Friday, July 13, 2018

7th Month Review of 'Side by Side - The Twelve Steps and A Course in Miracles


Aahh, July! Vacation mentality has hit! Who wants to do ‘work’ when the beaches and the mountains call, no scream for my attention. And when you are my age and retirement (whatever that is supposed to be) seductively suggests, “You don’t really have to do anything, you can just hang really loose now.”

Been there, tried that. In fact, all last year or more I allowed myself to take a sabbatical from writing. I spent the day playing with my friends – mah jongg, clay club – and of course spending relaxed time with my honey, Dan. Well, that worked great for a while. And then the itch started. Ideas about the books I had already started and laid aside kept sneaking into my thoughts. New and out of the box ideas flowed. Soon the flood of inspiration brought me back to the old keyboard clicking away.

So keep an eye out. In the Fall I will be offering the first of several free mini-online courses supporting A Course in Miracles studies and application. The first will be, “Guilt, Fear, Anger? Try 8 Steps to Peace”. There will be at least two more over the following months, some sneakily easy and others more intense. Plenty there for anybody interested.

But for now, this is the seventh month and time for our review from “Side by Side – The Twelve Steps and A Course in Miracles” (you can find the book on the left column)

“You cannot see your Guest, but you can see the gifts He brought. And when you look on them, you will believe His Presence must be there. For what you now can do could not be done without the love and grace His Presence holds.”A Course in Miracles 

            As each miracle of peace of mind enters our lives we begin to realize that Something powerful is truly at work. Although we had a desire to turn our lives over to the Holy Spirit, we did not fully trust that He knew His job.  We had hit rock bottom and were willing to try anything, because it couldn’t be worse than what was already in our lives. Each time we cautiously asked again for help to leave that corner into which we had backed ourselves, a powerful shift in our minds was given to us, bringing peace and release. This gave us the strength to face some of our greatest fears. We found the insight to recognize the call for help rather than the seeming attack from our brothers. We found the gratitude which comes from knowing we are protected always.

            These powerful changes in perception have led to a growing faith. As we watched our world look happier and more hopeful, we realized Something had been there to help us. As our faith grows, so does our conviction to continue this process at all costs. We have finally found the Answer to every problem, every pain, every fear. And it works.

            We become more willing and glad to look for those areas still dark and hidden in our mind. But not in order to relive them and analyze what went wrong. No, instead we are learning to simply look, recognize a sense of fear or anger, and then ask once more for the Holy Spirit to enter our minds and show us His perspective.

            As each shift is given to us, the world begins to glow with an inner light and our hearts lift.

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