Alright, as promised, let's chat about forgiving butts. I was riding down the street in Jamestown, New York with my three boys. I'm a rider rather than a driver now because my oldest is sweet 16 and fully armed with a permit.
Anyway, we drove past these two guys on bicycles, and they had their regular shorts pulled down just below their butt cheeks. They had boxer shorts on too, so we didn't actually see any bare butts, but I had the thought, "Pull your pants up!"
Then I caught myself making these brothers wrong for wearing their shorts down too low. What's that but a judgment? So, I forgave my brothers, and thus myself, for what we hadn't really done.
Then the next day I got up and got dressed, and later I notice that the shorts I am wearing are actually men's boxer shorts! Ha, that'll learn me!
That part of the mind J calls the ego just wants to keep on projecting, and apparently, any old target will do!
I guess that's why He calls it mind training!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Forgiving Butts
I was going to chat about a weird forgiveness opportunity that came up yesterday while riding in the car with my three sons. BUT instead, I think I'll chat about the three ways of undoing the ego as taught by my favorite famous author and Course teacher, Gary Renard.
(I'll save the discussion about "forgiving butts" for tomorrow...stayed tuned!)
These three strategies for undoing the ego are in no particular order, and they all come from Gary's podcasts which can be found by clicking on the link for his website which is located in the upper right hand corner of this screen.
The first way takes about 10 seconds. What you do is put the Holy Spirit in charge of your thoughts, decisions, and your whole entire day. I personally do this within a few minutes of waking each day. I simply think this thought, "J, you be in charge of my thoughts, my decisions, and my whole entire day. I would step back and let you lead the way." That last line is from the Course's Workbook. I believe it's from Lesson 155. I also think a similar thought before going to bed. I think, "J, you be in charge of my thoughts, my dreams, and my whole entire night." Hey, I like to be covered whether I appear to be awake or sleeping.
As a teensy sidenote, I also like to remember to thank the Holy Spirit for His Help at the end of each day!
The second way is to use the form of true prayer that is taught in The Disappearance of the Universe in chapter 13 entitled, True Prayer and Abundance. This is an active decision that says, "God, You are all I want. I'm thankful that You created me to be exactly the same as You. I thank You for keeping me perfectly safe and completely taken care of. I would have no other Gods before You, no Love but Yours." Then you become silent and just get lost in God's Love! It is simple and beautiful! Gary recommends we do this five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night. He's one smart cookie!
The third way is to practice true forgiveness which means monitoring your thoughts and feelings and forgiving anything that seems to disturb your peace of mind. With this kind of forgiveness, you are choosing to take responsibility for dreaming. Now, it's your dream, and so, you're forgiving your brothers and sisters for what they HAVEN'T really done. You're basically saying, "Wait a minute, neither one of us really exists separately from God. So, the guilt that I thought was in you is really just imagined guilt that is in my own mind. Now, I can forgive "both" of us for what we haven't really done, and I trust the Holy Spirit and choose His strength." Of course, there can be different variations on the forgiveness thought process. As long as all the elements are there, we can think whatever right-minded thoughts we prefer.
Consistently doing these three things can't help but lead us to the Peace of God! Also, it couldn't hurt to study the Course book a bit, do the Workbook, and maybe read Gary's book(s) a few dozen times if that's what turns you on. It sure turns me on! The reason it does is because I see in it my whole way out...my way out of misery, my way out of suffering, my way out of hell, it's time to go HOME!
(I'll save the discussion about "forgiving butts" for tomorrow...stayed tuned!)
These three strategies for undoing the ego are in no particular order, and they all come from Gary's podcasts which can be found by clicking on the link for his website which is located in the upper right hand corner of this screen.
The first way takes about 10 seconds. What you do is put the Holy Spirit in charge of your thoughts, decisions, and your whole entire day. I personally do this within a few minutes of waking each day. I simply think this thought, "J, you be in charge of my thoughts, my decisions, and my whole entire day. I would step back and let you lead the way." That last line is from the Course's Workbook. I believe it's from Lesson 155. I also think a similar thought before going to bed. I think, "J, you be in charge of my thoughts, my dreams, and my whole entire night." Hey, I like to be covered whether I appear to be awake or sleeping.
As a teensy sidenote, I also like to remember to thank the Holy Spirit for His Help at the end of each day!
The second way is to use the form of true prayer that is taught in The Disappearance of the Universe in chapter 13 entitled, True Prayer and Abundance. This is an active decision that says, "God, You are all I want. I'm thankful that You created me to be exactly the same as You. I thank You for keeping me perfectly safe and completely taken care of. I would have no other Gods before You, no Love but Yours." Then you become silent and just get lost in God's Love! It is simple and beautiful! Gary recommends we do this five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night. He's one smart cookie!
The third way is to practice true forgiveness which means monitoring your thoughts and feelings and forgiving anything that seems to disturb your peace of mind. With this kind of forgiveness, you are choosing to take responsibility for dreaming. Now, it's your dream, and so, you're forgiving your brothers and sisters for what they HAVEN'T really done. You're basically saying, "Wait a minute, neither one of us really exists separately from God. So, the guilt that I thought was in you is really just imagined guilt that is in my own mind. Now, I can forgive "both" of us for what we haven't really done, and I trust the Holy Spirit and choose His strength." Of course, there can be different variations on the forgiveness thought process. As long as all the elements are there, we can think whatever right-minded thoughts we prefer.
Consistently doing these three things can't help but lead us to the Peace of God! Also, it couldn't hurt to study the Course book a bit, do the Workbook, and maybe read Gary's book(s) a few dozen times if that's what turns you on. It sure turns me on! The reason it does is because I see in it my whole way out...my way out of misery, my way out of suffering, my way out of hell, it's time to go HOME!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A Loss for Words
Well, I'm at a loss for words today. It's my third day back blogging, and I just don't have anything interesting to report.
My shower drain has been all clogged up for a couple of weeks. I hate it when that happens! So today, after I forgave it, I poured a bottle of Liquid Plumber down there, and wa-la, all fixed.
What does that have to do with A Course in Miracles? Not a freaking thing as far as I know, but if my reader has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them!
Funny, I said, "my reader." I do have one, and she's a gosh darn good one too...my favorite, in fact!
What else...I only did half of my five minute meditation this morning. The HS is in charge, but I didn't get to the getting lost in God's Love part. Maybe that's the problem? Um, well geez, God bless us all!
My shower drain has been all clogged up for a couple of weeks. I hate it when that happens! So today, after I forgave it, I poured a bottle of Liquid Plumber down there, and wa-la, all fixed.
What does that have to do with A Course in Miracles? Not a freaking thing as far as I know, but if my reader has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them!
Funny, I said, "my reader." I do have one, and she's a gosh darn good one too...my favorite, in fact!
What else...I only did half of my five minute meditation this morning. The HS is in charge, but I didn't get to the getting lost in God's Love part. Maybe that's the problem? Um, well geez, God bless us all!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Wavey Cross
A few years ago I had a vision of a wavey cross. The cross was made of bright white light, and at the time, it seemed symbolic of a light entering the darkness.
Then yesterday, I felt like I was having a tough time truly forgiving some things that had recently popped up. There was, you know, the usual temptation to regard myself and others as bodies, and there was some anger in my mind. If you read my blog yesterday, it was obvious that I was in need of a miracle.
Then last night, I finally stopped procrastinating on watching my latest flick from netflix. The movie was called Dragonfly starring Kevin Costner (total babe!).
Anyway, darned if that movie wasn't chalked full of wavey crosses! By the time it was over, my unjustified anger (is there any other kind?) was gone. I got in bed just dripping with gratitude. I kept saying thank you, thank you, thank you, over and over.
Thanks God, thanks ten million!
Then yesterday, I felt like I was having a tough time truly forgiving some things that had recently popped up. There was, you know, the usual temptation to regard myself and others as bodies, and there was some anger in my mind. If you read my blog yesterday, it was obvious that I was in need of a miracle.
Then last night, I finally stopped procrastinating on watching my latest flick from netflix. The movie was called Dragonfly starring Kevin Costner (total babe!).
Anyway, darned if that movie wasn't chalked full of wavey crosses! By the time it was over, my unjustified anger (is there any other kind?) was gone. I got in bed just dripping with gratitude. I kept saying thank you, thank you, thank you, over and over.
Thanks God, thanks ten million!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
What Blogs May Come
Remember that movie with Robin Williams, What Dreams May Come? I watched that in my pre-ACIM days. It might be fun to watch it again knowing what I know now. Alright, it's not like I really know anything for sure yet, but I do know how to forgive. Apparently, once you know how to do that, you're on your way.
I've been having a rough time of it lately. Those guilty guys just don't deserve it. Alright, it's really me who doesn't deserve it. Ever feel that way? Ever feel like you just don't deserve anything good?
If left to my own devices to assess this situation, I would say I'm failing miserably. Luckily, I've haven't been left completely to my own devices, and however faint the glimmer of the Holy Spirit may be in my mind, He's there offering His help at all times. Thank God because I sure could use a miracle right now to straighten me out and set me back on Course!
I've been having a rough time of it lately. Those guilty guys just don't deserve it. Alright, it's really me who doesn't deserve it. Ever feel that way? Ever feel like you just don't deserve anything good?
If left to my own devices to assess this situation, I would say I'm failing miserably. Luckily, I've haven't been left completely to my own devices, and however faint the glimmer of the Holy Spirit may be in my mind, He's there offering His help at all times. Thank God because I sure could use a miracle right now to straighten me out and set me back on Course!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Remember When...
I told you that I was rereading A Course in Miracles. Well when I got to Chapter 5, Healing and Wholeness, I was inspired as all get out! My new favorite prayer comes right after the third paragraph of the Introduction in Chapter 5. It says:
Let me know this brother as I know myself
If I can remember this whenever I'm in the presence of a brother or sister or even when I'm just thinking of them, then I'll be doing alright. The three paragraphs that precede my new favorite prayer are certainly worth quoting here. Enjoy!
To heal is to make happy. I have told you to think how many opportunities you have had to gladden yourself, and how many you have refused. This is the same as telling you that you have refused to heal yourself. The light that belongs to you is the light of joy. Radiance is not associated with sorrow. Joy calls forth an integrated willingness to share it, and promotes the mind's natural impulse to respond as one. Those who attempt to heal without being wholly joyous themselves call forth different kinds of responses at the same time, and thus deprive others of the joy of responding wholeheartedly.
To be wholehearted you must be happy. If fear and love cannot coexist, and if it is impossible to be wholly fearful and remain alive, the only possible whole state is that of love. There is no difference between love and joy. Therefore, the only possible whole state is the wholly joyous. To heal or to make joyous is therefore the same as to integrate and to make one. That is why it makes no difference to what part or by what part of the Sonship the healing is offered. Every part benefits, and benefits equally.
You are being blessed by every beneficent thought of any of your brothers anywhere. You should want to bless them in return, out of gratitude. You need not know them individually, or they you. The light is so strong that it radiates throughout the Sonship and returns thanks to the Father for radiating His joy upon it. Only God's holy children are worthy channels of His beautiful joy, because only they are beautiful enough to hold it by sharing it. It is impossible for a child of God to love his neighbor except as himself. That is why the healer's prayer is:
Let me know this brother as I know myself
Let me know this brother as I know myself
If I can remember this whenever I'm in the presence of a brother or sister or even when I'm just thinking of them, then I'll be doing alright. The three paragraphs that precede my new favorite prayer are certainly worth quoting here. Enjoy!
To heal is to make happy. I have told you to think how many opportunities you have had to gladden yourself, and how many you have refused. This is the same as telling you that you have refused to heal yourself. The light that belongs to you is the light of joy. Radiance is not associated with sorrow. Joy calls forth an integrated willingness to share it, and promotes the mind's natural impulse to respond as one. Those who attempt to heal without being wholly joyous themselves call forth different kinds of responses at the same time, and thus deprive others of the joy of responding wholeheartedly.
To be wholehearted you must be happy. If fear and love cannot coexist, and if it is impossible to be wholly fearful and remain alive, the only possible whole state is that of love. There is no difference between love and joy. Therefore, the only possible whole state is the wholly joyous. To heal or to make joyous is therefore the same as to integrate and to make one. That is why it makes no difference to what part or by what part of the Sonship the healing is offered. Every part benefits, and benefits equally.
You are being blessed by every beneficent thought of any of your brothers anywhere. You should want to bless them in return, out of gratitude. You need not know them individually, or they you. The light is so strong that it radiates throughout the Sonship and returns thanks to the Father for radiating His joy upon it. Only God's holy children are worthy channels of His beautiful joy, because only they are beautiful enough to hold it by sharing it. It is impossible for a child of God to love his neighbor except as himself. That is why the healer's prayer is:
Let me know this brother as I know myself
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
I Love Carrie Triffet
It's true. I love Carrie Triffet. She's the author of a book called Long Time No See, Diaries of an Unlikely Messenger.
Reading her book was like hanging out with my best friend whom I haven't seen in awhile. Oddly (or maybe not so oddly), I started on the page where she talks about The Disappearance of the Universe by Gary Renard, and I read straight on through to the end. Then I went back to the very beginning and I did not skip anything, and I read straight on through and past where she talks about The Disappearance of the Universe until I had to stop because someone else came along who is now also enjoying Carrie Triffet as much as I do!
Right after all that happened, I found out Carrie Triffet was going to interview Gary Renard! Who'd a thunk it? Anyway, the interview will soon be made available for those who are interested at Carrie Triffet's website which can be found by googling her. I believe it'll be posted under the "Events" section. I can't wait!
I want to thank my very sweet and private friend who is really Christ(I wonder how long you're gonna be able to keep that private?)for telling me about Carrie Triffet in the first place!
Reading her book was like hanging out with my best friend whom I haven't seen in awhile. Oddly (or maybe not so oddly), I started on the page where she talks about The Disappearance of the Universe by Gary Renard, and I read straight on through to the end. Then I went back to the very beginning and I did not skip anything, and I read straight on through and past where she talks about The Disappearance of the Universe until I had to stop because someone else came along who is now also enjoying Carrie Triffet as much as I do!
Right after all that happened, I found out Carrie Triffet was going to interview Gary Renard! Who'd a thunk it? Anyway, the interview will soon be made available for those who are interested at Carrie Triffet's website which can be found by googling her. I believe it'll be posted under the "Events" section. I can't wait!
I want to thank my very sweet and private friend who is really Christ(I wonder how long you're gonna be able to keep that private?)for telling me about Carrie Triffet in the first place!
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