My function in Heaven is being God's Son. My function in the world of dreams is forgiveness. Until I experience the Truth ~ that I am doing this to myself ~ I must forgive all I see and everything that seems to upset and annoy me.
My function as God's Son means nothing in a world of envy, hatred, and attack. Therefore, I have a function in the world of dreams on its own terms in a language it understands: forgiveness. Forgiveness is the means by which un-truth can be un-done. It is the means by which I let illusions go. Heaven merely waits for my "return" to be acknowledged by me. I never left Heaven; I only imagined that I did.
Reality has no meaning in the world of dreams. Forgiveness is the closest thing to Heaven that the "world" can understand. The world of dreams is all about form, and Heaven has no form. Form must be translated into Formlessness.
Forgiveness gently looks upon all things in the world and sees them disappear, leaving the world a clean slate on which the Word of God can now replace the senseless symbols written there before. Through forgiveness, I overcome the fear of death, for death will hold no attraction for me once guilt is gone. Through forgiveness, I will perceive the body not as my "self," but as a teaching aid to be laid aside when learning is complete.
The mind, without the body, makes no mistakes. The mind does not think it will die and it does not worry about being the victim of attack. Anger is impossible without the body. What fears could I have when I realize the core of anguish and fear is a dream? Forgiveness relieves the mind of thinking that the body is its home. Forgiveness restores the Peace that God intended for His Holy Son. Forgiveness persuades the Son, lost in a dream, to take a different look at what he thinks he is. With anger gone and the idea of sacrifice laid aside, pain will be lifted from my sick and tortured mind.
I will forgive, step by step, everything that vexes me. I will forgive the alarm clock that wakens me from my comfortable sleep, remembering that it only witnesses to my separation from God, which is a dream. I will forgive my anxiousness about getting anywhere on time, remembering that I am the Holy Son of God, Safe in Heaven and need be anxious about nothing. I will forgive the darkness in which I drive to work, realizing that it is yet another witness to a dream that cannot be. I need forgiveness to perceive the un-reality of the dream. Without its kindly light, I grope in darkness, using "reason" to justify my rage and attack. My understanding is so limited that what I think I understand is only confusion born of error. I am lost in the mists of shifting dreams and fearful thoughts, my eyes shut tight against the Light, my mind engaged in worshipping what is not there.
Christ is the Sonship Healed and Whole. Each time I forgive (someone or something I see, think of, or imagine), I am born again in Christ. When I imprison anyone or anything with anger or judgment, I imprison myself. A jailer is not free, for he is bound together with his prisoner to be sure he does not escape, so he spends his time keeping watch. The bars that limit the prisoner, also limit the jailer. Freedom for one of them, is Freedom for both.
Today, I wiIl hold nothing or no one prisoner. I will release instead of bind, for by this I am made Free. My fear, judgment, anger, envy, impatience, jealousy, and annoyance is like a sword held to my own throat, keeping me bound to a world "apart from" God. I will be aware of the thoughts and emotions that come to mind. When I feel a stab of anger, I will lay it aside and replace it with Truth. Each brother, each situation, each thought of the world is now savior to me, for they give me unlimited opportunity for forgiveness, releasing me from a prison house of death. I owe each my thanks.
I will be merciful today for I, myself, deserve my mercy. Every "brother" deserves my mercy, for my brother is my Self. My only function here on earth is forgiveness. There is nothing else I need do. I will replace every thought of the world with forgiveness, to remember my Reality.
"Forgiveness is my only function in this world."
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Lesson 191 ~ I am the Holy Son of God Himself
I have given the "world" the role of jailer to my mind. What could the world be but vicious, afraid, fearful of shadows; arbitrary and wild, lacking all reason; blind and insane with hate? What have I done that this should be my world? I imagined a world apart from God....a fantasy, not Reality. In this dream, God is angry and full of wrath that I usurped his power. Imagining a world apart from God I have denied my Identity as Son of God. I have created a self called a "body," and proclaimed that a "body" is who I am. And everything I look upon in the dream "proves" to me that it is "real." There is no sound that does not speak of my frailty, no breath I take that does not seem only to bring me nearer to death, and no hope I hold that does not dissolve in tears.
When I deny my Reality as God's Son, I fail to escape the madness which seemed to create this weird, unnatural, and ghostly thought of a "world" that mocks Creation and laughs at God. When I deny Reality, I fight the universe alone, without a friend; a tiny particle of dust against legions of "enemies." When I deny my Reality, I look upon evil, sin, and death, and watch despair snatch from my fingers every scrap of hope, leaving me nothing but the wish to die. I see a devastating image of myself walking the world in terror, with the world twisting in agony because my fears have laid the mark of death on its heart. I see myself as weak and frail, with futile hopes and devastated dreams, born only to weep, suffer pain, and die.
What is this crazy world except a game I play? A game of death, where I play the part of being helpless in a world that shows no mercy.
I am God's Son! Everything but this one Thought is foolish to believe. In this one Thought I am set Free. In this one Truth, all illusion is gone.
Today's lesson releases me from the dream of separation. When I let today's idea find a place among my thoughts, I rise far above the world and all worldly thoughts that hold me prisoner. And from this place of Safety and escape, I return and set my mind Free. When I accept my True Identity, I am truly saved. When my mind heals, the "world" and "everyone" in it heals and is saved, because the world is a dream in my mind.
I am the Son of God Himself! I have no need to imprison myself in a "body" in a "world" of madness. I am Innocent! I dreamed a dream of separation. It was only an idle dream, God is not angry with me. God is Love. He does not know of separation and idle dreams. He knows only of Unity, Peace, Love, Joy, Serenity, and Happiness.
Today I will be glad and relieved, how very easily is "hell" undone. Today I remember Who I Am! I am the Holy Son of God Himself. I cannot suffer, be in pain, fail, or lose at anything.
A miracle is given me to Light up all dark and ancient caverns, where the rites of death have echoed since "time" began. With today's lesson, time has lost its hold upon the world. The Son of God (me) has come in Glory to redeem the lost, save the helpless, and give the world the gift of forgiveness. I will never look on the "world" as dark and sinful, when I realize that it is only a dream in my mind and I am directing all the action. The dream only reflects my state of mind. When I change my mind, I change the "world" until God Awakens me to Reality and the world is no more.
Today the Son of God Awakens from his dreams, opening his Holy eyes, then returning again to bless the world he has made. In error it began, but it will end in the reflection of his Holiness. I will sleep no more and dream of death. Look around and see the suffering in the world. It is only a reflection of the suffering in my confused mind which thinks it exists in a world of death. I have forgotten my Reality.
The world awaits its release. When I change my mind about the world, I change the world. Is it a place to show me separation from God? Or will I let it be a place to show me a reflection of God? It is my choice.
I am the Holy Son of God Himself. Remember this throughout the day.
"I am the Holy Son of God Himself."
When I deny my Reality as God's Son, I fail to escape the madness which seemed to create this weird, unnatural, and ghostly thought of a "world" that mocks Creation and laughs at God. When I deny Reality, I fight the universe alone, without a friend; a tiny particle of dust against legions of "enemies." When I deny my Reality, I look upon evil, sin, and death, and watch despair snatch from my fingers every scrap of hope, leaving me nothing but the wish to die. I see a devastating image of myself walking the world in terror, with the world twisting in agony because my fears have laid the mark of death on its heart. I see myself as weak and frail, with futile hopes and devastated dreams, born only to weep, suffer pain, and die.
What is this crazy world except a game I play? A game of death, where I play the part of being helpless in a world that shows no mercy.
I am God's Son! Everything but this one Thought is foolish to believe. In this one Thought I am set Free. In this one Truth, all illusion is gone.
Today's lesson releases me from the dream of separation. When I let today's idea find a place among my thoughts, I rise far above the world and all worldly thoughts that hold me prisoner. And from this place of Safety and escape, I return and set my mind Free. When I accept my True Identity, I am truly saved. When my mind heals, the "world" and "everyone" in it heals and is saved, because the world is a dream in my mind.
I am the Son of God Himself! I have no need to imprison myself in a "body" in a "world" of madness. I am Innocent! I dreamed a dream of separation. It was only an idle dream, God is not angry with me. God is Love. He does not know of separation and idle dreams. He knows only of Unity, Peace, Love, Joy, Serenity, and Happiness.
Today I will be glad and relieved, how very easily is "hell" undone. Today I remember Who I Am! I am the Holy Son of God Himself. I cannot suffer, be in pain, fail, or lose at anything.
A miracle is given me to Light up all dark and ancient caverns, where the rites of death have echoed since "time" began. With today's lesson, time has lost its hold upon the world. The Son of God (me) has come in Glory to redeem the lost, save the helpless, and give the world the gift of forgiveness. I will never look on the "world" as dark and sinful, when I realize that it is only a dream in my mind and I am directing all the action. The dream only reflects my state of mind. When I change my mind, I change the "world" until God Awakens me to Reality and the world is no more.
Today the Son of God Awakens from his dreams, opening his Holy eyes, then returning again to bless the world he has made. In error it began, but it will end in the reflection of his Holiness. I will sleep no more and dream of death. Look around and see the suffering in the world. It is only a reflection of the suffering in my confused mind which thinks it exists in a world of death. I have forgotten my Reality.
The world awaits its release. When I change my mind about the world, I change the world. Is it a place to show me separation from God? Or will I let it be a place to show me a reflection of God? It is my choice.
I am the Holy Son of God Himself. Remember this throughout the day.
"I am the Holy Son of God Himself."
Monday, June 24, 2013
Lesson 190 ~ I choose Joy instead of pain.
Pain is wrong perspective. When pain is experienced in any form, it is proof of self-deception. Pain is not a fact at all. There is no form of pain that will not disappear if seen with correct perception. Pain ~ and anything that is not of God ~ witnesses to my apparent "separation from" God; it provides "proof" that the dream is "real." For in thinking that I can separate myself from my Father, I also imagine that the Father is angry and seeks revenge and death for my "sin." Pain is "God's retaliation" for a crime that could not be committed. I could no more separate myself from God, than a wave can separate itself from the ocean, or a ray separate itself from the sun. It is possible only in fantasy. I am indulging in a dream of separation. God's Reality is all around and within me, yet I do not see It because I value thoughts of dreams over Thoughts of Reality. ACIM is all about changing my thoughts. Anything "outside" me is only a symbol of a thought within me. "Outside me" does not exist.
Pain is a sign that I have placed illusions above Truth, denied God, and confused Love with fear. Think about this: if pain is Real, there is no God. Vengeance has no place in Love. Fear denies Love and uses pain to prove that the dream is "real," and God is "dead;" that death has victory over Life, and a "body" ~ corruptible and subject to decay ~ is who I am. I have "overcome" the Father in "separating" myself from Him. He is now weak and powerless, and seeks revenge upon me.
Peace to such foolishness! The time has come to laugh at such insane ideas. There is no need to think of a dream as a savage crime or secret sin with weighty consequence. Make no mistake about it, this is what I truly believe when I value dreams above all else. I am lost in a circle of insanity, in which insanity witnesses to the "reality" of insanity. Who but a madman could believe this?
It is my thoughts alone that cause me pain. Nothing external to my mind exists. Nothing external to my mind can hurt or injure me in any way. There is no cause beyond my own mind that can oppress me. Nothing but my own thoughts affect me. There is nothing in the "world" that has the power to make me ill or sad, weak or frail. I have the Power to dominate all I see by merely recognizing Who I Am. As I perceive the harmlessness of the "world," the "world" will accept my Holy Will as its own. What was seen as fearful and threatening now becomes a source of Innocence and Holiness.
The world I see does nothing. It has no effects at all. It merely represents my thoughts. And it will change entirely as I choose to change my mind, choosing the Joy of God as what I really desire. My True Self is Radiant in Holy Joy, Unchanged, Unchanging, and Unchangeable, Eternally. Would I deny a little corner of my mind its own Inheritance? Will I continue to keep my mind a hospital for pain; a sickly place where living things must come at last to die?
The world may seem to cause me pain, yet the "world" is an effect of my insane thinking. My thoughts are the cause, a world of dreams is the effect. My idle desire to see a world "apart from" God causes all my pain. Pain is the thought of "evil" taking form and wreaking havoc in my Holy mind. Pain is the ransom I gladly pay to be slave to the prison of "separation." In pain I deny the Father Who Is my Source, and He seems to deny me. In pain does fear appear to triumph over Love, and "time" replace Eternity and Heaven. The "world" becomes a cruel and bitter place where sorrow rules, and Joy gives way to the savage pain that waits to end my existence in misery and death.
It is time to lay down my sword and shield, and come without defense into the Quiet Place where Heaven's Peace holds all things Still at last. I will lay down all thoughts of danger and fear. I will let no thought of attack enter my mind. I will lay down the cruel sword of judgment that I hold against my own throat, and put aside the withering assaults which hide my Holiness. In the Still Place there is no pain. Here will I find that the Joy of God belongs to me.
Today is the day when it is given me to realize this: Pain is an illusion; Joy is my Reality. Pain is my mind asleep; Joy is my Awakening. Pain is deception; Joy alone is Truth. This Gift of Truth is given me today. And so I make the only single choice that can ever be made: I choose between illusion and Truth, pain and Joy, or hell and Heaven. Let gratitude fill my heart. I am free to choose what occupies my thoughts. I do not have to dwell on every thought that crosses my mind. In the dream world, my mind is frantic and undisciplined. If a thought comes to my mind, it seems there must be a reason, and so I dwell on it; I think about the past, worry about the future, ruminate about "failures," obsess about "love." I do not have to dwell on every thought that comes into my mind. It seems that thoughts are beyond my control until I learn that I put them there! I choose what I will think about, and I am free to choose Joy instead of pain, my Holiness in place of my "sin," the Peace of God instead of conflict and the Light of Heaven in place of the darkness of the "world."
"I choose the Joy of God instead of pain."
Pain is a sign that I have placed illusions above Truth, denied God, and confused Love with fear. Think about this: if pain is Real, there is no God. Vengeance has no place in Love. Fear denies Love and uses pain to prove that the dream is "real," and God is "dead;" that death has victory over Life, and a "body" ~ corruptible and subject to decay ~ is who I am. I have "overcome" the Father in "separating" myself from Him. He is now weak and powerless, and seeks revenge upon me.
Peace to such foolishness! The time has come to laugh at such insane ideas. There is no need to think of a dream as a savage crime or secret sin with weighty consequence. Make no mistake about it, this is what I truly believe when I value dreams above all else. I am lost in a circle of insanity, in which insanity witnesses to the "reality" of insanity. Who but a madman could believe this?
It is my thoughts alone that cause me pain. Nothing external to my mind exists. Nothing external to my mind can hurt or injure me in any way. There is no cause beyond my own mind that can oppress me. Nothing but my own thoughts affect me. There is nothing in the "world" that has the power to make me ill or sad, weak or frail. I have the Power to dominate all I see by merely recognizing Who I Am. As I perceive the harmlessness of the "world," the "world" will accept my Holy Will as its own. What was seen as fearful and threatening now becomes a source of Innocence and Holiness.
The world I see does nothing. It has no effects at all. It merely represents my thoughts. And it will change entirely as I choose to change my mind, choosing the Joy of God as what I really desire. My True Self is Radiant in Holy Joy, Unchanged, Unchanging, and Unchangeable, Eternally. Would I deny a little corner of my mind its own Inheritance? Will I continue to keep my mind a hospital for pain; a sickly place where living things must come at last to die?
The world may seem to cause me pain, yet the "world" is an effect of my insane thinking. My thoughts are the cause, a world of dreams is the effect. My idle desire to see a world "apart from" God causes all my pain. Pain is the thought of "evil" taking form and wreaking havoc in my Holy mind. Pain is the ransom I gladly pay to be slave to the prison of "separation." In pain I deny the Father Who Is my Source, and He seems to deny me. In pain does fear appear to triumph over Love, and "time" replace Eternity and Heaven. The "world" becomes a cruel and bitter place where sorrow rules, and Joy gives way to the savage pain that waits to end my existence in misery and death.
It is time to lay down my sword and shield, and come without defense into the Quiet Place where Heaven's Peace holds all things Still at last. I will lay down all thoughts of danger and fear. I will let no thought of attack enter my mind. I will lay down the cruel sword of judgment that I hold against my own throat, and put aside the withering assaults which hide my Holiness. In the Still Place there is no pain. Here will I find that the Joy of God belongs to me.
Today is the day when it is given me to realize this: Pain is an illusion; Joy is my Reality. Pain is my mind asleep; Joy is my Awakening. Pain is deception; Joy alone is Truth. This Gift of Truth is given me today. And so I make the only single choice that can ever be made: I choose between illusion and Truth, pain and Joy, or hell and Heaven. Let gratitude fill my heart. I am free to choose what occupies my thoughts. I do not have to dwell on every thought that crosses my mind. In the dream world, my mind is frantic and undisciplined. If a thought comes to my mind, it seems there must be a reason, and so I dwell on it; I think about the past, worry about the future, ruminate about "failures," obsess about "love." I do not have to dwell on every thought that comes into my mind. It seems that thoughts are beyond my control until I learn that I put them there! I choose what I will think about, and I am free to choose Joy instead of pain, my Holiness in place of my "sin," the Peace of God instead of conflict and the Light of Heaven in place of the darkness of the "world."
"I choose the Joy of God instead of pain."
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Lesson 189 ~ I feel God's Love.
ACIM and its lessons of Truth are a reflection of Heaven. As my mind heals, the world reflects healing until I Awaken to Reality and the world disappears. Heaven cannot be learned, only Awakened to and Experienced. This Awakening is my goal. By brushing away the cobwebs of illusions and dreams, I am creating a space in my mind that Heaven rushes in to fill. Heaven is all around and within me, but I have blinded myself with dreams. There is nothing "outside" me or in the "world" that I need to change...I only need change my thoughts.
As my mind heals, glimpses of Heaven are reflected back to me in the symbols that make up the world. God's Love for me will reveal a world that offers blessing and protection.....so different from the world I have seen through the darkened eyes of malice and fear. Only one world can be seen at a time. I will either embrace thoughts of fear and have a fearful world look back at me, or I will embrace Thoughts of God and have Eternal Love mirrored to me. One is Valuable, the other is completely meaningless. A world of hatred and fear is inconceivable to me when I feel the Love of God in me. The healed world I see will reflect the Quiet and Peace of God that lives in me. The Heaven I recognize inside myself will be reflected everywhere. When my mind heals, the "world" heals until it is no more, and I Awaken to Heaven with my Father.
What I see, is what I choose to see. What do I choose to see? I will look upon that which I desire to experience. If hatred finds a place within my heart, I perceive a fearful world, held cruelly in death's sharp-pointed, bony fingers. Yet if I choose the Love of God within me, I look out on a world of mercy and Love.
Today, I lay aside illusion as I seek to reach what is True in me, feeling its all-embracing Tenderness. I simply do this: be still and lay aside all thoughts and concepts I have taught myself about the world; empty my mind of everything it thinks as either true or false, good or bad, worthy or unworthy. Hold onto nothing. Bring not one thought the past has taught, nor one belief I learned wrongly; I will forget this world, this Course and come with a totally empty mind to my Father. God knows the way to His Son, I do not need to find the way to Him. My part is to simply allow all obstacles and illusions to be quietly removed forever. God will do His part in Joyful and immediate response. I ask....and receive. The way to reach Him is merely to let Him Be.
Today I choose to let God be known to me. I do not know the way, but I have called upon Him and He will Answer. I will not interfere. My hands are open to receive God's Gifts. I have no thoughts I think apart from God. I will ask that His Will, which is my will, be done.
"I feel God's Love."
As my mind heals, glimpses of Heaven are reflected back to me in the symbols that make up the world. God's Love for me will reveal a world that offers blessing and protection.....so different from the world I have seen through the darkened eyes of malice and fear. Only one world can be seen at a time. I will either embrace thoughts of fear and have a fearful world look back at me, or I will embrace Thoughts of God and have Eternal Love mirrored to me. One is Valuable, the other is completely meaningless. A world of hatred and fear is inconceivable to me when I feel the Love of God in me. The healed world I see will reflect the Quiet and Peace of God that lives in me. The Heaven I recognize inside myself will be reflected everywhere. When my mind heals, the "world" heals until it is no more, and I Awaken to Heaven with my Father.
What I see, is what I choose to see. What do I choose to see? I will look upon that which I desire to experience. If hatred finds a place within my heart, I perceive a fearful world, held cruelly in death's sharp-pointed, bony fingers. Yet if I choose the Love of God within me, I look out on a world of mercy and Love.
Today, I lay aside illusion as I seek to reach what is True in me, feeling its all-embracing Tenderness. I simply do this: be still and lay aside all thoughts and concepts I have taught myself about the world; empty my mind of everything it thinks as either true or false, good or bad, worthy or unworthy. Hold onto nothing. Bring not one thought the past has taught, nor one belief I learned wrongly; I will forget this world, this Course and come with a totally empty mind to my Father. God knows the way to His Son, I do not need to find the way to Him. My part is to simply allow all obstacles and illusions to be quietly removed forever. God will do His part in Joyful and immediate response. I ask....and receive. The way to reach Him is merely to let Him Be.
Today I choose to let God be known to me. I do not know the way, but I have called upon Him and He will Answer. I will not interfere. My hands are open to receive God's Gifts. I have no thoughts I think apart from God. I will ask that His Will, which is my will, be done.
"I feel God's Love."
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Lesson 188 ~ God's Peace shines in me now.
Why wait for Heaven? I am in Heaven now. Awakening to Heaven is only a recognition, not a change. My Reality is not of this world. The "world" exists only as a fantasy in my mind. The Light of Heaven is always with me because Light is who I am. I pretend I am a jealous, hateful, impatient, unloving, resentful, spiteful being; like a young child pretending he is a scary monster. I am the Son of God, Safe in Heaven with my Father, dreaming a dream of exile to a land far away and apart from God....a land that is everything Heaven is not.
The Kingdom of Heaven is within me. It is the core and essence of who I am. It is not difficult to look within me, for within is where all Vision starts. The Peace of God is shining in me now and from within me it extends everywhere, even into the "world" of dreams. All of God's Gifts are Eternal and given to All His Creation.
I will close my eyes and sit quietly. The Light of Heaven within me is sufficient. It alone has the Power to give me the Gift of Vision. I will lay aside thoughts of the "world" and let my thoughts fly to the Peace within. The Thoughts I think with God, untainted by dreams, become the Holy Messengers of God Himself. The Thoughts I think with God recognize Their Home, where God the Father and God the Son are One. They listen to my Father's Voice when I refuse to listen. They gently urge me to accept God's Word for Who I am, instead of the fantasies and shadows in which I now believe. The Thoughts of God were born in my mind, as my mind was born in God's.
I practice coming nearer to the Light in me today. I take my wandering thoughts, and gently bring them back to where they fall in line with all the Thoughts I share with God. I will not let my thoughts stray today. When I choose the world of dreams, I direct God's Thoughts to depart from me, but now I call Them back and brush away the strange desires and disordered wishes of the world of dreams.
Today I absolve the world from what I thought it did to me. For it is me alone, who made the world just as I would have it. Now I choose the Innocence and Happiness of Heaven, which is my Reality. And while I yet see the dream-world, my healing will be reflected back to me. I bless all I see with the Light in me.
God's Peace shines in me now."
The Kingdom of Heaven is within me. It is the core and essence of who I am. It is not difficult to look within me, for within is where all Vision starts. The Peace of God is shining in me now and from within me it extends everywhere, even into the "world" of dreams. All of God's Gifts are Eternal and given to All His Creation.
I will close my eyes and sit quietly. The Light of Heaven within me is sufficient. It alone has the Power to give me the Gift of Vision. I will lay aside thoughts of the "world" and let my thoughts fly to the Peace within. The Thoughts I think with God, untainted by dreams, become the Holy Messengers of God Himself. The Thoughts I think with God recognize Their Home, where God the Father and God the Son are One. They listen to my Father's Voice when I refuse to listen. They gently urge me to accept God's Word for Who I am, instead of the fantasies and shadows in which I now believe. The Thoughts of God were born in my mind, as my mind was born in God's.
I practice coming nearer to the Light in me today. I take my wandering thoughts, and gently bring them back to where they fall in line with all the Thoughts I share with God. I will not let my thoughts stray today. When I choose the world of dreams, I direct God's Thoughts to depart from me, but now I call Them back and brush away the strange desires and disordered wishes of the world of dreams.
Today I absolve the world from what I thought it did to me. For it is me alone, who made the world just as I would have it. Now I choose the Innocence and Happiness of Heaven, which is my Reality. And while I yet see the dream-world, my healing will be reflected back to me. I bless all I see with the Light in me.
God's Peace shines in me now."
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Lesson 187 ~ In blessing the world, I bless myself.
I cannot give anything unless I first have it. In fact, giving is proof of having. How can I give a dollar to charity unless I have a dollar in my wallet? This is Truth both in this world and in Heaven. Yet where Heaven and the "world" differ, is what happens after something is given.
The world claims that what I have given is now lost to me. If I give a dollar, I no longer have that dollar. The Truth of Reality maintains that giving will increase what I already possess. This is clearly seen even in the world when it comes to thoughts or ideas. When I give ideas away, I strengthen them in my own mind. Ideas first belong to me before I can give them. If I am to heal the "world," I must first accept healing for myself. I will not believe this until I experience the effects of healing. The world will always reflect the healing of my mind, because the world is a thought in my mind. The world will offer proof of my healing, which then reinforces the healing.
I will protect all things I value, by giving them away. In this way, I am sure never to lose them. But I will no longer value form, for form will change and grow unrecognizable in "time." Ultimately form is not Real. It is the thought behind the form ("separation from God") that that I must replace with Truth.
I will give only loving, joyous, peaceful serene thoughts, for I gain by giving and what I give, I will receive. Thought remains and grows in strength by acceptance and is reinforced by giving. In Truth both giver and receiver must gain in the exchange and neither loses in any way. Each will have what they need in a form most helpful to them.
I must never forget that what I give, I give to myself. In the world of dreams, objects or things are only symbols of thoughts and ideas. The physical is not Real. And sacrifice is an idea acceptable only in the dream-world. Sacrifice is not possible in Reality. The one idea behind the symbols of pain, loss, sickness, grief, poverty, starvation, sacrifice, and death is that I think I am separated from Reality/Heaven/God. When I recognize illusion, it must disappear. Separation from God is an idea so insane that Sanity dismisses it at once. No illusion can endure before one who recognizes it as illusion.
My brother is a mirror for myself and all the insane ideas of "separation" that cloud my mind. I will see in my "brother" what I fear in myself. He will witness to me all my ideas of separation as long as I value the idea of separation from God. When I open my mind to healing, my brother will witness to this as well. I will let my brother be the gauge, or barometer, of my healing. If I see in him something that makes me uncomfortable, I will forgive and bless him; in doing so I will forgive and bless myself. I am not separated from my brother, nor from any aspect of Oneness. While I continue to experience the "physical" I will replace thoughts of the world with Thoughts of Reality. The Name of God is my own name and it is God Who gives It to me. I am in Heaven, Safe with my Father, dreaming of exile to a world "apart from" Him. I heal the world (which is a thought in my mind) by healing my thoughts.
"In blessing the world, I bless myself."
The world claims that what I have given is now lost to me. If I give a dollar, I no longer have that dollar. The Truth of Reality maintains that giving will increase what I already possess. This is clearly seen even in the world when it comes to thoughts or ideas. When I give ideas away, I strengthen them in my own mind. Ideas first belong to me before I can give them. If I am to heal the "world," I must first accept healing for myself. I will not believe this until I experience the effects of healing. The world will always reflect the healing of my mind, because the world is a thought in my mind. The world will offer proof of my healing, which then reinforces the healing.
I will protect all things I value, by giving them away. In this way, I am sure never to lose them. But I will no longer value form, for form will change and grow unrecognizable in "time." Ultimately form is not Real. It is the thought behind the form ("separation from God") that that I must replace with Truth.
I will give only loving, joyous, peaceful serene thoughts, for I gain by giving and what I give, I will receive. Thought remains and grows in strength by acceptance and is reinforced by giving. In Truth both giver and receiver must gain in the exchange and neither loses in any way. Each will have what they need in a form most helpful to them.
I must never forget that what I give, I give to myself. In the world of dreams, objects or things are only symbols of thoughts and ideas. The physical is not Real. And sacrifice is an idea acceptable only in the dream-world. Sacrifice is not possible in Reality. The one idea behind the symbols of pain, loss, sickness, grief, poverty, starvation, sacrifice, and death is that I think I am separated from Reality/Heaven/God. When I recognize illusion, it must disappear. Separation from God is an idea so insane that Sanity dismisses it at once. No illusion can endure before one who recognizes it as illusion.
My brother is a mirror for myself and all the insane ideas of "separation" that cloud my mind. I will see in my "brother" what I fear in myself. He will witness to me all my ideas of separation as long as I value the idea of separation from God. When I open my mind to healing, my brother will witness to this as well. I will let my brother be the gauge, or barometer, of my healing. If I see in him something that makes me uncomfortable, I will forgive and bless him; in doing so I will forgive and bless myself. I am not separated from my brother, nor from any aspect of Oneness. While I continue to experience the "physical" I will replace thoughts of the world with Thoughts of Reality. The Name of God is my own name and it is God Who gives It to me. I am in Heaven, Safe with my Father, dreaming of exile to a world "apart from" Him. I heal the world (which is a thought in my mind) by healing my thoughts.
"In blessing the world, I bless myself."
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Lesson 185 ~ I want the Peace of God.
To say these words is nothing. To mean these words is everything. If I could mean these words for just an instant, Heaven would be given back to my full Awareness, and the Memory of God restored. I cannot truly mean these words and not be fully healed.
In dreams, no two can share the same intent. To each, the "hero" of the dream is different and the outcome desired is not the same. Loser and winner simply shift around in changing patterns, as the ratio of gain to loss and loss to gain takes on different forms.
Dreams can only offer compromise. Compromise is the goal of dreaming. Minds cannot unite in dreams. They merely bargain. One always gets more, the other less. But what bargain can bring the Peace of God? God means nothing to a sleeping mind intent on dreams.
To mean "I want the Peace of God" is to renounce all dreams. I have looked on dreams and found them lacking. I now look to go beyond dreams, recognizing that another dream offers nothing more than the others. One dream is the same as the next, only the form is different. All will eventually bring despair and misery.
When the wish for Peace is genuine, the means for finding It is given me, in a form I can understand.
Today I devote my practice to recognizing that I really mean the words I say. I want the Peace of God. This is no idle wish. These words do not ask for another dream and they do not ask for compromise. To mean these words acknowledges that illusion ~ no matter the form ~ is all the same.
I will carefully search my mind to find the dreams I still cling to. Consider the illusions I think will comfort me and bring me happiness. I will not be discouraged by lingering illusions, it is not their form which matters now. No particular dreams are more acceptable than others, no dreams are more shameful or deceive more than others. All dreams have one intent...to experience "separation from" God.
This is the choice I make; do not be deceived otherwise. No compromise is possible in this. I chose Reality or dreams; Heaven or hell; God or being separated from God.
Dreams will come as I desire them. Yet God's Peace will come just as surely, and His Peace will remain forever. It will not be gone with every twist and turn of the road, to appear in forms which shift and change with every step I take.
I want the Peace of God. I have been weak at times, uncertain in my purpose, unsure of what I wanted, where to look for it, where to turn for help in finding it. Help is given me today. I am given specific, clear instructions. And I, in turn, "give" to know I have received.
When I desire the Peace of God, I cannot fail to find It. For I merely ask to stop denying Reality. I cannot remain unsatisfied when I ask for what is already mine and what has been already given me. The Peace of God is mine. Peace was created for me and given to me by God. God's Gifts are shared by all His Creation. No Gift of God can be unshared. It is this Attribute that sets the Gifts of God apart from dreams.
No one loses and everyone must gain whenever a Gift of God has been requested or received by anyone. God's Gifts Unite. To "take away" is meaningless to Him.
This one intent I seek today. I unite my goal with that of Heaven. With Help like this beside me I cannot fail.
"I want the Peace of God."
In dreams, no two can share the same intent. To each, the "hero" of the dream is different and the outcome desired is not the same. Loser and winner simply shift around in changing patterns, as the ratio of gain to loss and loss to gain takes on different forms.
Dreams can only offer compromise. Compromise is the goal of dreaming. Minds cannot unite in dreams. They merely bargain. One always gets more, the other less. But what bargain can bring the Peace of God? God means nothing to a sleeping mind intent on dreams.
To mean "I want the Peace of God" is to renounce all dreams. I have looked on dreams and found them lacking. I now look to go beyond dreams, recognizing that another dream offers nothing more than the others. One dream is the same as the next, only the form is different. All will eventually bring despair and misery.
When the wish for Peace is genuine, the means for finding It is given me, in a form I can understand.
Today I devote my practice to recognizing that I really mean the words I say. I want the Peace of God. This is no idle wish. These words do not ask for another dream and they do not ask for compromise. To mean these words acknowledges that illusion ~ no matter the form ~ is all the same.
I will carefully search my mind to find the dreams I still cling to. Consider the illusions I think will comfort me and bring me happiness. I will not be discouraged by lingering illusions, it is not their form which matters now. No particular dreams are more acceptable than others, no dreams are more shameful or deceive more than others. All dreams have one intent...to experience "separation from" God.
This is the choice I make; do not be deceived otherwise. No compromise is possible in this. I chose Reality or dreams; Heaven or hell; God or being separated from God.
Dreams will come as I desire them. Yet God's Peace will come just as surely, and His Peace will remain forever. It will not be gone with every twist and turn of the road, to appear in forms which shift and change with every step I take.
I want the Peace of God. I have been weak at times, uncertain in my purpose, unsure of what I wanted, where to look for it, where to turn for help in finding it. Help is given me today. I am given specific, clear instructions. And I, in turn, "give" to know I have received.
When I desire the Peace of God, I cannot fail to find It. For I merely ask to stop denying Reality. I cannot remain unsatisfied when I ask for what is already mine and what has been already given me. The Peace of God is mine. Peace was created for me and given to me by God. God's Gifts are shared by all His Creation. No Gift of God can be unshared. It is this Attribute that sets the Gifts of God apart from dreams.
No one loses and everyone must gain whenever a Gift of God has been requested or received by anyone. God's Gifts Unite. To "take away" is meaningless to Him.
This one intent I seek today. I unite my goal with that of Heaven. With Help like this beside me I cannot fail.
"I want the Peace of God."
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Lesson 184 ~ Heaven is my Inheritance.
In the world of dreams I live by symbols. Love is symbolized by, perhaps, the body of another. In a particular body, I hope to find love, companionship, intimacy and happiness. "Bodies" are just symbols that stand for something else. In Reality, there are no symbols which represent Love, Companionship, Intimacy and Happiness. In Heaven I just experience the full force of Pure, Eternal and Unchanging Love, Joy and Satisfaction, without the symbols.
The world of fantasy was my reaction to a passing thought of "separation from" God. It has no Reality, but like a movie, my mind replays it over and over. Reality surrounds me, yet I embrace fantasy. In the world of illusion I live, breathe and move about on my own and by my own efforts......or so it seems. In Reality I can do nothing apart from God. Not because He forces me to be with Him, but because He created me and I do not exist "apart from" Him. I would cease to be. I could not be apart from God nor do I want to be apart from Him. I am like a child off in the corner playing with my action figures, yet Safe in my Father's Home.
I have taken the Wholeness and Unity of Heaven and seemingly carved them into separate entities, each identified by its own name. All happenings in the dream-world occur in terms of "time" and "place" and each body is called by a specific "name." The "space" I see as setting off one thing from another is the means by which the world's perception is achieved. I see something where nothing exists: a space between all things and me. I have seemingly created "life" in separation. By this split I think I have established an independent existence.
The "world" is a series of events, of things un-unified, of bodies kept apart, each holding bits of Mind as "separate" consciousness. Nameless things were given names and "reality" is bestowed on fantasy. The world of dreams is set against Truth; its enemy is Wholeness. It is very hard to teach the mind a thousand different names and thousands more yet, this very laborious and difficult task is what I taught my mind in creating a world "apart from" God. Reality is simple. Illusions are difficult. To question the world is "madness," to accept the dream-world is proof of "sanity." Such is the teaching of the world. I will use symbols a little while longer, but I will no longer be deceived by them.
The Son of God in me understands these words, for though words are only symbols, the words in ACIM reflect Truth. God has no name. His Essence cannot be contained in words and symbols. In Him all names are Unified, all spaces filled with Truth, every gap closed and separation healed. I cannot fail when I seek Truth. My dream has not changed Reality in any way at all.
"Heaven is my Inheritance."
The world of fantasy was my reaction to a passing thought of "separation from" God. It has no Reality, but like a movie, my mind replays it over and over. Reality surrounds me, yet I embrace fantasy. In the world of illusion I live, breathe and move about on my own and by my own efforts......or so it seems. In Reality I can do nothing apart from God. Not because He forces me to be with Him, but because He created me and I do not exist "apart from" Him. I would cease to be. I could not be apart from God nor do I want to be apart from Him. I am like a child off in the corner playing with my action figures, yet Safe in my Father's Home.
I have taken the Wholeness and Unity of Heaven and seemingly carved them into separate entities, each identified by its own name. All happenings in the dream-world occur in terms of "time" and "place" and each body is called by a specific "name." The "space" I see as setting off one thing from another is the means by which the world's perception is achieved. I see something where nothing exists: a space between all things and me. I have seemingly created "life" in separation. By this split I think I have established an independent existence.
The "world" is a series of events, of things un-unified, of bodies kept apart, each holding bits of Mind as "separate" consciousness. Nameless things were given names and "reality" is bestowed on fantasy. The world of dreams is set against Truth; its enemy is Wholeness. It is very hard to teach the mind a thousand different names and thousands more yet, this very laborious and difficult task is what I taught my mind in creating a world "apart from" God. Reality is simple. Illusions are difficult. To question the world is "madness," to accept the dream-world is proof of "sanity." Such is the teaching of the world. I will use symbols a little while longer, but I will no longer be deceived by them.
The Son of God in me understands these words, for though words are only symbols, the words in ACIM reflect Truth. God has no name. His Essence cannot be contained in words and symbols. In Him all names are Unified, all spaces filled with Truth, every gap closed and separation healed. I cannot fail when I seek Truth. My dream has not changed Reality in any way at all.
"Heaven is my Inheritance."
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Lesson 180 ~ Review V
God is Love, therefore, so am I.
"Prodigal Son." The story of "creation" is like the story of the Prodigal Son. I had Everything in my Father's house; I chose to "leave" and make my own way; and finding only limited or no happiness, I chose to return. It is not possible to separate myself from God. God and I are One. All insanity is happening at the mind-level only. I had a thought of separation. I created an elaborate fantasy in my mind about time and space, opposites and contradictions. It was a thought in which I allowed myself to indulge. Yet as soon as the thought entered my mind, God provided the correction. It was over as soon as it began. It is all over now. I only need lay aside dreams to perceive that.
"God Creates only Perfection." God did not create a cruel world for me to flounder about in solitary distress. God Creates only Perfection. I created a fantasy in my mind about separation from God. It is only fantasy and could never be Reality. I lay aside my fantasy-thoughts to embrace Reality with God.
"Prodigal Son." The story of "creation" is like the story of the Prodigal Son. I had Everything in my Father's house; I chose to "leave" and make my own way; and finding only limited or no happiness, I chose to return. It is not possible to separate myself from God. God and I are One. All insanity is happening at the mind-level only. I had a thought of separation. I created an elaborate fantasy in my mind about time and space, opposites and contradictions. It was a thought in which I allowed myself to indulge. Yet as soon as the thought entered my mind, God provided the correction. It was over as soon as it began. It is all over now. I only need lay aside dreams to perceive that.
"God Creates only Perfection." God did not create a cruel world for me to flounder about in solitary distress. God Creates only Perfection. I created a fantasy in my mind about separation from God. It is only fantasy and could never be Reality. I lay aside my fantasy-thoughts to embrace Reality with God.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Lesson 179 ~ Review V
God is Love, therefore so am I.
"I am safe with my Father." I live and breathe "apart from" God only in fantasy. There is nothing I do "apart from" God. I am Safe with my Father in a State of Eternal Joy, Peace, Love and Serenity.....though dreaming of exile to a land far away. I practice replacing thoughts of fantasy with Thoughts of Truth to remember my Reality, for Thought is the only Reality. The "physical" exists only in dreams, for the "physical" is not Reality.
"Heaven is mine, not by death but by choice." God denies His Son nothing. He even allows him idle fantasy. But "apart-from-God" can never be Reality, because there is no opposite to Perfect and Eternal Peace, Love, Serenity, Joy and Happiness. I can indulge in dreams or I can Awaken to Reality. Every thought in which I indulge and every choice I make is a decision for illusion or Reality. Will I think a thought of fantasy or replace it with Thoughts of Truth? Will I choose to indulge in thoughts of hatred, rage, anxiety, doubt, worry and impatience.....or will I lay these aside and embrace Thoughts of Truth? The choice is mine. Only one of these is Real. Heaven is mine by choice.
"I am safe with my Father." I live and breathe "apart from" God only in fantasy. There is nothing I do "apart from" God. I am Safe with my Father in a State of Eternal Joy, Peace, Love and Serenity.....though dreaming of exile to a land far away. I practice replacing thoughts of fantasy with Thoughts of Truth to remember my Reality, for Thought is the only Reality. The "physical" exists only in dreams, for the "physical" is not Reality.
"Heaven is mine, not by death but by choice." God denies His Son nothing. He even allows him idle fantasy. But "apart-from-God" can never be Reality, because there is no opposite to Perfect and Eternal Peace, Love, Serenity, Joy and Happiness. I can indulge in dreams or I can Awaken to Reality. Every thought in which I indulge and every choice I make is a decision for illusion or Reality. Will I think a thought of fantasy or replace it with Thoughts of Truth? Will I choose to indulge in thoughts of hatred, rage, anxiety, doubt, worry and impatience.....or will I lay these aside and embrace Thoughts of Truth? The choice is mine. Only one of these is Real. Heaven is mine by choice.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Lesson 178 ~ Review V
God is Love, therefore so am I.
"Nothing happens without my consent." The "world," thoughts of the world and everything that seems to happen in the world is a second by second, minute by minute, day by day, year by year DENIAL of God. Time is an illusion, but the Course speaks in the language of the dream, so that I may understand. Thought is the only Reality and with every thought, I choose God or illusions. It seems that my thoughts are out of my conscious control. They seem to come and go with no effort on my part. I let them go or I dwell on them, and that too seems beyond my control most of the time. Yet nothing happens without my consent. All happenings in the world witness to my fantasy to be "separated from" God. The "world" was created for this. Today I will choose Truth over illusion. I will no longer indulge in thoughts of fantasy. I will replace those thoughts with the Thoughts of Truth I find in ACIM. My experience of Peace and Serenity will be the only proof I need. For Truth can't be learned, only experienced.
"Replace illusions with Truth." I am God's Son. God gives His Son Everything and denies him nothing. As I practice replacing thoughts of illusion with Thoughts of Truth, the healing this offers me will be reflected in the world. As my mind heals the world heals. As I Awaken to Reality, the world of illusions will disappear and only Love remains. There will be no more symbols of "love" in bodies, relationships or things.......for I will experience the Eternal, Perfect Love that was given to God's Son. It is a Love that is Whole, always Satisfying and utterly Complete.
"Nothing happens without my consent." The "world," thoughts of the world and everything that seems to happen in the world is a second by second, minute by minute, day by day, year by year DENIAL of God. Time is an illusion, but the Course speaks in the language of the dream, so that I may understand. Thought is the only Reality and with every thought, I choose God or illusions. It seems that my thoughts are out of my conscious control. They seem to come and go with no effort on my part. I let them go or I dwell on them, and that too seems beyond my control most of the time. Yet nothing happens without my consent. All happenings in the world witness to my fantasy to be "separated from" God. The "world" was created for this. Today I will choose Truth over illusion. I will no longer indulge in thoughts of fantasy. I will replace those thoughts with the Thoughts of Truth I find in ACIM. My experience of Peace and Serenity will be the only proof I need. For Truth can't be learned, only experienced.
"Replace illusions with Truth." I am God's Son. God gives His Son Everything and denies him nothing. As I practice replacing thoughts of illusion with Thoughts of Truth, the healing this offers me will be reflected in the world. As my mind heals the world heals. As I Awaken to Reality, the world of illusions will disappear and only Love remains. There will be no more symbols of "love" in bodies, relationships or things.......for I will experience the Eternal, Perfect Love that was given to God's Son. It is a Love that is Whole, always Satisfying and utterly Complete.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Lesson 177 ~ Review V
God is Love, therefore so am I.
"There is no death. The Son of God is Free." There is no death. Not now, not ever. "Death" is part of the dream; it witnesses to the thought of "separation from" God. If the "world" does not exist and "bodies" do not exist, then "death" does not exist. I seemingly created a world apart from God. This "world" seems to be projected outside of and apart from me, and I seem to have been born into it in the form of a body. It seems that I am at the mercy of the world and that I react to the events that happen in the world. The Truth is, that I am making it all up. I am like a child playing with his figurines and toys, imaging grand scenarios. I am the dragon slayer but at the same time I am directing and producing the story. I am dreaming a dream, though Safe at Home with my Father. My Reality is One of Eternal Peace, Love, Joy, Wholeness and Serenity. The "world" and all its hapless discontent can only exist in fantasy.
"I am One with Him Who is my Source." I have never left God. I am Safe with God, dreaming of exile to a place "apart from" God. It is a dream. I am doing it to myself. Yet the Son of God has the creative abilities of the Father, so my dream is very "real" to me. It is my choice every "second" of every "day" to remain in the dream. Time and space are also dreams. The only "time" that reflects Eternity is "now." The only Reality in the world of dreams is thought. Yet even the thoughts I think in the dream are not my True Thoughts. I think with the mind of God and His Thoughts are Thoughts of Truth. To return to the Awareness of my Reality I replace thoughts of the dream with Thoughts that reflect Truth. There are many roads leading Home. ACIM guarantees to get me there faster. In AA and Al-Anon, I am given slogans to replace the "stinking thinking" that leads me to addiction and insanity: "Let go and let God;" "This too shall pass." In ACIM I am given Thoughts of Truth to replace thoughts of insanity. It is only by my own choice that I remain in the world of dreams.
"There is no death. The Son of God is Free." There is no death. Not now, not ever. "Death" is part of the dream; it witnesses to the thought of "separation from" God. If the "world" does not exist and "bodies" do not exist, then "death" does not exist. I seemingly created a world apart from God. This "world" seems to be projected outside of and apart from me, and I seem to have been born into it in the form of a body. It seems that I am at the mercy of the world and that I react to the events that happen in the world. The Truth is, that I am making it all up. I am like a child playing with his figurines and toys, imaging grand scenarios. I am the dragon slayer but at the same time I am directing and producing the story. I am dreaming a dream, though Safe at Home with my Father. My Reality is One of Eternal Peace, Love, Joy, Wholeness and Serenity. The "world" and all its hapless discontent can only exist in fantasy.
"I am One with Him Who is my Source." I have never left God. I am Safe with God, dreaming of exile to a place "apart from" God. It is a dream. I am doing it to myself. Yet the Son of God has the creative abilities of the Father, so my dream is very "real" to me. It is my choice every "second" of every "day" to remain in the dream. Time and space are also dreams. The only "time" that reflects Eternity is "now." The only Reality in the world of dreams is thought. Yet even the thoughts I think in the dream are not my True Thoughts. I think with the mind of God and His Thoughts are Thoughts of Truth. To return to the Awareness of my Reality I replace thoughts of the dream with Thoughts that reflect Truth. There are many roads leading Home. ACIM guarantees to get me there faster. In AA and Al-Anon, I am given slogans to replace the "stinking thinking" that leads me to addiction and insanity: "Let go and let God;" "This too shall pass." In ACIM I am given Thoughts of Truth to replace thoughts of insanity. It is only by my own choice that I remain in the world of dreams.
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