it is important that I know what it is.

I used to think that my purpose was being a mother. I didn?t do a very good job as a mother when I first got into the business. I felt ashamed and depressed by my lack of success and then threw myself into the job with a vengeance. If this was my purpose, then I intended to do a bang up job. As my last child got closer to graduating, I realized that my perceived purpose was coming to an end. Sure I would still be their mom, but my job was over.

What did this mean about my purpose? Did I no longer have a one? What is the point of being in this life if I had no purpose? I decided that I had better find a new purpose. I felt guided to give my attention to my spiritual growth. Yes, I decided, this is my purpose. I now had time to dedicate to my spiritual life and I threw myself into this new job with the same enthusiasm and determination I had finally given to motherhood.

My efforts eventually led to the life I have now. I give sermons at a wonderful church. I write articles and facilitate classes and workshops. I counsel people who ask for my help, and I teach students who are studying for the ministry. It is a full and satisfying life. But, is it my purpose? No I don?t think so.

What I have decided is that my purpose in life is to save myself. Does that sound selfish? At first I thought it did, but now I believe that it is the only thing I can do and that I need to do. If I save myself, I will just naturally be of help to others. They will see my success and my joy, and want it for themselves. So I will be serving others by serving myself first.

Could it really work any other way? Could I offer you something I don?t have myself? If I told you that you should forgive others, but was unable to do this myself, would you have any reason to listen to me? Why should you listen to me anyway? Wouldn?t it be far more meaningful if you saw me forgiving? Wouldn?t it be more meaningful to see working at forgiveness. Even if I had not achieved my goal, my efforts would be a lesson for whoever was interested in having this for themselves.

Who am I to decide that you need to be saved? That thought alone would prove that I have not saved myself. Jesus was very clear about judgment. He told me that it wasn?t my job. I would be judging you if I decided that you needed anything. So I work at my own salvation. If you see me doing something that you want for yourself, then great! The one thing I am certain of, is that you and I are one in God. I am not going anywhere without you, and I want to return to my Father in Heaven. So I am glad if you, too, choose to recognize that your purpose in this life is to save yourself.

Knowing this is my purpose is only the first step. Now, I have a lot of work to do. I recognized that it didn?t matter what method I used. I could get my inspiration from a book, from any church, from someone I met on the street. The important thing is to give this work my whole hearted effort. While the form doesn?t matter, it is vitally important that I do the work. If God spoke to me Himself, and told me that my purpose is to love my brother as myself, to not judge anyone, to forgive, I would be powerfully motivated. But if I did not do the work to reinforce this effort, I would fall back into the world and soon I would be judging and holding grievances and living in fear and wallowing in guilt. It takes consistent effort and great vigilance to remain true to my purpose.

Anyone in a twelve step program will tell you that it takes more than a desire to get straight; to stay sober. No matter how great your desire and your determination, if you don?t do the work, if you don?t work the steps and go to meetings, you may find yourself sliding back into your addiction. It is the same with my spiritual life. If I want salvation, I must do the work. I must remain vigilant for God.

So, how do I do this work? How do I remain vigilant for God?  The first thing I did was find my inspiration.  I had started as a Catholic and that could have worked just fine, but I no longer found my inspiration there. I had been led to A Course in Miracles, and while I did find this book inspirational, my work had been sporadic. Now I really threw myself into it because I had made a decision to do what it took to gain my own salvation. I still thought I was doing this for someone else, but that was OK. I was doing the work, and later if would come to me that it wasn?t my job to save anyone else; my only job was to save myself.

I didn?t have to choose the Course as my inspiration. I could have used any church or any book. It happened though, that I did use the Course and it suited me well. The only thing that really mattered is that I follow my guidance. I understand my guide to be the Holy Spirit Who is the Voice for God. He was given me for that purpose. I used to call Him my conscience. I also recognize Him now as Jesus who promised to send me a comforter and to be with me always, even after he left his body. My guide doesn?t seem to care what I call Him, or how I think of Him. He is always there, ready to answer when I call on Him.

I used the Course and the Holy Spirit to decide what I needed to do to achieve salvation. I have narrowed it down to a few things. I recognize that my brother is part of me. I don?t have to save anyone else because as I am lifted up, everyone is lifted with me. When I hear about the work Mother Theresa does and as I hear about her love of her fellow man and of God, this lifts me up. As she is lifted, so am I. Sometimes when I see a homeless person, I offer them money. One day I saw a homeless person asking for money at a street corner. The woman in front of me reached her hand out, gave him some bills and held his hand in hers in blessing. She gave not only money (because that is what he needed) but also love and acceptance, because he needed that even more. I was lifted up by what I saw that day.

I know that I need to love my brother as myself. There are two distinct parts to that idea. I must love others. I do this in many, many ways all during the day. If someone acts in anger toward me, I love him by not reacting to his anger, but rather seeing past his actions to the truth of who he is as God?s holy child. That is the way to love him. I keep my eye firmly on the truth of who he is. I see him as whole and perfect, just as God created him. I hold to that vision rather than seeing him as his actions or his words. He is not what he says. He is not what he does. My favorite quote from The Course in Miracles is, ?I am as God created me.? It is a humble acceptance of what I truly am. This is the truth of my brother, and this is my gift to him; that I hold this truth of him until he is able to believe it of himself.

I said that there are two parts to this statement. I love my brother is the first part; the second part is, as myself. So it implies that I must love myself as well. How well I love myself will determine how well I love my brother. So, again, I see that I must save myself to be of any help to anyone else. If I remain unsaved, I will not love myself very much, and I will have nothing of value to give to my brother. I love myself as I love God. I love myself as I dedicate my time and effort to my salvation. I love myself as I remain vigilant toward this effort.

I know that I must not judge. I do not judge my own errors. I recognize that the error was made and I offer the misstep to the Holy Spirit for correction. There is no judgment in this process. I do not berate myself for making a mistake. I do not call it a sin. I love myself as I refuse to judge myself. This allows me to love my brother in the same way. As I refuse to judge myself, I find it easy to resist the temptation to judge my brother. It is not my job to decide if you are living your life well. It is not my job to decide if you are making mistakes.

I know that I must forgive. First I must forgive myself, then my forgiven self forgives my brother. I cannot offer my brother something I don?t have, so my own forgiveness comes first. I forgive by recognizing that there is not really anything to forgive. I said before that I look past what is done and said, to the truth of who we all are. That perfectly describes forgiveness. I am not my actions or my words. Neither are you. We are perfect, as we were created perfect. There is nothing to forgive. What I say and do are not the truth of me. When I say I forgive an error, I am really saying that I refuse to believe that error is the truth. By not making the error real in my mind, I find forgiveness a natural and simple process. It only becomes hard when I insist that I or someone else is really their mistake. Forgiveness is only as hard as I want it to be. If I find it hard to forgive I recognize that difficulty as a measure of my resistance to forgiveness.

These are the beliefs that I live by. I do not live perfectly, but I strive to live perfectly. That is the purpose that drives my life. Motherhood is not my purpose, but it is an opportunity to practice my purpose. My ministry is not my purpose, but when I write a sermon, I am teaching myself what my purpose is. When I deliver the sermon, I am sharing with you my purpose and am inviting you to support my efforts. In this way we both gain.

When someone says something to me in anger, it is not my purpose to judge or correct them or to protect myself, or to see myself as better than them. My purpose is to love them and to love myself, to forgive myself and them. I simply use this occasion to practice this process so that I become stronger in my convictions. As I practice these principles I lift myself up, and as I lift myself up, all of my Self (that is all of us) are lifted up as well.

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this article.
Printable Page

Page 259 of 264 pages ‹ First  < 257 258 259 260 261 >  Last ›

<< Back to main page of Together, We Light the Way

Has this page been helpful to you?
Your contribution to support this site is greatly appreciated. To make a tax deductible contribution with a credit/debit card, click here.
Click here to donate from your PayPal account.
Or send a check to Pathways of Light, 12530 Lions Chase Court, Huntley, IL 60142.

Free Online Resources

Electronic "Magazine"Sign up to receive periodic emails with thoughts to ponder, inspirational articles and the latest news.

Subscribe to daily emails of Workbook Lesson Insights.

ACIM Text Made Simple — answers to hundreds of questions about the Text. Click here.

Daily Inspiration Blog — Thoughts to inspire your day. Click here.

Inspiring journals by Pathways of Light ministers applying the principles of ACIM. Click here.

Miracles News — hundreds of inspiring miracle stories. Click here.
 

We'd Like to Hear from You

Request Free Printed Program & Product Catalog

Or call 1-800-323-7284 (US & Canada) or 386-615-7284.

Click here to email your questions.

United Kingdom: Click here to email your questions about Pathways of Light in the UK or call +44 (0) 207 7262 0209.

Give us your feedback or report site problems.
 

Pathways Ministers Audio/Videos

ACIM Spiritual Counselor Training

Inspired by the principles presented in A Course in Miracles, this ministry training focuses on accepting the mind healing that is guided by the Teacher within, the Holy Spirit. As our minds are healed, we become Holy Spirit’s instruments of healing. For more information click here.
 

ACIM Practitioner Courses

If you would like a deeper understanding of key principles of A Course in Miracles, the 24 Pathways of Light ACIM Practitioner courses provide a complete, multimedia package to help you make ACIM principles a ready resource to call upon in your mind throughout your day. Click here for more information.
 

Featured Items

Minister training based on A Course in Miracles Spiritual Counselor Training — based on principles of A Course in Miracles, including ordination. More….

Hey, Holy Spirit,
It's Me Again Hey, Holy Spirit, It's Me Again by Rev. Myron Jones. An indispensable guide for anyone on the path of ACIM with insights on the 1st 90 lessons. More….

Tru Eternal Life and A Course in Miracles by Jon Mundy, Phd. A Path to Eternity in the Essential Text. Learn more.

True Forgiveness True Forgiveness by Rev. Jennifer McSween. The Proven Path from Pain to Power in 5 Simple Steps. Learn more.

Listen & Receive 30-Day Home Study Listen & Receive 30-Day Home Study Learn to receive insight for your life in a form that is perfect for you …heal fears, find joy & peace. Learn more.

Minister training based on A Course in Miracles Spiritual Counselor Training — based on principles of A Course in Miracles, including ordination. More….

Miracles Practitioner courses24 ACIM Practitioner courses including 50-page study guide, CD's with facilitator. More….

Tru Live Your Happy by Rev. Maria Felipe. A real-world approach to living happily, based on A Course in Miracles. Learn more.

From the Christ Mind From the Christ Mind scribed by Darrell Morley Price. A simple, yet profound message that you can immediately apply to current circumstances. More….

Forgiving KevinForgiving Kevin Audio book by Rev. Larry Glenz. A moving and inspiring true story of a father/son relationship that withstood seven years of addiction, recovery, and relapse. More….

Healing Family
RelationshipsHealing Family Relationships Applying the Principles of A Course in Miracles 6 CD audio book by Rev. Myron Jones. Learn how family relationships offer fertile grounds for forgiveness and healing your judgments of the world. More.