The Only Time Is Now

The Only Time Is Now
Words and Lyrics by Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead

Oh I know there is no place you can go to
And I know you don't know anyone at all
So come walking in the sun with me my little one
And remember that the only time is now

Well strange is the story your eyes tell me
And quiet all the few words that you say
So come and hold my hand for you see I'd understand
And remember that the only time is now

Oh I come to you a ragged laughing stranger
And you come to me an angel of the night
So I'll dance and we will sing, for it doesn't mean a thing
To remember that the only time is now

So forget about your yesterdays of sorrow
And forget about the darkness you have seen
For there's only you and me at the edge of an endless sea
And remember that the only time is now

To Listen to "The Only Time is Now"
Click on the link below and then click on Track 3 in the box to the righthand side and wait for it to load.

http://www.archive.org/details/gd65-11-03.sbd.vernon.9044.sbeok.shnf

Day 13 - A Meaningless World Engenders Fear

Ok - so we're on Day 13 of the workbook of A Course In Miracles - I'm not sure how well it's working but I am applying the Lessons as instructed and the commentaries from Ken Wapnick, Greg Mackie and Lisa Natoli seem to be helping me go deeper into the lesson and it seems to be easier to apply this time around, even though I feel a lot of conflict in my mind and it feels like it's really deep rooted and won't be released. I feel like I'm really up against the fear of God and letting the world be completely meaningless - I feel like I'm betraying something if I do and I guess I am - I'm betraying the ego - that is: I'm betraying the belief in separation in my mind if I really let go the fear and let the world I perceive be devoid of the meaning I've given it. I feel like a few of the things I've been using to distract myself have begun to fall away in the last couple of days and in the past I have been worried about and focussed on those external activites and on my behaviour and I don't seem so concerned about that - I feel more trusting in the fact that as I work the lessons and the light works in me those distractions will naturally drop away and I'll stop attempting to derive meaning from them. I notice a I still feel quite guilty when I read something that says, "Your happiness is your decision, you choose it, there's nothing keeping you here." and I read, "I'm attacking God because I feel anything but total joy."

I needed the gentle voice to remind me that it's ok. I'm ok and nothing can destroy the Peace of God. I needed to hear the gentle voice remind me I couldn't change myself even if I have blocked that from my awareness for a moment. I needed to hear the Truth doesn't need anything from me and need me to be any particular way - even though I am blocking my awareness of the Truth, it remains the same so I have nothing to feel guilty about. I needed to hear my Friend say "Don't worry about it - just do the lessons - everything's fine and working perfectly. "I needed to hear the voice of certainty that trusts all is well - the uncompromising coach who leads me with thoughts of peace and gentle encouragement rather than confrontation and "kick ass." I need to hear the voice within that knows the Truth about me and sees only that and will guide me Home through peace and gentleness and the certainty that the reversal in me will and is happening in me. I need to hear the quiet voice that stands still with me in my moments of fear and terror and reminds me I'm ok and this too will pass - just stay with Him and follow His voice as He is with me and will lead me through the valley of darkness and I will come out the other side and attempting to force myself and make something happen is not His will and is counter productive to our goal which is Peace. Let go of comparison and let things unfold and be as they are and the undoing will go a lot smoother for me. Healing is certain and He is not concerned how long it appears to take for me to accept the message and let go of all resistance to the Healing of my Mind and the rememberance of the Truth of Who I Am.

Thankyou Father and thankyou for my brothers who are one with me and for everything I read that helps me expose thoughts of fear and help me turn to the One with in so I can become accustomed to His Voice in answer to the one I made.

Thankyou once again. This little piggy will go wee wee wee all the way Home.

New Year's Dedication

This year I'm willing to Dream a Light Dream and let the Holy Spirit guide my way. Dreams come true because they're happy. They are happy because they reflect the Love that comes from our Heavenly Source as we remember He is our Source and we are part of Him. Amen.

Noticing the Voice for God

All dreams are interpretative and as such they reflect thoughts of rightmindedness that remind us of our Source, our Oneness and the Presence of Him and His Love and His Peace and His gentle call for us to remember the Truth about our Self and our Reality OR they reflect thoughts of wrongmindedness - thoughts of fear, judgement, thoughts that convince the mind of separation, of limitation, division, judgement and distrust.

So all the thoughts that He sends to us are Loving Thoughts, thoughts that convince us when we have wandered off into temptation and believed in separation, that we are not Alone, He is with us and He loves us Still. His love is changeless and eternal, no matter how far or how long it seems we have spent "away" from Him, His thoughts are calling us to turn around and receive His loving kindness and see our face in Him rather than in what we believed we saw before.

"I am upset because I see something that is not there" Lesson 6 - A Course In Miracles

Reminding me that if I see anything but His love I have wandered into temptation and am simply mistaken about who and what I am and what I see. And as I dream I am away from Him, He calls to me that I may relinquish my fearful ideas and learn to see that I can trust in Him and only in Him as He is Trustworthy.

So having forgotton Him and given something else ascendence in my mind, I am now being trained to hear His Voice again and trust His Love for Me and hear His reassurances when I am confused about what I am hearing as the sort out between the two voices* is occurring, His thoughts come to me through my dreaming mind and these are not to be dismissed lightly but cherished as His Voice reminding me of His Love for me.

*(the voice for Love as distinct from the voice of division and fear)

Most recently He spoke to me through imagery which as I awoke, I knew held some significance so asking for the interpretation it came to me as "God wants to be with me but I will have to lose some "weight" before I can know that this is so." The weight being all the thoughts that are based in fear and insist I know better and am not worthy or His Love and His Corrective Principle which would show me I am whole and with Him always as He is with Me.

He does not give His message lightly although it be a message of Light - He gives it to me again today through this message I came across in "How to hear God's Voice" by Mark Virkler.

“I enjoy just being with you, not doing anything special together, just being together. I enjoy the fragrance of your worship. Times of solitude are peaceful to Me. It is like a quiet brook, flowing on the mountainside. I desire your presence. It is refreshing to Me. It is the fulfillment of My purposes when you choose to be with Me. It brings Me great pleasure. Do it often. Do not think every time we come together it must be to accomplish something. Simply being together is the greatest accomplishment, just being with one another. Come let us enjoy one another.”

He Loves His Creation and I am part of Him - His Joy to Be is My Own - Being still in Him brings the reward of Being - a holy satisfying splendourous reward that All are part of and can partake of in His ever Present wholly Loving Mind in this ever Present wholly Loving Holy Instant where ALL is One and One is ALL.

So in ever Present play He calls me Lovingly and happily and says, "My precious One, Be still, let go, cease striving, relax and know that I am God and all is well. I Love You"

This is the reminder of my Self to me for me to benefit from His Love for Me and seek my treasure where it can be found and by this come to awaken to the Truth about my Self and all living things.

“I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I am the first and the last, the light and the power. I am able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you are able to think and ask. Just come to Me, and I will be your strength. I will be your lover. You must simply come to Me. It cannot be accomplished without spending time together, so, come to Me often and pray continuously. I am with you always. I am impossible to anger and abounding in only lovingkindness and gratitude for my pefect Creation. Error is just misperception. It is impossible in me but to see the misperception of separation disappear in my Love for You. I know only my Self and perceive only perfection in my Creation in whom I am well Pleased. You must seek Me with all your heart and turn from your ways which deceive you bringing you misery, suffering and the illusion of death. Come to Me. Will you do that?”

With all my Heart - I will say Yes Father - I Will.

This year I'm learning to stay married to God and let go of all blocks and interferences which deny His Presence in my Heart and Mind.

Thankyou Father. Amen.

Abiding in Christ – Practical Living

by Robert Cardinal

Introduction

The objective of this final course assignment is to describe how I have mastered the lifestyle of abiding. I am to give a practical discussion of how I have done this, what blocks were encountered and if I was successful in overcoming them.

Not even considering the writing of this final course paper, I felt overwhelmed just having to answer the above questions. Tough questions. Do I have anything to write, and how have I progressed in this lifestyle of abiding? This final course paper is probably more an exercise in honesty and sincerity, requiring much self-examination and self-evaluation.

Nonetheless, even though most of the time I don’t feel like I’ve made much progress in the lifestyle of abiding, it isn’t accurate to claim that no progress has been made. There remains room, and even a need, for improvement in mastering the lifestyle of abiding.

Part I - Mastering the lifestyle of abiding

‘Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”’ (Gen. 3:9, NAS)

Before being able to master the lifestyle of abiding, the Spirit had to lead me to a realization of what this lifestyle is and to contrast it to the lifestyle I was actually living. For this to happen, I had to be able to hear His voice in order to appreciate where I was positioned relatively to the truth. So, where was I?

Some foundational truths were brought to my attention through my course studies and my personal devotions. Though the truths were basic teaching, they amounted to fresh revelation in the sense that some unconscious attitudes and thought patterns were brought to light. For example, I understood that to sin is to disobey, but did not appreciate that unbelief underlies disobedience. Also, to understand the “flesh” as representing the mind and to “crucify the flesh” as meaning to do away with my own thoughts and thought life helped to bring some clarity and understanding in how I was living and operating.

The revelations mentioned above served to bring issues to the surface of my consciousness where previously I wasn’t aware of them. Being aware of my condition was but a spark to initiate change, correction and transformation. I have realized that my lifestyle was characterized by living out of rational thinking and my own strength rather than out of Christ’s strength and a relationship with Him. I thought that my life was directed by my own thoughts. Chapters 6 and 8 of the book of Romans caused me to ask, “What have the captives been set free from? How are they being held captive?” (Isaiah 61:1), and I Corinthians 2:16b revealed how the believer functions. Through the Holy Spirit I was enabled to perceive that I was a prisoner of my own thought life and that freedom from captivity comes by receiving the mind of Christ. If I allow His thoughts to dwell in me, and His thoughts are obviously not my thoughts, were my previous thoughts truly my own?

All this helps me to appreciate that within myself there is much unbelief to be dealt with and untruth to undo. In a previous paper I shared that for many years I was incredulous when Christ told people to go and sin no more (see verse 14 of John 5:1-14 and verse 11 of John 8:1-11). Because I didn’t know how this could be achieved, I wondered how that was possible and how could one avoid sinning at all? I wasn’t aware that my heart didn’t believe God’s truth (a classic case of the human mind versus the Spirit, i.e. the flesh being incapable of receiving what is intended for the heart).

“Abide in Me, and I in you.” (John 15:4a, NAS)

“For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13, NAS)

How did I manage to master the lifestyle of abiding? The more I think about this question the more I realize that mastering the lifestyle of abiding is not a result of my own efforts. The two Scripture verses quoted above provide some wonderful insight into how I was lead into this lifestyle and continue to be lead in it.

Jesus instructed His disciples to abide in Him (John 15:4). His teaching was not presented as a mere subject of discussion, a suggestion or as an optional choice but should be understood as a command. If so, therefore the command is intended for me as well. My first step toward mastering the lifestyle of abiding was to receive this command. Then followed a conscious decision to do as I was instructed, to abide in Him. However, making that choice did not automatically translate into an immediate change in lifestyle or into a resounding and final victory over self. To abide in Christ requires me to remain aware of my decision to do so and to continuously rely on Him to keep me in the state of abiding in Him. If I depend on my own efforts to abide in Him, it is not long before I am no longer found in Him and He in me. Probably my only contribution in achieving the lifestyle of abiding was (and remains) to accept His directive.

Philippians 2:13 sums up what happened after I accepted Christ’s instruction – it is God who is at work in me, both to do and to will for His purpose. This speaks to me that whatever it is that I undertake, it is to be initiated and directed by Him, and accomplished in His strength. Any attempt for me to accomplish His projects according to my ideas, plans, experience and knowledge amounts to me relying on my own strength, which is not abiding in Jesus. In a very simplified manner, the lifestyle of abiding could be compared to continuously accepting to say “yes” to a series of choices presented to me by God, one at a time and one after the other. My contribution and collaboration with the Lord is minimal; it amounts to accepting His offers. He does everything else if I will allow Him to, that is, to provide the motivation, ideas and plans, direction, resources and strength. When I choose to abide in Him, God undertakes to take charge of my life. Psalm 46:10 (Amplified) reads “Be still, let go, cease striving, relax and know that I am God.” It is through resting from my own attempts to figure out and do things, and yielding to Him that I can see His power and great ability manifested. Thus, mastering the lifestyle of abiding involves letting go of all control, setting self aside and yielding to His thoughts and strength. Very little of this lifestyle involves what I have done but rather what the Lord is doing.

To master the lifestyle of abiding it has been helpful to realize that I must maintain my commitment to this relationship with Christ. This attitude is not magically maintained; I must consciously choose to abide day after day, moment by moment.

“I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18, NAS)

From a practical perspective the ability to abide in Christ has come significantly through obedience to His voice. It wasn’t just a conscious choice of accepting to abide in Him but it was also followed by decisions to do what I heard Him ask of me since I initially chose to adopt the lifestyle of abiding. Several examples of what I heard Him ask me and that I obeyed are detailed below. However I can’t claim that I am always aware of God’s leading and presence. It is possible that at this time in my life, a good part of the abiding lifestyle has been achieved due to God’s grace and not solely as a result of my faithfulness and determination to please Him.

Many years ago I heard a testimony through which God asked me if I was worshiping Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. He was asking me if I would honour Him in and through dance (i.e. free dance/worship) during times of corporate worship. I was very shy to do so but complied anyway. Back then I didn’t realize what impact this act of obedience would have on my life. For the most part, I have maintained this practice since that occasion. I have no logical explanation or point of reference for this lifestyle habit. I can only express that dancing is gradually and steadily bringing deliverance and freedom to my heart. Was this a precursor to what I would experience later?

More recently, I sensed the Holy Spirit guiding me to go and receive prayer after every Sunday service. This has been an ongoing practice for several months now. All I can report is that I see results; my spiritual growth is progressing more rapidly. Since completing REN 103, Communion with God, and while working through REN 310, Wisdom Through Dream Interpretation, I have committed to continue journaling and analyzing my dreams. These choices are important ones in maintaining the lifestyle of abiding.

To help me persevere and grow in the lifestyle of abiding the Lord has also provided positive teaching through individuals who have experienced this lifestyle before I have. Andrew Murray, author of Abide in Christ, encourages me that it is possible to abide in Jesus and reminds me that it is God who can and will undertake to keep me abiding. In his book, Naturally Supernatural, Mark Virkler shares that he yields his Bible reading to the Lord, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide him as to what he should read. My initial reaction when I read this was one of incredulity; I thought, “What, even something as simple as this? I can make a simple decision like that myself.” Of course, I had never yielded this part of my life to the Lord. Very soon afterwards, the Holy Spirit required that I yield this to Him. Again, I can only report that it has been a very exciting experience and that I have been receiving more revelation through my Bible reading than I have ever before. (He does know what I need to read!)

Building on this, the Holy Spirit required that I complete a word study in addition to my present schoolwork and personal devotions. I had never done this before and reacted to Him asking, “When will I have time to do this?” I was able to undertake the word study after correcting my attitude and asking, “How should I go about doing this?” The Holy Spirit has showed me how and this too is a very profitable exercise and experience.

Adopting and committing to the lifestyle of abiding requires faith and obedience. God rewards my faith and obedience by helping me see the results of my actions. One way in which I have been assisted in mastering the lifestyle of abiding has been through simple obedience to His voice. The more one chooses to obey the Lord, the stronger the lifestyle of abiding grows and the weaker the lifestyle of sin becomes.

Another positive outcome from applying the lessons of this course concerns increased efficiency and productivity, and decreased stress. I’ve observed that I’m much more productive and much less stressed when I don’t allow time to rush and control me and that I do things God’s way and in His timing. Obedience to the Lord actually becomes enjoyable and replaces the unpleasant sense of condemnation one feels because of disobedience.

Part II – Surmounting Blocks, Hurdles and Obstacles

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37, NAS)

In general terms I would describe the blocks I’ve encountered (so far) in my pilgrimage of transformation as mindsets, attitudes, habits, thoughts and, behaviours such as relying on myself, being driven, striving and rushing. In short, lifestyle patterns contrary to that of abiding in Christ. As for overcoming these many obstacles, a part of my comprehension is that they are surmounted through awareness, obedience and commitment. These three dimensions of abiding and the identification of the blocks have come by the Holy Spirit and from remaining in communion with Christ. A person cannot respond to personal issues or matters unless one becomes aware of their own condition. Again, this is only possible with the support of the Holy Spirit, as well as grace and mercy from God.

It is a journey in self-discovery. Specific examples of what I’ve learned about myself through revelation from the Spirit include those listed below.

	My rational mind gravitates to the law and battles against flowing in the Spirit.
	I feel secure in my personal routine. Changes in schedule disrupt my perceived sensitivity to the Spirit.
	I tend to rely on my thoughts and efforts to find solutions and accomplish tasks.
	A typical reaction to a request from the Spirit is to resist or respond with a negative attitude.
	My behaviour could be characterized as living from the outside in (i.e. carnal, the physical world is my reality) rather than from the inside out (i.e. spiritual, the invisible realm is truth and reality).
	Seldom do I stop to rest in the Lord. I typically rush through the day and ahead into tasks, allowing the demands of time and work to drown out the voice of the Lord.
	My mind wants to make all the decisions, based on logic, experience and information gathered from the world around me (of course).
	Weekdays belong to God while weekends are mine. (That is but one of many surprising revelations about heart attitudes.)
	My expectations of how things work and when to expect results are not in line with God’s perspective.

These are deeply ingrained patterns that need to be identified and brought into awareness before they can be dealt with. (How many more are there hidden in the heart?)

As stated in the opening paragraph of this section, I am able to overcome the many blocks and obstacles to abiding through the Holy Spirit. I have progressed in doing so because of His presence and activity. Here are some of the ways in which the lifestyle of abiding is being established in my life.

	By simply being obedient to what I am asked to do. (e.g. yielding my Bible reading to the Spirit’s direction, undertaking a word study).
	By focusing on what I am directed to do (i.e. keeping my attention on that which I am doing).
	By asking questions (hopefully the right ones) to Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
	Starting the day and offering it to the Lord; yielding it one activity at a time.
	By talking frequently and naturally to Christ (as I would with anybody, i.e. informally).
	By asking the Holy Spirit “how to?” rather than focusing on the perceived impossibility of the request He has made.
	By turning to the Holy Spirit for what I should do next. For example, sometimes I’m wondering what would be the best use of my time, so I turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance and suggestions as soon as I’m done, rather than taking a rest or allowing the enemy to make suggestions.
	It may be something as simple as speaking out the name of Jesus, singing a song that rises up in my heart or singing in the Spirit.
	By recognizing, confessing and repenting from my wrong attitudes.
	Simple perseverance is required.
	Plainly resisting is sometimes the way to overcome a temptation.

Being able to recognize the source of the thoughts entering my heart has been very helpful in assisting me to abide in Christ. It is important to distinguish where the thoughts come from. Sometimes I can recognize the enemy’s voice because of the negative content of the message. The presence or lack of peace (calm or unrest) may be an indicator to guide me. It isn’t always apparent that some thoughts are not from the Lord. Undoing untruth after having lived in it for so long definitely requires the assistance of the Holy Spirit to reveal those areas in my thought life that are false.

I can’t declare that the struggle with my old thoughts and self is over. The battle continues and requires that I remain vigilant. Like a tenacious opponent, the flesh does not let up; old habits, such as religious thoughts and routine, and striving, have a tendency to creep back into my life. I am still tempted at times to yield to physical tiredness or rushing in the morning headlong into the day without Him. There have been failures and shortcomings, but the positive side to these is that one can and does learn from negative experiences, eventually overcoming the stumbling blocks of the old lifestyle. I believe that I still tend to rely on my own strength at times to put to death the deeds of the flesh, forgetting that I can call on the Holy Spirit to overcome them. This old reflex has not completely died yet.

Part III – Lessons Applied in My Life

“My son, keep my words, and treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live.” (Proverbs 7:1, 2, NAS)

How wonderful it would be for me to write that in only a few months I have mastered the lifestyle of abiding and am now able to teach and lead others to do the same. Alas, I cannot.

Reading the course text, Naturally Supernatural by Mark Virkler, has sensitized me to my shortcomings as a disciple of Christ and to the actual state of my spirit, but it has also shown me the path to living in Christ and indicated that the objective is attainable. There has been much new information to receive and I am still in the process of assimilating it before I can thoroughly apply it to my life. The teaching in this book is not only relevant but also very practical. It is Virkler’s practical approach that I find distinguishes his teaching from that of other authors and that particularly appeals to me because it shows me how to apply what I am learning.

The seven truths presented and discussed in Naturally Supernatural have provided great insight and assisted tremendously to clarify many issues, nonetheless, in many ways I am still caught up in the “wretched man syndrome” Virkler refers to. These principles would be of little use if it were not for the practical information provided on living by the Spirit. This aspect of Virkler’s teaching has been significant for me and is where I have been able to begin applying the lifestyle of abiding. More specifically, the rules listed in the seventh chapter have been very useful as guides and a starting point. They are 1) learning to become spirit/Spirit conscious, 2) focusing on the Holy Spirit, 3) welcoming the Holy Spirit’s presence, and 4) speaking forth that which the Spirit is revealing.

I believe that I am still in the early stages of growing into the lifestyle of abiding and breaking free from my old ways. I continue to reflect upon the content of Virkler’s teaching and I am gradually and steadily putting into practice the four points listed in the previous paragraph. I have made more progress in applying the first three rules and can see their result; that is, an increase in revelation from the Spirit during personal devotions, journaling, through dreams, as I study or go about my activities during the day. Much of this I can attribute to a conscious effort to speak with the Lord and maintaining a running conversation with Him. It can be as simple as asking a question such as, “What should I do next?” or “What would be the best use of my time right now?” I hear the Spirit’s reply if I take a moment to stop and listen for it. (Of course, there are occasions when He speaks first.)

I have yet to reach a point where I instinctively call upon the Lord to help me when I am weak or tempted. This I have noticed is particularly true early in the morning. I believe that this is probably due to my mind and logic assaulting my spirit with arguments and carnal reasoning, and that I am not yet sensitive enough to realize what is going on at the time. Neither have I completely broken free from striving in my own effort. This mindset is still strong and the Holy Spirit often corrects me of my errors in thinking. He also frequently reminds me to call upon Him to accomplish tasks that I typically assume I can do myself without consulting Him. My flesh still reacts strongly, urging me to work steadily, to consider the time that is passing away, and to be concerned about providing for my needs.

Maintaining the habits of journaling and meditating upon my dreams has been helpful to reinforce the lifestyle of abiding. I find that the more of the teaching I integrate into my life the more the old way of living seems to be displaced. These are my first steps but I perceive it as an important and encouraging beginning.

Conclusion

“The end of a matter is better than its beginning.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NAS)

Although most of the time I don’t feel like I’ve made much progress in the lifestyle of abiding, it isn’t accurate to claim that no progress has been made. There remains room, and even a need, for improvement in mastering the lifestyle of abiding. Mastering the lifestyle of abiding is a work in progress in my life.

Yes, it’s possible to live in God-consciousness all the time. When I have remained in a position of abiding I have made a conscious choice of staying in this state, of going to Him for direction and guidance, of turning to Him when I sense I need to be sustained, and of obeying His voice when I hear it. Disobedience is certain to take me out of His presence and to focus my attention elsewhere.

In order to master the lifestyle of abiding I’ve learned that there needs to be a genuine desire to please God, to be free of all feelings of condemnation and a commitment to walk by faith. I need to make a conscious decision that I’ll commit to listening and obeying His voice even when it doesn’t line up with my experience and logic.

I’m encouraged by the results I have observed so far. The more I obey the more I progress, and even enjoy myself in the process. I remember well a day when I truly was lead by the Spirit; it was such a feeling of exhilaration and it left me wanting and thirsting for more of Him.

It’s not only the progress I have noticed in my own walk that encourages me, but the example of real people who have gone before me and have shared their personal experience of abiding. Among them I list Jesus Christ and the authors of the two course texts for REN 204.

If I don’t put into practice what I am taught, there is no hope of being transformed and of progressing. Abiding in Christ is a very practical lifestyle. Unless I “do it” (i.e. abide) there is no possibility of experiencing Him, His fellowship and whatever He has prepared for me.

My senior pastor often quotes the verse cited at the beginning of this section, expressing that how a matter ends is more important than how it begins. So help me Holy Spirit not to fix my eyes on what is behind me or on myself but on what is before me; help me leave behind my old life for Christ’s lifestyle.

Lesson 4: These thoughts do not mean anything

Today we're on Lesson 4 of the workbook of A Course In Miracles. I'm really grateful for the support I'm being given through A Course In Miracles with Lisa Natoli - pointing out all the pitfalls I fall into and knowing perfectly what I do with these lessons and the mind training exercised is really helpful. As I do Lisa said she used to reach Lesson 50 and say to herself, "I don't understand these lessons, I don't know what they're saying, I haven't had an experience, I'll have to go back to the beginning and start again " and also the thoughts that say,"It's ok to do more than he's told me to do , I have some experience so it will be ok for me to do more and if I do more, I'll get better results and faster results."


She's telling me this is what she did and why it didn't work until she began to follow the instructions to the letter as written page by page and to do no more, no less and to let the introductory pointers stand - Practice with great specificity as indicated, do not decide there's some people, places, events, situations, things the lessons are not applicable to, no matter what my reaction to the lesson is , apply it as directed and be sure I need NOT believe the ideas, I need not accept them , nor welcome them, I may actively resist them and they will still work as long as I apply them as directed. What ever happens I am to do them as directed making no exceptions.


I feel a sense of committment - a sense of readiness and willingness happening this year as I apply the lessons. Without the support given through Lisa's experience and encouragement on http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=11987&cmd=tc and also the Ken Wapnick commentaries in Journey Through the Workbook posted on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Course_Talk/?yguid=154484477 each day, I don't know how I would be doing. This way there's a sense I'm not alone and I'm being guided to go deeper. As I've done the lessons there seems to be sense of something else happening even though there's a feeling of resistance and depression hanging around at the moment. There's been some very vivid night dreams with a sense of light behind them despite a lot of discomfort and emotional intensity.

I'm pretty much operating from fear all the time at present and a sense of lack and deprivation - as we journey further into the workbook and apply the lessons, this will turn around and I will experience the miracles and learn to see a world where only love exists. I am determined to learn or unlearn the thought system I have been using and I am determined to use the help given me through my brothers who are willing to help me learn this lesson along with them.

Thankyou.