Day 90

Today's Lesson:

For this review we will use these ideas:

(79) Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved.

Let me realize today that the problem is always some form of grievance that I would cherish. Let me also understand that the solution is always a miracle with which I let the grievance be replaced. Today I would remember the simplicity of salvation by reinforcing the lesson that there is one problem and one solution. The problem is a grievance; the solution is a miracle. And I invite the solution to come to me through my forgiveness of the grievance, and my welcome of the miracle that takes its place.

Specific applications of this idea might be in these forms:

This presents a problem to me which I would have resolved.
The miracle behind this grievance will resolve it for me.
The answer to this problem is the miracle that it conceals.

(80) Let me recognize my problems have been solved.

I seem to have problems only because I am misusing time. I believe that the problem comes first, and time must elapse before it can be worked out. I do not see the problem and the answer as simultaneous in their occurrence. That is because I do not yet realize that God has placed the answer together with the problem, so that they cannot be separated by time. The Holy Spirit will teach me thins, if I will let Him. And I will understand it is impossible that I could have a problem which has not been solved already.

These forms of the idea will be useful for specific applications:

I need not wait for this to be resolved.
The answer to this problem is already given me, if I will accept it.
Time cannot separate this problem from its solution.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Today's review reminds me of just how simple this course is. It shows that problems really are not "bad," they merely point out way miracles abound. We have problems to prove that miracles exist. It's just a simple shift in our perception that will resolve our problems. And, really, we are never given a problem without also being given its solution. Time is not even an issue, except that we make it an issue by throwing all kinds of roadblocks in the way of the miracle. Any time I hold a grievance of any kind, it is only a matter of the time I let elapse that I realize the reason for a grievance is to prove the miracle. When I no longer hold grievances, I won't have need for miracles - which is a miracle in itself.

Day 89

Today's Lesson:

These are our review ideas for today:

(77) I am entitled to miracles.

I am entitled to miracles because I am under no laws but God's. His laws release me from all grievances, and replace them with miracles. And I would accept the miracles in place of the grievances, which are but illusions that hide the miracles beyond. Now I would accept only what the laws of God entitle me to have, that I may use it on behalf of the function He has given me.

You might use these suggestions for specific applications of this idea:

Behind this is a miracle to which I am entitled.
Let me not hold a grievance against you, [name], but offer you the miracles that belongs to you instead.
Seen truly, this offers a miracle.

(78) Let miracles replace all grievances.

By this idea do I unite my will with the Holy Spirit's, and perceive them as one. By this idea do I accept my release from hell. By this idea do I express my willingness to have all my illusions be replaced with truth, according to God's plan for my salvation. I would make no exceptions and no substitutes. I want all of Heaven and only Heaven, as God will me to have.

Useful specific forms for applying this idea would be:

I would not hold this grievance apart from my salvation.
Let our grievances by replaced by miracles, [name].
Beyond this is the miracle by which all my grievances are replaced.

Miracles I'm noticing:

As the plans for the Summit for Bigger Small Talk keep falling into place, I realize that by giving up attachment to the outcome, I have no disappointments and things just continue to go well. If I held on to any grievances or expectations, I can see where I could get disappointed if things didn't go just the way I thought they should.

I can see how this applies to so many areas of my life - and how I have made different choices in the past which have led to disappointments. When I see that I am entitled to miracles and that miracles can replace all my grievances, I notice that going forward the future is miraculous. I don't want to compare anything to the past, because that might bring up past grievances. I know that whatever has happened in my past has brought me to the place I find myself today and everything is a miracle when seen through the eyes of love and light.

Day 88

Today's Lesson:

Today we will review these ideas:

(75) The light has come.

In choosing salvation rather than attack, I merely choose to recognize what is already there. Salvation is a decision made already. Attack and grievances are not there to choose. That is why I always choose between truth and illusion; between what is there and what is not. The light has come. I can but choose the light, for it has no alternative. It has replaced the darkness, and the darkness has gone.

These would prove useful forms for specific applications of this idea:

This cannot show me darkness, for the light has come.
The light in you is all that I would see, [name].
I would see in this only what is there.

(76) I am under no laws but God's.

Here is the perfect statement of my freedom. I am under no laws but God's. I am constantly tempted to make up other laws and give them power over me. I suffer only because of my belief in them. They have no real effect on me at all. I am perfectly free of the effects of all laws save God's. And His are the laws of freedom.

For specific forms in applying this idea, these would be useful:

My perception of this shows me I believe in laws that do not exist.
I see only the laws of God at work in this.
Let me allow God's laws to work in this, and not my own.

Miracles I'm noticing:

The world continues to be a more loving and beautiful place as I shift my attention to love. It is a beautiful spring day here in Fargo, even though it is cloudy and rainy. The weather doesn't matter - the sun is always shining behind the clouds, even if I can't see it.

I think I used to wait for the sun to shine before determining how happy I would be - both literally and figuratively. I looked outside myself to decide how to feel or what to do. Now I realize that everything comes from inside. I'm learning - really learning - the truth of the statement "As above, so below. As within, so without." I determine my own weather, regardless of what the outside conditions are. I see what I'm looking for. When I know that the light has come, that is what I see. When I remember that I am under no laws but God,'s, the pressure is off me. I can be freed up to BE who I am instead of worrying what I should DO.

I spoke last night for a group of leaders from all over the United States and my message was as authentic as it's ever been. (It didn't hurt that I had just seen James Ray speak the night before!) There have been times when I've had trouble telling my audiences about the book I've written (and which is the foundation for the presentation). But last night I told them I would be ripping them off if I didn't share the book with them. I sold more books last night than I can remember selling at one event because I was sharing it with them in love, not with my ego. The outcome was different and the feeling was different. Miracle? You bet!

Day 87

Today's Lesson:

Our review today will cover these ideas:

(73) I will there be light.

I will use the power of my will today. It is not my will to grope about in darkness, fearful of shadows and afraid of things unseen and unreal. Light shall be my guide today. I will follow it where it leads me, and I will look only on what it shows me. This day I will experience the peace of true perception.

These forms of this idea would be helpful for specific applications:

This cannot hide the light I will to see.
You stand with me in light, [name].
In the light this will look different.

(74) There is no will but God's.

I am safe today because there is no will but God's. I can become afraid only when I believe there is another will. I try to attack only when I am afraid, and only when I try to attack can I believe that my eternal safety is threatened. Today I will recognize that all this has not occurred. I am safe because there is no will but God's.

These are some useful forms of this idea for specific applications:

Let me perceive this in accordance with the Will of God.
It is God's Will you are His Son, [name], and mine as well.
This is part of God's Will for me, however I may see it.

Miracles I'm noticing:

I had the pleasure of attending James Ray's Harmonic Wealth seminar last night with my friend Sheila. That was a double pleasure because it was great to spend time with Sheila (a 3 1/2-hour drive there, dinner, and a 3 1/2-hour drive back) and also because James is very energetic and has LOTS of great inspirational ideas to share. I enjoyed James for two reasons: the information was great, but it was also very interesting to watch his presentation style. As a speaker myself, I see now what I can aspire to. I also realized that I have been speaking about many of the same concepts as James does for a couple of years. Anyone who heard my last two presentations (and the ones who will hear me tonight) have gotten/will get many of the same concepts as the 1000 of us got last night from James. He's just much more animated about it!

I think there was a part of me that, in the past, would have compared myself to James and felt very unworthy, envious, and upset about seeing his success. But I noticed that James really does want the entire world to get that, to use his words, Harmonic Wealth is about understanding harmony in five areas of your life: 1) Financial; 2) Relational; 3) Intellectual (mental and emotional); 4) Physical (body and tangible); and 5) Spiritual. If we are in harmony, we might not be in balance - he says balance is unachievable and anything in perfect balance isn't moving and has no dynamism, so we might as well not even go there. Harmony is when everything is working together and producing beautiful results. He said to look at the results in our lives and we'll be able to tell whether or not we're in harmony.

So now what I realize is that in order to achieve harmony, I want to exist in a spirit of love rather than fear. Fear produces "stuck" results - keeps us stuck in whatever rut we find ourselves because we're afraid to grow. James said last night, and I've been saying for quite a while now, too - that our natural state is growth, whether we're humans or plants or animals or anything. If we're not growing, we're dying. I also believe that learning = change - if we're not changing, we're not learning.

When I will there be light (which James says 99.9999% of everything in the universe is made up of - light or energy, same thing, he says) and I understand that that there is no will but God's, I realize that everything is God's will and everything is light. When love replaces fear in any aspect of my life, I know that I am moving toward harmony, which doesn't have to be perfect. That's a big difference for me, too.

Where are you committed to giving up fear to allow love to be present? That's a miracle!!

Day 86

Today's Lesson:

These ideas are for review today:

(71) Only God's plan for salvation will work.

It is senseless for me to search wildly about for salvation. I have seen it in many people and in many things, but when I reached for it, it was not there. I was mistaken about where it is. I was mistaken about what it is. I will undertake no more idle seeking. Only God's plan for salvation will work. And I will rejoice because His plan can never fail.

These are some suggested forms for applying this idea specifically:

God's plan for salvation will save me from my perception of this.
This is no exception in God's plan for my salvation.
Let me perceive this only in the light of God's plan for salvation.

(72) Holding grievances is an attack on God's plan for salvation.

Holding grievances is an attempt to prove that God's plan for salvation will not work. Yet only His plan will work. By holding grievances, I am therefore excluding my only hope of salvation from my awareness. I would no longer defeat my own best interests in this insane way. I would accept God's plan for salvation, and be happy.

Specific applications for this idea might be in these forms:

I am choosing between misperception and salvation as I look on this.
If I see grounds for grievances in this, I will not see the grounds for my salvation.
This calls for salvation, not attack.

Miracles I'm noticing:

I'm planning what I'm calling The Summit for Bigger Small Talk to be held here in Fargo June 27-28. This started out as just an idea, and is growing into an actual event with people coming from as far away as Phoenix and Chicago. As I notice my energy shifting from fear to love, and get my ego out of the way, it's amazing what is coming to be. We're having a conference call this morning to start on the details, so I'll report on the progress. Suffice it to say as I keep my ego in check and just listen and allow, things take shape much more easily. It's going to be a fun summer!

Day 85

Today's Lesson:

Today's review will cover these ideas:

(69) My grievances hide the light of the world in me.

My grievances show me what is not there, and hide from me what I would see. Recognizing this, what do I want my grievances for? They keep me in darkness and hide the light. Grievances and light cannot go together, but light and vision must be joined for me to see. To see, I must lay grievances aside. I want to see, and this will be the means by which I will succeed.

Specific applications for this idea might be made in these forms:

Let me not use this as a block to sight.
The light of the world will shine all this away.
I have no need for this. I want to see.

(70) My salvation comes from me.

Today I will recognize where my salvation is. It is in me because its Source is there. It has not left its Source, and so it cannot have left my mind. I will not look for it outside myself. It is not found outside and then brought in. But from within me it will reach beyond, and everything I see will but reflect the light that shines in me and in itself.

These forms of the idea are suitable for more specific applications:

Let this not tempt me to look away from me for my salvation.
I will not let this interfere with my awareness of the Source of my salvation.
This has no power to remove salvation from me.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Just reviewing the two lessons for today reminds me of all the hoopla around The Secret. Rhonda Byrne seems to have gone into hiding following the controversy - maybe because she forgot where the light and her salvation are. Bob Proctor appeared on Nightline on Friday and the way the show was edited, he looked unsure and almost apologetic. But that doesn't stop what IS. The outward appearances are one thing - the Knowing is another. If we hold grievances against anything, the light of the world is hidden. And if we look outside ourselves for our own salvation, we are looking in the wrong place.

Anyone who is looking for something controversial will find it in anything they see. Even that last statement - "my salvation comes from me" could appear to be ego-driven. However, those of us studying this course understand that the Source of our salvation is our Higher Self, not our ego self, just as those who understand the entire concept of The Secret (which we all know is not a secret at all) understand that there is much more to it than just wanting jewelry and cars. Of course, if that's what they are looking for, those who want to stir the pot will surely find that, and then they will get to be right.

It's no wonder our world is in the state it's in - and you can take that any way you choose. Either way you will be right. It is glorious and wonderful and loving and amazing - it's no wonder. It's also conceited and hateful and messed up and fearful - it's no wonder. Where will you choose to put your attention? On fighting what's "wrong" or celebrating what's "right"? I choose to stand for love instead of against fear. And that's my miracle for today!

Day 84

Today's Lesson:

These are the ideas for today's review:

(67) Love created me like itself.

I am in the likeness of my Creator. I cannot suffer, I cannot experience loss and I cannot die. I am not a body. I would recognize my reality today. I will worship no idols, nor raise my own self-concept to replace my Self. I am in the likeness of my Creator. Love created me like itself.

We might find these specific forms helpful in applying the idea:

Let me not see an illusion of myself in this.
As I look on this, let me remember my Creator.
My Creator did not create this as I see it.

(68) Love holds no grievances.

Grievances are completely alien to love. Grievances attack love and keep its light obscure. If I hold grievances I am attacking love, and therefore attacking my Self. My Self thus becomes alien to me. I am determined not to attack my Self today, so that I can remember Who I am.

These specific forms for applying this idea would be helpful:

This is no justification for denying my Self.
I will not use this to attack love.
Let this not tempt me to attack myself.

Miracles I'm noticing:

I really love these reminders. It gives me a chance to see how far I've come in my studies and my remembering. I also love the distinction between my self and my Self. When I can remember that what's really important is my Self, I remember that I'm not alone on this journey. I also remember that I'm studying this course with several others, any one of whom I can call for support during any struggles that pull me back to my self. We share a commitment to what these lessons are teaching us, and that is proving to be a miracle in itself. However, as I remember that this is the way God intended us to live - in comfort and joy and love instead of in struggle and worry and fear - I see that the only obstacles that come up for me are ones my self put there. My Self wants this to be easy. What a relief and a sense of peace that brings. That is surely a miracle that is with me every single day. Remembering it proves that I am learning. I notice that the remembering is turning into just the way it is - there are far fewer times that I even forget. And that, for me, is the true miracle! Now I want to practice gratitude so I don't take it for granted!

Day 83

Today's Lesson:

Today we will review these ideas:

(65) My only function is the one God gave me.

I have no function but the one God gave me. This recognition releases me from all conflict, because it means I cannot have conflicting goals. With one purpose only, I am always certain what to do, what to say and what to think. All doubt must disappear as I acknowledge that my only function is the one God gave me. More specific applications of this idea might take these forms:

My perception of this does not change my function.
This does not give me a function other than the one God gave me.
Let me not use this to justify a function God did not give me.

(66) My happiness and my function are one.

All things that come from God are one. They come from Oneness, and must be received as one. Fulfilling my function is my happiness because both come from the same Source. And I must learn to recognize what makes me happy, if I would find happiness.

Some useful forms for specific applications of this idea are:

This cannot separate my happiness from my function.
The oneness of my happiness and my function remains wholly unaffected by this.
Nothing, including this, can justify the illusion of happiness apart from my function.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Today's review is so comforting to me! As I remember the two thoughts for today, it gives me so much relief and takes away the guilt and the pressure to do or be more than what God asks of me. It doesn't matter what my perception is, because what is important is what God gave me. I am also reminded that I need to determine what happiness is for me so I can recognize that as the function God gave me.

The miracle this week has been how the Summit for Bigger Small talk (website coming soon) is coming together. I merely put out a suggestion on my other blog, and people are joining that conversation. As we collectively shift from fear to love, we will create an even bigger miracle than any of us can do separately. And the great message in that statement is that there is only one of us anyway. What a great event this will be!

Day 82

Today's Lesson:

We will review these ideas today:

(63) The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.

My forgiveness is the means by which the light of the world finds expression through me. My forgiveness is the means by which I become aware of the light of the world in me. My forgiveness is the means by which the world is healed, together with myself. Let me, then, forgive the world, that it may be healed along with me.

Suggestions for specific forms for applying this idea are:

Let peace extend from my mind to yours, [name].
I share the light of the world with you, [name].
Through my forgiveness I can see this as it is.

(64) Let me not forget my function.

I would not forget my function, because I would remember my Self. I cannot fulfill my function if I forget it. And unless I fulfill my function, I will not experience the joy that God intends for me.

Suitable specific forms of this idea include:

Let me not use this to hide my function from me.
I would use this as an opportunity to fulfill my function.
This may threaten my ego, but cannot change my function in any way.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Both of these ideas reminds me how important it is that I play big. By hiding my light under a bushel, I am not bringing peace and am forgetting my function. My business partner and I met all day yesterday with a business consultant who is helping us take Bock's Office to the next level. We spent several hours talking about our plans, dreams, and ideas and he helped us put structure around those dreams. We now have assignments to complete and will be looking to secure some funding to get things off the ground. It's a fun procedure and if I weren't committed to playing big, I could let fear get in the way.

I'm so grateful for this course and for my course family because without them I have a feeling fear would keep me small. As I learn to forgive myself for whatever I have or haven't done, I allow the light of the world to bring peace to every mind. That's truly a miracle, because my business will touch many more lives when I'm playing big!

Day 81

Today's Lesson:

We are ready for another review. We will cover two ideas each day, one for the early part of the day and one for the later part of the day. We are to regard these practice periods as dedications to the way, the truth and the life. Our will has power over all fantasies and dreams. We are to trust it to see us through, and carry us beyond them all.

Continuing from our last review:

(61) I am the light of the world.

How holy am I, who have been given the function of lighting up the world! Let me be still before my holiness. In its calm light let all my conflicts disappear. In its peace let me remember Who I am.

Some specific forms for applying this idea when special difficulties seem to arise might be:

Let me not obscure the light of the world in me.
Let the light of the world shine through this appearance.
This shadow will vanish before the light.

(62) Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world.

It is through accepting my function that I will see the light in me. And in this light will my function stand clear and perfectly unambiguous before my sight. My acceptance does not depend on my recognizing what my function is, for I do not yet understand forgiveness. Yet I will trust that, in the light, I will see it as it is.

Specific forms for using this ideas might include:

Let this help me learn what forgiveness means.
Let me not separate my function from my will.
I will not use this for an alien purpose.

Day 80

Today's Lesson:

Let me recognize my problems have been solved.

When we realize that our one central problem has been solved, we will realize that we have no problems. And when we have no problems, we will be at peace. It is in this that the simplicity of salvation lies.

Let us be determined not to collect grievances today. Let us be determined to be free of problems that do not exist.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Last night at our Course group, one of the members was having trouble with the word "problem" because she said she has really worked hard to not see situations as problematic in her life. It occurred to her, after a little dialogue, that she was having a problem with the word "problem," so that was her problem! When we can realize that all we need to do it change the context around specific words (in this case "problem"), we can see that we may have been conditioned to believe certain contexts, like problem = bad. If we can see that things which we might call "problems" are really not even there - or if we can see that things we used to think of as "problems" are really just demonstrations of our opportunity to forgive, we can actually be grateful for them. As we shift our focus, we notice that today's lesson really is true: the problems have been solved.

As I study this course more and really take in the lessons I'm studying, I notice miracles where I might have overlooked them. Yesterday I received a call "out of the blue" from a new client who needs a keynote next week. It's not too often that organizations wait until almost literally the last minute for a keynote, but this also happened two weeks ago. As I have opportunities to share keynotes at this late date, they don't have as much opportunity to get a completely customized message; however, this allows me to use my keynote around my book, and that means more books are sold and the message gets out to larger audiences.

It turns out more people are being attracted to our Summit for Bigger Small Talk, scheduled now for Thursday, June 28. In fact, Dick Richards called yesterday and we're going to see about having him present on Wednesday, June 27 on Day One of the Summit (before that conversation, there was no Day One), so this will really be taking on some bigger opportunities.

It's amazing what can happen if you just declare it! Today I'm committed to problems being solved!

Day 79

Today's Lesson:

Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved.

A problem cannot be solved if you do not know what it is. Even if it is already solved you will still have the problem, because you will not recognize that it has been solved. This is the situation of the world. The problem of separation, which is really the only problem, has already been solved; but the solution is not recognized because the problem is not recognized.

Everyone in the world seems to have his own special problem, yet they are all the same, and must be recognized as one if the one solution that solves them all is to be accepted. We have the answer, but we are still uncertain about what the problem is. We see a vast number of problems, each requiring a different answer. This perception places us in a position in which our problem solving must be inadequate, and failure is inevitable.

All this complexity is but a desperate attempt not to recognize the problem, which is separation, no matter what form it takes. If we could see this, we could accept the answer because we would see its relevance. We have the means to solve what appear to be many problems. And we would use the means because we recognize the problem.

So today we are to free our minds of all the seemingly many problems and realize there is only one problem, which we have failed to recognize. We will ask what it is, and wait for the answer. We will be told. Then we will ask for the solution to it, and we will be told.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Finding the answers to all the situations we determine to be problems would be very simple if we could just quiet our minds. I find that as I am able to take even five minutes and just be quiet, things never are as problematic as they might seem when my mind is going a hundred miles an hour.

I finished a new book yesterday by a blogging friend of mine in Denmark. The book is called Happy Hour is 9 to 5 by Alex Kjerulf and even in Alex's book he talks about how changing our mind about work can give us better results. We have it that work is tough, stressful and unpleasant, but he says it is essential that we find happiness at work. And he says that one of the ways to do that is to "take five," where you just sit with your eyes closed and regroup. "At work?" you might ask? Alex says - and I'm beginning to understand, too - how NOT taking five minutes to be quiet will perpetuate all the problems we think are real. Maybe in that five minutes we all just remember today's lesson - we recognize the real problem. Today's lesson says we shouldn't insist that we know the real problem. All we need is some doubt about the reality of our version of what our problems are. Then spend those five minutes suspending all judgment about what the problem is. Close your eyes and ask. You will be heard and you will be answered.

Think about how this can alter the workplace! Let's all be committed to noticing when we feel those 60,000 random thoughts getting the better of us, and just slow down, close your eyes, and think to yourself:

Let me recognize this problem so it can be solved.

Let's share what we notice when we really ask for the answer.

Day 78

Today's Lesson:

Let miracles replace all grievances.

Today's idea shows us that each time we make a decision about anything, we actually decide between a grievance and a miracle. Each grievance stands like a dark shield of hate before the miracle it would conceal. As we raise that shield before our eyes, we can't see the miracle beyond. But it is there waiting for us in light, even though we see the grievance instead.

As we begin to lay our grievances down, the Son of God will appear in shining light where the grievance once stood. He stands in light, but we were in the dark. Each grievance made the darkness deeper, and we could not see. But today we will choose not to be blind to God's Son - we will look toward truth, not toward fear.

Today's lesson asks us to select one person we have used as a target for our grievances, and lay the grievances aside and look at him. Someone, perhaps, we fear and even hate; someone we think we love who has angered us; someone we call a friend, but whom we see as difficult at times or hard to please, demanding, irritating or untrue to the ideal he should accept as him, according to the role we set for him.

We are to hold him in our mind, first as we now consider him. We are to review his faults, the difficulties we have had with him, the pain he caused us, his neglect, and all the little and the larger hurts he gave. We are to regard his body with its flaws and better points as well, and we will think of his mistakes and even of his "sins."

Then let us ask of Him Who knows this Son of God in his reality and truth, that we may look on him a different way, and see our savior shining in the light of true forgiveness, given unto us. We ask Him in the holy Name of God and of His Son, as holy as Himself:

Let me behold my savior in this one. You have appointed as the one for me to ask to lead me to the holy light in which he stands, that I may join with him.

What you have asked for cannot be denied. Our savior has been waiting long for this. He would be free, and make his freedom ours. No dark grievances obscure the sight of him. We have allowed the Holy Spirit to express through him the role God gave Him that we might be saved.

Miracles I'm noticing:

As I was reading and then typing this lesson this morning, I kept thinking of all the love and light we who are reading this could provide if we all together sent this energy to one person - perhaps George Bush or Osama bin Laden or someone else who could use our healing love. In Fargo we could all send it to our mayor. We can also work individually with someone we consider an enemy, or someone we consider a friend. I notice how, even before I've done today's meditation, I feel much calmer about anyone who crosses my mind.

Since I've been doing this work for the past 2 1/2 years, I can honestly say that I can't think of anyone with whom I have a long-term grievance. I've been allowing love to replace fear as often as possible; however, there are still people with whom I can identify small grievances - dark clouds that cover the sunlight in them.

That reminds me of something I heard Deepak Chopra say once. He said that even though we may look at a gray sky and think the sky is really gray, the sky is actually always blue above the clouds. We have mistaken the clouds that cover the sun as the sky itself, when really the sky is always blue. That's like the light within the Son of God (all people). It is only our grievances that block that light.

I understand this more as I continue reading Debbie Ford's The Dark Side of the Light Chasers where she says it takes some time and effort sometimes, but whenever we can see the dark side of someone else in ourselves as well, it becomes much easier to see the light through the darkness. We can see that anything someone else can do, we are capable of as well - and then we can shine the light of love and forgiveness on others and ourselves. Changing our minds from fear and hate to love and trust is the definition of a miracle.

That's a much happier way to live!

Day 77

Today's Lesson:

I am entitled to miracles.

We are entitled to miracles because of what we are. We will receive miracles because of what God is. And we will offer miracles because we are one with God. Salvation is that simple! It is merely a statement of our true identity.

Our claim to miracles does not lie in our illusions about ourselves. It does not depend on any magical powers we have ascribed to ourselves or any of the rituals we have devised. It is inherent in the truth of what we are. It is implicit in what God our Father is. It was ensured in our creation, and guaranteed by the laws of God.

When stated that adamantly, it's difficult to dispute. This is what belongs to us in truth. We will not content ourselves with less.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Just being able to read today's lesson and really absorb what it is saying is a miracle for me. There was a day not too long ago when I thought it extremely arrogant to believe what today's lesson says. Who, me? Who says I could possibly be good enough to be entitled to miracles? But I know that the Holy Spirit will not take away my free will - and He will never enter where He is not welcome. He will, however, enter at the slightest invitation. As we start to realize the importance of today's lesson, that can become that slightest invitation.

Our ego seems to believe that we have to walk this world alone. By admitting we want to join in community with others for the good of ourselves and others, the ego seems to believe we would have to give up our independence and our individuality. But we gain so much more by allowing Spirit to show us the miracles we are entitled to. I know that my community has grown as I've realized I don't want to do this alone, and I have gained so much more than I ever could have imagined.

I am entitled to miracles - to the opportunity to see things without the veil of fear. That recognition is a miracle in itself!

Day 76

Today's Lesson:

I am under no laws but God's.

Salvation does not lie in the senseless things to which we think we are bound. There is so much freedom in the knowledge that we are not bound by all the senseless laws we have set up to save us. We really think we will will starve unless we have stacks of green paper strips and piles of metal discs. We really think a small round pellet or some fluid pushed into our veins through a sharpened needle will ward off disease and death. We really think we are alone unless another body is with us.

We call these laws, and put them under different names in a long catalogue of rituals that have no use and serve no purpose. We believe that if we protect the body we will be saved.

These are not laws, but madness. The body is only endangered by the mind that hurts itself. The body's suffering is a mask the mind holds up to hide what really suffers.

There are no laws except the laws of God. These laws can never be replaced. We rejoice that this is so. This truth keeps us free forever. We are to dismiss all foolish magical beliefs today, and hold our minds in silent readiness to hear the Voice that speaks the truth to us. Payment is neither given nor received. Exchange cannot be made; there are no substitutes; and nothing is replaced by something else. God's laws forever give and never take.

Miracles I'm noticing:

When I really think about today's lesson, I realize how enslaved to laws other than God's I have been over my lifetime - especially the one about money. I know I have been under the belief that I need to have, as today's lesson says, "stacks of green paper strips and piles of metal discs." The freedom I feel when I can give up the fear around money is amazing. When I can really think about the things I think I fear, and determine whether or not those are authentic fears, I find out that more often than not, the laws I'm holding myself to are not God's. Today's lesson reminds us that God's laws forever give and never take. I won't be giving up anything and will be gaining everything when I can really get that.

Yesterday I spent the morning with a colleague who may be collaborating with me on another book. I noticed myself speaking more than I should have a couple of times. I am noticing my need to be right and to be validated lately. When I can be quiet and listen - knowing the light has come and I am under no laws but God's - it is much easier to help validate others by listening to them instead. I really do notice the difference in my conversations and dialogue when I shut up and listen. That is a shift from fear to love - and it's a miracle.

Day 75

Today's Lesson:

The light has come.

Today's idea is very uplifting and joyful. There can be no more darkness and turmoil and death because the light has come. Today we celebrate the happy ending to our long dream of disaster. There are no more dark dreams. It is a new era, in which a new world is born. The old one has left no trace upon it in its passing. No shadows from the past remain to darken our sight and hide the world forgiveness offers us. Today we will accept the new world as what we want to see. We will be given what we desire.

Our forgiveness entitles us to vision. The Holy Spirit never fails to give the gift of sight to the forgiving. He will not fail us now. The light has come. We have forgiven the world. If anyone seems to pull us back into darkness today, simply think

The light has come. I have forgiven you. I have forgiven the world.

Miracles I'm noticing:

I spoke yesterday for an organization that does a lot of selling and has quotas to meet. This has traditionally been a heavy burden, as I guess it could be for any group that could feel pressure to achieve. As I was preparing the presentation, I remembered what we're learning here. The presentation had a light feeling - both light (not dark) and light (not heavy). I could feel myself being light and could see that light reflected in the audience. As I learn more and more about myself thanks to this course, I notice more and more light from my audiences, and each presentation seems to be the best one yet. As I share with my audiences my experiences and my thoughts about various situations and distinctions, I can see recognition in their eyes. I really understand what it means to have lightbulbs go off for the audience. I know, too, that we are sharing that experience. As lightbulbs go off for them, the same thing happens for me. I learn as much as my audiences do, because I watch for those sparks. I find myself inspired by their inspiration and I become more effective as the speaker.

The light has truly come - and I am not only the candle, but also the mirror that reflects it.

"It only takes a spark to get a fire going ...." How miraculous!

Day 74

Today's Lesson:

There is no will but God's.

This idea is an extension of yesterday's (I will there be light) and is the central thought toward which all our exercises are directed. When we recognize that today's lesson is wholly true, we see that our will is God's. There is no room for conflict and peace has replaced the idea that any goals can be in conflict. We have no goal but God's.

Since today's idea is wholly true, there can be no room for illusions, and illusions cause conflict. Therefore, there is only peace.

Joy characterizes peace. As we think about today's idea in our exercises, we will recognize that we have reached peace when we experience joy. If any thoughts of conflict cross our minds, we are to repeat today's idea as often as necessary. There is definite gain in refusing to allow retreat into withdrawal, even if we don't experience the peace we seek.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Today is a great time to repeat my 2007 mantra: "Listen and Allow." As I get quiet and just listen to what's going on around me, I find that I'm much better able to allow the Spirit to shine through. It doesn't sound like the best business plan, I guess, but it's sure allowing me much better presence of mind and clarity of thought.

I was interviewed last night by Michael Mink of Investors Business Daily as a contributor to an article he's writing about Lisa Haneberg's new book Two Weeks to a Breakthrough. Michael asked me to tell him about my book The 100% Factor and how it might compliment Lisa's. He asked about how I set goals. It was interesting for me to describe this rather new "Listen and Allow" concept. He didn't quite see how that could possibly help me in business - after all, don't we have to be goal-oriented and driven to make our businesses successful? I realized that my book really does lead into Lisa's book because once you decide that you could live a fuller life - there might be something you'd like to do more of or less of or try new and Lisa's book gives you a wonderful basis for achieving one of those goals in two weeks or less. The dialogue with Michael proved to be a great exercise for me and gave me an opportunity to talk more about my life philosophy and the work I've done over the past four or five years to get to this point.

We ended up talking about all kinds of things and it occurred to me that my genius - inviting dialogue - is alive and well. Michael called at 9:45 my time (he is in L.A.) and I don't think we got off the phone until midnight. Michael's deadline is today, so I hope he got what he needed for his article - and got some sleep.

I notice the shift in myself as I remember that there is no will but God's. There was a day when I would have been nervous about talking with someone in L.A. about what it's like to live in Fargo - what my opinion is about a concept - what my ideas have to do with anything. People don't believe me when I tell them that I used to be very unsure of myself and worried about saying or doing the wrong thing but it's true. I noticed last night how easy it was to converse with Michael even though he spends a lot of his time talking to pro basketball coaches and players and other prominent businesspeople. When I just listened and allowed my Spirit - and God's will - to be present, there was no struggle for what to say or how to say it. That's surely a miracle (as is my ability to slow down and recognize the shift!).

Day 73

Today's Lesson:

I will there be light.

Today's idea shows us that if we share a will with God, this would not be the same as the ego's idle wishes. The ego's idle wishes make nothing that is real. Idle wishes and grievances are partners or co-makers in picturing the world we see. The ego needs us to hold on to grievances in order to maintain its hold on us. The ego even puts people in our lives who seem to attack us and call for "righteous" judgment. These figures stand between our awareness and our brothers' reality. When we pay attention to these ego figures, we are not able to know our brothers or our Self.

In this exchange of guilt that is traded back and forth, grievances gain momentum with each exchange. This could not possibly be the Will of God. God did not create disaster for His Children. Creation is the Will of Both together. Would God create a world that kills Himself?

The light that is in our will does not oppose the Will of God. The light that shines upon this world reflects our will, and so it must be in ourselves that we look for that light.

Our picture of the world can only mirror what is within each of us. Grievances darken our minds, and we look out on a darkened world. Forgiveness lifts the darkness, reasserts our will, and lets us look upon a world of light. As we determine what it is we really want - which is NOT to be in hell or to weep or suffer - we see that this barrier that stands between us and our salvation is very thin. All we need to do is forget the ego's arguments and remember the Spirit's promise.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Today's lesson is HUGE for me ... and I've had an amazing breakthrough with this issue regarding my mother and Christianity. As I read through today's lesson and thought about the entire sleepless night I've just spent with idle wishes and grievances and "righteous" judgments, it has occurred to me why I have resisted the light so much and it really is as simple as today's lesson: I will there be light. This is how God works in mysterious ways: He ALWAYS and in all ways puts the lesson in front of us when we are open to receiving it.

I had so many messages going through my mind last night as I obsessed about this issue and one thing that I couldn't get out of my head is one of the songs my chorus is currently working on. It's a Gershwin tune from the '30s called "They All Laughed." Try as I might I couldn't get it out of my head. Then it occurred to me to really listen to the words of the song. They are:

"They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round. They all laughed when Edison recorded sound - on his gramophone. They all laughed at Wilbur and his brother when they said that man could fly. They told Marconi wireless was a phony, it's the same old cry."

And I started asking why they were laughing. Was it because it was funny? Because they were threatened? Because they wanted to be right? And then it occurred to me that I am THEY. There is no THEY - there is only US. I have a need to be right and it's hindering me from being who I AM. I'm living in my own potential instead of building my capacity, and that's the theme of my own book!

There was much more to my entire night of revelation, but suffice it to say that the miracle is allowing me to release myself from my need to be right and just - once and for all - trusting who I AM right now, today. As I forgive myself for my own judgment, I find that I have no ill feelings toward anything my mother might send me or tell me - it's my own judgment that has kept me stuck - my own "laughing."

I only need will there be light - it's as simple as that. That's surely a HUGE miracle for me!

Day 72

Today's Lesson:

Holding grievances is an attack on God's plan for salvation.

The ego is the physical embodiment of the wish to replace God. And the things we are apt to hold grievances for are always associated with something a body does. We are not dealing with what the person is, but what he does in a body. We are doing more than failing to help in freeing him from the body's limitations. We are actively trying to hold him to it by confusing it with him, and judging them as one. When we do this, we are actually attacking God, for if His Son is only a body, so must He be. A creator wholly unlike his creation is inconceivable.

As we create this reality in our minds, the ego comes to save us. It tries to convince us that God gave us nothing. The body is our only savior. It is the death of God and our salvation. This is the universal belief of the world we see. Some hate the body and try to hurt and humiliate it. others love the body, and try to glorify and exalt it. But while the body is at the center of our concept of ourselves, we are attacking God's plan for salvation, and holding our grievances against Him and His creation, that we may not hear the Voice of truth and welcome it as Friend.

The actual reality is that the light of truth is in us, where it was placed by God. It is the body that is outside us, and is not our concern. To be without a body is to be in our natural state. To recognize the light of truth in us is to recognize ourselves as we are. To see our Selves as separate from the body is to end the attack on God's plan for salvation, and to accept it instead. And wherever His plan is accepted, it is accomplished already.

Miracles I'm noticing:

These lessons and everything we're learning from the course is actually very simple. The more I study and open my eyes to what I'm learning, the more I see that when things are difficult, it's because I've put obstacles in my path. As I read Debbie Ford's The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, I realize that when things upset me, it is because I am not owning the dark side of myself. My natural state - which today's lesson tells me is light and not a body - is one of ease and comfort and joy. When I'm not in that natural state, it is because I have allowed something in the realm of body to take over.

I know someone who has cancer, and she never talks about it. In fact, she never talks about anything. I have known her for more than 15 years, but I know very little about her because she never says anything. It occurred to me yesterday when I saw her and she didn't say anything - to me or to others who were at an activity we both participate in - that maybe I am judging her because I always say something. I think it's better to greet people when you see them because that's what I see myself doing and I don't see her doing that so I think I'm better than she is. Maybe I'm seeing each of us as bodies instead of as the Light which in each of us, whether we know and acknowledge it or not. It is not for me to judge anyone or anything - it is just for me to accept and Know that salvation is ours because we are not our egos. As I can shift my perception of her from fear - maybe fear of her illness and having to deal with that reality - to love, I see that my attitude can produce a miracle by allowing her to be who she is in Spirit. When I can own the dark side of myself - the side that judges - I can be in a position to let go of grievances and accept God's plan for salvation.

Day 71

Today's Lesson:

Only God's plan for salvation will work.

The ego's plan for salvation centers around holding grievances. This is in complete opposition to God's plan. Our ego thinks that if someone else spoke or acted differently, if some external circumstance or event were changed, we would be saved. We believe that the source of salvation is outside ourselves.

The ego really believes in this doctrine: "Seek, but do not find." That is what we are doing in looking outside ourselves for our salvation.

God's plan for salvation works simply because, by following His direction, we seek for salvation where it is. But we must be willing to seek there only if we want to succeed. Unless we are willing to seek there only, we will be splitting our mind into two diametrically opposed directions, which will produce confusion and a deep sense of failure and despair.

As we practice today's idea, we are to ask God to reveal His plan to us. Ask Him very specifically:

What would You have me do?
Where would You have me go?
What would You have me say, and to whom?

He will answer in proportion to our willingness to hear His Voice. The very fact that we are doing the exercises proves that we have some willingness to listen. This is enough to establish our claim to God's answer.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Last night I had some friends over to watch Conversations With God: The Movie. One of these friends is in our Course study group, so it was fun to be able to notice how closely this movie is in alignment with what we're learning in the Course. It is always so interesting to note how many times, and it how many places the message of the Course comes to us. It was fun to watch the movie with good friends and know that we are all building bigger small talk as we create dialogue around this topic.

If you're interested in watching Conversations With God and other really interesting movies and documentaries, check out the website Educational Television. There you can watch many full-length features including Conversations With God and The Secret.

Day 70

Today's Lesson:

My salvation comes from me.

We typically believe the salvation - and guilt - come from anywhere except from us. We see neither guilt nor salvation as in our own minds and nowhere else. When we realize that guilt is solely an invention of our minds, we can also realize that guilt and salvation must be in the same place. In understanding this, we are saved.

The seeming cost of accepting today's idea is this: It means that nothing outside ourselves can save us and nothing outside ourselves can give us peace. But it also means that nothing outside ourselves can hurt us, or disturb our peace or upset us in any way. When we accept today's idea, we are placed in charge of the universe, where we belong because of what we are. And we begin to see that accepting it is salvation.

God wants us to be healed, so He has kept the Source of healing where the need for healing lies. We have tried to do just the opposite, making every attempt to separate healing from the sickness for which it was intended, and thus we keep the sickness. God's Will and ours are really the same. God wants us to be healed, and we do not really want to be sick, because it makes us unhappy. Therefore, in accepting the idea for today, we are really in agreement with God. He does not want us to be sick. Neither do we. He wants us to be healed. So do we.

Miracles I'm noticing:

My first inclination is to let my ego take over for today's lesson and say, "My salvation couldn't possibly come from me." My conditioning tells me that making that statement puts me above God. But what I realize when I really listen to today's lesson is that God's Will and mine are the same. God is in me - I am created in the image and likeness of God - not the other way around. So saying "My salvation comes from me," I'm saying that my Will and God's are the same.

This really takes blame and guilt out of the entire picture.

I had an aura photo taken yesterday. I had no idea what this was, but apparently it's some kind of camera that reads auras. I put my hands on a handplate and the camera read my aura. It was very interesting, and validated everything I have been thinking and feeling recently. The aura has different colors, and the colors have different interpretations. She asked me if I've been working on healing something big - healing myself and accepting something - that is what white means. I told her about my struggles with my mother and Christianity. She said that is what she saw in the photo. I also have turquoise, which is breaking free from conditions of oppression, expectations or social concerns. The purple in my aura means inspiration, greater possibilities, adventure, meaning and truth. The magenta is Spiritual awareness - art, music, poetry - and expressing one's own genius; the indigo is leadership, counsel, teaching by example, wisdom, and intuition.

Very interesting ... and surely validating with the definition of miracle: a shift in perception from fear to love.

Day 69

Today's Lesson:

My grievances hide the light of the world in me.

Today's idea will show us what is concealed when we hold any grievances. Because these grievances are hiding the light of the world, everyone we see - including ourselves - stands in darkness. As we realize that this is true, and can begin to see the light beyond the grudges and grievances we hold, we will be shown the light along with our brothers against whom we hold the grievances.

We are encouraged to participate today in a guided meditation that will show us the light. With eyes closed, try to let go of all the content that generally occupies our consciousness. We are to think of our minds as a vast circle, surrounded by a layer of heavy, dark clouds. We can see only the clouds because we seem to be standing outside the circle and quite apart from it.

From where we stand, we can see no reason to believe there is a brilliant light hidden by the clouds. The clouds seem to be the only reality. Therefore, we do not attempt to go through them and past them, which is the only way in which we would be really convinced of their lack of substance. We will make this attempt today.

After we have thought about the importance of what we are trying to do for ourselves and the world, we are to settle down in perfect stillness, remembering only how much we want to reach the light in us today, - now! We are to reach out and touch the clouds in our minds. Brush them aside with our hands; feel them resting on our cheeks and foreheads and eyelids as we go through them. Clouds cannot stop us.

We cannot fail at this exercise because our will is God's. As we attempt to go through the clouds to the light, we are to hold this confidence in our minds. Remember that we are at last joining our will to God's. Whatever we undertake with God will succeed.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Today is bright and sunny here in Fargo, so I couldn't do my visualization by looking outside. But as I thought about the dark clouds as I was typing this entry today, I really could feel them on my face and eyelids - and the song that came to my mind was "Let the sun shine - let the sun shine in." And then I was reminded of the book I'm reading right now called The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford. The book is all about embracing the side of ourselves we might call our "dark side" - the parts of us we might not like so much. If we don't embrace those sides of ourselves, we are denying them and they will keep resurfacing at inopportune times. The story I read this morning was about a man who couldn't stand "idiots." He said he could embrace all the dark sides of himself but he could never see how he could possibly be an idiot. He really hated people he thought of as idiots and just couldn't get past believing that he could possibly have an idiot inside of him. As they were getting out of the car, he realized that he had locked his keys in the car. His family asked him what kind of person would lock his keys in the car - and together they said "an idiot." He was able to laugh about it, and when he remembered something from his past, he remembered a time he did something foolish and was laughed at. And what came from his own "idiocy" was determination. It had served him well and helped him become very successful. So owning his own "idiocy," helped him see that he really was holding a grievance - against himself - which kept him in the dark, so to speak.

This story reminds me of many in my own life - and the lives of my former coaching clients. I learned techniques to integrate all parts of ourselves - similar to today's lesson - during my coaching training, so this is not new to me. But I still remember times in my past when I held on to something because I wanted to be right, and all it did was keep me in the clouds. This lesson makes so much sense to me - and I can recognize how far I've come to keep myself in the light. I know that when something frustrates or upsets me, it's merely a lesson for me and I look at it as a gift rather than an upset.

Today's lesson tells us that if we are tempted to hold anything against anyone today, we should remind ourselves:

If I hold this grievance the light of the world will be hidden from me.

What a powerful reminder - and a way for us to come together in the light. That's a miracle!

Day 68

Today's Lesson:

Love holds no grievances.

If we were created by love like itself, we could hold no grievances and know our true Self. If we hold grievances, we are seeing ourselves as bodies, through our ego minds. Our true Self is love, and if we are shut off from that true Self, it seems as though that Self sleeps, while the part of our minds that weaves illusions in its sleep appears to be awake. All this can happen because we hold grievances.

God is not defined in our image - it is the other way around. If we hold grievances, we will surely suffer guilt; but if we forgive (ourselves and others) we will find peace. If we hold grievances, we will forget who we are; if we forgive, we will remember.

We are to practice today by searching our minds for those people against whom we hold what we would regard as major grievances. Then we are to search for those minor grievances we hold against those we like and even those we love. As we find those people, it will become apparent that holding those grievances has left us alone in the universe in our own perception of ourselves. As we think of those people, we are to say to them:

I would see you as my friend, that I may remember you are part of me and come to know myself.

Then we are to think of ourselves as completely at peace with everyone and everything, safe in a world that protects and loves us, and that we love in return. We are to feel safety surrounding us, hovering over us and holding us up. Nothing can harm us in any way. At the end of the practice period, we are to tell ourselves:

Love holds no grievances. When I let all my grievances go I will know I am perfectly safe.

Miracles I'm noticing:

For some reason there is something I am still holding on to that I can't forgive myself for regarding this whole battle with my strict Christian upbringing. I received another envelope in the mail yesterday from my mother with Lutheran Hour stamps all over the back of the envelope showing Jesus in various poses with the words "Only Jesus Saves," "Jesus, the Only Way," "Jesus is Risen," and "Jesus is Eternal Life" on them. In the envelope my mother's note pleaded with me to please read the note she included from Pastor Ken Klaus, speaker of The Lutheran Hour. It was a note asking for ministry sponsorship, but she crossed that part out. She wanted me to read the part that says "I urge you to remember the uniqueness of Christ and His resurrection!" I'm not to be swayed by the fact that Buddha didn't rise, Muhammad did not, and leaders of other faiths did not rise from the dead, "no one should depend on their methods to get to heaven."

What I understand from today's lesson is that I need to remember that love holds no grievances. I need to forgive ("thank you for giving this to me") so that I can find peace. This is tough because I thought I had gotten past this; however yesterday's letter assures me that I still have work to do in this area.

Up to now I have ignored the letters and packages my mother has sent me - she has asked me in phone conversations whether or not I have received them, and I tell her I have and I thank her for them, but don't talk any more about them. I have written her a letter, so maybe it's time to send it to her now.

I will work on this area as I practice today's lesson - and will keep this in my mind, so that I can find peace - for me and for her. That will surely be a huge miracle!

Day 67

Today's Lesson:

Love created me like itself.

Today the idea is to begin to identify ourselves as we really are, not what we believe we are. We are trying to undo the definition of God we have made and replace it with God's Own definition. We are also trying to emphasize that each of us is part of God's definition of Himself.

During the longer practice period, we are to add relevant thoughts, thinking of any attribute which is in accord with God as He defines Himself. Examples are:

Holiness created me holy.
Kindness created me kind.
Helpfulness created me helpful.
Perfection created me perfect.

We are part of God's definition of Himself.

After we have gone over these thoughts, we are asked to try to let all thoughts drop away for a brief interval, and then try to reach past all our images and preconceptions about ourselves to the truth in us. If love created us as itself, this Self must be in us. And somewhere in our minds It is there for us to find.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Today's lesson brings with it - for me - a big sense of relief. I'm not alone in this journey and all I need to do is repeat today's idea throughout the day to remind me. In theory this is just not that difficult - but of course, in reality we have so many distractions to keep us from the Self that is part of us. It's really very simple.

Yesterday I had a couple of really great meetings. As I become more comfortable with my true Self - the Self that today's lesson reminds me I am, I find that I am most comfortable with creating bigger small talk - by getting beyond the conversations about the weather and digging deep with whatever topic is at hand. I met with someone yesterday who wants me to help their non-profit organization put some development opportunities into their agenda throughout the year and it was easy to talk about how their organization really does make a difference in the world and how they can step that up a notch by getting beyond the rote meetings and "check-it-off-the-list" activities they do. It was fun to see this person get inspired just in our half-hour conversation by all the possibilities. That's what I love most about the Light I know is in me. I can see it ignite in others through our dialogue.

My business partner and I also talked with a management consultant yesterday who is going to help us get our business up and running in a bigger arena. That was also fun, because we were able to cause the same inspiration in him through our conversation. I'm so excited to see what will happen as each of us who is reading this lesson or this blog post realizes that Love created us like itself - and then lives into that reality - in our families, in our work, in our communities, and just in our world in general.

Gives a new picture to that old song "My future's so bright I've gotta wear shades"!

Day 66

Today's Lesson:

My happiness and my function are one.

Today's idea is a great example of the real goal most humans have in their lives - to be happy. Since I watched The Secret, I've been asking many of my audiences what it is they want in their lives. Most of the time that's a really broad question, and the answers they might give me range from money, to cars, to jewelry, to other "stuff" ... but recently people have started cutting to the chase and throwing in happiness and joy and contentment and fulfillment. I think that's closer to the truth than wanting the "stuff" in life. Some of us think the stuff will lead to happiness - that's the backwards model of the "have-do-be" idea. When I "have" enough stuff to "do" what I want, then I will "be" happy.

Instead, today's lesson reminds us that we only need "be" happy, in order to "do" whatever we want so that we can "have" everything.

Our egos will always battle with the Spirit to determine our real function; therefore they will always battle about our happiness. But they are really one and the same - and both are given to us by God.

The longer (10 to 15-minute) practice period today begins by reviewing these thoughts:

God gives me only happiness.
He has given my function to me.
Therefore my function must be happiness.

Even if our egos battle with us to believe the conclusion, we begin to see the pure logic in these statements by beginning with the first two premises. God cannot give what he does not have, and He cannot have what He is not. Love cannot give evil, and what is not happiness is evil. So it must stand to reason that God can give only happiness.

The second premise, that God has given us our function, is proven when we consider that our minds are ruled either by ego (illusions) or Spirit (truth). So our function is established by one or the other. Do we choose illusion or truth?

Miracles I'm noticing:

I've been struggling with the Christianity debate in my mind as it relates to what I'm learning from this course. The course, to me, is like coming home. I am so comfortable and it feels so right to me to be studying this additional layer to everything my strict Christian upbringing has taught me. So last night in my study group I asked the question about the literal interpretation of the Bible I've been taught and how that jives with what other cultures learn from the Koran or the Torah or other religious teachings. The dialogue was very informative and gave me lots more to think about. I also came across a very interesting website recently called Religious Tolerance which talks, among other things, about the various ideas within the Christian belief system. It provides more great reading material for anyone who might be interested.

As I realize more and more the power and love and energy and knowledge my study group exhibits, I am more and more confident in my own Knowing about what I'm learning - and I'm so excited to be surrounded by such amazing people! This truly is my community and my chosen family and I'm so blessed and grateful! They have helped me whenever I have a struggle, but have also shared with me in the celebrations and victories my life is showing me at every turn. Choosing to see life through the eyes of love has certainly given me a new outlook - and it's a fabulous way to connect with my Source through these amazing people.

Last night each of us shared a miracle we've seen in our own lives in the past week - what a great way to end the evening! Each of us had something to share - so if anyone is reading this, please share with our readers what you're seeing in your lives! Other readers, please consider sharing what you are seeing when you shift your focus from fear to love!

Day 65

Today's Lesson:

My only function is the one God gave me.

Today's idea reminds us that we have no function other than our commitment to salvation. The full acceptance of salvation as our only function entails two phases: the recognition of salvation as our function, and the relinquishment of all the other goals we have invented for ourselves.

We are encouraged to set aside 10 to 15 minutes for a more sustained practice period, in which we try to understand and accept what the idea for the day really means. Today's lesson is really the key to all the the searching we have been doing since the beginning of time. As we learn to dedicate this time to the lesson of the day, we are to make no attempt to concentrate only on thoughts related to the idea for the day. As thoughts come to us, we are to note each one, with as little involvement or concern as possible, and dismiss each one by telling ourselves:

This thought reflects a goal that is preventing me from accepting my only function.

After a while, those distracting thoughts will not come as easily. Then we are to continue another minute, attempting to catch a few of the idle thoughts and then tell ourselves:

On this clean slate let my true function be written for me.

Today's lesson tells us that as we practice this technique with today's and subsequent lessons, what we currently see will be totally changed when we accept the ideas completely.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Well, it's probably not a miracle, but I'm noticing that my same old patterns get in the way more frequently than I want them to. This morning I am working with a client beginning at 7:30 a.m. and I need to be there at 7 a.m. to set up. Since I got home from Minneapolis last night/this morning at 1:30 a.m. and didn't get to sleep until about 2:00 a.m., I don't have too much extra time to do what I really want to do, which is begin to establish a set time each day to do these lessons with 15-minute commitments. However, I know that whatever I do will be perfect and as it needs to be. Letting go of the judgment that normally comes up for the recovering perfectionist that I am is a big step. And recognizing that I want to make this commitment is also big for me. That's a shift from fear to love and that's a miracle!

Another thing: I'm noticing that there are many more people open to conversations involving bigger small talk than I might have imagined - I just have to start. One of my chorus members is really interested in learning more about A Course in Miracles - and I don't even know how that came up initially. Last night she asked more about it, and I'm guessing she'll be reading the lesson here (hi Nancy!). I am so amazed at the shifts I'm seeing around me each day as I begin to open my eyes to the beauty and wonder of the world.

Day 64

Today's Lesson:

Let me not forget my function.

Today's idea is a reminder to us not to let our physical self get in the way of our Spiritual Self. Our ego self wants us to see things through our physical eyes, but nothing the body's eyes seem to see can be anything but a form of temptation, since that is the purpose of the body. To the Holy Spirit, the world is a place where we learn to forgive ourselves what we think of as our sins.
Our last few lessons have told us that our function here is to be the light of the world, a function given to us by God. It is only the arrogance of the ego that leads us to question this, and only the fear of the ego that tempts us to regard ourselves as unworthy of what God has assigned to us. The salvation of the world depends on our forgiveness, because through it the Son of God (which is each of us) escapes from all illusions and from all temptation.

We can only be truly happy by fulfilling the function God has given us. Our function is to be happy by using the means by which happiness becomes inevitable. Therefore, by choosing to fulfill our function, we are choosing to be happy.

Today's lesson reminds us that this is really a very simple choice. If you are new to meditation or find it difficult to slow down your mind, use today's lesson as a mantra whenever you can. Close your eyes and think of today's idea: "Let me not forget my function" or look around you and think to yourself "This is the world it is my function to save."

Miracles I'm noticing:

I am reminded today of Wayne Dyer's "trick" to meditating: he says to get in a minute or so of meditation whenever you are stopped at a red light. If you drive a lot, that can be a way to get in several minutes of meditation - and you'll always have someone behind you to tell you when the light turns green!

Remembering today's lesson - and really every day's lesson - and just using that as a mantra for meditation is a great way to remember the lesson and to start learning to be still. I find that I don't turn the radio or TV on nearly as much as I used to at home, and am getting much more quiet time that way (I'm still pretty addicted to XM radio in my car, however!).

I notice that as I become quieter, listen more and talk less, my energy attracts people much more often than it ever used to. Marianne Williamson talks about magnetic and dynamic energy and equates dynamic energy to the masculine and magnetic energy to the feminine. She says we all need both but many of us are more compelled by one or the other. As we can achieve a better balance of energy, we will see different results in our lives. It's true in my life and as I become aware of the effects, I can trace them to the cause most of the time. As I concentrate on cause instead of effect, I find that the results are much more happiness-inducing than stress-inducing and that is surely a miracle.

Just think of the word "because." If we really took that to heart when we think we need to have an excuse for something we think or say or do, we can see that we are really understanding our own advice: "BE CAUSE" instead of at the mercy of the effect.

Let's all practice today's lesson "Let me not forget my function" as we think about being at CAUSE instead of at EFFECT. As we all practice together, we find we can't fail! What a miracle!

Day 63

Today's Lesson:

The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.

Given the previous few lessons related to what our ego might think, today's lesson might seem very grandiose. However, it has nothing to do with ego and everything to do with Spirit - and with fact. We have been given a very important purpose - and what could be better than to bring peace to every mind?!

It is really quite exciting to remember (re-member) our function and purpose as assigned to us by God. As we re-member, we come together for the salvation of the world. God is achieving this function through each of us, so we are creating and allowing the community to work together - and the community starts with each of us.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Just reading this lesson gives me great joy and happiness as I remember my function. As I accept salvation, I am able to give it. Salvation, as defined by the course, is the Atonement, or undoing of the separation; we are " saved" from our belief in the reality of sin and guilt through the change of mind that forgiveness and the miracle bring about.

As I read through some websites looking for a good definition of salvation, I came across those inevitable sites denouncing this course as blasphemy and a way to get away from God. On one site put together by the Eternal Word Television Network in Alabama, the definition of salvation is taken out of context, implying that the course teaches us to believe in ourselves without God. There the definition is:

SALVATION: We do not need a savior. Salvation is nothing more than
right mindedness. We are the source of our own salvation.

This site goes on to warn:

Unfortunately, their beliefs are
"Gnostic" and they probably consider a Catholic's devotion to the
Faith, given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ, as unenlightened
medieval superstition to be rejected by all in this enlightened "new
age." The teaching's in "the Course" are particularly attractive to
individuals who have fallen away from the faith and find themselves
seeking some- thing to fill their spiritual void.
    
Reading Sacred Scripture is nourishment for the soul, since the words
have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. Taking the words of "the
Course" into one's heart will lead to a slow spiritual death. It is a
book to be avoided at all costs.

The miracle I notice in reading this passage from the Eternal Word Television Network is the shift in my own mind from fear to love. There was a day when I would have been very fearful of what I am studying because someone else said it was bad or wrong. I understand now that people are exactly where they need to be in their lives. There is no judgment, just observation. That is a huge shift for me and one I am blessed and grateful to be able to share with my study group and people who read this blog. What are you noticing in your own lives as you read this blog or do your own spiritual work? How do miracles show up for you?

Day 62

Today's Lesson:

Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world.

As we remember to forgive - both ourselves and others - we will begin to remember who we really are. Attack thoughts will be replaced by forgiveness, so that thoughts of life will replace thoughts of death. Every time we attack someone else (or ourselves), we call upon our own weakness, while every time we forgive, we call upon the strength of Christ in us. Forgiveness will remove all sense of weakness, strain and fatigue from our minds. It will take away all fear and guilt and pain.

Practicing today's lesson will help to make the day as happy as God wants us to be. It will also help those around us, as well as those who seem to be far away in space and time, to share this happiness with us.

Miracles I'm noticing:

The more I study this course, the more I notice that nearly everything that catches my attention has something to do with what I'm learning here. I look at the entire world differently when I think about ego-spirit, love-fear, forgiveness, and other concepts I'm learning. The one I still have trouble with at times is forgiveness, because my years and years of religious training have given me a different view of forgiveness than I'm learning here. Wikipedia defines forgiveness as "the mental, emotional and/or spiritual process of ceasing to feel resentment or anger against another person for a perceived offence, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution." That definition always makes me feel as though I'm better than the person I'm forgiving and that's not what the course says forgiveness is.

According to the course, forgiveness recognizes what you thought your brother did to you has not occurred. It does not pardon sins and make them real. It sees there was no sin. And in that view are all your sins forgiven. What is sin, except a false idea about God's Son? Forgiveness merely sees its falsity, and therefore lets it go. What then is free to take its place is now the Will of God.

I'm on my way back to North Dakota today - leaving the sun and blue sky and returning to the cold and snow. But it will be a great opportunity for me to appreciate the distinctions and to join my community of friends. I'm blessed and grateful for the opportunity to travel, but also to appreciate what I have back home. That's surely a miracle!

Day 61

Today's Lesson:

I am the light of the world.

Today's idea might sound a bit arrogant, if we are thinking with our ego. But this is simply the truth and refers to us as we were created by God. It is actually the opposite of a statement of pride, arrogance, or self-deception. Today's idea has nothing to do with the self-concept we have made or of the characteristics we have placed on our idols.

Many of us have been trained and taught that it is arrogant to think of ourselves as beautiful, powerful, intelligent, or any other positive adjectives, so we certainly could never consider ourselves "the light of the world." To our ego today's lesson is the epitome of self-glorification. But our ego does not understand humility, mistaking it for self-debasement. It is not humility to insist we cannot be the light of the world if that is the function God assigned to us.

Today's idea goes far beyond the ego's petty view of what we are and what our purpose is. In the next few weeks we will be taking even more giant leaps in our thought process and mind training. We are the light of the world. God has built his plan for the salvation of His Son (the world) on us.

Miracles I'm noticing:

I went to visit my cousin and his family last night and, although I've only met his wife and daughters (4th grade and 7th grade) a few times, I've always felt close to them. We had a wonderful dinner last night and even had a conversation about this course and Christianity. It was amazing. Although we see the world a little bit differently, it was a fantastic conversation and gave me more opportunities to talk about what I'm learning here and to ask questions about other viewpoints. It always helps me see even more that my purpose here is not to change anyone else's mind about what they believe, but to invite dialogue in a non-threatening way. The more I engage in dialogue with people, the more grateful I am for this course and everything I'm learning. I hear so much fear in people's conversations and it reminds me how I do not want fear to rule my life. As I choose love at every opportunity, it allows me to love every situation, including those conversations which may have made me feel defensive or wrong in the past.

We talked last night about Christianity and how my cousin's wife believes that God is a jealous God and that we need to believe that Jesus died on the cross to save us from the power of hell. I didn't even want to try to change her mind - I'm very much in support of this conversation. I understand that if I am the light of the world, I cannot try to instill fear in other people to get them to believe anything other than what makes them feel powerful and fulfilled and inspired and happy. However, I also realized that whether or not I believe that God is a jealous God or that there is such a concept as hell, it doesn't really matter as long as I believe that everything is part of a divine plan.

As I look outside this morning as the sun is coming up over the mountains, I am reminded of the beauty and grandeur of the earth. I am inspired to live into the statement "I am the light of the world" and not shirk those responsibilities and not try to demean the statement by believing that I know better what God has in mind for me during my lifetime. I will remember today's lesson and leave the details up to my Creator. That's surely a miracle!

Day 60

Today's Lesson:

These ideas are for today's review:

46) God is the Love in which I forgive.

God does not forgive because He has never condemned. The blameless cannot blame, and those who have accepted their innocence see nothing to forgive. Yet forgiveness is the means by which I will recognize my innocence. It is the reflection of God's Love on earth. It will bring me near enough to Heaven that the Love of God can reach down to me and raise me up to Him.

47) God is the strength in which I trust.

It is not my own strength through which I forgive. It is through the strength of God in me, which I am remembering as I forgive. As I begin to see, I recognize His reflection on earth. I forgive all things because I feel the stirring of His strength in my. And I begin to remember the Love I chose to forget, but which has not forgotten me.

48) There is nothing to fear.

How safe the world will look to me when I can see it! It will not look anything like what I imagine I see now. Everyone and everything I see will lean toward me to bless me. I will recognize in everyone my dearest Friend. What could there be to fear in a world that I have forgiven, and that has forgiven me?

49) God's Voice speaks to me all through the day.

There is not a moment in which God's Voice ceases to call on my forgiveness to save me. There is not a moment in which His Voice fails to direct my thoughts, guide my actions and lead my feet. I am walking steadily on toward truth. There is nowhere else I can go, because God's Voice is the only Voice and the only Guide that has been given to His Son.

50) I am sustained by the Love of God.

As I listen to God's Voice, I am sustained by His Love. As I open my eyes, His Love lights up the world for me to see. As I forgive, His Love reminds me that His Son is sinless. And as I look upon the world with the vision He has given me, I remember that I am His Son.

Miracles I'm noticing:

I spent yesterday with two of my best friends in Sedona, Arizona - home of the red rocks and lots of spiritual energy. It was an amazing trip. We hiked up into the red rocks with a tour guide and each had a psychic reading. It was fun and energizing and relaxing at the same time. We all rediscovered our connection to people and the earth - we lived our oneness and it was a fantastic day.

I was reminded of the beauty of the earth, no matter where we live, and the power and majesty of the earth, water, fire, and air. God is in everything I see, feel, taste, touch and smell - and everything beyond my five senses. When I see the world through the eyes of love, everything looks more beautiful and I'm so grateful! That's my miracle for the day!