May 29, 2012

Every concept we hold is made up of thought. We make the mistake of thinking that thought is truth, even though a thought can be changed. Truth, by nature, is entirely unchangeable. Therefore, we cannot rationalize, deduce, or think Truth. We’ve spent a lifetime building our self-concept or self identity. We think it defines who we are. We think it gives us purpose. We think it gives us value. Each thought and idea we have about ourselves is weighed, tested, and judged as to whether or not it contributes to our idea of who we are. Thus, it does or does not become part of our self identity.

The concept we do need to get is not the content of our thoughts, our thinking and whether or not it is right and correct. The concept we need to get is the concept that we think, period. It is also important to realize that what we tend to think with is the mind of the ego, the separated mind. This is the mind that hangs onto the idea that we each are a body and that our mind and identity are contained within that body. Lf to our own devices rooted in this idea of separation, we see ourselves limited and falling short of our ideals. So we change our self identity to conform to those perceived limitations. We change our mind, the content of our thinking. The result is another set of separated ideas, perhaps refined to make us feel more worthwhile, but still changing and changeable ideas and thoughts.

All of this learning has brought us to the way we currently think and thus make up the self-concept and identity we believe about ourselves. It is difficult to see another way than the one we have become so accustomed to. Thankfully we have been given the Holy Spirit who has always been with us. Sprit holds us within the Mind of God, holding the memory of who we really are with our true self. Our true identity has never been apart from us, we have merely been thinking apart form who we really are and the Mind of God which is also our true mind.

Spirit gently guides us, when we ask, in our thinking. Step by step, Spirit gently guides our thinking process closer and closer to the Mind of God forever connected with Truth. As we walk hand in hand, or thought in thought, with Sprit, we find our self-concept, our identity shifting to become more and more in line with the Truth about who we really are. In this way, all the learning we made up as we built our concept of self is used for the purpose of learning bit by bit who we really are. Nothing of what we have made up, thought and believed is evil, damaging, or sinful in any way. It is all neutral, being used by Spirit for a holy purpose, to return us to the awareness of who we really are. Take this small step. Be just a little willing to reach to Spirit for guidance. It is all there within us, not limited by any of the limitations we have so believed in. Take that step.

May 22, 2012

Concepts are learned. They are not based in Truth and therefore have no substance in reality. They (concepts) are solely of the world. So it is with self concepts, or concepts of self. The self concept we have of our self is made up of thoughts we have made up about who we think we are, or perhaps who we want to be. But, this concept is based in the world of form, designed to give meaning to who we are in this world we seem to be stuck in. As we move along our path in this world, this concept of self is continually changing, ever adjusting to new experiences and new thoughts and ideas. Our idea of who we are is fluid, continuously changing according to our thoughts and maintaining a “meaning” for us as we navigate the world.

This is the identity we have made for ourselves in an attempt to give meaning to our existence in this world. However, we have learned that truth and reality are unchanging. Truth and reality cannot be threatened or altered or made into something less than they are. We have simply lost sight of who we really are as we were created by God. So we did our best without benefit of the vast knowledge within us in making up a self concept to give meaning to who we are in a world that has no meaning.

God has provided us with a plan, a method to bring us back to the awareness of who we really are. The Holy Spirit is the friend and teacher God has planted deep within us. And Spirit patiently waits for us to be willing to make the shift in our perception to return our awareness of who we really are to our consciousness. To make the shift all at once would perhaps be too much for us, so Spirit takes us by the hand, step by step, unlearning each of the thoughts and ideas that are not true and helps us see our misperception a little at a time. As we remove each of there mistaken ideas, we begin to see more and more of the truth about who we really are, and who each and every one of us really are.

We begin to recognize the Mind of God within us and recognize our unity and Oneness. We begin to see how our thoughts and ideas we were so attached to are not real and are colored by our perception and the distorting lens we have been trying to see through. With the guidance of Spirit we begin the process of unlearning, similar to the process of learning which we did so well, that gently returns us to the awareness of our true Identity. That Identity has never left us, but we did lose sight of it for awhile. Now, if we choose to allow, Spirit will gently guide our decisions to bring us more and more fully into the awareness of who we really are. We moved into separation and self concept by making decisions in isolation. Now we move into Oneness by choking to make decisions with the guidance of Sprit with each step we now take. Choose to let it be so.

May 15, 2012

From the moment we are born into this world, we are building a sense of self for ourselves. We are creating an identity for ourselves that we use to define who we are in this world. We don’t really know how to do this, so we make it up as we go. We emulate our parents, our teachers, our ministers, our older siblings, and our friends. We watch those who attract us in life, on television, and in the movies we watch. We interpret this barrage of input we deluge ourselves with and try to apply part or even all of it to ourselves. Is it any wonder we are confused about who we are?

We learn to be systematic about making this concept of self we hold of ourselves. We first make up the concept of self we want to be. We make up our innocence and reinforce all the good things we want to be. We make ourselves loving, kind gentle, generous, and all the other things we want to be. But we also make up a self that lies beneath this fragile concept of self. This other sense of self is meant to defeat and corrupt the self of innocence we have made for our identity. And so the world seems to be against us as our brother or sister seems to be against us, tearing down and apart the fragile innocent concept of self we made up.

This is what we learn in this world – to make up a self that points us away form the True Child of God we really are. As we – on our own – attempt to mold and create this concept of self we so want, we become more and more attached to the mistaken thoughts we made up about who we are. We develop the belief that these mistaken thoughts are real. And so we move down the path toward separation, turning away from what is already within us.

The knowledge of our true Self is already within us. It was there at our creation. It remains at our birth even as we lose sight of it. It remains with us through our journey in this world quietly reminding us of who we really are. It remains within us at our body’s death. And it forever is who we really are. We strive so diligently to make that mistaken self concept that we miss all the beauty of the One Self we are in unity with God and all creation. This One Self has no threats or dangers. It is all powerful and cannot really be challenged, lost, or defeated. It has such tremendous strength in its quiet state of being that nothing can threaten it. Our true Self is in the state of being we already are. Take a moment and let that state of being wash over your mind and awaken to the Self you really are.

May 8, 2012

This week we again talk about choosing the road we travel. We seem to have infinite choices before us as to which road to take as we move along our journey. Yet the Course tells us there is only one choice, one real alternative. Why do we seem to see so many choices before us? And how do we choose correctly, how do we discern the real alternative from all the others? The Course gives us some hints and some ways to discern the real alternative.

We first ask ourselves what we really want and where we really want to go. These alternatives are not so much about what we think we see, but what is beyond what we think we see.   So often, perhaps most of the time, we get caught up in what appears to be right in front of us and what appears to be most urgent or the loudest, that which cannot be avoided. However, we always have the opportunity to stop a moment and consider, just for a moment, what is facing us. This gives us a moment to look within and seek the guidance of Spirit always present within us. If we want to journey toward happiness or peace, we need to be sure we are journeying in the direction of happiness and peace. We need to look carefully at the choice of roads that seem to be in front of us. As we look at the choices that appear in front of us, we can ask Spirit to guide us in our choice. Perhaps we simply need to turn around and look in the other direction.

We can also ask ourselves whether we are journeying inward or outward. Are we looking within ourselves or outside ourselves for an answer and guidance? We have all we need within us for God created us complete and whole. The whole of creation is One, joined, unified, and cannot be separated from any part of itself. Whatever we look for outside of ourselves must be illusion, for nothing real can be apart from us, it is already part of us. The brother or sister that appears so vividly apart form us is really One with us. We just see them incorrectly. We have chosen to think of them apart from us so we can blame them for our misperceptions and thus protect ourselves. However, the brother or sister in our life at this moment is the key to discerning whether we are journeying outward or inward.

How do we see or perceive our brother or sister? Do we see them as they really are, One with us, inseparable? Or do we see them “out there” separate from us? Take that moment again, as many times as it takes, to stop and ask Spirit, the Universe, for guidance in making our choice. As we let Spirit guide our choice, we will choose the real alternative by taking each other’s hand and looking within to the reality of who we really are. As we move within, we remember ever so clearly the true essence of our being. We remember the ancient song of joy that wells up to our consciousness again and reminds us that we are who we really are, whole, and lacking nothing. We are engulfed in the peace, love, and joy that surpassed all understanding. Let it be so.

May 1, 2012

We are on a journey in this life. And, it appears there are many roads to choose from on this journey. We each have probably tried many with many different results and experiences. Some were happy. Some were challenging, some were ordinary. And some were disastrous. I wonder where we thought each of them would lead us as we took that fork in the road.

The fact is it makes no difference which road we take in this world for they all lead to the same place. Each path looks very different. The events we experience along each path seem very different and unique. Yet, they each take us to the same place. We hope each way will lead us to happiness, peace, abundance, joy, and love. Often we do experience some or all of these as we move along these paths. But each way seems to fall short of what we are really looking for. Even though each of these paths seem to be unique, custom made for us – which they are- they all lead to one place. That place is separation. As long as we look at these paths as they appear to us and see them as real and leading us to freedom and salvation, we will not find our way to where we really want to go. We must stop a moment and look beyond the appearance of the road we think we see, and seek Spirit’s guidance on our journey.

There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these paths. They each have lessons on the way for us. But we will never see the way clearly before us unless we take that moment to stop and seek the guidance of Oneness. And then walk with that guidance in unity. We are really on the right road. We’re on the only road there is. We are just headed in the wrong direction. One direction takes us toward separation, and the opposite takes us toward unity and Oneness. The way toward Oneness brings us the awareness of who we really are and the memory of our wholeness, our divinity. While the walk toward separation can feel lonely and daunting, the walk toward Oneness is filled with the knowledge that we all walk it together.

Each encounter with another, our brother or sister, is an opportunity to turn, join together, and walk down the path toward unity and Oneness. This is the real alternative to going it alone, which is the false alternative. Our tendency is to “go it alone”, for we can then blame others for not getting where we want to go. But it is our mission in this life to join together with each other, recognize the wholeness that is every one of us, and walk together in our One Path to Oneness. In this joining we see ourselves and each other as we really are, seeing beyond the appearances of the world of separation. Though we may still walk in the world of form, we now look beyond its appearances to the holy meaning behind each appearance and understand it real purpose in the real world. Let it be so.