Lesson 85 ~ Review II

Idea #1:  "Thoughts of the world hide the Light in me."

The world is only a thought in my mind; a thought of being separated from God.  God is Love.  Being "separated from" God would be "not-Love," the opposite of Love.  The grievances in my mind, even the hope for Happiness "outside" me keep the world foremost in my vision.  To See, I must lay the world aside.  To See, I must lay aside the hope that Happiness and salvation come from "outside" me.  Recognizing this, what can the "world" possibly offer?  Thoughts of the world keep me in darkness and hide Light.  Light and the "world" cannot both be experienced at the same time. When a grievance, judgment, negative self-talk or even the shiny hope of salvation "outside" me tempt me, I will say, "The Light will shine this away; " or "I have no need for this, I want to See;"  or, "I will not use this as a block to Sight."

Idea #2:  "My salvation comes from me."

I created the "world."  God did not.  I did.  Everything God Creates is Loving, Peaceful, Whole, Serene, Joyful.....ETERNALLY, not just "sometimes."  Can I say this about the world?  God did not create the world.  I created the world in a fantasy about being separated from God.  It is a dream in my mind.  I only need to lay it aside to Awaken to Reality.  Salvation is in me.  I will not look for it outside myself.  It is not found "outside" then "brought in."  From the very depths of my mind salvation will touch everything I seem to see and reflect the Light that shines in me.  When I am tempted to embrace grievances or any sparkling gift of death the world offers, I will say, "I will not let this interfere with my Awareness of Light;" "This has no power over me;"  or, "This will not tempt me to look "outside" for salvation."

Lesson 84 ~ Review II

Idea #1:  "Love created me like Itself."

I was created in the Likeness of my Creator.  I cannot suffer, I cannot experience loss and I cannot die.  I AM NOT A BODY.  I will recognize my Reality today.  I will embrace no illusions, nor look to ego to tell me who I am.  I am in the Likeness of my Creator. Love created me like Itself.  When I experience something other than Love, I can tell myself, "This is not my Reality. I am seeing only dreams."

Idea #2:  "Love holds no grievances."

I seemingly created a "reality" apart from God.  Anything that could exist apart from God would be devoid of what God Is. God is Love.  I seemingly created a "reality" that is alien to Love.  Grievances are completely alien to Love.  Grievances attack Love and hide the Light in me.  Grievances keep me anchored in the world of dreams, forgetting my Sonship.  To know Reality, I merely lay illusions aside and remember who I am: God's Son.  If I attack anything "outside" myself, I only allow attack-thoughts to permeate my mind, keeping Reality from my Awareness.  The world of illusion is a fantasy in my mind, so all "activity" in the "world" is happening only in my mind.  I will lay aside all attack-thoughts to remember who I am.  If a thought of attack, hate or judgment crosses my mind about any "other" or myself, I will simply let it go without another thought and remember my Reality is Love.

Lesson 83 ~ Review II

Idea #1:  "My only function is the one God gave me."

Forgiveness is the function God gave me in the world of illusion.  My function in Reality is being His Son.  This recognition releases me from all conflict, because I have one goal:  forgiveness.  With a single purpose, I am always certain what to do, what to say and what to think.  All doubt disappears as I acknowledge the function God gave me.  My perception of what happens in the world of illusion does not change my function.  I need only forgive a world that does not exist.

Idea #2:  "My happiness and my function are one."

All things of God are One. They come from Oneness and must be received as One. I have seemingly divided Oneness into many, many forms, yet this is only fantasy.  My function of forgiveness and my Happiness are the same because they both come from God and everything of God is One.  I must learn to recognize what makes me Happy.  I will never find Lasting Happiness in the world of dreams, no matter what it presents me.  Should I deny the world, leave the warmth of my home and live in a cave in a remote mountain?  I will not banish illusions by running away from them.  I deal with them head-on.  What I "see" is real for me at the moment.  I need not battle the world or its illusions, I must simply forgive and remember my function throughout the day.  I am learning to discipline my mind and make the simple lessons of ACIM habits of mind, so that when something troubles me, or something sparkly catches my eye, I will remember my function of forgiveness which brings the only True and Lasting Happiness.

Lesson 82 ~ Review II

Idea #1 (morning):  "As Light of the world I bring Peace to the "world" through my forgiveness"

My forgiveness helps me to become Aware of the Light in me. The world is only in my mind and when my mind heals the "world" heals as well.  Ultimately, healing will be complete and God Himself will take the final step in my Awakening and the "world" will disappear.

In the dream-world, the Son of God in me expresses himself through forgiveness.  My forgiveness is the means by which I remember my Sonship.  I will forgive the "world" that "I" may be healed.  Whenever someone seems to upset me, I will tell them in my mind, "Let Peace extend from my mind to yours (name),"  or "I share the Light of the world with you (name)." If a situation seems to vex me I will tell myself, "Through forgiveness, I will see this Truly."


Idea #2 (evening):  "I will not forget that forgiveness is my only function in the world of dreams."

Remembering my function is the key to remembering my True Self as God's Son.  I cannot fulfill my function if I forget it, allowing illusions to block Vision.  I will not experience the Joy God intends for me, unless I fulfill my function.  My function in Heaven is being God's Son.  My only function in the dream is forgiveness. When an illusion causes me to worry or become upset, I will tell myself, "I will use this as an opportunity for forgiveness."  If someone hurts my feelings or causes me humiliation, I will say to myself, "This may threaten the "ego" part of me, but it does not change what I must do, which is to forgive."  Ego provides nothing but opportunities for forgiveness.  I have been lost in a fantasy-world, but I am no longer completely "lost." God has given me the means to Awaken:  forgiveness.  Will I complete the miracle by accepting it?

Lesson 81 ~ Review II

Idea #1 (morning):  "I am the Light of the World."

The "world" is a dream in my mind.  Even in the world of dreams, what happens when I awaken from a night of sleep?  The dream is gone.  Yet while I continue to "see" and believe in the world of illusions, I will take small steps toward Sanity, with Heaven as my Guide. I am no longer completely insane, for Sanity has been reintroduced to my imprisoned mind.  I am God's Son. I am very Holy. The healing of my mind will be reflected in a "world" that seems to be outside me.  As I heal, the world will reflect back to me my own Holiness.  I need change nothing in the world.  I need change no one in the world.  If my mind heals, the world heals..........until it is no more.

Idea #2 (evening):  "Forgiveness is my function as Light of the "world."

ACIM is telling me this:   I am doing this to myself.  There is nothing and no one outside me.  I have created these bodies and situations to show me what "A-World-Apart-from-God" would be and they reflect back to me the state of my own mind in a vicious circle of cat and mouse.  Mind is the only Reality.  Love and Peace are the only Reality.  I will remember Reality when I let go of any thought that is not Love or some form of Love.  As long as I harbor thoughts of fear or some form of fear (hate, anger, annoyance, grief, sadness, etc) the world of illusion will appear to be my "reality." To Awaken, I remember my Reality as Pure Love.  While I "see" the world of illusion "outside" me, I forgive it.

Review II

It is important not to rush through the reviews and exercises as if checking off another thing on the "to do" list. There will be two ideas reviewed each day and I should spend about 15 minutes on each, one in the morning and one at night, as well as applying the ideas when something interrupts my peace of mind.  Read the lessons and then quietly listen.   If my mind wanders, repeat the idea over and over.  Focusing my mind on a single thought is meditation, and what is meditation but discipline of the mind? My mind in the world of dreams is completely undisciplined.  I allow fear, negative self-talk and judgment to take over and keep me grounded in illusion. My Natural State in Reality is Peace.

Read over the lessons and spend the majority of time listening quietly but attentively. There is a message waiting for me.  I am confident I will receive it.  Remember, the message belongs to me. The Son of God in me ~ my only Reality ~ wants this message.

Whatever thoughts try to distract me, just remember they have no meaning, no Reality and no Power.  Replace them with my determination to succeed.  My Will, which was given to me by God, has Power over all fantasies and dreams. Trust It to see me through and carry me beyond madness.

These practice periods are my dedication to the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Refuse to be sidetracked into detours, illusions and thoughts of fear and death.  Today I am dedicated to salvation.  My only function in the world of madness is forgiveness.  I forgive ~ or acknowledge ~ the unreality of the dream-world.

Lesson 80 ~ Let me recognize this: my problems have been solved.

If I am willing to recognize my one and only problem, I will recognize that I have no problems.  My one central problem (my apparent separation from God) has been solved and I have no other. Therefore, I must be at Peace.  Salvation depends on recognizing this one problem and understanding it has been solved.  One problem, one solution.  Salvation is accomplished.  I am free from all conflict.  Accept this fact and I am ready to take my rightful place in God's plan for salvation.

My only problem has been solved!  Repeat this over and over to myself today, with gratitude and conviction.  If I am not separated from God, I am problem-free, no matter what the "world" tries to tell me.  I have recognized my only problem, opening the way for Heaven to give me God's Answer.  I have laid illusions aside and have seen the Light of Truth.  I have accepted salvation for myself by bringing the problem to the Answer.  

I am entitled to Peace today.  A problem that has been solved cannot trouble me.  All problems are the same and their many forms will not fool me as long as I remember this.  One problem, one Solution. Accept the Peace this simple statement brings.  

Today I claim the Peace That is mine.  My problems have been solved and I am out of conflict, Free and at Peace.  One problem, one Solution.  The world of illusion is very complicated.  Salvation is very simple.  

Assure myself often today that my problems have been solved.  Repeat the idea with deep conviction, as frequently as possible.  Apply the idea for today to any "problems" that may arise and say, "this problem has been solved!"

I will not collect any grievances today.  I am determined to be free of problems that do not exist.  I will not deceive myself about what the problem is and I will recognize that all "problems" have been solved.  If I am not a body in a world surrounded by various, unsolvable problems, then where else could I be?  I am Safe in Heaven with my Father, dreaming of exile to a world of madness.

Today I embrace my Awakening.  I am no longer completely immersed in the world of madness, I am beginning to Awaken. 

 Salvation is honest and simple.  

"Let me recognize:  my problems have been solved."

Lesson 79 ~ Recognize the problem that it can be solved.

Everyone in the world seems to have their own special problems:  not enough money to pay the bills, trouble with co-workers, a failed relationship, crooked politicians, a crying baby, traffic congestion.  Maybe I see the misery that belongs to "others" and I am forced to look at it, becoming irritated and annoyed.  Yet, there is nothing and no one outside of myself, so if I see "misery,"  I can be sure it is mine.

Today I will learn that there is only ONE problem and the answer to that problem has been available to me the whole time.  All my problems have been solved, but if I do not recognize and accept this, it will not matter.  THAT is the situation of the "world;" even if I am given the answer to my problem on a silver platter, I will not see it if I do not recognize what the real problem is.  I have the answer to all my problems, but I do not recognize this.

It seems a long series of "different" problems confronts me, each one requiring a different answer. As one problem is solved, another rises to take its place. There is no end to my problems or the problems of the "world."  There is no time in which I feel completely free of problems and at Peace. Some problems remain under a cloud of denial and rise to haunt me from time to time, only to be hidden again, still unsolved. The world's problems are unending and unsolvable.  NO ONE could solve all the problems the "world" seems to hold.  Sadness and depression are rampant.

If I continue to regard my problems as varied and many, I keep the one true problem ~ my apparent separation from God ~ unsolved.  All complexity of the world is a desperate attempt NOT to recognize the one, true problem.  My ONLY problem IS:  I THINK I AM SEPARATED FROM GOD.

I think I am in a world apart from God.  I, myself, created this "world" (in fantasy, not Reality) to show me what "apart-from-God" would look like.  No matter what form any problem in the world takes, it only hides the one true problem.  I will recognize the constancy and consistency of the world's problems by this:  1) when one is solved another will come to take its place; 2) problems will cause me some form of fear, such as sadness, grief, discomfort, anxiety, annoyance, etc.  When I recognize this I will recognize I have the means to solve them all.  And I will use the means because I at last recognize the true problem.

My imagined "separation" from God is the ONLY problem I have and it has already been solved, because I CANNOT be separated from God.  It is impossible. Yet I have difficulty accepting this simple answer. The ego-part of me will not accept God's simple solution and quickly end all my misery. Ego wants chaos and complexity.  Yet deep within me ~ past the fantasy ~ is the Son of God and HE recognizes Truth.  I will try to reach the Son of God in me today.

In today's practice periods I will ask myself what the problem is and what is the answer.  I will not assume I already know.  I can tell myself intellectually, "I have only ONE problem and it is my apparent separation from God," but until I truly experience this Reality for myself, I will have doubts.

Today, I make the effort to  recognize that I have only ONE problem.  I will first direct my efforts toward the "many" and "varied" problems in the world that each seem to call for a different answer.  I will not be deceived by the form of the problem.

Today I will allow some doubt into my ego-version of what my problems are.  When a problem arises I will say to myself, "let me recognize this problem for what it is so that it can be solved."  Then I will try to suspend all judgment about what the problem is.

I am working toward recognizing that there is only ONE problem and ONE answer.  In this recognition, all problems are solved.  Anything undertaken with Truth (God) WILL be accomplished.

"Recognize the problem that it can be solved."

Lesson 78 ~ Let miracles replaces all grievances.

Each decision/choice I make is between Love and fear, Happiness and despair, Reality and illusion, Miracles and grievances.  Each grievance is like a dark shield of hate hiding a miracle.  When I raise the shield of hate before my eyes, I blind myself to the miracle. Though I may choose to see only grievances, the miracle waits for me in Light.

Today I go beyond grievances to look on the miracle instead. God helps me reverse the way I see by not allowing my sight to stop before it Truly Sees.  I will gently lay down the shield of hate and lift my eyes in silence to behold my Self as God's Son.

My True Self waits for me behind my grievances and as I lay them down, my Self as Son will appear. Every grievance is a block to Sight and as the block is removed, the Son of God appears where He has always been.  The Son of God stands in Light, but my self as ego was in darkness.  Each grievance made the darkness deeper and I could not see.

Today I will attempt to see myself as God's Son.  I will not blind myself to who I really am.  Such is the seeing of the world reversed:  I embrace Truth and lay aside fear. God uses the world I seemingly created to bring me salvation instead of hell.  He uses the "other bodies" I created to Awaken me to my Self.

Select one person I have used as a target for my grievances.  There have been many, but select only one for now.  I know the one to choose, for the name has crossed my mind already.  Someone, perhaps, I fear and even hate; someone maybe I love who has angered me; someone I call friend, but who seems difficult or hard to please.  I will review his/her faults, the difficulties I have had with him/her, the pain s/he caused me, his/her neglect, and all the little and big hurts s/he gave me.  I will think of his/her body with all its flaws (and better points as well), and I will think of his/her mistakes and even of his/her "sins."  I will lay aside the role I assigned to him/her as my tormentor.  I will lay aside any grievances and really look at him/her.  Then I will ask of God (who knows his Son in Reality and in Truth) to let me look at him/her in a different way, and see my savior shining in the Light of true forgiveness.  I ask God that my mind be shown the Light in my brother that is beyond my grievances.  Seeing him/her without the grievances I have held against him/her, I will learn exactly what was hidden from me while I saw him/her as my tormentor.  What I will see is hidden behind the grievance I hold against every "brother."

He who was enemy is my greatest friend when he is freed by me to take the Holy Role God assigned.  Let my brother be my savior today for such is the role God gave him.  I gave him another role as my tormentor, but God uses my miscreations for His Own Purposes and God's Goals always lead to Joy.

What the Son asks from the Father will never be denied.  In my world "apart from" God, I divided my Self into many "bodies" and seemingly created a world based on separation from God.  A world of loneliness, chaos, war, inequality, shame, guilt and sadness.  It is a world that in Reality does not exist, but I have placed it before my vision and it is what I see and believe in.  For the Son of God has the creative ability of His Father, though creating apart from the Father is impossible in Reality, in fantasy anything is possible.  "Death" will never relieve me of my fantasy world because there is no death, there is only Life.  Only my Awakening to Reality will offer relief from the dream of madness.

Every time a "brother" seems to offer me anything but Peace, I will ask God for the miracle instead. God has promised to show me the miracle behind the madness, and God keeps His Promises.

The world of madness falls away when I allow everyone I meet to be my savior.  To everyone I meet, and to the ones I think of or remember from the "past," I will allow him the role of my savior.

"Let miracles replaces all grievances."

Lesson 77 ~ I am entitled to miracles.

The Son of God is entitled to miracles and as God's Son, I will receive them.  Salvation is merely a statement of my True Identity and I celebrate this today.

My claim to miracles does not lie in illusions about myself, nor does it depend on any magical powers I have ascribed to myself.  My claim to miracles is ensured and guaranteed by God.

Today I claim the miracles which are my right, since they belong to me. I have been promised full release from the world of fantasy. I have been assured that the Kingdom of God is within me and can never be lost.  I ask no more than what belongs to me in Truth. Today I will not be content with less.

Remind myself that I am only asking for what is rightfully mine.  Remind myself also that what God gives is never taken from one and given to another.  Miracles do not obey the laws of this world, they merely follow from the Laws of God.  Wait quietly for the assurance that my request is granted.  I have asked for salvation, and in my salvation is the world's salvation because the "world" is a dream in my mind.  When my mind is healed, the "world" is healed.

I merely ask that the Will of God be done.  My request IS granted.  I WILL receive the assurance I seek.

Tell myself often today:  I am entitled to miracles.  Ask for them whenever a situation arises which seems to disturb my peace of mind.  Since I am not relying on myself to find the miracle, I am fully entitled to receive it whenever I ask.  I have seemingly relied only on myself in the world of illusion, having an experience "apart from" God.  But I am not apart from God and today I recognize this.

Today I will not be satisfied with less than the Perfect Answer.  I will not trade miracles for grievances.  I only want what belongs to me.  God has established miracles as my right.  His Son gladly accepts.....and it is done.

"I am entitled to miracles."

Lesson 76 ~ I am under no laws but God's.

I have looked for my salvation in senseless things that have no meaning and each has imprisoned me with its own senseless laws.  Yet, I am not imprisoned by the strange, twisted laws I have set up to save myself.  I think I will starve unless I have stacks of green paper and and piles of metal discs.  I think a small pill or some fluid pushed into my veins with a sharpened needle will ward off disease and death.  I think I am alone unless another body is with me.

It is insanity that thinks these things.  I call them "laws" and put them under different names in a long catalog of rituals that serve no purpose.  I think I must obey "laws" of medicine, economics and health; if I just protect my body, I will be saved. These are not laws, but madness.

The body is endangered only by a mind that hurts itself.  The body's suffering is a mask that the mind holds up to hide what really suffers.  The mind attacks the body and wants it to die.  This is what I created the body and the world to show me:  a world opposite to God.  God is Life, so I have a world of death.  God is Peace, so my world is chaos.  God is Joy, so my world must be filled with grief and sorrow.

I realize now, that salvation is not "outside" me.  Salvation is simple, and I learn to look for it where it waits for me: In my mind.

There are no laws except the Laws of God.  This needs repeating over and over and over.  Magic pills, paper and discs have no meaning.  What is meant to save does not exist.  I have hidden Truth from myself in the dream-world.  But the Laws of God ensure Freedom.  The Light has come because there are no Laws except God's.

Think of the different laws I believe I must obey: the "laws" of nutrition, of immunization, of medication, of friendship, of  "good" relationships. There are even "laws" that tell me what belongs to God and what belongs to me; many religions have been based on this and they damn in Heaven's name.  Yet religious laws are no more strange that other "laws" I think I must obey.

There are no Laws but God's.  Dismiss all foolish magical beliefs today and make my mind ready to hear the Voice of Truth.   Payment is neither given nor received. Exchange cannot be made, there are no substitutes and nothing is replaced by something else.  God's Laws forever give and never take.

Hear today the Voice Who tells me this and realize how foolish are the "laws" that seemed to make the world go round.  Then listen further.  He will tell me more; about the Love my Father has for me; about the Endless Joy He offers me.  I have denied God's Love for me by my belief in fantasies.

God's Voice will speak to me of the Joys of Heaven.  Repeat today's idea until I have heard and understood that there are no Laws except God's.  Repeat this as often as possible today, at least four or five times an hour.  Repeat this when I am tempted to think otherwise.  It is my statement of Freedom from all danger and tyranny.  It is my acknowledgment that God is my Father and I am His Son.

"I am under no laws but God's"

Lesson 75 ~ The Light has come.

The Light has come.  I am healed.  The Light has come.  I am saved.  The Light has come.  I am at Peace and I bring Peace with me wherever I go.  Darkness, turmoil and death have disappeared.  The Light has come.

Today I celebrate the Happy ending to my long dream of disaster.  There are no dark dreams now. The Light has come.  Today the time of Light begins.  It is a new era in which a new Vision is born. Today I will see a different "world" because the Light in me can only reflect Love.

Today I offer thanks for the passing of illusions and the beginning of my Awakening to Reality.  No shadows from the "past" can darken my sight and hide what forgiveness offers me.

Forgiveness will show me a world forgiven.  This is what I want to see and only what I want to see. When I make this my single purpose, the goal is inevitable.  A forgiven "world" rises before me in gladness.  I do not want to see ego's shadow on the world today.  When I choose Light, I see Heaven's reflection all across the "world."  For what I experience within, will be reflected "without."  There is nothing outside me, but while I experience a world outside me, it will be beautiful in the Light.

Do not give the "past" another thought.  The past never happened and what I see outside me is not my Reality.  Keep a completely open mind, clear of all past ideas and every concept I have made. I have forgiven the world today.  I can look on it now as if I never saw it before, because I have yet to see what Vision will show me.  I merely wait in gratitude to have it shown to me.

My only function in the world of illusions is forgiveness and this forgiveness entitles me to Vision. Understand that God never fails to give the Gift of Sight to the forgiving. He will not fail me.  He will show me what True Vision sees.  I have joined my will with the Father.  Salvation is accomplished!

From this time forth I will see differently.  Rejoice in the power of forgiveness to heal my sight completely.  Be confident that today is a new beginning, without the darkness of the "past."

If I am tempted by the world of illusion ~ by any figure or situation in the dream that attempts to pull me back into darkness ~ offer only forgiveness.

Today I celebrate the beginning of Vision and the sight of a forgiven "world."

"The Light has come.  I have forgiven the world."

Course-related thoughts.

Some places where I vacationed, I liked them so much I wanted to live there.  I have always wanted the inside of my house to look just like Pier One or Pottery Barn. The things I desire, I want to possess. Yet ACIM tells me I already have Everything as God's Son. That there is nothing outside me and my only Reality is with God.  So if there is nothing outside me and I am just imagining it all, then everything outside of me is within my mind, and whatever it is I desire, is already a part of me.  If my Reality ~ my Natural State ~ is to be without a body, what could I possibly want or need? How can I clothe a thought?  What do I need to feed it?  Does it need furniture to sit on?  A house to shelter it?  That seems laughable when I think about it.  I run around in the "world" acquiring things I think I need to be happy, yet all Lasting and True Happiness is in my mind and my only Home is in God.

Ego tells me Heaven is boring.  There will be nothing "to do."  No one to fall in "love" with.  I will just float around in the ether being blissfully happy, yet bored out of my skull.

Here is what ACIM tells me about Heaven:  It is Eternal, Joyful, Serene, Loving, Happy, Whole and Peaceful.  There is only Life; death does not exist.  In the world of dreams everything comes to an end by change or death. Even mountains crumble eventually. Think of beautiful Mount St. Helen before and after its eruption.  Even MOUNTAINs are subject to change in my dream world!

I like snow.  It is white and beautiful and falls gracefully. Yet it is cold and eventually turns to ugly slush.  Heaven is like beautiful snow that is always white, always beautiful and just the right temperature.

I like rain.  But sometimes it can be cold, harsh and depressing.Rain causes puddles of mud and ruins my hair. My clothes stick to me in the rain and cause a chill. Sometimes it rains too hard or for too long.  Heaven is like warm soft rain that creates no mud or puddles.  It does not soak my clothes and it rains for as long as I want to see it, then it disappears and I see something else I want to see.

I like good food.  But I get full and feel bloated if I eat too much.  Overeating makes me fat.  If I eat too much of the same thing, I get tired of it.  Sometimes the temperature of food is too hot or too cold.  Maybe there are lumps in the mashed potatoes or the meat needs salt.  Heaven is like good food that I can eat and eat and never get full, yet be fully satisfied with each bite.  The temperature is always perfect, the texture is always exactly what I want and the food is seasoned to perfection so I need never add salt or pepper.

Heaven is like this, yet completely unlike this in that Heaven has nothing to do with anything that is tangible.

How can one describe Perfection in an imperfect state of being?  I can only use the language of imperfection to attempt to describe Perfection.  That is why those who have near-death experiences return with an inability to adequately describe their experience outside the body.  While death is a dream, and where we go after "death" must also be a dream, it is a dream without the body, as opposed to the dream within the body.  But Truth is never completely hidden from God's Son.  There will always be glimpses of Truth even in my miscreations.  Death does not bring me to Eternal Life. Death keeps me in the fantasy-cycle of birth and death ~ reincarnation.  I Awaken to Reality.

Lesson 74 ~ There is no Will except God's.

God's Will is the only Will and His Will is mine.  There is no conflict in this.  Peace has replaced the strange idea that I am torn by conflicting goals, desires and needs.  I am an expression of God's Will and my Happiness is in Him.  I have no function or goal apart from Him.  I have no needs apart from Him.  I do not exist apart from Him.  Yet it is obvious that I can dream a dream of separation, but it is just that:  a dream.

There is great Peace in today's idea, and the idea for today is directed toward finding this Peace.  The idea is wholly True, and Truth can never give rise to illusion.  Without illusion conflict is impossible. I will try to recognize this today and experience the Peace this recognition brings me.

There is no Will except God's.  I cannot be in conflict.  I cannot be sad, worried, anxious, fearful or lonely.  There is no death.  God is Life and there is no opposite to Life.  I tried to create a world of opposites in my fantasies, but it can only be fantasy.

I am at Peace.  God Wills Peace for His Son.  Nothing can disturb me.

Conflict thoughts are meaningless, because God Wills only Peace for His Son.  Yet in my dream of separation, I see conflict everywhere.  ACIM works with me in my language of separation.  I straddle two worlds in a way.  I am learning of my Reality through healing the dream I see before me.

If any fantasy-thoughts of conflict or fear arise, I can replace those thoughts with today's idea.  If there is one conflict area that seems particularly troubling, single it out for special consideration. Think about it briefly, but very specifically.  Identify the person(s) or situation(s) involved and remind myself that this conflict cannot possibly be Real.  Nothing outside God exists.  There is no world outside me.  I am at Home, at Peace with God.

Close my eyes and try to experience the Peace to which I am entitled as God's Son. Sink into it and feel it closing around me.   Do not mistake this for withdrawal from the "world,"  the difference is easily detected.

If I am succeeding, I will feel a deep sense of Joy and an increased alertness, rather than a feeling of weakness or fatigue.

Joy characterizes Peace, and by this experience I will recognize that I have reached Peace.  If I do feel myself withdrawing or distracted, repeat today's idea and try again. Do this as often as necessary.  I will make definite strides in refusing to allow my mind to wander even if I do not experience the Peace I am looking for.

Throughout the day repeat the idea, then try to find what I am seeking.  What I seek will never be "in the world" ~ there is no world. It will only be deep in my mind in the Place that remembers God.

Consider today's idea for a moment, every half hour, with eyes closed.  This time would be truly well spent today.

My mind in the dream-world is undisciplined. My thoughts flit between emotional extremes, unfocused and chaotic. ACIM is a Course in mind training. I am training my mind to lay aside the dream and remember Reality.

"There is no Will but God's"

Lesson 73 ~ Darkness is not my Will; my Will is joined with God.

All ego-desires are darkness and nothingness.  Ego will always show me a world without God.  My belief in the dream-world is very strong, but in terms of Reality it does not exist.  Ego creates nothing Real.  What keeps me grounded in the dream-world is my desire to see the opposite of God.  Ego looks for things that will bring me that experience, such as grievances, judgments and "desires."  The Son of God has Everything, so in a world apart from God, he would always be kept wanting.  Ego populates the world with figures that seem to annoy, sadden and attack it.  "Others" become middlemen which ego employs to traffic in grievances.  Guilt is traded back and forth, from brother to brother, and grievances increase with each exchange.  It is a vicious circle keeping me firmly grounded to illusions, and desiring illusions I become blind to Reality.

My picture of the "world" can only mirror what is in my mind. The source of Light or darkness cannot be found anywhere but in my mind.  There is nothing outside myself. Grievances darken my mind, therefore I look "out" on a darkened world.  Forgiveness will lift the darkness.

The barrier of grievances is easily passed and cannot hold me from Happiness (salvation). The reason is simple:  it is only my DESIRE to see a world of illusion that keeps me here. Do I really want to remain in hell?  Do I really want sadness, suffering and death?   Ego will tell me that this fantasy is "heaven."  But I know now, this is not True.  I cannot possibly want this for myself.

Could God create such a disaster for His Son?  Could such a world have been created in the Will the Son shares with his Father?  Would God create a world that kills Himself?  Real Creation occurs with the Will of the Son and the Father joined together.

Suffering is not happiness, and it is Happiness I really want.  Such is my Will in Truth. I WANT to succeed in seeing Truth.  I undertake this lesson willingly and happily because Happiness is my Natural State.  I want salvation for myself, and I want to accept God's Plan because I am His Son and I share in His Plan.  I want to remember my function as His Son. Today ego stands powerless before the Will I share with my Father.

I practice today's idea with happy confidence, certain that I will find what God Wills me to find and remember what is my will to remember.  No illusion can oppose this. There is a point beyond which illusions cannot go. Today let the Will of the Father and Son be joined and forever end the insane belief that hell is what I desire.

I recognize today that only God's Will for me is what I want.  He will not force His Will on me.  His Will is the only thing that will bring me True Joy and Happiness because it is my Natural State of Being.  I will succeed today.  I am willing to look on the Light in me and be saved from a fantasy of darkness.

I ask God to show me the Light that reflects His Will and mine.  Let Him lead the way. Darkness is not my Will.  I desire only to see Light.  Whenever any form of grievance tempts me, repeat today's idea.  This will help me bring my grievances into the Light and let them go. Repeat the idea several times an hour.  Type the idea into my phone or laptop screen, so that every time I look at one of my devices, I am reminded of God's message.

"Darkness is not my Will.  My Will is joined with God"

Lesson 72 ~ Ask and He will answer. Knock and the door will be opened.

Ego's plan for salvation is opposite to God's, just as is everything in the fantasy world of illusion. Yet I created ego to show me a world without God.  It will continue to do so, especially as I attempt to learn my way Home.

I created "ego" (the part of me who believes it is apart from God) to replace God and put "me" in charge of my "life." Ego is the "physical" embodiment of the fantasy to be apart from God. Though it keeps "me" separate and alone, unable to reach other minds except through the very body that was made to imprison my mind.  A limit on communication cannot be the best means to enhance communication, but anything in the world "apart from" God is imperfection.

Holding grievances keeps me firmly entrenched in the world of imperfection. Consider some of the reasons I hold grievances. Are  they not always associated with something a BODY does?  A person says something I do not like or does something that annoys me, betraying the "hostile" thoughts in their body's mind?  I am exclusively concerned with what my brother does in his body, though in this world I am confusing my brother with his body.  Here is where God Himself is attacked:  if God's Son is only a body, then God must be as well, for the Creator must be like his Creation.  If God is a body, his plan for salvation must include death.  The body's apparent reality makes this view of God quite convincing.  In fact, if the body were Real, it would be difficult to escape this conclusion. The body offers me very little and I have been grasping every morsel I can get.  In the world of illusion it seems that God gave me nothing and leaves me floundering alone and unloved, and only my body and what it can say and do can bring me happiness ("salvation"). This is the common belief of the world.

Some hate the body and try to hurt and humiliate it, or control it through exercise and other physical activity.  Others love the body and try to glorify and celebrate it. The body stands at the center of my concept of myself, and this keeps me firmly planted in the illusion, blind to Reality and deaf to Truth. In the dream-world the body is my chosen savior and God is my enemy.  Every grievance I hold insists the body is Real.

Only God's Plan for salvation will work:  this is my full release from all my insane attempts to find Happiness, "salvation."  No other plan for salvation will work.  All other plans have lead to depression, anger and hopelessness.

Today I will try to stop all my senseless attacks on salvation.  I will try to welcome it instead.  The world's upside-down perception has ruined my peace of mind.  I have been seeing myself as a body, keeping Truth outside me locked away from my Awareness.  Today I will try to see differently.

The Light of Truth is in me, where It was placed by God.  The body does not exist and is not my concern.  To be without a body is to be in my Natural State.  To recognize the Light of Truth in me is to recognize myself as I am.   To see my Self as not a body is to accept God's Plan for salvation.  And wherever His Plan is accepted, It is already accomplished.

Ask God what His Plan is for me.  Acknowledge that I do not know and be open to hearing Him. Wait in quiet for His Answer.  I have been shouting my grievances so loudly that I have been unable to hear His Voice.  I have used grievances to close my eyes and plug my ears.  Now I ask God that I see, hear and learn.  When I ask God, I can be certain He will answer me and the Answer will be True.

Whenever I feel my confidence sag and my hope of success flicker and go out, repeat my question to God.  He WILL answer.  Be determined to hear Him.  I will not allow the shrieks of ego to drown out His Voice.  "What is salvation Father?  I do not know.  Tell me so I may understand."  Once or twice an hour is not unreasonable.  Consider how often I check my phone for calls or Facebook page for messages. My mind is filled with thoughts of the fantasy-world.  How about introducing some Truth and receiving the resulting Peace that will follow?  There could be no better way to spend my time than to remember my Source.

Lesson 71 ~ Only God's Plan for salvation will work.

Ego (the individual "me" in the dream) has set up a plan for salvation in opposition to God's. That is what I made "ego" for:  to show me a world apart from God.

Ego's plan is all about holding grievances.  It asserts that if someone else spoke or acted differently, if some external situation were changed everything would be perfect in my life and I would be "saved" (from loneliness, sadness, irritation, anger, etc.).  In ego's plan, the source of salvation is constantly perceived as outside myself. Every time I hold a grievance against someone, I reinforce ego's plan.  In ego's plan, change is demanded of everyone and everything except myself.  In ego's plan, any source of salvation is acceptable, provided that it will also fail in the end.

Ego's plan ensures the fruitless search will continue, and although this search has failed, there may still be another one that will work; a different person will be better, or another situation will offer me success.

Such is life in the world of illusion:  seek but do not find.  What could better guarantee that I will NOT find salvation than searching for it where it is not?

Only God's Plan will work.  I must be willing to look for salvation only in God, otherwise my purpose will be divided and I will attempt to follow two plans for salvation that are diametrically opposed in all ways.  The results can bring only confusion, misery and a deep sense of failure and despair.

To Awaken to Reality, only God's Plan for salvation will work.  While I continue to see the world of illusion, I will FORGIVE it.  While I have choices to make, I must ask myself, "is this a choice for Love or a choice for the opposite of Love?"

My salvation (Happiness, Joy, Success, Peace, Serenity, etc) comes from me and only me. There is nothing outside myself.   Nothing outside myself will bring me salvation.

Begin the practice periods by repeating the idea for the day.  Then devote a few minutes with my eyes closed to review some of the external places where I have looked for salvation in the past:  in other people, in possessions, in situations and events, and in ideas about myself that I sought to make Real.  My salvation cannot come from anything of these things, because nothing outside me exists.  My salvation comes from within me and nowhere else.

Remember, I have never found anything in the world of illusion that lasted or that Truly made me Happy.  All illusions have failed me.  Do I want to remain in the world of illusion, searching endlessly for something I will never find here, when I could so easily walk into the Light of Reality?

Be happy that there is an answer to what seems to be a world of conflict with no resolution.  All things are possible with God.  Salvation MUST be mine because God Wills it to be so, and what God Wills cannot possibly fail.

God's Plan for my salvation will work and any other plan will not.  It is as simple as that.  Do not become depressed or angry that the world does not exist.  Every good thing that seems to be out in the world is in my mind, Eternally a part of me and with me Always.

All my plans for salvation via ego have led to depression and anger. God's Plan is a full release from all the insane attempts and crazy ideas I think will bring me happiness or "salvation." God's Plan will lead to Release and Joy.  Ask Him today, "what do You want me to do?" "where do You want me to go?" "what would You have me say and to whom?"  Give it all to God and let Him tell me what needs to be done.

Am I willing to hear Him?  Will I chase some shiny trinket or sparkly hope of happiness in the world of illusion, refusing to hear His Voice?  The very fact that I am doing these exercises proves that I have some willingness to listen.  This is enough to claim God's Gift to me.

Be alert to all temptation to hold grievances, and respond to them with today's idea. Holding grievances is the opposite of God's Plan for salvation.  Only His Plan will work.

Try to remember today's idea some six or seven times an hour. There could be no better way to spend a half a minute or less than to remember the Source of my Happiness and salvation.  There is nothing outside me that will bring me Happiness. All attempts to find It in the world of illusion will fail.

"Only God's Plan for salvation will work."

Lesson 70 ~ My salvation comes from me.

Salvation seems to come from anywhere except me. When I realize that all my problems are entirely an invention of my mind, I will also realize that my salvation is in my mind.

The guilt I experience in the world of illusion comes from my seeming separation from my Father.  It appears that I am not good enough, smart enough, I do not come from the right family or make the right amount of income.  Maybe I do not have as big a house as my neighbor, or drive as nice of a car.  I am not tall enough or as beautiful as I could be.  I have a bad temper, or not enough patience.  I get upset with other drivers on the road.  I was not voted Homecoming queen.  I am the one in the family who always screws up.

The true ORIGIN of my guilt, problems, judgments, hatred, sadness and fear is that I seemed to have separated myself from my Source.   As a result I "see" illusion.

What is the cost of accepting today's idea?  Only this:  I must understand that nothing outside of me can save me and nothing outside of me can bring me Peace.  It also means that nothing outside of me can hurt me, disturb my Peace or upset me in any way.  Today's idea firmly places ME in charge of the "universe."  I accept this idea entirely or not at all.  I must accept responsibility for my salvation.

Because of the Perfection of Reality, I cannot separate myself from God, though I can think and fantasize about it, it can never be Reality.  I am Safe in Heaven, dreaming of exile to a world "apart from" God.  This "world" is all in my mind. So is my salvation. The Source of healing is located where the need for healing lies.

In fantasizing about a world apart from God, everything I experience is an experience "apart from" God. In God is Peace. In the world is war and chaos. In God is Life. In the world all life ends in death. In God is Wholeness and Healing; in the world is separation and sickness. The world of illusion is performing the function that I gave it: 'show me a world apart from God.'  I created each scenario with such detail and intricacy, with the Power of Creation that only the Son could have. Yet because it is a fantasy, it is not Real, yet I am fully immersed in my dream-world.

Can I not just wake up?  Of course I could.  Yet, over and over, my choice is to see a world without God.  When I choose fear over Love, judgment over Acceptance, worry over Peace and death over Life, I choose to "see" apart from God.

Speaking in the language of illusion, part of me is lost in the dream, dreaming a dream, by my own choice, which makes me very unhappy, worried, anxious, fearful, sad, upset. Yet there is another part of me that remembers my Reality with God; that is the part God works with to help me choose differently to remember my way Home.

I place a dream of "aloneness" before me.  How is that working for me?

It is time to choose differently. Today I choose to make no decisions or choices by "myself." Because it makes God angry? No. Because it is impossible. The impossibility of being alone is what I choose to experience:  I am in this body, you are in another body;  I am over here, you are over there.  Yet this is impossible!  There is no separation between God and His Son.  But that I can dream about it is undeniable. Alone I can do nothing. My experience in the world of illusion is an experience of myself, alone and without God.  But I can never be alone and without God. Today I choose to remember.

Just as the world is in my mind, so is my healing.  Today I practice realizing that God's Will and mine are One.  God wants me to be healed, and I do not really want to be sick, alone, frightened, or fearful because it makes me unhappy.  By accepting the idea for today, I am placing my mind in agreement with God. He does not want me to be apart from Him. Neither do I. He wants me to be healed and Whole. So do I.

For 10 to 15 minutes twice today begin by repeating today's idea recognizing that my salvation comes from me because it cannot come from anywhere else; there is nothing outside me. Then, perhaps with eyes closed, review the places where I have looked for salvation in the past; in other people, possessions, situations and events, and in the self-concepts I desired to make Real.  Then recognize that my salvation cannot come from any of these things; it comes from me and only me.  God does not save me from this world, because the world does not exist.  God battles no one and nothing, because He Is and has Everything. I created the world of dreams and only I can choose differently.  God patiently awaits my choice for Happiness.  I can choose dreams and shiny trinkets that seem to be outside me, over and over, until I am ready to choose differently.

I will try to reach the Light in me today; I cannot find It in the dream that surrounds me, and in the dream is where I have been looking.  I have never found anything in the dream that has fully and completely satisfied me.  Since all illusions have failed me, do I really want to choose more illusions when I could so easily walk into the Light?

In my mind imagine the world of illusions as clouds.  I will try to pass the clouds in whatever means appeals to me.  If it helps, think of God or Jesus (who represents the Sonship in the dream-world) holding my hand and leading me.  This will be no idle fantasy.

Salvation comes from me, and nothing but my own thoughts can slow my progress.  I am free from all external interference.  I am in charge of my salvation.  It is my choice. In saving my "self," I save the "world.".

"My salvation comes from ME."

Lesson 69 ~ My grievances blind me to my Self.

When I hold a grievance against anyone or anything, my mind is shrouded in darkness which is then reflected upon the "world."

Today I will make another real attempt to reach the Light in me.  The veil of darkness that hides Reality from me will be lifted and the tears of God's Son will disappear in Light.

Salvation from the world of illusion is my only need.  Forgiveness is the means to accomplish it.  I have no other purpose here in this world.  Learning salvation is my only goal.  Finding the Light in me will end all my ancient and fruitless searching.

Start with eyes closed and try to let go of all the content that generally occupies my consciousness. Think of my mind as a vast circle surrounded by a layer of heavy, dark clouds, with me standing outside the circle among the clouds for now.

From where I stand, I can see no reason to believe there is a Brilliant Light behind these clouds.  The clouds seem to be the only reality. They seem to be all there is to see.  Today I will make an attempt to go through and past the clouds and recognize their lack of substance.

What I am attempting to do today is very important. Think about this. Everything happening in the "world" is a reflection of only what is in my mind.   When I forgive I heal my mind, this healing is reflected in the "world" until the world is no more and I Awaken to Reality.

Settle down in perfect stillness and remember how much I want to reach the Light in me today ~ now!  Be determined to go past the clouds.  Reach out and touch them in my mind.  Brush them aside with my hand; feel them resting on my cheeks, forehead and eyelids as I go through them. Go on. Clouds cannot stop me.

"...I've looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow it's cloud illusions I recall, I really don't know clouds at all......"  Joni Mitchell, Both Sides Now, from the album Life as a House.  Truth has always been with me even among illusions.

If I am doing the exercises properly, I will begin to feel a sense of being lifted up and carried ahead. My little efforts and small determination call on the Power of Heaven to help me, and God Himself will raise me from darkness into Light.  When I am in line with His Will, I cannot fail, because my will is His.

Have confidence in my Father today and be certain that He has heard and Answered me.  I may not recognize His Answer yet, but I can be certain It is given me.  I will recognize It as I attempt to go through the clouds to Light. Try to remember I am at last joining my will to God's. What I do with the Father must succeed.  Let the Power of God work in me and through me that His Will (which is mine!) be done.

Repeat today's idea throughout the day and remind myself also, that I have the Power of Heaven helping me.  I have hidden Heaven from my mind with judgments and grievances, which has created the world of separation.  Today I want the Light to be revealed to me.  Hold no grievance or judgment against anyone or anything for it hides Reality from my Awareness.  When I heal my mind the "world" is healed along with it, until the world disappears and I return to Awareness of my Father and my Reality as His Son.

Lesson 68 ~ Love holds no grievances.

I do not fully realize what judging others and holding grievances does to my mind; it keeps me separated from Reality.  It gives me the experience of being "away from" God. Holding grievances are the building blocks of illusion.  It makes me believe that God is more like ego:  selfish, angry, judgmental and intolerant.  I cannot know my Self as Son of God and hold a grievance.  To hold grievances is to allow "ego" to dominate my thinking, and ego believes in being apart from God in a world of illusion where bodies live and eventually die.

Shut off from my True Self (which remains Aware of Its Wholeness with the Father), my Self seems to sleep, while the part of my mind which weaves illusions in its sleep appears to be "awake."  This is what holding grievances does to me.  It denies my Reality as God's Son, and God becomes fearful to me in my dream of hate.  Who can dream of hatred and not fear God?

When I hold grievances I redefine God in my own image.  When I hold grievances I suffer guilt, just as when I forgive, I will find Peace.  When I hold grievances I forget who I am as God's Son, just as certainly as when I forgive, I will remember.

Would I not be willing to give up my grievances if I accept this Truth?  Maybe I think I cannot give up my grievances?  It is only a matter of motivation. Today I will try to find out how I feel without grievances.  If I succeed ~ even by a tiny bit ~ I will never have a problem being motivated to do so again.

Search my mind for those against whom I hold a major grievance.  Then think of the minor grievances I hold against even those I like and love.  It should quickly become apparent that there is no one who is exempt from ego's judgment.  This is what has left me alone in the universe and defines my perception of myself as "ego."

Be determined now to see all as friends for they are part of me and I must forgive and love them in order to know my Self.

Think of myself completely at Peace with everyone and everything; safe in a world that protects and loves me, and that I love in return.  Feel the Safety surrounding me, hovering over me and supporting my every step.  Love holds no grievances and when I let grievances go, I will know I am Perfectly Safe.  By laying all grievances aside, I will Awaken to my Self and God.

"Love holds no grievances."

Lesson 67 ~ Love created me like Itself.

God created me like Himself.  God is Love, Peace, Joy, Wholeness, Kindness, Holiness, Helpfulness and Perfection. So am I.  Holiness created me Holy.  Kindness created me Kind. Helpfulness created me Helpful.  Perfection created me Perfect.

Today's idea is a complete and accurate statement of what I am.  I am the Light of the "world."  I am the savior of the "world."  The Sonship looks to me for salvation.  I will make every effort today, to reach the Truth about myself and to recognize It fully ~ if only for a moment.

Today's lesson will attempt to undo my ego-definition of God and replace it with His Own, and to also recognize that I am part of God's Definition of Himself.

If Love Created me like Itself, this Self must also be in me.  Somewhere in my mind It is there for me to find.  I need to hear the Truth about myself as often as possible because my mind is so preoccupied with false self-images and illusions.

I was Created by Love Itself, and it is not my own tiny, solitary voice that tells me this. It is God's Voice reminding me of my Father and of my Self.  This is the Voice for Truth, replacing everything ego tells me about myself with the simple Truth about the Son of God (me).

Practice today's idea as often as I can, four or five times an hour, or even more frequently.  Repeat today's idea to replace any distracting thoughts. If the practice time suggested seems outrageous, I need to ask myself, 'how often do I check my cell phone for messages?', 'how often do I check Facebook?'

Today I will think about my Reality and its Unchangeable Nature.  I am God's Son and will always be God's Son ~ Perfect, Loving, Joyful, Kind, Holy, Peaceful and Helpful ~ despite what illusory thoughts tell me or what my body's "eyes" seem to show me.

I can be confident that I will make tremendous strides in bringing Awareness of Truth nearer to me, whether I feel successful or not.  The Son of God in me recognizes Truth.

"Love created me like Itself."

Lesson 66 ~ My happiness and my function are One.

There is a connection between fulfilling my function (forgiveness) and achieving Happiness.  It is more than a connection, they are the same.

The part of me ("ego") who believes I am in a world of illusion will oppose God at every turn. I seemingly created the "world" to give me an experience "apart from" God. In Reality this is not possible, but in fantasy anything is possible.  While I "see" a "world" before me, the part of me who believes in the "world" will oppose the lessons of God. Ego will tell me Happiness is an important occupation, a secure bank account, a fulfilling relationship, a chiseled body or an expensive piece of property. While the lessons in ACIM and God are telling me this is not so. In fact, they tell me my Happiness has nothing to do with the world at all; that everything which promises Happiness in the world does not exist and is a dream in my mind.

So it is a constant tug between ego and Reality.  Ego attacks and Reality does not respond. There is no need to do battle with something that does not exist. "Battle" is a word only ego understands. Peace is all Heaven knows.  I created the world of illusion to give me an experience "apart from" God. That is its function. Heaven will use what I created to instead Awaken me to Reality. My function is only forgiveness. Forgiveness will result in True and Lasting Happiness.  I forgive what does not exist.  I forgive what never occurred.  I forgive my brother for what he did not do.

Today I will try to go past the meaningless and arrive at Truth.  I will not engage in senseless arguments in my mind about anything.  I will not become hopelessly involved in searching for Happiness in a world that will never provide It.  I will not listen to ego's attacks on Truth. Today I will be glad that with Heaven as my Guide, I will learn what Truth is.

My function of forgiveness in the world of illusion is the ONLY thing that will bring me Happiness. I will learn this by practicing forgiveness on everyone and everything in the world I "see."  My Reality with God is Happiness.  In the dream, Happiness and forgiveness are One and the same, no matter what "appearances" tell me.

God gives only Happiness. Love cannot give evil.  A seeming experience apart from God would be everything God is not:  limited, hateful, evil, lonely, restless, anxious, depressed, always searching......the opposite of Life.

I have learned there are two parts to my mind in this dream world.  One is ruled by "ego" and made up of illusions.  The other part is the where the Son lives in Peace with His Father, where Truth abides.  As I go through my day making choices and decisions, I can realize there are only two guides for me to rely on:  ego or Heaven. Ego will always offer an experience of a world apart from God, no matter the form.  Heaven always offers to replace illusion with Love.

Does ego really have gifts to give?  Ego is an illusion offering only the illusion of gifts. Think about this today and about the many forms illusion has occupied in my mind; the many ways ego has offered me "salvation."  Did I find it?  Was I Happy Eternally?  Did it bring me Eternal Peace?  Great honesty is required of me today.

Today, I listen to madness or hear Truth.   These are the only choices.  On one side stands all illusion.  On the other side Truth awaits my acceptance.  In this world of dreams, only forgiveness will bring me Happiness.  Forgive what is not Real to Awaken to Reality/Happiness/Joy/Peace.

"Only forgiveness will bring me Happiness."

Lesson 65 ~ My only function is the one God gave me.

I am reinforcing the function of forgiveness in my mind.  God gave this function to me, so it is the only function I have in the world of illusion.  It is necessary for this idea to be firmly anchored in my mind.  In studying ACIM, sometimes it will seem as if I must live parallel lives with very opposing ideas.  One sentence in ACIM reads, "If I defend myself, then I am attacked."  That sounds insane. So does this mean that if someone in the world of dreams attacks me, I am suppose submit to the blows?

I will be learning fantastic ideas in ACIM and living in a world of illusions at the same time.  Yet, I am told that the world of illusion does not really exist.  So do I quit my job? Stop taking care of my children?  Never leave my house and only study ACIM?

While I "see" the world before me, I am to live in the world according to its rules.  But at the same time I forgive it and all that upsets me while I do.   God works "behind the scenes," so to speak, adjusting "time" and "space" on behalf of my small efforts.  I do not need to worry how my Awakening to Reality will happen.  I just continue "existing" in the world of illusion, "living my life" practicing the teachings of ACIM. It is not enough to read and understand the material, I must put it into practice.  I do not have to "feel" any particular feelings about what I am doing.  My "feelings" do not matter. I need only do the work and leave the rest to God. The Son of God in me will recognize the Truth of the teachings.

The only way I will have Peace of mind, is by fulfilling the function God gave me; in the world of illusion my function is forgiveness, in Heaven my function is being God's Son.

Today, set aside 10-15 minutes to understand and accept what today's idea really means.  It offers me escape from all my perceived difficulties.  It places the key to the door of Peace in my hands.  It gives Answer to all the searching I have done since "time" began.  Set aside time for God each day with these lessons.  This is part of the long-range disciplinary training my mind needs so that God can use my mind consistently for His Own Purpose.

Review today's idea and allow whatever thoughts come to mind.  At first, make no attempt to concentrate only on thoughts related to today's idea, but rather try to uncover each interfering thought.  Note each thought as it comes to me with as little involvement or concern as possible; dismiss each one with an idea like, "this thought prevents me from accepting the function God gave me."   After a while interfering thoughts will become harder to find.  Do not strain or use a lot of effort, just be willing to have illusions be replaced by Truth.  I cannot imagine the relief today's idea will bring to me resolving my conflicts once and for all.  Despite all my own foolish ideas to the contrary, I really want salvation.  My only function is the one God gave me.  I want and have no other.  I can give God ten minutes of my day, morning and night, in exchange for an Eternity of Peace.

"My only function is the one God gave me.  My function is forgiveness."

Lesson 64 ~ My function is forgiveness.

The dream-world will make every attempt to thwart my function of forgiveness, and provide justification for forgetting my function altogether.  Like the Prodigal Son, my mind wandered into a fantasy of being apart from my Father, with the purpose of this fantasy to show me a world without God. Can I hate my mind for showing me what I asked it to show me?  The Son of God has Great Power, even in his miscreation.  But take heart, anything made "apart from" God is fantasy, not Reality; just a dream to Awaken from.  It is an illusion where I have taken on a physical appearance and left my Home with God.  It is illusion that the "body's eyes" seem to "see."  The purpose of the body, eyes or anything else in the world of illusion is to show me a world apart from God........which is quite impossible in Reality; though in fantasy anything is possible.

Even fantasy cannot entirely hide Truth.  I have seen glimpses of Truth all around me, even in the world of illusion.  I recognize Truth even in the dream and I have known this for a long time.

God has another purpose for my dream......He will use all I have made to Awaken me. He instructs me to use the illusion of forgiveness to forgive myself and my brother of all "sin." I think "sin" is real. I think destruction, hate, sadness, grief, war, envy, jealousy, mayhem and all things opposite Love are real.  Nothing that is not Love is Real and to learn this, I forgive.  Then I realize that there is nothing at all to forgive; it is all a dream.  But God uses baby steps because He knows very well that the fantasy is very much the "reality" I have placed before me.

Whenever I feel anything except Love, I can recognize this as an opportunity for forgiveness. Remember, no matter how many options the world seems to present me, when there is any choice or decision to make, the only options are fear or Love.

As Light of the "world," as God's Holy Son, I accept my function of forgiveness.   Gradually I learn that there was nothing at all which needed forgiveness and my Father takes the final step in Awakening me to Reality.

"Ego" is the part of me which believes I am separated from God.  Its function is to assure me that I am indeed separated from God.  I created it to be so.  It is the arrogance of ego which tells me 'I am not worthy to be the Light of the world,'  that 'I am a lowly sinner,' that 'I could not possibly be the Son of God.'  That is ego's job as I have created it to be.

I can stay lost in the dream for as long as I choose, or I can follow the guidance of Heaven and Awaken to Heaven.  It is not "death" that allows me relief from pain and madness; it is only my Awakening to Reality.  I can go on and on through "birth" and "death" in the illusory cycle of "reincarnation," but there is nothing for me to "learn" here.  As God's Son I already know and have Everything.  Many roads lead Home.   ACIM will get me there faster.

The "world's" salvation awaits my forgiveness.  Through my forgiveness, the Son of God (me) escapes from all illusion.  Only by accepting and fulfilling my function of forgiveness will I be Happy.  That is because my function IS to be Happy.  I will use the means (forgiveness) given me by which Happiness becomes inevitable.    Every time I make a choice or decision, I choose whether to be Happy or not.

I will remember my function today, all throughout the day.  As they say in Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, 'attend 90 meetings in 90 days.'  Some newcomers wonder where they will find the time, until they are told, "you found the time to drink, did you not?"  When I truly want something, I MAKE the time for it.  And Happiness is what I Truly want; being with God is what I Truly want.  I can continue to wander about in the world of illusion looking for some sparkle of salvation; in a beautiful face, the perfect job, a thick wallet, my own plot of land, fame and fortune.  But they will all lead to the same outcome:  showing me a world apart from God; with disappointment and sadness, war and tragedy, hatred and war, boredom and restlessness, until I remember what it is I am searching for: Love, Peace, Joy, Serenity, Happiness, ian other words:  GOD.

I will prepare myself in advance for all the decisions I will make today by remembering they are all really very simple.  Each one will lead to Happiness or unhappiness.  Can such a simple decision really be difficult to make?  I will not let the form of decision deceive me.  It is impossible that any decision in the world of illusion have a content different from just this one simple choice.

At least once today, devote 10 or 15 minutes to reflecting on today's idea with closed eyes.  Related thoughts will come to help me.  Throughout the day, remind myself of my function.  This will be difficult at first, because my mind is not disciplined. If nothing else, look around me with eyes open and tell myself, "It is my function to save the world.  Let me forgive it and be Happy."

There is no need to evangelize or convince "anyone else" of Truth.  There is only One Son. Heal MY mind and I heal the "world."  Always call on Heaven for guidance for I cannot do this alone.  "Ego" will always draw me into the illusion even as my mind is healing; especially as my mind is healing.  I may think crazy, grandiose thoughts or feel slightly "off."  This is the pull of the illusion.  But Heaven will rush to my aid when I call.  God will adjust time and space with my small efforts.

I am on my way Home.

"My function is forgiveness.  Let me forgive and be Happy."

Lesson 63 ~ Forgiveness is my only function in the dream-world.

How Holy is my Power to bring Peace to every mind.  I am Blessed to recognize this Power.  I can have no greater purpose than this.  Forgiveness is my only function in the world of dreams.

I am indeed the Light of the world with such a function.  The "entire" Sonship looks to me for redemption.  I will accept no meaningless illusion in place of my function of forgiveness, or I leave the Son of God in hell.

I must recognize what is being asked of me.  I am being asked to accept salvation for myself, and when I accept it for my "self," it is mine to give my "brothers."  Yet, there is nothing and no one outside me.  My Reality is with God.  I am Safe in God dreaming of exile to a world "apart from" God.  A dream is not Reality.  Yet God works with me in the language of the dream to Awaken me to Reality.  While I see the dream before me I believe in its "reality."  But I can have Hope.  I am learning to "see" differently.  I am learning to make different choices.  In God's World there is only one "choice:"  Love, or some version of Love ~ Peace, Joy, Serenity, Wholeness.  In the world of dreams there seems to be many choices, but there are only two:  Love or fear.  Mine is a world of fear, because it is a world I seemingly created to experience being apart from God. Being apart from God would be an experience without Love, therefore it is an experience of fear.  No matter how many choices I seem to have there is only a choice between Love and fear.

My Awakening to Reality depends on God (Who has never left me) and my forgiveness of the world of madness.

I will recognize the function God has given me in the dream:  forgiveness.   I will realize the importance of this function to my salvation, hence the salvation of the "world."

Begin the day by acknowledging my function and remembering it throughout the day. The Light of the world (me) brings Peace to every mind. There are no "others,"  but my seeming existence in the "world" is real to me, so God works with me in the language of the dream.

If what seems to exist outside me is all in my mind, then "who" is it that must save the world?  ME.

Let there be Peace on earth, and let it begin with me, because "I" am All There Is. Even in the world of illusion I can understand this: what happens to all the objects, situations and people when I wake up from dreams of sleep?

I do not have to travel to Machu Picchu or Shambhala to find Peace.  Those "places" are deep within me in my Reality with my Father.  I can access that Peace anytime.

Remember, in the dream God's Son (there is only One) looks to "me" for salvation. If not me, who?  If not now, when?

Who, except for my True Self, is His Son?

"Forgiveness is my only function in the world of dreams."

Lesson 62 ~ Forgiveness is my function as Light of the world.

It is my forgiveness that lets me recognize the Light in which I See.  It is my forgiveness that will bring the world of darkness to Light.  Forgiveness is the demonstration that I am the Light of the world.  Through my forgiveness does the Truth about myself return to my memory.  In my forgiveness lies my salvation.

All illusions are one, whether they are illusions about myself, others or the world. There is nothing outside myself. I have dreamed a dream of madness. When I forgive the dream or anyone or anything in it, I forgive myself. All forgiveness is a gift to myself.  I am the Son of God Safe with my Father, but asleep, dreaming of exile to a world of insanity.  I have denied my Identity for too long.  Now I am learning to remember Truth.  Attack ~ by hateful, judgmental, negative, sad, grieving, anxious thoughts ~ must be replaced by forgiveness, so that thoughts of Life may replace thoughts of "death."

In every choice and every decision in the world of dreams, is the call for Peace or the call for attack, the call for Love or the call for fear.  Each time I forgive, I call upon the Strength of God (and the strength of the Sonship) in me.  Am I beginning to understand what forgiveness will do for me? Forgiveness will remove all weakness, strain and fatigue from my mind. It will take away all fear, guilt and pain. It will restore the Invulnerability and Power which God gave His Son to my Awareness.

Begin and end the day by practicing today's idea and use it frequently throughout the day. Then devote a minute or two to considering my function of forgiveness and the Happiness and release it will bring me.  Allow related thoughts to come freely. My heart will recognize Truth.  If my attention wanders, repeat today's idea.

God wants me to be Happy, yet with each choice and decision I have been telling myself over and over, "I am not God's Son, I live apart from Him in a world of madness; I am small, angry, limited, judgmental, hateful and sad."  I can make another choice. I can acknowledge Truth.

Because there is nothing outside myself, any healing and Happiness that occurs in my life, will help everyone "else" in this world of madness, apart from time and space, be it in the "past," or "far away."  "All" will share my Happiness.  Forgiveness is my function as Light of the world.  I will remember my function and be Happy because I want Happiness and nothing else.

"Forgiveness is my function as Light of the world."

Lesson 61 ~ I am the Light of the world.

Who could be the Light of the world except for the Son of God?  This is merely a statement of the Truth about myself.  It is the opposite of pride, arrogance and self-deception.  It does not describe the self-concept I have made in the world of illusions. It refers to me as I was Created by God and simply states Truth.

To ego, today's idea is the epitome of arrogance.  But ego does not understand humility, mistaking it for self-debasement.  Humility consists of accepting my role in salvation and taking on no other role.  It is not humility to say "I cannot possibly be the Light of the world," when God Himself gave me that very function.  It is arrogance of ego that would claim this function is not for me.

True humility requires that I accept my function as Light of the world because it is God's Voice Which tells me so.  This is a beginning step in accepting my Real function on earth. And it is a giant stride forward in taking my rightful place in salvation.  It is my right to be saved.  And when I save my "self," I save the entire "world;" the world being a fantasy in my mind.

Think about today's idea as often as possible today.  It is the Perfect Answer to all illusion and all temptation. It brings all the images I have made of myself to Truth, and helps me settle all choices and decisions in Peace.  Today I tell myself, "I am the Light of the world. That is my only function."  Then allow a few related thoughts to pass through my mind and repeat the main idea if my mind wanders.  Begin and end the day by thinking about this idea.  I will start the day with an acknowledgment of Truth about myself, reinforce it throughout the day and prepare for sleep by reaffirming my function and my only True purpose here in the world of illusions.

Today's idea goes far beyond ego's petty views of what I am and what my purpose is. I am the Light of the world.  God has built His plan for salvation on me.  There is no "world," there are no "others," there is no "body."  I am not separated into other bodies, objects or beings. There is nothing "outside" me that exists.  Everything that seems to exist is in my mind.  Yet God works with me where I think I am and He will walk me through all situations and choices until I Awaken to Reality with Him.  So in Truth, if I save my "self" and "my own" tormented mind I save the entire world of illusions because it is in my mind.

"I am the Light of the world."

Lesson 60 ~ Review I

God is the Love in which I forgive.   God does not "forgive" me because He never condemned me. The Blameless cannot blame, and when I accept my Innocence I will understand I have nothing to forgive.  Yet, "forgiveness" is the means by which I recognize my Innocence. "Forgiveness" is sorely needed in a world of illusion.  I will use forgiveness to eventually understand that there is nothing at all which needs forgiveness, because there is nothing that exists outside me.  The "world" and my "body" do not exist.  I do not know that now, because I still seem to see a world outside me and I still seem to be encompassed by a "body."  I will learn differently through forgiveness of everyone and everything I see. I will forgive one choice at a time, one situation at a time, one person at a time, one object at a time, until I realize they are all the same (illusions) and forgiveness is no longer needed.  "Forgiveness" is an illusion that God uses to reflect His Love in my dream.  It will bring me near enough to Heaven that God's Love Awakens me.

God is the Strength in which I trust.   The Strength I need for the forgiveness required in the world of illusion is not my own.  I will truly forgive ~ the way forgiveness is intended ~ through God's Strength.  I remember God as I forgive. I recognize God's reflection even in my illusion and I will continue to forgive because I feel the stirring of His Strength in me.  I remember the Love I made the choice to forget.  Yet Love has not forgotten me.

There is nothing to fear.   How safe the world of illusion will look to me when I forgive it.  It will not look anything like what I think I see now.  Everyone and everything I see will bless me.  I will recognize in everyone my dearest friend. What can I fear in a world of forgiveness?  I will come to see my world of illusion as a world forgiven, and when God takes the last step in my Awakening, the "world" will disappear.  It is not death that saves me from pain, loneliness and disappointment, it is my Awakening to Reality.

God's Voice speaks to me all through the day.   God calls to me throughout the day to Awaken through my forgiveness of everyone and everything.  There is not a moment when His Voice fails to direct my thoughts, guide my actions and lead my feet. I walk steadily on toward Truth for there is nowhere else for me to go.  God's Voice is the only Voice, and the only Guide, that has been given to His Son.

I am sustained by God's Love.   As I listen to God's Voice, I am sustained by His Love.  I make the choice to listen to Him with every decision and every choice I make in the world of illusion. I chose God or I choose fear.  Despite the many choices I seem to have, there is only one.  As I open my eyes, God's Love Lights even the world of illusion for me to better See.  As I forgive, His Love reminds me that I am His Son and I am Sinless.  As I look on the world with the Vision He has given me, I remember that I am His Son.  Every decision I try to make "on my own" reinforces illusion and reinforces my "reality" as a body; it tells me that I am my own god and that I create my own reality.  I now realize where that kind of thinking got me. I am God's Son and every Real choice is made with and in Him.

Lesson 59 ~ Review I

God goes with me wherever I go.   How can I be alone when God is with me Everywhere and Always?  How can I be doubtful and unsure of myself when Perfect Certainty dwells in Him?  How can I be disturbed by anything when God rests in me in Absolute Peace?  How can I suffer when Love and Joy surround me in my Reality with Him?  It is time to let go of illusions about myself.  I am Perfect because God made me so and He is with me Always and Everywhere.

God is my Strength. Vision is His Gift.   Nothing outside me exists. There is no "body." The body's "eyes" do not "see" anything. I will not look to these eyes for Vision.  Let me be willing to exchange my pitiful illusion of "seeing" for the Vision given by God. It has been there all this time, through all seeming turmoil, sadness and loneliness, waiting for me to choose Vision over illusions. Vision is God's Gift and what God gives is Truly given for all Eternity, never to be taken away.  I will call on the Gift of Vision today.

God is my Source. I cannot See apart from Him.  It is possible only in dreams to separate myself from God, and dreams are nothing and do not exist. My Reality is with God. Everything I do as His Son is accomplished in Him. With the body's eyes I "see" only illusions, but that is not Vision at all. I exist in a dream seeing other dreams with dream-eyes. "Eyes" see only the dreams my mind tells them to see. Yet, I can See differently and Truly; I can See what God wants me to See. There IS nothing else to see.  Beyond God's Will is only illusion. I tried to separate myself from God's Will, as in the story of the Prodigal Son. I "went away" for a time to experience what I could "apart from" my Father. Though it is not possible to BE apart from my Father, I imagined it to be so. Just like a small child imagining that his parents are gone and will never come back. Of course it is impossible for me to be apart from God, but that I can imagine it is obvious. Illusions are what I choose when I think I exist apart from God.  But God reminds me of the Vision that is my Reality.  It is through this Vision that I now choose to See.

God is the Light in which I See.   I cannot see in darkness. God is the only Light. Therefore if I am to See, it must be through God. I have tried to define what "seeing" is and I have been wrong. Now it is given me to understand that God is the Light in which I See. Let me welcome Vision and the Happiness It will show me.

God is the Mind with which I think.   I have no private thoughts. I have no thoughts that are not shared with God.  I have no thoughts apart from Him, because I have no mind apart from His. The thoughts I seem to think are illusions about illusions in a world of illusions.  As part of the Mind of God, my True Thoughts are His and His Thoughts are mine.  With God I will learn about my True Thoughts; Eternal Thoughts of Happiness, Joy, Love, Peace and Wholeness with my Father.

Lesson 58 ~ Review I

My Holiness encompasses everything I see.  Having forgiven the "world," I no longer see myself as guilty.  I can accept the Truth that I am Innocent.  Seen through understanding eyes, Holiness is all I see.  For when my thinking is corrected, the world will appear as a Holy place, because Holiness has returned to my mind.  As my mind is healed, the world will appear to heal as well.  The "world" will eventually disappear as my mind returns to its Reality with God.

My Holiness blesses the world.   I will continue to see a "world" until my mind is fully healed. I do my part by forgiving and blessing everything I see and applying the teachings of the Course.  All roads lead to Heaven and ACIM is designed to get me there faster. I will not be imprisoned forever by insanity.  So I continue to exist in the world while I quietly and mentally apply the Course to my life and its "problems."  In the meantime, I deal with the world as best as I can until I accept the Reality that I am God's Son and nothing exists outside me.  God is working with me in ways that are beyond my understanding.  But I can trust that His Will be done.

There is nothing my Holiness cannot do.   I am the Holy Son of God and there is nothing my Holiness cannot do.  My Holiness is God's Holiness and It is Unlimited in Its Power to heal.  What is there to be healed from except illusions?  And what are illusions except false ideas about myself?  My Holiness undoes them all by asserting the Truth about me.  In the presence of my Holiness (which I share with God Himself) all illusions vanish.

My Holiness is my salvation.   Recognizing my Holiness is my salvation.  Once I recognize my Holiness, nothing can make me afraid. The healing of my mind will be reflected in the world. My relationships to the world and all those I know will appear to heal as well. The world is a thought projected by my mind, therefore when my mind heals, it will be reflected in the world. When my Mind is healed completely, the world will disappear as I accept my Reality with God.

I am blessed as God's Son.   I am worthy of Good and only Good. All Good things are mine because God intended only Good for me. I cannot suffer loss, deprivation or pain because I am the Holy Son of God. If I experience loss, deprivation or pain, it is because I believe in dreams. No matter what I project before me in the world of illusion, my Father supports, protects and directs me in all things.  I cannot be apart from Him. Illusions tell me otherwise, but illusions are nothing. God's Care for me is Infinite and I am Eternally Blessed as His Son.  I am learning to Awaken to my Reality as God's Son.  I have been lost in a dream of being apart from my Father. Yet my choice now is to Awaken to Reality.  Each decision I make in the world, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is a decision for Reality or a decision for illusion.  It is a choice for Love or a choice for fear.  There seems to be many options in this world, many choices and many problems to solve. Yet there is one problem:  I believe I am separated from God in a world outside myself. There is one solution: forgive all I seem to see.  In all seeming choices, I choose Love or I choose fear.  Love Awakens me to Reality.  Fear keeps me bound to illusions.