All Power IS of God

Do not be afraid, then, to look upon fear, for it cannot be seen. Clarity undoes confusion by definition, and to look upon darkness through light must dispel it. Let us begin this lesson in "ego dynamics" by understanding that the term itself does not mean anything. In fact, it contains exactly the contradiction in terms which makes it meaningless. "Dynamics" implies the power to do something, and the whole separation fallacy lies in the belief that the ego has the power to do anything. The ego is fearful to you because you believe this. Yet the truth is very simple:

All power is of God.

What is not of Him has no power to do anything.

    

 ~ A Course In Miracles ~

Going Through The Opening : Contracting Before Expanding.

 

It is a natural part of being that our lives sometimes contract before expanding.

  

Sometimes our lives contract before they expand. We may be working hard on ourselves spiritually, doing good in the world, following our dreams, and wondering why we are still facing constrictions of all kinds—financial, emotional, physical. Perhaps we even feel as if we’ve lost our spirituality and are stuck in a dark room with no windows. We may be confused and discouraged by what appears to be a lack of progress. But sometimes this is the way things work. Like a caterpillar that confines itself to a tiny cocoon before it grows wings and flies, we are experiencing the darkness before the dawn.

When things feel tight, it’s easy to panic or want to act in some way to ease the feeling of constriction. We might also spin our wheels mentally, trying to understand why things are the way they are. However, there is nothing we need to do at this time other than to be patient and persevering. We can cling to the awareness that we are processing the shift from one stage to another, and the more we surrender to the experience, the more quickly we will move through the tightness into the opening on the other side. Just like a baby making its way down the birth canal, we may feel squeezed and pushed and very uncomfortable, but if we remember that we are on our way to being born into a new reality, we will find the strength to carry on.

Even as we endure the contractions, we can find peace within ourselves if we remember to trust the universe. We can look to the natural world for inspiration as we see that all beings surrender to the process of being born. In that surrender, and in the center of our own hearts, is a willingness to trust in the unknown as we make our way through the opening.

~ Madisyn Taylor / Daily Om ~

http://www.dailyom.com/misc/mt.html

Photo source 

http://digital-photography-school.com/26-images-of-light-and-dark-that-speak-to-the-soul/:

Prayer

Shall I tell you why there is so much lack of demonstration in metaphysical circles? It is because there is a dependence on statements of Truth -- affirmations and denials -- instead of an effort to make an actual contact or realization of God-being. Talk about God -- Truth -- wholeness -- health will not do. Talk less. Pray more. What is prayer? Is it some word or message you send to God? No. Prayer is the Word of God which comes to you when you are silent enough, still enough, expectant enough to receive it. This Word of God which you receive in Silence becomes visible as health, harmony, success, peace, joy and dominion where all the world may see it.

Until every one of us can report that we receive the Word of God continuously, that we can almost at will feel the divine Presence, there will be need of these reminders. From this point on, there is very little need of our learning more Truth. You already know what God is; what the Christ is; what man is; and you know the nature of error and how it claims to operate. At least you can pass an oral or written examination on these subjects and get no less than 100 per cent. Every one of us is intellectually clear on these major points of metaphysics. If any of you doubt your complete understanding of these metaphysical truths, then hurry up and get yourself letter perfect in them: God -- Christ -- man -- error.

The next step is prayer, or treatment. I prefer to think of treatment as a conscious realization, through argument, of the truth about God, Christ, man and error; and prayer as the spiritual consciousness of Truth through Silence. In other words, treatment would deal with the letter, or argument, leading up to realization, and prayer would be the pure Silence and receptivity to the spiritual consciousness of harmony. You understand, of course, that ordinarily in metaphysics treatment and prayer are synonymous, but that I have made this distinction for myself.

To me, prayer is a state of receptivity in which Truth is realized without taking conscious thought. At first prayer is best practiced when sitting quietly and peacefully in harmonious surroundings. We are more apt to achieve Silence when we are away from disturbing noises and unsympathetic thoughts. I mean by this, when we are not in the same room with people who do not understand or lean toward our thought. 

At one place Jesus shut out all from the room except his disciples. In that way, we should find meditation or prayer an easy matter when we are together like this. We have the stillness of night and the companionship of each other -- all of us are eager for this experience of God-consciousness. The Pentecostal experience comes easily when we are together -- in one place and of one Mind. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." -- the Christ presence is felt and responded to. As we continue our daily praying -- setting aside three or four periods each day and extending to greater length at least the morning and evening periods -- the attainment of Silent Receptivity becomes more and more natural and simple. Gradually we find ourselves in prayer while at work -- driving -- walking. Ultimately we achieve it even while conversing or while in a room where much talk goes on -- even while at the theatre and movies in the very midst of the performance. It all begins with practicing the listening ear. Learn to keep that right ear half cocked all the time. Never get so engrossed in what you are doing that you forget the listening ear. Do not be concerned with or about results. We have no more right to think about results than the beginner at the piano should be thinking of playing a concert. Constant receptivity to the Inner Self should be our aim.

I have shown you in Scripture authority for the teaching that I AM. You followed the revelation of the Orientals in the many statements that I AM; you heard Moses declare, "I AM THAT I AM;" you heard Jesus tell you over and over that I am the Life, the Truth, the Way, the Resurrection, the Wine and the Water.

Likewise, I gave you unstinted authority for my unfoldment of the nature of error. It would be a truth and a correct teaching if I had given you no authority but my word -- but never have I presented anything to you as wholly original because I have found authority all through the ages of history for what has also revealed itself to me. Having satisfied you that I am offering nothing new, except perhaps an individual manner of presentation, I feel that you should be ready to judge anything now on the strength of your own reaction to it. In other words, by now you should be sufficiently consciously aware of the one Mind to be able to read or hear any statement of metaphysics and know for yourself whether or not it is a truth or personal belief. Jesus said, "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me." His hearers should have "felt" the rightness of his words. We like to feel that if we had been among the multitudes listening to Jesus that we surely would have recognized the Truth and followed his teachings. Maybe -- perhaps.

I want to introduce to you a most radical teaching -- and frankly, I would not dare do it even to you advanced students unless I could gently carry you across a bridge of authority. Even this bridge will not make the teaching less radical -- but it will serve to hold you up until you have demonstrated it in some measure.

While presenting to you the revelation of your true identity as infinite spiritual Consciousness, I, nevertheless, kept you in familiar surroundings so that the jump would not be too great. But we are now starting out on a voyage into what may be deep waters; and you will need to remind yourselves often that the one Mind is your only Mind, and, therefore, you can depend on IT for guidance and direction and protection.

Have you ever thought about how you would heal if you could not use the human mind?

~ Joel Goldsmith ~

Freedom from the world.

“We are in bondage to the world and everyone in it as long as we look to it for that which must come from God and can only come from God. Fear and worry as to whether or not we have sufficient understanding or wisdom to discharge our responsibilities are dispelled when we know that it is not our wisdom or our understanding, but God's wisdom, understanding, justice, and benevolence that govern all of us. The whole question revolves around the use and meaning of the words  ‘I',  ‘me,’  ‘mine’ -- my wisdom, my strength, or my understanding; your appreciation or your gratitude; and whether or not we have risen high enough to realize: 

<< I am not concerned with whether anybody is grateful or anybody is loving or anybody is just. I renounce all that. I look for love, justice, recognition, reward, and compensation, in, of, and from God. >>

The moment we take that attitude we are free from the world.”  

~ Joel Goldsmith ~

Photo source http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/03/13/the-beauty-of-india-50-amazing-photos/

God's Grace

"He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:3–4)

The grace of God will find you. No matter where you’ve gone or how far you’ve drifted, nowhere is out of the reach of God’s grace."

Source: Desiring God @ http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/god-s-grace-will-find-you

I Rest In God

I REST IN GOD 

  L e s s o n 109

I rest in God.

      We ask for rest today, and quietness

unshaken by the world's appearances.

We ask for peace and stillness in the midst

of all the turmoil born of clashing dreams.

We ask for safety and for happiness,

although we seem to look on danger and

on sorrow. And we have the thought that will

answer our asking with what we request.|

"I rest in God." This thought will bring to you

the rest and quiet, peace and stillness, and

the safety and the happiness you seek.

"I rest in God." This thought has power to wake

the sleeping truth in you, whose vision sees

beyond appearances to that same truth

in everyone and everything there is.

Here is the end of suffering for all

the world, and everyone who ever came

and yet will come to linger for a while.

Here is the thought in which the Son of God

is born again, to recognize Himself.|

"I rest in God." Completely undismayed

this thought will carry you through storms and strife,

past misery and pain, past loss and death,

and onward to the certainty of God.

There is no suffering it cannot heal.

There is no problem [which] it cannot solve.

And no appearance but will turn to truth

before the eyes of you who rest in God.|

This is the day of peace. You rest in God,

and while the world is torn by winds of hate,

your rest remains completely undisturbed.

Yours is the rest of truth. Appearances

cannot intrude on you. You call to all

to join you in your rest, and they will hear

and come to you because you rest in God.

They will not hear another voice [but] yours

because you gave your voice to God and now

you rest in Him, and let Him speak through you.|

In Him you have no cares and no concerns,

no burdens, no anxiety, no pain,

no fear of future and no past regrets.

In timelessness you rest, while time goes by

without its touch upon you, for your rest

can never change in any way at all.

You rest today. And as you close your eyes,

sink into stillness. Let these periods

of rest and respite reassure your mind

that all its frantic fantasies were but

the dreams of fever that has passed away.

Let it be still and thankfully accept

its healing. No more fearful dreams will come

now that you rest in God. Take time today

to slip away from dreams and into peace.|

Each hour that you take your rest today

a tired mind is suddenly made glad,

a bird with broken wings begins to sing,

a stream long dry begins to flow again.

The world is born again each time you rest,

and hourly remember that you came

to bring the peace of God into the world

that it might take its rest along with you.|

With each five minutes that you rest today

the world is nearer waking. And the time

when rest will be the only thing there is

comes closer to all worn and tired minds,

too weary now to go their way alone.

And they will hear the bird begin to sing,

and see the stream begin to flow again,

with hope reborn and energy restored

to walk with lightened steps along the road

that suddenly seems easy as they go.|

[We] rest within the peace of God today,

and call upon [our] brothers from [our] rest,

to draw them to their rest along with you.

You will be faithful to your trust today,

forgetting no-one, bringing everyone

into the boundless circle of your peace,

the holy sanctuary where you rest.

Open the temple doors and let them come

from far across the world and near as well;

your distant brothers and your closest friends;

bid them all enter here and rest with you.|

You rest [today] within the peace of God,

quiet and unafraid. Each brother comes

to take his rest and offer it to you.

We rest together here, for thus our rest

is made complete, and what we give today

we have received already. Time is not

the guardian of what we give today.

We give to those unborn and those past by,

to every Thought of God, and to the Mind

in Which these Thoughts were born, and where they rest.

And we remind them of their resting place

each time we tell ourselves:

      "I rest in God." 

~ Original Hand Script of ACIM ~

A COURSE IN MIRACLES 

  

There's no "me" to get back to.

 “If you feel distracted, trying to get back to a previous state of mind won’t help. There isn’t a there to get back to. The only place available is in the distraction you are trying to get away from. Not only is there not a place to get back to, there’s not a me to get back to either. You can’t take hold of the past mind. That idea of myself was just made up anyway…Meditation is not about manufacturing a state of mind that’s clear, calm or full of insight. It’s about interfering less and less with what is actually here. The nature of mind is to move. Your mind doesn’t always consult you before it moves. That’s OK, kindness applies to our own minds as well as to others. There is not anything that’s not meditation. You are the universe that you are in, so the thing you think you are not, you’re that too.”

~ John Tarrant ~