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Lately I have had a big dose of drama in this so called life.
Taking from what I have learned these past years in the realm of spirituality, I have been able to overcome much of the drama and maintain a sense of inner peace. Even though I have reached this point, it really doesn?t stop life from happening and situations from testing my resolve. Deep inside I know that this is the way it is supposed to be, and I have held firm to my faith that everything is going to be okay and there is a blessing in every situation. With all that has gone on for me the past few years, month, weeks, and days there is no room for being lazy or losing faith. Staying the course to truth is not for the faint at heart, but somehow it has become my path, and on this path I have had to stay strong and keep moving to survive. One day I might write a book about all the drama, but right now all I can do is stay focused on the fact that there is a purpose in the path that I am on, even if I can?t see it right now. I have definitely not reached a point of perfection, and I have made many mis-takes along the way. I am such a sensitive soul that I feel the emotional bumps and bruises along the way of this so called life and sometimes I let it control me. That?s when I realize I am taking life too seriously, and I try to hold on to the principles I have learned along the way.
For the most part my big problem lies in the dysfunction I faced as a child, and I have a mind that has been trained to find a certain level of comfort in chaos.
As a mother I have big conflict of interest here. I have to ask myself, ?Should I stay in my comfort zone or step out of it for my children?? I have to remember at this point that life is but a dream, a huge quantum illusion, and the dynamics of anything contained within life are way beyond my understanding. The bottom line is that I will never get a satisfactory answer to this question, because in the grand scheme of things this question is completely irrelevant! What I perceive as chaos contains a blessing somewhere, and if I remain focused on what I perceive to be a problem then there is no room in my view to see the blessing! This can be a hard reality to face, but I try to get to a point where I release my attachment to any particular outcome. I replace it with a sense of faith that a higher power has complete control over the direction and outcome of my so called life. With this line of thinking with most problems I have noticed that my ego is hung up on pride and overcoming it with humility has been effective in my life. There have also been many symbolic situations that have occurred lately such as when I have been in a direct position to teach humility to my teenage sister. I told her being humble is giving up and giving in to something bigger and more powerful because you have respect and have faith that their way is the way. My words to her were of course the words I needed to hear myself, and I realized I needed to focus on incorporating the concept of humility into my life.
Upon researching humility and what it means to be humble, I found that many others have already embraced this concept and there are many resources available on the topic.
?A battle rages within every one of us every day. It?s the clash between our sense of stubborn self-sufficiency and God?s call to recognize that we?re really nothing without Him. It?s pride versus humility.?
You can learn more about humility online, and you can find a page on WikiHow called ?How to Be Humble? which gives a step by step process for achieving a sense of humility, plus the tips and warnings below:
Tips
? Keep in mind that being humble has many benefits. Humility can help you be more content with your life, and it can also help you endure bad times and improve your relationships with others. It's also essential to being an effective learner. If you think you know it all, you won't be open-minded enough to seek out new knowledge. Humility is also, somewhat counter-intuitively, an excellent tool for self-development in general. After all, if you feel superior, you have no incentive to improve. Most of all, being humble allows you to be honest with yourself.
Warnings
? Pretending to be humble isn't the same as being humble, and often people who pretend to be humble do it in order to seek out praise. Other people will recognize this, and even if you fool some, you won't derive the same benefits as you would through actually developing humility.
? Similarly, don't confuse being humble with being sycophantic (being overly-praiseful of someone for your own profit). This is a common misconception, but the two attitudes are completely different.
You can read the entire article on 'How to Be Humble' here.
You can also find many books on Amazon which discuss humility and being humble from many perspectives:
But a humble leader says to God, "I'm yours, no matter where you call me to go, what you call me to do, and how you call me to be. I will seek your will and way as I lead others to do the same."
This is a quote I try to keep in mind when times get tough and my pride starts to get in the way of my spiritual progress. Learning how to be humble can bring you a state of inner peace a lot faster than stubborn pride. I hope that this article has helped stress the importance of the virtue of humility in this so called life, and that you are able to incorporate this concept into your life as soon as possible. I say this because I am stubborn, and sometimes insist on learning the hard way. Don?t be like me, taking the low road leads to the high road in this case!
About the Author: Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.
DOING TIME...AGAIN AND AGAIN I can not tell you how many times I have felt this way. That I am "doing time." A Course in Miracles is one of the greatest gifts I know of, and yet sometimes I can not even read it, let alone apply its consistent lessons of forgiveness. The Course has the efficient ability to challenge us on many if not all levels and consistently offer us a way out of our perceived hell, but is not always the easiest guidance to accept. We want to learn how to live like Jesus and emulate those we believe help us, yet can easily be fooled by our ego's one desire to remain self-governing. I have this wonderful spiritual guidance at my finger tips almost all the time - A Course in Miracles in addition to the many other paths available - and yet I find there can still be much resistance. How can this be so?
Many have experienced this (resistance) with A Course in Miracles. This obstacle, regardless of how long you've been practicing The Course, can still sometimes be very strong so it is important to study the beginning chapters of the Text and use the Workbook lessons. I have noticed that my interest in The Course sways as do my needs. Because of this I have found that some passages help sometimes and at other times they do not. I tend to "mix it up" a bit with my practice and will offer resources in each article which I have found conducive along the way.
If you are just beginning with The Course, reading the PREFACE will give you a thorough introduction and overview of how The Course came to be, what it is and what is says. Plus you can read ACIM related articles here on Spiritual Apostle starting with:
Also you will find two companion pamphlets which came in the same manner as the course, and are included in the new 3rd Edition of A Course in Miracles:
SONG OF PRAYER
and
PSYCHOTHERAPY: PURPOSE, PROCESS, PRACTICE
I am really glad that Julie chose ?making affirmations? for her recent Concept for Spirit post (here). We will most likely need to use affirmations on a daily basis as we learn to live the teachings of A Course in Miracles. There are prayers, affirmations, reminders and more at every turn in our journey through The Course. The WORKBOOK is one of the tools which give us a daily affirmation to work with and the TEXT and MANUAL are natural companions. (These are all found in ACIM 3rd Edition). These reviews are a way for us to focus on a couple of the concepts from the Text, but you will want to read and or listen to the Text and study it so that you will have a strong foundation before moving further into The Course.
SERVING ETERNITY
Chapter 2 of ACIM is about SEPARATION and the ATONEMENT, two fundamental concepts of The Course. The Garden of Eden - or the PRE-SEPERATION condition - was a state of mind in which nothing was needed. When Adam listened to the "lies of the serpent," all he heard was untruth. Untruth can literally disappear in the twinkling of an eye because it is merely misperception. You do not have to continue to believe what is not true unless you choose to do so. What is seen in dreams seems to be very real. The Bible says that a deep sleep fell upon Adam, yet nowhere is there reference to his waking up.
"All fear is ultimately reducible to the basic misperception that you have the ability to usurp the power of God. Of course, you neither can nor have the ability to do this. Here is the real basis for your escape from fear.
The escape is brought about by your acceptance of the Atonement, which enables you to realize that your errors never really occurred. Only after the deep sleep fell upon Adam could he experience nightmares.
If a light is suddenly turned on while someone is dreaming a fearful dream, he may initially interpret the light itself as part of the dream and be afraid of it. However, when he awakens, the light is correctly perceived as the release from the dream, which is then no longer accorded reality.
This release does not depend on illusions. The knowledge that illuminates not only sets you free, but also shows you clearly that you are free."
Because we are given many helpful affirmations in this chapter which allow us to deepen our understanding of the Atonement we begin to see how simple The Course is and how loving it's Source.
Jesus shows us throughout The Course how to "deny the denial of truth." Since we have become very used to thinking in a linear fashion the concepts of Atonement and Forgiveness are illuminated steps on our path to awakening to Oneness.
"True denial is a powerful protective device. You can and should deny any belief that error can hurt you. This kind of denial is not a concealment but a correction. Your right mind depends on it."
(Error being misperception, which allows us to choose Correction.)
"Denial of error is a strong defense of truth, but denial of truth results in mis-creation, the projections of the ego. In the service of the right mind the denial of error frees the mind, and re-establishes the freedom of the will. When the will is really free it cannot mis-create, because it recognizes only truth."
THE ALTAR OF GOD
The Atonement can only be accepted within you by releasing the inner light. Since the separation, defenses have been used almost entirely to defend against the Atonement, and thus maintain the separation....For perfect effectiveness the Atonement belongs at the center of the inner altar, where it undoes the separation and restores the wholeness of mind. Before the separation the mind was invulnerable to fear, because fear did not exist. Both the separation and the fear are mis-creations that must be undone for the restoration of the temple, and for the opening of the altar to receive the Atonement. This heals the separation by placing within you the one effective defense against all separation thoughts and making you perfectly invulnerable.
It is not always easy to practice but with consistent practice and dedicated study there is no limit to what can be gained from this transformational course. I am grateful to have this opportunity and hope we can continue to share The Course through the years! Thank YOU!
*!* PEACE NOW AND ALWAYS *!*
**PS**I also would like to mention THE FOUNDATION FOR A COURSE IN MIRACLES, a teaching center with two locations currently located in California that I hope to visit this year. Also I will be attending the ACIM CONFERENCE 2009 in San Francisco and would love to get together at that time if you are planning on going so email me if you are. Sweet Dreams and Gentle Awakening Everyone *!*
About the Author:
Renee' G. is a mother of 3 who spends her time healing through friendships while residing in New Mexico. You can find out more and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.
Affirmations are words or phrases that you say to yourself over and over again to suggest an idea, in order to reprogram your mind to notice opportunities to make the suggestion become true.
My first experience with affirmations was when a family member gave me a book called Heal Your Body. I had been going through some tough times with my health and this book was very helpful in my understanding of the way that my body works, plus I have developed an understanding of how thoughts can heal. In this book are a list of health problems, the probable mental pattern that caused the problem, and the new thought pattern to say to yourself to heal from your ailment. What really blew me away as I looked up my particular health concerns was that the probable mental causes were right on the money! For example, I had a lot of problems with my bladder and kidneys after my divorce and when I looked up the probable mental cause for this ailment it said in this book ?Anxiety. Holding on to old ideas. Fear of letting go. Being pissed off.? This made perfect sense to me! The new thought pattern to adapt and repeat to myself consistently was ?I comfortably and easily release the old and welcome the new in my life. I am safe.?
Heal Your Body by Louise Hay is just one resource for affirmations, and I have put together a list of books with affirmations together for the end of this post.
There are an enormous amount of affirmations created by others that are available today and you will find that there are affirmations for different issues and topics of interest. For example you might run across success affirmations, affirmations for children, self-esteem affirmations, etc. (You can find a directory of affirmations here.) The whole idea behind making affirmations is in finding the words or phrases that apply to your situation and personal desires. Many people incorporate affirmations into their lifestyle because of health concerns, or because they desire to reach spiritual enlightenment. In any case, you must know that it is very important to work within your mind to create the reality that you desire whether it is to be more healthy or closer to enlightenment. We can be so busy thinking about what we don?t want in our life, or what we want to avoid each day that our inner self talk becomes negative and un-supportive. Take some time to really evaluate how it is that you talk to yourself, what words you use especially.
Are you supporting yourself through life and acknowledging your desires in a positive way?
Make changes so that you are! Eliminate negative words and replace them with positive words. If you really take the time to evaluate the words that you use, you might understand the subliminal messages that you are sending to yourself. Choose instead to use words that will help to create something good in your life or release something from your life in a positive way. Be wary of using negative words and focusing on what you don?t want. That will just attract more of what you don?t want into your life! Focus on the positives, and attracting what you do want in your life. Repeating positive affirmations to yourself reinforces the positive in YOU, and helps give you the confidence to reach towards opportunities to make your desires become true. This can help to lower stress, boost your self esteem, and open your mind to the possibilities. Making affirmations is something that we all do anyway, but if you make a conscious effort to incorporate positive affirmations into your daily lifestyle you will experience great benefits. Change your negative affirmations around and reinforce the positive in your life for best results!
You will find that there are many resources available online for those interested in learning more about making affirmations:
Plus here are some books from Amazon with more information on affirmations in general:
Also you can watch videos on YouTube with affirmations like this one:
In any case, repetition is important when it comes to making affirmations so you should make arrangements to repeat them throughout the day.
Some people like to write their affirmations on a post it and put them in places they will see it often such as on the refrigerator, on their bathroom mirror, or on the edge of their computer screen. There is also software that you can download that will bring up the affirmations that you create at schedule time intervals that you pre-select. Also, a great blog to visit that posts affirmations daily is called The Think Positive Blog.
I want to thank you for visiting this blog, and for reading this post about making affirmations. Feel free to leave a comment and let us know your favorite affirmations. Take care!
About the Author: Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.
There is no order of difficulty in miracles... All expressions of love are maximal.
Welcome and thank you for visiting Spiritual Apostle where we will be looking at a Chapter from the Text of A Course in Miracles together.
The PREFACE is a helpful place to begin if you are new to A Course in Miracles, consider yourself a beginner, or even if you've been studying the course for 20 years. The Preface is a complete overview of "How It Came," "What It Is" and "What It Says" and both of the following websites offer services (many free ones!) to aid you in your practice online and in person:
This course is a beginning, not an end. Your Friend goes with you. You are not alone. No one who calls to Him can call in vain. Whatever troubles you, be certain that He has the answer, and will gladly give it to you, if you simply turn to Him and ask it of Him. He will not withhold all answers that you need for anything that seems to trouble you. He knows the way to solve all problems, and resolve all doubts. His certainty is yours. You need but ask it of Him, and it will be given you.
The only purpose of the course is to help us find our own Internal Teacher. It can be shared but is also meant to stand completely on its own.
Here is a very helpful book to consider reading if you have questions about how to practice the course:
There is a lot to take in here but I wanted to give you a bunch of resources to begin with so you can refer back to the beginning of these articles from time to time for a refresher if need be.
Chapter 1 begins with 50 Principles of Miracles.
In the context of the course these principles give us one of our first looks at what a miracle is and also hints as to what a miracle is not. There really are 50 of them (no joke! lol) so in order to move through the Chapter with ease I will be providing a link (the first one below) to a more in-depth look and powerful line by line analysis of each miracle principle individually:
The seventh miracle principle states that: " Miracles are everyone's right, but purification is necessary first."
Undoing is one of the ways of describing the process we go through as we learn to apply forgiveness in our daily lives. The course meets us where we believe we are and helps guide us gently out of pain, uncertainty, and fear by teaching us the practical application of FORGIVENESS. If you are beginning with the course, and the message resonates with you, there is a good possibility that this will become a lifetime path for you? It has become a lifetime path for me personally and reflecting on the Text has become a helpful way for me to more consistently understand the process of healing. During the process there are times of "unsettling" in which our experiences with the course may range from discomfort to misery. At these times (usually the miserable ones) we may feel like giving up and so we should find ways to stay with the course if possible and offer us a fresh PERCEPTION of our purpose and goal.
It seems we all have our own way of studying and living the course.
If you'd like to share a particular way you have found to be meaningful please be sure to join our Yahoo! Discussion Group where you can connect with other Spiritual Apostle readers. Because there are nearly limitless options for how to go about studying A Course in Miracles it is important to remember the significance of application. A key part in this process is "bringing the darkness to the light" which you will become more familiar with as you practice and we go through the Text with one another. Course study groups are normally a great way to meet those in your area (and/or the web) who will most likely be experiencing the same things and who can greatly accelerate our understanding of healing! Also the Workbook for Students is what allows us to apply the lessons to our daily lives. You may begin the lessons at any time and there are many resources available to fit your life-style.
NOTE: The articles posted here on Spiritual Apostle are not meant to substitute the study and application of The Course but should offer some supportive ideas and help us stay connected. I'd like to stay in touch and hope you will find many friends and points of interest (like I have) in Awakening to Truth! There is an abundance of like-minded souls who enjoy sharing the course and who gracefully offer support while integrating these teachings into our lives. And remember, all of those who do not follow The Course are equally important to our journey of inclusion!
For 24/7 "customer service" *LOL* Visit QUESTION/ANSWER SERVICE ...a free service provided through The Foundation for A Course in Miracles.
AND NOW HERE ARE SOME GLINTS OF WISDOM FROM CHAPTER 1:
~This is a course in mind training. All learning involves attention and study at some level. Some of the later parts of the course rest too heavily on these earlier sections not to require their careful study.
I began reading and applying the course about 4 years ago when I read the Text from beginning to end. This was also around the same time our twin-infant sons decided to sleep through the night (well almost through the night) Thankfully now all of our children sleep til 6am (usually) and so I've decided that returning to the beginning of the Text again for a closer look would be a good way to refresh my memory and also help to reinforce what the course refers to as right-mindedness. Can you tell I am not a morning person! (There is just something about "waking up" that I am resistant towards!) I try to listen to Workshops from the Foundation for A Course in Miracles, read different course related teachings when possible connect through Meetup: ACIM in the 505 Meetup.
~You will also need the earlier sections for preparation. Without this, you may become much too fearful of what is to come to make constructive use of it. However, as you study these earlier sections, you will begin to see some of the implications that will be amplified later on.
A Course in Miracles teaches us the meaning of the miracle by helping us return to a state of mind that is beyond description but that can be experienced through practicing forgiveness.
~The miracle is a learning device that lessens the need for time. It establishes an out-of-pattern time interal not under the usual laws of time. In this sense it is timeless.
~The forgiven are the means of the Atonement. You have a role in the Atonement which I will dictate to you. Ask me which miracles you should perform. This spares you needless effrot, because you will be acting under direct communication..."No man cometh unto the Father but by me" does not mean that I am in any way separate or different from you except in time, and time does not really exist. The statement is more meaningful in terms of a vertical rather than a horizontal axis.
~The impersonal nature of the miracle is an essential ingredient, because it enables me to direct its application, and under my guidance miracles lead to the highly personal experience of revelation. A guide does not control but he does direct, leaving it up to you to follow. "Lead us not into temptation" means "Recognize your errors and choose to abandon them by following my guidance.
Throughout the course we are given the consistent message that we bring our illusions to Truth. That we bring the darkness to the light (of the Holy Spirit or Jesus). It is a process... process.... process! And one we need not suffer tremendously through and over and around! We don't have to understand everything immediately and most likely will experience a "re-turning" or rhythmically speaking a "fine-tuning."
*!* The key to A Course in Miracles is that we practice forgiveness. This means we try as much as possible to not exclude ourselves from the process which may seem painful at times.
~The escape from darkness involves two stages: First, the recognition that darkness cannot hide. This step usually entails fear. Second, the recognition that there is nothing you want to hide even if you could. This step brings escape from fear. When you have become willing to hide nothing, you will not only be willing to enter into communion but will also understand peace and joy.
This can be challenging because it is not always easy to tell the difference between "the light" and "darkness." If we keep in mind that Jesus and the Holy Spirit (the memory of God) symbolize the part of our mind that is yearning for us to return to It's Source, and if by looking with Jesus at the darkness all illusions will be gently shined away, we cannot help but have a sense of hope even if for an instant that all is well or not far from being so?
~The miracle dissolves error because the Holy Spirit identifies error as false or unreal. This is the same as saying that by perceiving light, darkness automatically disappears.
The beauty is that with practice this one instant of hope begins to "stretch out" like a good morning stretch maybe... and encompasses everything, even areas of our lives that we believed would forever be enshrouded in darkness.
~I inspire all miracles, which are really intercessions. They intercede for your holiness and make your perceptions holy By placing you beyond the physical laws they raise you into the sphere of celestial order. in this order you are perfect.
Also, while I have your attention, here is a slideshow from Amazon with ACIM related books and media that I recommend:
Thank you for reading and also for visiting this blog. I hope that you'll return soon or subscribe for more insight from the Text, plus our reflections and resources.
Sweet Dreams and Gentle Awakening Everyone *!*
About the Author:
Renee' G. is a mother of 3 who spends her time healing through friendships while residing in New Mexico. You can find out more and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.
Hello and welcome! This Concept for Spirit post is going to explore an important concept that everyone should become aware of called meditation.
Meditation is an exercise for your mind that you do by sitting in silence. You can read more about the science of meditation at Wikipedia here, where you?ll find that there are many different forms of meditation, and that prayer is also a form of meditation. The overall goal in meditating is to silently concentrate and quiet your thoughts for you to ?just be?. Meditation has been shown to have healing properties, is excellent for stress relief and emotional release, and is one of the most important spiritual practices that you can adopt into your life.
Here is an awesome 10 minute video that can explain meditation and it?s importance a lot better than I can: (*wink)
You can learn more about the different forms of mediation at About.com?s Meditation Exercises and Resources Page. Plus there are many articles on how to meditate and meditation at eHow.com. You can even get together with others in your local area who are interested in meditating at MeetUp.com. There are also plenty of videos on the internet with examples of how to meditate such as the ones found at YouTube here.
In Deepak Chopra?s book 'The Book of Secrets? Chopra says to meditate in the early hours to ?meet the day before it begins?.
To meet the day before it begins means that you are present when it is born. You open yourself to a possibility. Because there are not yet any events, the infant day is open, fresh, and new. It could turn into anything. The meditating monks and the people at prayer want to add their influence of consciousness at that critical moment, like being present for the beginning of a baby?s life.
There is also a book by Dr. Maoshing Ni that recommends that you "Meditate Not Medicate".
Dr. Ni recommends two forms of meditation:
-Five Clouds Meditation. "This method involves visualizing colors associated with each of the five organ systems that keep us alive. Start by imagining a gathering of a cloud of the corresponding color enveloping the organ, in the order given. Green for the liver, red for the heart, yellow for the spleen, white for the lungs, and blue for the kidneys. Once you have completed all five color clouds, expand them all so that the five colors intermix and ultimately become a rainbow."
and
-Awareness Meditation. "This awareness meditation is powerful and can be done anywhere and anytime. For one minute, close your eyes and be attentive to your breath. Is your breath fast or slow, shallow or deep, short or long? Can you feel your lungs and abdomen expand and contract as you breathe? Next for one minute expand that awareness to your entire body. Is there discomfort or pain anywhere? Can you feel your digestion working? Is their movement within your abdomen? How are you sitting or lying? Can you feel the flow of energy and blood throughout your body? Finally, for one minute, expand that awareness t your outside environment. Experience the lighting conditions, temperature, subtle sounds, odor, and people nearby. What is your reaction to them? Record your observations in a notebook and review regularly for any subtle changes that may require attention."
You can also find ?Meditations for Personal and Planetary Healing? in the book by Louise Hay called ?The Power is Within?.
The meditations you will find in this book are called:
-Touching Your Inner Child -A Healthy World -Your Healing Light -Receiving Prosperity -Welcome The Child -Love is Healing -We Are Free to Be Ourselves -Sharing Healing Energy -A Circle of Love -You Deserve Love -A New Decade -Spirit Am I -A World That is Safe -Loving All The Parts of Ourselves -Feel Your Power and -The Light Has Come
You can also download a Free Guided Meditation from Meditainment here.
Or you can visit any of the websites listed below:
You will find that there is a whole sub-culture devoted to meditation, and I am endorsing that the idea of meditation is something that should be more main stream.
As time progresses there are more tools and resources than ever to help you on your spiritual path and with meditation in general. There are plenty of independent theories and books on the practice of meditation and the science behind it; plus you can find many audio visual resources as well.
Here is a list of items that I found on Amazon that are related to meditating and meditation in general:
The benefits of meditation are immense, and this is a practice that I thoroughly believe everyone should become familiar with. We should introduce meditation to the older, middle, and younger generations alike. Everyone can participate in this exercise, on their own terms, with their own style, in the form that they choose. The resources are available for us all to advance our meditation skills and I urge you to invest attention into this concept. Meditation can help to create a more comfortable reality for the whole, and bring each of us as individuals a lot closer to True Reality.
I hope that you enjoyed this post, and I thank you for reading as well. Take care and see you next time. Sincerely, ~Julie Phineas~
About the Author: Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.