Now if only A Course in Miracles were to come out in Pigdin!
from Benni's blog --http://dabbycool.blogspot.com/
Wen we neva have power notting, Christ wen mahke fo all us guys dat wen ack jalike God no matta. Dass da time God wen pick. Eh you know, nobody goin mahke fo one guy dat ony do right kine stuff! If get one guy dat everytime get good heart, maybe bumbye somebody go mahke fo help dat kine guy. But den God wen show how plenny love an aloha he get fo us, cuz same time we was doing bad kine stuff, Christ still yet wen go mahke fo us."
(Fo da Rome Peopo 5:6-8)
Make click hea fo check out odda tings da Bible say
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Interview with William Thetford
from the Awakening in Christ Yahoo Groups site
Bill Thetford worked with Helen Schucman, the scribe of A Course In Miracles. He was her supervisor in the Medical Psychology Department at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was the individual who hired her.
He also was the one to whom she came when she began to hear the Voice of the Course. As such, he was the first student of the Course, if you discount Helen, who was struggling to get the messages down correctly.
The Interview continues. This is Part Five. Please see the links at the bottom of this posting.
NR: You say the Course is ecumenical, yet the Course is decidedly Christian in nature, using the Christian framework of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
WT: That's true. The Course does use Christian terminology butat the same time it conveys universal spiritual truths, which is perhaps why people of all faiths can find it of value. I think the course states it very well when it says, "A universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible but necessary." Shortly after we began transcribing the material, I started reading rather widely in the mystical literature of the world. One of the early writers who made a deep impression on me was Vivekananda, in his exposition of the Vedanta philosophy of India. He was a disciple of Ramakrishna who in the late 1800's and in the earlypart of this century founded a number of Ramakrishna ashrams and teaching centers in this country. The Vedanta Advaita philosophy as expounded by Vivekananda seemed to have some striking similarities to the teachings of the Course, even though the context and the language are different. At the time I remember thinking that the Course could be described as a form of Christian Vedanta.
Students of Buddhism tell me that the similarities between the Course and Buddhist teachings are very striking.
Interestingly too, is the fact that many people associated with the Course have come from Jewish backgrounds, and have found it extraordinarily meaningful and helpful despite the Christian terminology.
So I've been impressed with how ecumenical the Course is, andthat its purpose is not to increase our sense of separation but to bring people together. And I see this happening all over with hundreds of study groups that are made up of people from all walks and
more
Part 4 of the Interview, Part 3, Part 2, Beginning
Bill Thetford worked with Helen Schucman, the scribe of A Course In Miracles. He was her supervisor in the Medical Psychology Department at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was the individual who hired her.
He also was the one to whom she came when she began to hear the Voice of the Course. As such, he was the first student of the Course, if you discount Helen, who was struggling to get the messages down correctly.
The Interview continues. This is Part Five. Please see the links at the bottom of this posting.
NR: You say the Course is ecumenical, yet the Course is decidedly Christian in nature, using the Christian framework of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
WT: That's true. The Course does use Christian terminology butat the same time it conveys universal spiritual truths, which is perhaps why people of all faiths can find it of value. I think the course states it very well when it says, "A universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible but necessary." Shortly after we began transcribing the material, I started reading rather widely in the mystical literature of the world. One of the early writers who made a deep impression on me was Vivekananda, in his exposition of the Vedanta philosophy of India. He was a disciple of Ramakrishna who in the late 1800's and in the earlypart of this century founded a number of Ramakrishna ashrams and teaching centers in this country. The Vedanta Advaita philosophy as expounded by Vivekananda seemed to have some striking similarities to the teachings of the Course, even though the context and the language are different. At the time I remember thinking that the Course could be described as a form of Christian Vedanta.
Students of Buddhism tell me that the similarities between the Course and Buddhist teachings are very striking.
Interestingly too, is the fact that many people associated with the Course have come from Jewish backgrounds, and have found it extraordinarily meaningful and helpful despite the Christian terminology.
So I've been impressed with how ecumenical the Course is, andthat its purpose is not to increase our sense of separation but to bring people together. And I see this happening all over with hundreds of study groups that are made up of people from all walks and
more
Part 4 of the Interview, Part 3, Part 2, Beginning
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Detaching from the Battle
The good news is we have no control over the world!
Our only responsibility in the world is to accept the Atonement--the correction of error, or the correction of our mistaken beliefs--for ourselves.
Change your mind about the world. Stop thinking how it should be or could be, just release yourself from it.
In the present moment is the only time and place that you can be in direct communication with the Spirit within.
You will be guided as to what to say, or do, if anything, as you go about your daily life.
You will act from a place of peace, of certainty, with a feeling of detachment.
--Kirsten
Our only responsibility in the world is to accept the Atonement--the correction of error, or the correction of our mistaken beliefs--for ourselves.
Change your mind about the world. Stop thinking how it should be or could be, just release yourself from it.
In the present moment is the only time and place that you can be in direct communication with the Spirit within.
You will be guided as to what to say, or do, if anything, as you go about your daily life.
You will act from a place of peace, of certainty, with a feeling of detachment.
--Kirsten
Posting by David and Kirsten
The Gospels are a symbol representing God's Love expressed through the Christ Mind.
You will find in them what you are looking for - for everything in form is a reflection of what the mind desires and believes and thinks and feels.
Ask and you shall receive.
Knock and the door shall be opened.
Recently Regina Akers, our new foundation caretaker, was Guided to readthrough the Gospels with an open mind and allow the inspiration of the Gospels to flow through her.
She has begun this task and will be sharing what she hears of the Holy Spirit with anyone who is interested.
You can write to her at: regina@awakening-mind.org if you would like to be included on her mailing list for these sharings.
Below is the first of her sharings. Enjoy!
Please contact her if you would like to receive those sharings which will follow from her.
Love & Blessings,
David & Kirsten-
Matthew, Chapter 1
Joseph had a question in his mind, and he was unsure about what he should do. He did have a thought regarding what he should do, but Joseph did not consider that thought to be decided. By not considering the thought to be decided, Joseph left his mind open. It was through this opening that wisdom was given him. Joseph recognized the wisdom and did as it asked.
Matthew, Chapter 2
The Truth is found through guidance. The route you are to follow is not revealed from beginning to end all at once. It is revealed to you step-by-step. Trust your Lord, the God within, which guides you. It guides you now. Do not question, “Where is this taking me?” Have faith it is for the good of all and the purpose of oneness, and it will certainly bring you great joy!
Matthew Chapter 3
The story of John the Baptist as given in Matthew Chapter 3 is not to be read as a story of form. It is a story of mind. John is the thought within the mind that comes first. It is the thought that recognizes there must be another way. It is the thought that guides you to seek the other way, and that way is the way of Truth.
Matthew Chapter 4
Seek with the Holy Spirit. It is your True Spirit, and it will guide you to choose truly. Once the choice is made, the time of service will begin, for you are to be a Teacher of God until the time that teachers are no longer needed. The beginning will be a time of gathering. You will gather around you that which is needed to serve according to your path of service. The gathering shall be effortless and without planning or thought. Once the mind has been cleansed, following one’s path is effortless. First focus on the cleansing. Then in peace, you shall know that you are led truly. Peace is the end of doubt.
Matthew, Chapter 5
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they are already one with God.
(verse 3)
Blessed are those who have tired of this world, for they will be comforted.
(verse 4)
Blessed are the peaceful and joyous, for they will see the real world.
(verse 5)
Blessed are those who seek Truth above all else, for it will be given them.
(verse 6)
Blessed are those who forgive their separate thoughts, for they will find the Light that is their true Source.
(verse 7)
Blessed are the enlightened, for they know.
(verse 8)
Blessed are they who share My word in Love, for they shall shine like beacons for all men to see, and they shall be recognized as the Son that Is.
(verse 9)
Blessed are those who see only Love in their brothers, for they know what they have found. (verse 10)
Blessed are you when you place no value or concern in the world of illusion, for then you know where your Treasure Is.
(verses 11 – 12)
The world is meaningless, and all that brings meaning to the world is you, for you are all there is.
(verse 13)
Your Truth is your light. It is your Truth that shall shine and be known, that all men may see their Truth within you and know it is within them too.
(verses 14-16)
The laws of men are based on the laws of God, but the laws of men are a reflection of truth and not truth itself. One cannot find truth by following the laws of men if there is hatred or fear in his heart.
The laws of men must be followed in true love and intent for a witness to occur unto you. For when you have discovered the law within your Heart and you follow the guidance of true law that is shared from within, you follow the path of righteousness that will lead you from a focus on this world to the Light of the Kingdom of Heaven.
(verses 17-20)
The law of men is written to protect men and to teach them to behave, but the law of the Heart is beyond this world. It is like a path that you shall follow to higher ground. Its purpose is not to protect man from man, but to lead a man from his manhood to his True Self, which is beyond the self he knows when he limits righteousness to the laws of men.
(verses 21-22)
Your brother is one with you in the Heart, and so it is the heart that must be healed. Do not carry a grievance against your brother within your heart regardless of what he may have seemed to do.
Righteousness does not abide in the laws or customs of men. Righteousness abides beyond the laws and customs of men. Forgive your brother that you may love him again in the joy and happiness of the Heart, and in your dance with him, you will find what righteousness is.
(verses 23, 24)
The one that judges the hatred you leave in your heart is but yourself. You cannot find joy within the hatred of the heard, for hatred is like a prison and the jailer is but yourself. Free yourself from your prison of pain.
Let go of that which you think your brother has done to you. [What he has done] is not important. It but keeps you imprisoned within a limited mind and away from the unlimited which is but your Self.
(verse 25)
Let go of all your grievances against your brother, no matter how large or small they seem. They are all the same, and each one has the power to keep you imprisoned from your Self.
(verse 26)
The law of men is but a symbol for those who are not ready to accept the law of the Heart, for the law of the Heart is Love. One who loves his brother will not think a hurtful thought about his brother.
When hurtful thoughts come into his mind, he will let them go, for he does not want any thought in his mind that is not the thought of Love. In this way, his mind shall live in accordance with the law of the Heart and the prison doors shall be opened, and he shall be freed, joined and dancing in celebration with his brother.
(verses 27, 28)
Letting go of your grievances towards your brother may seem to be letting go of yourself, for your own thoughts may tell you that you are justified in your anger or your caution for what your brother has done or may do to you.
But I tell you that thoughts of justification are like poisonous prison food. Their purpose is to keep you sick and weak within the prison walls. Rise up within the Health of your heart and let these thoughts go. Your goal now is freedom, and you will succeed in your goal by letting go of every thought that would keep you imprisoned.
For the hellish thoughts within your mind are your prison, and only by letting them go can you be free. Listen to Me. I am sharing the secrets of your imprisonment and your freedom. It is not My Will that you be imprisoned. It is My Will that you be free. Listen to Me. Accept My Will as yours and open your prison doors.
(verses 29, 30)
Let not the law be confusing to you. To follow the law without understanding it is useless. The law is not a law of behavior. What you do or do not do in itself is not important. The law of God is written on the Heart, and it is a law that teaches there cannot be separateness. Only by joining with one Will will you know God, and only by knowing God will you know your Self. So do not go your separate ways within your heart.
That is the way of the world. Walk together in your heart, joined and holding hands. In this way you shall walk into the Light and welcome yourselves into the Kingdom of Heaven.
(verses 31, 32)
It is not what you say or what you do that is important. It is what you mean by what you say or what you do [that matters]. Do you give to your brother because you love him and see him to be the same as you, or do you give because you believe that by your giving you will be made good? I tell you, there is nothing that you can do or say that will make you good within your own mind.
Only by following the guidance within your Heart can you discover your Self, and the discovering will show you that you Are. With this vision, you will see your brother and the world with new eyes, and you will know that Love is all there is.
(verses 33-37)
With your eyes of judgment, you see many brothers doing different things, and you judge the things they do as good things or bad things. And based on the judgments you have given to what they do, you judge your brothers as good or as bad. In your judgments of them, you separate them from one another and from yourself. So you see many sons where the Father of Heaven sees only one.
For the Father of Heaven has declared that He has only one Son, and that Son is but an extension of Himself. Stop judging your brothers as good or bad or different. Ask God within your Heart to show Himself to you. He will answer you by showing you that your brother’s Heart is the same as yours, and so you and your brother must be the same and one.
(verses 38-45)
For only by exceeding the laws of men to follow the law of the Heart can you find the truth that lies hidden there. God is Spirit, and Spirit is all there is. So you and your brother must be Spirit too. It is your Heart that knows this truth, so it is by following your Heart that you will be led to see the Truth is true.
(verses 46-48)
Matthew, Chapter 6
If you are to walk the path of righteousness, all things [must be] done for the reason of the Heart. To do anything for a purpose other than the purpose of the Heart (regardless of how righteous the act may seem to be), [is to] stray from your path. And you could become lost there. Listen. Let the Heart that whispers Truth lead you in all things. Ask of It, and do as It guides. Let not actions blind you. It is not the action that matters, but the purpose that is given it.
(verses 1-4)
Your time with your Father is precious and holy, so seek for this time in quiet. Search your Heart for what you would say to Him or for what you would ask. Be not afraid of what you find there. Your Father knows your Heart, my Son, and He leads you according to your Heart. But you may not know your own Heart, so it is useful to seek there in quiet as you pray. For if you do not know the prayers of your Heart, you may not recognize that they are answered. But when you seek out your prayers in quiet and ask of the Father based on what you find, you will see that your prayers are answered quickly. For the Father does not delay in answering the prayers of his Son’s Heart. The Father knows that it is the Heart that leads His Son to Him.
(verses 5-8)
Pray like this according to what you find in your Heart: “Father, let me know you.
(verse 9)
Let your Kingdom dawn upon my mind, that I may be led by Your Will and become as one with It.
(verse 10)
Let me hear Your Word within my mind. Let my lessons be given me, that I may be closer to You through the actions of my day.
(verse 11)
Let me forgive myself, as I know You have [forgiven me]. Let me see my brothers as innocent, as they truly Are.
(verse 12)
Let me watch my mind for evil thoughts that would trick me and blind me to the Light within. May I let those evil thoughts go, so they do not cloud my mind from knowing the Truth. Amen.”
(verse 13)
For in our sight within the Light, we shall see the innocence of the Lamb. It is within our brothers’ hearts that he rests, as he rests also within our own.
(verse 14)
But if the clouds block the Light within, our sight is limited by a darkened vision. We cannot see what is there while our eyes rest surely on the dark.
(verse 15)
And so remember your purpose in all things. Follow the guidance that comes from Within. It leads you not so your brother will see how holy you are. It leads you that you may discover the Holiness within, and that you may bow down at the altar there and let the Heart be your loving master whom you do not question.
(verses 16-18)
Let your purpose guide you in all things, and let it be the True Purpose of the Heart. For the purposes of the world are like smoke screens that deceive you, promising rewards and happiness, but delivering not.
For every purpose of the world brings forth yet another purpose to seek, and so you shall spend your life seeking and finding not. Empty, you shall die. But the purpose of the Heart fills up your treasure chest quickly with joy, peace and hope. And you shall follow the twinkle within your own eye, and since it is with you always, you shall always be satisfied beyond measure.
(verses 19-21)
For it is the Light within the Heart that shines to show you your joy. Since it shines from within, you shall see your joy wherever you look. But if you do not trust your Heart and you try to find your own way to happiness, you shall be lost. For who can find their way without the Light? Who can be happy stumbling lost and aimless in the dark?
(verses 22, 23)
No one can stand in both the Light and the darkness, for he will stand in the darkness and cannot see or he will stand in the Light and see clearly. But I say to you, he who stands in the dark may not know he is lost, because he cannot see. So do not decide for yourself where to stand. For you may think you stand on the path of righteousness when your feet are surely lost. Ask for the Light and let It lead you without questioning where it takes you. Remember that until you see [the entire] world within the Light, you may be lost and letting the darkness lead your way.
(verse 24)
Therefore, do not worry about which way you should go or what you should do next. Instead, ask now for the surety of the Light to light the way for your next step. Listen in quiet to the guidance of the Heart as it tells you where to place your step. Be concerned only with letting your steps be led.
By following the guidance of the Light, you will surely be walking the way of Life, for the Light and Life are one. But if you let your mind be distracted by other concerns, and you begin to worry about troubles within the world, you will forget to step carefully with the Light and you will run frantically into the dark. Then you shall look around and realize that once more you are lost.
You cannot find the path of Life without the guidance of the Light, for the Light and Life are one. If you have lost one, you are lost from the other.
(verses 25-34)
Matthew, Chapter 7
Judgment is like a knife that cuts the Son of God into pieces, for what you judge as separate from you is seen as separate, and so it cannot be seen as one. I say to you, lay your judgment aside. Trust the guidance of the Heart by trusting God and His Word. I tell you that God is Love and Love is Whole.
Therefore, you cannot know God if you separate your brothers from yourself. Do not place them above you or below you in your mind, and do not place them above or below one another. For to separate them in your mind is to split your own heart, and a split heart cannot know love because it is split and not whole. Look after your own heart that it may be healed. Lay down your judgments. Ask only for Love now.
(verses 1-5)
Do not take My words lightly without practice. For to listen and to agree but not to practice is not to have heard. One who will not hear cannot be healed.
(verse 6)
Seek out the prayers of your Heart. Ask your Father to make it whole again, for your Father knows that your heart seeks to be made whole and he awaits only your willingness to give what you ask.
(verses 7, 8)
Trust your Father to give as you ask truly, but know it is the healthy Heart He listens to. If your heart is sick and it asks the Father to grant it its sickness, the Father does not listen. He waits until His Son asks that he be healed, and then the Father reveals His gifts that they may be used for the purpose they were intended.
The Father will not assist the son in maintaining his sickness, but the Father will point the willing son in the direction of his Health that he may be made whole through his own willingness.
(verses 9-11)
Therefore, see your brothers as yourself. Know that their Heart is the same as yours. Although they may seem to ask for sickness, their heart knows it wants its Health. So do not answer their cry for sickness by returning anger for anger or hurt for hurt. Answer their heart’s quiet cry for health by giving as the Father would give. Give health for health, and it is Health you will receive.
(verse 12)
I ask you for your help because leaders are needed among men. For a man who does not know that his heart yearns to be healed is lost indeed, and [he] needs someone to help him see that Health is his heart’s desire. Let yourself be healed that your brother may see your Health and recognize it is but his own. Then he will ask for healing, and it will be given him.
(verses 13,14)
Concentrate first on your healing that you may be used to lead your brothers to Health. An unhealed heart cannot lead its brothers to healing, for it knows not what Health is. The sick must be healed before they can heal. The lost must be found before they can lead. Be not confused by those who say they can lead when you can see that they are lost. Hold not a grievance against them. Remember that a sick brother does not know he is sick. Forgive him his confusion, and pray to your Father that your sight may be made clear.
(verses 15-20)
One who practices his own will is not practicing the Will of the Father, and it is the Father’s Will that brings healing. For it is your will that has made you sick. Lay down your will and ask only for the Father’s. By knowing and practicing His Will, you shall be healed.
(verses 21-23)
Listen to My words and let My words reach into your heart. The Health of your heart may seem small [to you now], but its Will is complete. It wills with God. Listen to the Health in the heart, and the Health will extend Itself making your heart new.
Your strength will be rewarded with unshakableness that brings eternal joy and knowledge. But listen not unto my words and you shall hear the cries of your sickness, and sickness cannot lead to health, so you shall not know strength. In your weakness you will suffer, for weakness is not the will of your Heart.
(verse 24-27)
Authority comes from God because God is all that is.
One who knows his own Authority knows God. Amen.
(verse 28, 29)
You will find in them what you are looking for - for everything in form is a reflection of what the mind desires and believes and thinks and feels.
Ask and you shall receive.
Knock and the door shall be opened.
Recently Regina Akers, our new foundation caretaker, was Guided to readthrough the Gospels with an open mind and allow the inspiration of the Gospels to flow through her.
She has begun this task and will be sharing what she hears of the Holy Spirit with anyone who is interested.
You can write to her at: regina@awakening-mind.org if you would like to be included on her mailing list for these sharings.
Below is the first of her sharings. Enjoy!
Please contact her if you would like to receive those sharings which will follow from her.
Love & Blessings,
David & Kirsten-
Matthew, Chapter 1
Joseph had a question in his mind, and he was unsure about what he should do. He did have a thought regarding what he should do, but Joseph did not consider that thought to be decided. By not considering the thought to be decided, Joseph left his mind open. It was through this opening that wisdom was given him. Joseph recognized the wisdom and did as it asked.
Matthew, Chapter 2
The Truth is found through guidance. The route you are to follow is not revealed from beginning to end all at once. It is revealed to you step-by-step. Trust your Lord, the God within, which guides you. It guides you now. Do not question, “Where is this taking me?” Have faith it is for the good of all and the purpose of oneness, and it will certainly bring you great joy!
Matthew Chapter 3
The story of John the Baptist as given in Matthew Chapter 3 is not to be read as a story of form. It is a story of mind. John is the thought within the mind that comes first. It is the thought that recognizes there must be another way. It is the thought that guides you to seek the other way, and that way is the way of Truth.
Matthew Chapter 4
Seek with the Holy Spirit. It is your True Spirit, and it will guide you to choose truly. Once the choice is made, the time of service will begin, for you are to be a Teacher of God until the time that teachers are no longer needed. The beginning will be a time of gathering. You will gather around you that which is needed to serve according to your path of service. The gathering shall be effortless and without planning or thought. Once the mind has been cleansed, following one’s path is effortless. First focus on the cleansing. Then in peace, you shall know that you are led truly. Peace is the end of doubt.
Matthew, Chapter 5
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they are already one with God.
(verse 3)
Blessed are those who have tired of this world, for they will be comforted.
(verse 4)
Blessed are the peaceful and joyous, for they will see the real world.
(verse 5)
Blessed are those who seek Truth above all else, for it will be given them.
(verse 6)
Blessed are those who forgive their separate thoughts, for they will find the Light that is their true Source.
(verse 7)
Blessed are the enlightened, for they know.
(verse 8)
Blessed are they who share My word in Love, for they shall shine like beacons for all men to see, and they shall be recognized as the Son that Is.
(verse 9)
Blessed are those who see only Love in their brothers, for they know what they have found. (verse 10)
Blessed are you when you place no value or concern in the world of illusion, for then you know where your Treasure Is.
(verses 11 – 12)
The world is meaningless, and all that brings meaning to the world is you, for you are all there is.
(verse 13)
Your Truth is your light. It is your Truth that shall shine and be known, that all men may see their Truth within you and know it is within them too.
(verses 14-16)
The laws of men are based on the laws of God, but the laws of men are a reflection of truth and not truth itself. One cannot find truth by following the laws of men if there is hatred or fear in his heart.
The laws of men must be followed in true love and intent for a witness to occur unto you. For when you have discovered the law within your Heart and you follow the guidance of true law that is shared from within, you follow the path of righteousness that will lead you from a focus on this world to the Light of the Kingdom of Heaven.
(verses 17-20)
The law of men is written to protect men and to teach them to behave, but the law of the Heart is beyond this world. It is like a path that you shall follow to higher ground. Its purpose is not to protect man from man, but to lead a man from his manhood to his True Self, which is beyond the self he knows when he limits righteousness to the laws of men.
(verses 21-22)
Your brother is one with you in the Heart, and so it is the heart that must be healed. Do not carry a grievance against your brother within your heart regardless of what he may have seemed to do.
Righteousness does not abide in the laws or customs of men. Righteousness abides beyond the laws and customs of men. Forgive your brother that you may love him again in the joy and happiness of the Heart, and in your dance with him, you will find what righteousness is.
(verses 23, 24)
The one that judges the hatred you leave in your heart is but yourself. You cannot find joy within the hatred of the heard, for hatred is like a prison and the jailer is but yourself. Free yourself from your prison of pain.
Let go of that which you think your brother has done to you. [What he has done] is not important. It but keeps you imprisoned within a limited mind and away from the unlimited which is but your Self.
(verse 25)
Let go of all your grievances against your brother, no matter how large or small they seem. They are all the same, and each one has the power to keep you imprisoned from your Self.
(verse 26)
The law of men is but a symbol for those who are not ready to accept the law of the Heart, for the law of the Heart is Love. One who loves his brother will not think a hurtful thought about his brother.
When hurtful thoughts come into his mind, he will let them go, for he does not want any thought in his mind that is not the thought of Love. In this way, his mind shall live in accordance with the law of the Heart and the prison doors shall be opened, and he shall be freed, joined and dancing in celebration with his brother.
(verses 27, 28)
Letting go of your grievances towards your brother may seem to be letting go of yourself, for your own thoughts may tell you that you are justified in your anger or your caution for what your brother has done or may do to you.
But I tell you that thoughts of justification are like poisonous prison food. Their purpose is to keep you sick and weak within the prison walls. Rise up within the Health of your heart and let these thoughts go. Your goal now is freedom, and you will succeed in your goal by letting go of every thought that would keep you imprisoned.
For the hellish thoughts within your mind are your prison, and only by letting them go can you be free. Listen to Me. I am sharing the secrets of your imprisonment and your freedom. It is not My Will that you be imprisoned. It is My Will that you be free. Listen to Me. Accept My Will as yours and open your prison doors.
(verses 29, 30)
Let not the law be confusing to you. To follow the law without understanding it is useless. The law is not a law of behavior. What you do or do not do in itself is not important. The law of God is written on the Heart, and it is a law that teaches there cannot be separateness. Only by joining with one Will will you know God, and only by knowing God will you know your Self. So do not go your separate ways within your heart.
That is the way of the world. Walk together in your heart, joined and holding hands. In this way you shall walk into the Light and welcome yourselves into the Kingdom of Heaven.
(verses 31, 32)
It is not what you say or what you do that is important. It is what you mean by what you say or what you do [that matters]. Do you give to your brother because you love him and see him to be the same as you, or do you give because you believe that by your giving you will be made good? I tell you, there is nothing that you can do or say that will make you good within your own mind.
Only by following the guidance within your Heart can you discover your Self, and the discovering will show you that you Are. With this vision, you will see your brother and the world with new eyes, and you will know that Love is all there is.
(verses 33-37)
With your eyes of judgment, you see many brothers doing different things, and you judge the things they do as good things or bad things. And based on the judgments you have given to what they do, you judge your brothers as good or as bad. In your judgments of them, you separate them from one another and from yourself. So you see many sons where the Father of Heaven sees only one.
For the Father of Heaven has declared that He has only one Son, and that Son is but an extension of Himself. Stop judging your brothers as good or bad or different. Ask God within your Heart to show Himself to you. He will answer you by showing you that your brother’s Heart is the same as yours, and so you and your brother must be the same and one.
(verses 38-45)
For only by exceeding the laws of men to follow the law of the Heart can you find the truth that lies hidden there. God is Spirit, and Spirit is all there is. So you and your brother must be Spirit too. It is your Heart that knows this truth, so it is by following your Heart that you will be led to see the Truth is true.
(verses 46-48)
Matthew, Chapter 6
If you are to walk the path of righteousness, all things [must be] done for the reason of the Heart. To do anything for a purpose other than the purpose of the Heart (regardless of how righteous the act may seem to be), [is to] stray from your path. And you could become lost there. Listen. Let the Heart that whispers Truth lead you in all things. Ask of It, and do as It guides. Let not actions blind you. It is not the action that matters, but the purpose that is given it.
(verses 1-4)
Your time with your Father is precious and holy, so seek for this time in quiet. Search your Heart for what you would say to Him or for what you would ask. Be not afraid of what you find there. Your Father knows your Heart, my Son, and He leads you according to your Heart. But you may not know your own Heart, so it is useful to seek there in quiet as you pray. For if you do not know the prayers of your Heart, you may not recognize that they are answered. But when you seek out your prayers in quiet and ask of the Father based on what you find, you will see that your prayers are answered quickly. For the Father does not delay in answering the prayers of his Son’s Heart. The Father knows that it is the Heart that leads His Son to Him.
(verses 5-8)
Pray like this according to what you find in your Heart: “Father, let me know you.
(verse 9)
Let your Kingdom dawn upon my mind, that I may be led by Your Will and become as one with It.
(verse 10)
Let me hear Your Word within my mind. Let my lessons be given me, that I may be closer to You through the actions of my day.
(verse 11)
Let me forgive myself, as I know You have [forgiven me]. Let me see my brothers as innocent, as they truly Are.
(verse 12)
Let me watch my mind for evil thoughts that would trick me and blind me to the Light within. May I let those evil thoughts go, so they do not cloud my mind from knowing the Truth. Amen.”
(verse 13)
For in our sight within the Light, we shall see the innocence of the Lamb. It is within our brothers’ hearts that he rests, as he rests also within our own.
(verse 14)
But if the clouds block the Light within, our sight is limited by a darkened vision. We cannot see what is there while our eyes rest surely on the dark.
(verse 15)
And so remember your purpose in all things. Follow the guidance that comes from Within. It leads you not so your brother will see how holy you are. It leads you that you may discover the Holiness within, and that you may bow down at the altar there and let the Heart be your loving master whom you do not question.
(verses 16-18)
Let your purpose guide you in all things, and let it be the True Purpose of the Heart. For the purposes of the world are like smoke screens that deceive you, promising rewards and happiness, but delivering not.
For every purpose of the world brings forth yet another purpose to seek, and so you shall spend your life seeking and finding not. Empty, you shall die. But the purpose of the Heart fills up your treasure chest quickly with joy, peace and hope. And you shall follow the twinkle within your own eye, and since it is with you always, you shall always be satisfied beyond measure.
(verses 19-21)
For it is the Light within the Heart that shines to show you your joy. Since it shines from within, you shall see your joy wherever you look. But if you do not trust your Heart and you try to find your own way to happiness, you shall be lost. For who can find their way without the Light? Who can be happy stumbling lost and aimless in the dark?
(verses 22, 23)
No one can stand in both the Light and the darkness, for he will stand in the darkness and cannot see or he will stand in the Light and see clearly. But I say to you, he who stands in the dark may not know he is lost, because he cannot see. So do not decide for yourself where to stand. For you may think you stand on the path of righteousness when your feet are surely lost. Ask for the Light and let It lead you without questioning where it takes you. Remember that until you see [the entire] world within the Light, you may be lost and letting the darkness lead your way.
(verse 24)
Therefore, do not worry about which way you should go or what you should do next. Instead, ask now for the surety of the Light to light the way for your next step. Listen in quiet to the guidance of the Heart as it tells you where to place your step. Be concerned only with letting your steps be led.
By following the guidance of the Light, you will surely be walking the way of Life, for the Light and Life are one. But if you let your mind be distracted by other concerns, and you begin to worry about troubles within the world, you will forget to step carefully with the Light and you will run frantically into the dark. Then you shall look around and realize that once more you are lost.
You cannot find the path of Life without the guidance of the Light, for the Light and Life are one. If you have lost one, you are lost from the other.
(verses 25-34)
Matthew, Chapter 7
Judgment is like a knife that cuts the Son of God into pieces, for what you judge as separate from you is seen as separate, and so it cannot be seen as one. I say to you, lay your judgment aside. Trust the guidance of the Heart by trusting God and His Word. I tell you that God is Love and Love is Whole.
Therefore, you cannot know God if you separate your brothers from yourself. Do not place them above you or below you in your mind, and do not place them above or below one another. For to separate them in your mind is to split your own heart, and a split heart cannot know love because it is split and not whole. Look after your own heart that it may be healed. Lay down your judgments. Ask only for Love now.
(verses 1-5)
Do not take My words lightly without practice. For to listen and to agree but not to practice is not to have heard. One who will not hear cannot be healed.
(verse 6)
Seek out the prayers of your Heart. Ask your Father to make it whole again, for your Father knows that your heart seeks to be made whole and he awaits only your willingness to give what you ask.
(verses 7, 8)
Trust your Father to give as you ask truly, but know it is the healthy Heart He listens to. If your heart is sick and it asks the Father to grant it its sickness, the Father does not listen. He waits until His Son asks that he be healed, and then the Father reveals His gifts that they may be used for the purpose they were intended.
The Father will not assist the son in maintaining his sickness, but the Father will point the willing son in the direction of his Health that he may be made whole through his own willingness.
(verses 9-11)
Therefore, see your brothers as yourself. Know that their Heart is the same as yours. Although they may seem to ask for sickness, their heart knows it wants its Health. So do not answer their cry for sickness by returning anger for anger or hurt for hurt. Answer their heart’s quiet cry for health by giving as the Father would give. Give health for health, and it is Health you will receive.
(verse 12)
I ask you for your help because leaders are needed among men. For a man who does not know that his heart yearns to be healed is lost indeed, and [he] needs someone to help him see that Health is his heart’s desire. Let yourself be healed that your brother may see your Health and recognize it is but his own. Then he will ask for healing, and it will be given him.
(verses 13,14)
Concentrate first on your healing that you may be used to lead your brothers to Health. An unhealed heart cannot lead its brothers to healing, for it knows not what Health is. The sick must be healed before they can heal. The lost must be found before they can lead. Be not confused by those who say they can lead when you can see that they are lost. Hold not a grievance against them. Remember that a sick brother does not know he is sick. Forgive him his confusion, and pray to your Father that your sight may be made clear.
(verses 15-20)
One who practices his own will is not practicing the Will of the Father, and it is the Father’s Will that brings healing. For it is your will that has made you sick. Lay down your will and ask only for the Father’s. By knowing and practicing His Will, you shall be healed.
(verses 21-23)
Listen to My words and let My words reach into your heart. The Health of your heart may seem small [to you now], but its Will is complete. It wills with God. Listen to the Health in the heart, and the Health will extend Itself making your heart new.
Your strength will be rewarded with unshakableness that brings eternal joy and knowledge. But listen not unto my words and you shall hear the cries of your sickness, and sickness cannot lead to health, so you shall not know strength. In your weakness you will suffer, for weakness is not the will of your Heart.
(verse 24-27)
Authority comes from God because God is all that is.
One who knows his own Authority knows God. Amen.
(verse 28, 29)
Friday, August 26, 2005
interpreting Scripture
The Holy Spirit's interpretation of the symbols contained within the New Testament book of Matthew, chapters 8 - 11:
Matthew, Chapter 8
Jesus is the symbol of healing, for healing comes from the healed Son of God. The unhealed cannot heal his self, but he can ask in faith and willingness, and the healed Son may heal on behalf of the Father. And then the one who has been healed may be used as a witness so others will come to know their own desire to be healed. (verses 1 – 4)
Jesus is the symbol of the healed Son of God, for the healed Son knows what healing is. It is oneness, where all are welcomed into the Kingdom as one and there is great joy. For from within the seat of the Kingdom, the Son knows who He is and He has not forgotten. But outside of the seat, the son is lost. And so he is crying for his Home but knows not where it is. (verses 5 – 13)
Jesus is the symbol of the one Son of God, for as He Is, so you shall know yourself to Be. All will be healed within their time, for what is the Son of God with less than every part of His Self? (verses 14-17)
This ministry is not a ministry of the world. Those who choose to follow will find what they do not expect, for what you expect comes from your will and your desire, but it is your will and your desire that must be laid aside if you are to be healed.Do not ask for what you want. Ask Me what it is that you need and I shall lead you to it. But follow Me in purpose and faith only, for if you seek anything else, you will not see what I am showing you. (verses 18-22)Peace is the sign of health, for the healed Son of God knows there is nothing to fear and there is nothing that he needs that is not given him. So he rests and does not fear, for he knows who He is. (verses 23-27)
The thoughts that are in your mind that you think are yours are not yours. Let the thoughts go from your mind and then you shall see that they are but thoughts of death. They are not you, for you are Life. Let the thoughts of death leave you that you may know your Self and may live. (verses 28-34)
Matthew, Chapter 9
Listen to Me. The authority within the Heart is the authority of God. Do not be confused. Your will is not the same as God's, but when you lay your will aside and walk with God, you will know that you are one with Him. (verses 1-7)
Forgiveness is for error. It is your judgments that must be let go, for it is your judgment that has been your error. When you let go of your judgment, you will see what Is. But if you hold onto your judgment, you choose confusion and pain. Let go and be free, or hold on and sacrifice your freedom. (verses 9-13)Let go of old habits and old ways of thinking. They have not served you. To hold onto the old is to [make] a future like the past. That is not useful to you now. Listen to My Word. Hear what I say. Practice it. Then you will know what to do. (verses 14-17)
Miracles are not what you expect, for you expect only what you have seen. I am here to give you new sight, and with new sight you will see differently. Have faith in Me and trust in Me. Do as I say and everything different from what you expect will be given you. (verses 18-26)The blind cannot see. The dumb cannot talk. And so it is healing they must seek. Know that it is you I am talking to. You are blind and cannot see, so I ask you not to talk. For through your words you spread confusion. Listen to Me and spread My Word. By sharing what I give, you will recover your sight. (verse 27-34)
Let Me heal you, that your brothers may see your Health and be healed unto [Self] through Me. (verses 35-37)
Matthew, Chapter 10I give you authority to teach through Me, but you are not yet the Teacher as I am. It is through sharing My Word that you shall come to know your Self, and so it is yourself that you teach through Me. (verses 1-6)
Teach yourself but this: God is within, and it is from Within that I am led.
To learn this lesson is true, do not focus on what is [in the world]. Do not worry about what you are to eat or what you are to wear or where you are to sleep. Focus only on the Word within and seek nothing else. Everything will be provided that you may do the work I ask. (verses 7-10)
Remember always that it is you that you teach. If you find peace in fellowship with another, enjoy that peace and be thankful for it. But if you find agitation, let your agitation go. Do not keep your agitation with you, for agitation is darkness. All who will learn of glory will learn glory is found in letting agitation go. (verses 11-16)
Remember that you are not alone. That is the lesson I send you to learn. The Spirit of your Father is one, and so you are one with that Spirit. Trust in the Spirit in all things, and do not fail on this account. (verses 17-20)
What you will see in the world will confuse you, and so you must not look there for understanding. Look to Me. I am your Guide and the one who knows what understanding is. Look to Me in all things, and you shall know Me even within the world. (verses 21-23)By making your will one with Mine, you will come to know your Self [to be] the same as Me. So give your will to Me that I may give you Mine and we shall have one will. (verses 24, 25)
Do not fear the world or what you see or hear there. I say to you, the world is not real. It will come to pass, but you are eternal, and what is eternal is real. Let your mind be turned from the temporal and fearful to the Eternal. For what is eternal can have no fear. (verses 26-31)You will know Me by choosing to be one with Me. Lay your temporal self aside. It is nothing. Your will cannot affect eternity. But My Will is eternity, and by knowing My Will, you will know the peace of the Eternal. (verses 32, 33)
Remember that all things in this world are temporal, so hold not onto them. You will not find peace there. Hold onto Me, for I am the Peace of Heaven. (verses 34-36)Your function is letting go of this world and your will within it. Only by letting go of the temporal will you find the Eternal within. Be not distracted. I am your Truth. (verses 37-39)
Let your Light shine that men may recognize the Eternal. For your Light is Me and I am your Light. (verses 40-42)
Matthew, Chapter 11John [the Baptist] symbolizes the search for Truth. Many become lost in the search because they know not where to look. Do not search for Truth in the symbols of the world. Nothing in the world can contain the Truth. The Truth is but reflected there. Let the reflection be as evidence that Truth Is, but do not put your faith in the evidence. Put your faith in the Truth. (verses 1-6)The search for Truth is not Truth itself, so do not stop there. Many have heard the call to search and have accepted it, but then they have stopped, thinking themselves complete. You are not complete until you are the Truth, so do not stop at the call. It is your beginning, but it is not your end. To find the Truth, you must walk until your end. (verses 7-15)
Do not judge the symbols [in the world]. Do not look for Truth there. The temptation to believe the world and its symbols is great because you want to believe the world. You want the world to be true because you want to be right about the world. And this is why I ask for your faith and willingness. It is because I am asking you to turn away from what you believe is true, from what you have known until now and from where you have put your faith before. Let the world go from your sight. Let it be but a vision of dancing symbols with no truth in them. This is what I mean when I ask you to seek only Me. Let all that you knew before Me go from your thoughts. (verses 16-19)
Listen to Me. When I speak of Truth, you think of others and think that My Words are good for them. But if I tell you that I am talking to you, why do you think of others? I have already told you that Guidance comes from within and the world is but dancing symbols. Are you ready to seek only Me? (verses 20-24)Give thanks that your Father knows how to heal you. Give thanks that he knows you must find willingness to lay yourself aside, and that it is upon this willingness that he patiently waits so that healing may be given you. (verses 25, 26)
All things are revealed to you when you are ready, for when you are not ready, you [will] not accept them. You think you are a lofty being with thoughts that are real and worth holding onto. You will not learn that you are Holy as long as you choose to believe that you are lofty. It takes Holiness to see what Holy is, and so you must choose to know Holiness to see that you are Holy. (verse 27)
You carry your own burdens now. I did not ask you to pick them up, and I do not insist upon you carrying them. I am the one who asks you to put them down. There is nothing of value within the burdens that you carry. Truly, they are not worth their weight! Your burdens keep you from knowing you are free, and so they keep you from knowing your Self. For, how can a man know his self if he does not know he is free?
Listen to Me. Lay your burdens down. You will find no treasure there. (verses 28, 29)
Matthew, Chapter 8
Jesus is the symbol of healing, for healing comes from the healed Son of God. The unhealed cannot heal his self, but he can ask in faith and willingness, and the healed Son may heal on behalf of the Father. And then the one who has been healed may be used as a witness so others will come to know their own desire to be healed. (verses 1 – 4)
Jesus is the symbol of the healed Son of God, for the healed Son knows what healing is. It is oneness, where all are welcomed into the Kingdom as one and there is great joy. For from within the seat of the Kingdom, the Son knows who He is and He has not forgotten. But outside of the seat, the son is lost. And so he is crying for his Home but knows not where it is. (verses 5 – 13)
Jesus is the symbol of the one Son of God, for as He Is, so you shall know yourself to Be. All will be healed within their time, for what is the Son of God with less than every part of His Self? (verses 14-17)
This ministry is not a ministry of the world. Those who choose to follow will find what they do not expect, for what you expect comes from your will and your desire, but it is your will and your desire that must be laid aside if you are to be healed.Do not ask for what you want. Ask Me what it is that you need and I shall lead you to it. But follow Me in purpose and faith only, for if you seek anything else, you will not see what I am showing you. (verses 18-22)Peace is the sign of health, for the healed Son of God knows there is nothing to fear and there is nothing that he needs that is not given him. So he rests and does not fear, for he knows who He is. (verses 23-27)
The thoughts that are in your mind that you think are yours are not yours. Let the thoughts go from your mind and then you shall see that they are but thoughts of death. They are not you, for you are Life. Let the thoughts of death leave you that you may know your Self and may live. (verses 28-34)
Matthew, Chapter 9
Listen to Me. The authority within the Heart is the authority of God. Do not be confused. Your will is not the same as God's, but when you lay your will aside and walk with God, you will know that you are one with Him. (verses 1-7)
Forgiveness is for error. It is your judgments that must be let go, for it is your judgment that has been your error. When you let go of your judgment, you will see what Is. But if you hold onto your judgment, you choose confusion and pain. Let go and be free, or hold on and sacrifice your freedom. (verses 9-13)Let go of old habits and old ways of thinking. They have not served you. To hold onto the old is to [make] a future like the past. That is not useful to you now. Listen to My Word. Hear what I say. Practice it. Then you will know what to do. (verses 14-17)
Miracles are not what you expect, for you expect only what you have seen. I am here to give you new sight, and with new sight you will see differently. Have faith in Me and trust in Me. Do as I say and everything different from what you expect will be given you. (verses 18-26)The blind cannot see. The dumb cannot talk. And so it is healing they must seek. Know that it is you I am talking to. You are blind and cannot see, so I ask you not to talk. For through your words you spread confusion. Listen to Me and spread My Word. By sharing what I give, you will recover your sight. (verse 27-34)
Let Me heal you, that your brothers may see your Health and be healed unto [Self] through Me. (verses 35-37)
Matthew, Chapter 10I give you authority to teach through Me, but you are not yet the Teacher as I am. It is through sharing My Word that you shall come to know your Self, and so it is yourself that you teach through Me. (verses 1-6)
Teach yourself but this: God is within, and it is from Within that I am led.
To learn this lesson is true, do not focus on what is [in the world]. Do not worry about what you are to eat or what you are to wear or where you are to sleep. Focus only on the Word within and seek nothing else. Everything will be provided that you may do the work I ask. (verses 7-10)
Remember always that it is you that you teach. If you find peace in fellowship with another, enjoy that peace and be thankful for it. But if you find agitation, let your agitation go. Do not keep your agitation with you, for agitation is darkness. All who will learn of glory will learn glory is found in letting agitation go. (verses 11-16)
Remember that you are not alone. That is the lesson I send you to learn. The Spirit of your Father is one, and so you are one with that Spirit. Trust in the Spirit in all things, and do not fail on this account. (verses 17-20)
What you will see in the world will confuse you, and so you must not look there for understanding. Look to Me. I am your Guide and the one who knows what understanding is. Look to Me in all things, and you shall know Me even within the world. (verses 21-23)By making your will one with Mine, you will come to know your Self [to be] the same as Me. So give your will to Me that I may give you Mine and we shall have one will. (verses 24, 25)
Do not fear the world or what you see or hear there. I say to you, the world is not real. It will come to pass, but you are eternal, and what is eternal is real. Let your mind be turned from the temporal and fearful to the Eternal. For what is eternal can have no fear. (verses 26-31)You will know Me by choosing to be one with Me. Lay your temporal self aside. It is nothing. Your will cannot affect eternity. But My Will is eternity, and by knowing My Will, you will know the peace of the Eternal. (verses 32, 33)
Remember that all things in this world are temporal, so hold not onto them. You will not find peace there. Hold onto Me, for I am the Peace of Heaven. (verses 34-36)Your function is letting go of this world and your will within it. Only by letting go of the temporal will you find the Eternal within. Be not distracted. I am your Truth. (verses 37-39)
Let your Light shine that men may recognize the Eternal. For your Light is Me and I am your Light. (verses 40-42)
Matthew, Chapter 11John [the Baptist] symbolizes the search for Truth. Many become lost in the search because they know not where to look. Do not search for Truth in the symbols of the world. Nothing in the world can contain the Truth. The Truth is but reflected there. Let the reflection be as evidence that Truth Is, but do not put your faith in the evidence. Put your faith in the Truth. (verses 1-6)The search for Truth is not Truth itself, so do not stop there. Many have heard the call to search and have accepted it, but then they have stopped, thinking themselves complete. You are not complete until you are the Truth, so do not stop at the call. It is your beginning, but it is not your end. To find the Truth, you must walk until your end. (verses 7-15)
Do not judge the symbols [in the world]. Do not look for Truth there. The temptation to believe the world and its symbols is great because you want to believe the world. You want the world to be true because you want to be right about the world. And this is why I ask for your faith and willingness. It is because I am asking you to turn away from what you believe is true, from what you have known until now and from where you have put your faith before. Let the world go from your sight. Let it be but a vision of dancing symbols with no truth in them. This is what I mean when I ask you to seek only Me. Let all that you knew before Me go from your thoughts. (verses 16-19)
Listen to Me. When I speak of Truth, you think of others and think that My Words are good for them. But if I tell you that I am talking to you, why do you think of others? I have already told you that Guidance comes from within and the world is but dancing symbols. Are you ready to seek only Me? (verses 20-24)Give thanks that your Father knows how to heal you. Give thanks that he knows you must find willingness to lay yourself aside, and that it is upon this willingness that he patiently waits so that healing may be given you. (verses 25, 26)
All things are revealed to you when you are ready, for when you are not ready, you [will] not accept them. You think you are a lofty being with thoughts that are real and worth holding onto. You will not learn that you are Holy as long as you choose to believe that you are lofty. It takes Holiness to see what Holy is, and so you must choose to know Holiness to see that you are Holy. (verse 27)
You carry your own burdens now. I did not ask you to pick them up, and I do not insist upon you carrying them. I am the one who asks you to put them down. There is nothing of value within the burdens that you carry. Truly, they are not worth their weight! Your burdens keep you from knowing you are free, and so they keep you from knowing your Self. For, how can a man know his self if he does not know he is free?
Listen to Me. Lay your burdens down. You will find no treasure there. (verses 28, 29)
Friday, August 19, 2005
Blog: Awakeinthedream
Herb's blog --http://awakeinthedream.org
Sample
His Gentleness
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Holy Spirit is so wonderful and gentle in His teaching.
I awoke in the middle of the night after a happy sleeping dream sharing love and hope with the figures within and I felt grateful and thankful for it and them.
As I lay quiet, tears came as I realized how little I knew of love and that there is no love but God's.
All the love that was shared at Bumpity had touched me on such a deep level and I am finally able to see how the blocks in my awareness of love's presence is being lifted.
Love and miracles are everywhere having always been there, available to me always more
Sample
His Gentleness
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Holy Spirit is so wonderful and gentle in His teaching.
I awoke in the middle of the night after a happy sleeping dream sharing love and hope with the figures within and I felt grateful and thankful for it and them.
As I lay quiet, tears came as I realized how little I knew of love and that there is no love but God's.
All the love that was shared at Bumpity had touched me on such a deep level and I am finally able to see how the blocks in my awareness of love's presence is being lifted.
Love and miracles are everywhere having always been there, available to me always more
Saturday, August 13, 2005
more
A Course in Miracles tells us that miracles are natural and when they
do not occur that something has gone wrong. Miracles are the result of a "shift in perception." If we are willing to see each other or our situation differently, then our Higher Mind is free to give us a new perception. Once the new perception is given, then the effects of the new perception are seen outwardly in our physical world. We call these experiences miraculous, because with a change in perception, we can almost instantly experience a different result than what we expected. Our Higher Mind is ALWAYS giving us the corrected perception, however it is not often that we invite or pay attention
to it. Let me share an example with you:
I was traveling in the grapevine, a small mountain range in Southern
California, and there was a car traveling about 100 feet in front of
me. All of the sudden, the car swerved to miss a large piece of tire tread in the road. The driver tried to overcompensate and straighten the car out, but instead, the car went completely out of control. It started tumbling sideways, crossed three lanes of traffic and landed upside down in a ditch on the side of the road. I had two of my children with me (in their early teens) and I said out loud, "Kids
we need to pray NOW!" Instinctively, I held out my right hand towards the scene of the accident, as if to send Light energy. I started praying out loud as I made my way to the side of the road. My prayer went something like this. "I am willing to see this differently. There is only God. There is only the Power of God. There is only the effect of God. There is no other power. Suffering is NEVER required! Dear God, help me to know that we can never be altered.
Only the Truth is true. What you created in us can never be altered.
There is only God. There are no effects from the illusion. There are only the effects of God. There is no other power." I said it like a mantra until I was able to stop my car. I asked for Spiritual Guidance about what to do first. I noticed another driver calling for help on their cell phone, so I told the kids to stay in the car
and I ran back to the scene of the accident.
As I arrived, I noticed the fourth person crawling out from under the
upside-down car. I couldn't tell how they were getting out, because the top of the car was crushed so badly. It was a Hispanic family; an older woman in her eighties, two middle-aged women and a 5 year old girl. Several people had pulled over by this time and we were all checking for injuries. The ONLY notable injury was that the driver had broken a thumbnail. We were all amazed! The car had tumbled at least three times before landing upside-down, and the only injury was a broken thumbnail? Wow!
My attention was drawn to the 5 year old girl clutching her Mother
around the neck. I asked her if she spoke English and she shook her head "yes". I was talking to the little girl over her Mother's shoulder. I asked her if she knew that God was there with her and that is why no one got hurt. She just looked at me. I continued and the words just popped out of my mouth, "Don't you see all of the Angels around you?" She lifted her head and looked around. She then
smiled and nodded her head and the signs of trauma left her face. I
told her that later that day, her family might feel worried about what had happened. I asked her to remind them that God was there and that everything is OK. She was grinning from ear to ear as if she was excited to help out. Ithen noticed that her shirt said "Angel". I asked her if she knew what was written on her shirt and she said, "No." When I told her, her face again illuminated with joy. I
knew in my heart that this child would have no traumatic memories
from the accident and my heart swelled in gratitude.
The older woman was sitting on the curb and did not speak English. I
rubbed her back for awhile until the Paramedics arrived. I offered my own silent prayers and did my best to remember the Truth about all of them and that suffering is never required. I asked for a peaceful outcome for all of them.
I left the scene feeling the Grace of God with me. Despite the
horrible accident scene, I felt a deep sense of safety and love all around me. I gave thanks and continued on my journey.
The Course tells us that it only takes one person to choose to
remember the Truth in any situation. It says, "Whoever is saner at the time can ask for the shift in perception." I do believe that the prayers were helpful that day. I was willing to see the situation differently and was immediately given a NEW perception and a new outcome. Sometimes the new perception comes immediately and sometimes it takes a little longer, but it ALWAYS comes!
Today, you can simply survey your situation, your relationships, your
checkbook, your job or anything that is troubling you, and say to
yourself, "I'm willing to see this differently." Do not decide what you would see instead. Simply hold a place for the new perception to be given.
Thanks Robin. Kirsten and I will be back out in northern California
in December and plan to visit your brother Scott and Lorae in December
before heading to the South Pacific for the new year.
Love,
David
do not occur that something has gone wrong. Miracles are the result of a "shift in perception." If we are willing to see each other or our situation differently, then our Higher Mind is free to give us a new perception. Once the new perception is given, then the effects of the new perception are seen outwardly in our physical world. We call these experiences miraculous, because with a change in perception, we can almost instantly experience a different result than what we expected. Our Higher Mind is ALWAYS giving us the corrected perception, however it is not often that we invite or pay attention
to it. Let me share an example with you:
I was traveling in the grapevine, a small mountain range in Southern
California, and there was a car traveling about 100 feet in front of
me. All of the sudden, the car swerved to miss a large piece of tire tread in the road. The driver tried to overcompensate and straighten the car out, but instead, the car went completely out of control. It started tumbling sideways, crossed three lanes of traffic and landed upside down in a ditch on the side of the road. I had two of my children with me (in their early teens) and I said out loud, "Kids
we need to pray NOW!" Instinctively, I held out my right hand towards the scene of the accident, as if to send Light energy. I started praying out loud as I made my way to the side of the road. My prayer went something like this. "I am willing to see this differently. There is only God. There is only the Power of God. There is only the effect of God. There is no other power. Suffering is NEVER required! Dear God, help me to know that we can never be altered.
Only the Truth is true. What you created in us can never be altered.
There is only God. There are no effects from the illusion. There are only the effects of God. There is no other power." I said it like a mantra until I was able to stop my car. I asked for Spiritual Guidance about what to do first. I noticed another driver calling for help on their cell phone, so I told the kids to stay in the car
and I ran back to the scene of the accident.
As I arrived, I noticed the fourth person crawling out from under the
upside-down car. I couldn't tell how they were getting out, because the top of the car was crushed so badly. It was a Hispanic family; an older woman in her eighties, two middle-aged women and a 5 year old girl. Several people had pulled over by this time and we were all checking for injuries. The ONLY notable injury was that the driver had broken a thumbnail. We were all amazed! The car had tumbled at least three times before landing upside-down, and the only injury was a broken thumbnail? Wow!
My attention was drawn to the 5 year old girl clutching her Mother
around the neck. I asked her if she spoke English and she shook her head "yes". I was talking to the little girl over her Mother's shoulder. I asked her if she knew that God was there with her and that is why no one got hurt. She just looked at me. I continued and the words just popped out of my mouth, "Don't you see all of the Angels around you?" She lifted her head and looked around. She then
smiled and nodded her head and the signs of trauma left her face. I
told her that later that day, her family might feel worried about what had happened. I asked her to remind them that God was there and that everything is OK. She was grinning from ear to ear as if she was excited to help out. Ithen noticed that her shirt said "Angel". I asked her if she knew what was written on her shirt and she said, "No." When I told her, her face again illuminated with joy. I
knew in my heart that this child would have no traumatic memories
from the accident and my heart swelled in gratitude.
The older woman was sitting on the curb and did not speak English. I
rubbed her back for awhile until the Paramedics arrived. I offered my own silent prayers and did my best to remember the Truth about all of them and that suffering is never required. I asked for a peaceful outcome for all of them.
I left the scene feeling the Grace of God with me. Despite the
horrible accident scene, I felt a deep sense of safety and love all around me. I gave thanks and continued on my journey.
The Course tells us that it only takes one person to choose to
remember the Truth in any situation. It says, "Whoever is saner at the time can ask for the shift in perception." I do believe that the prayers were helpful that day. I was willing to see the situation differently and was immediately given a NEW perception and a new outcome. Sometimes the new perception comes immediately and sometimes it takes a little longer, but it ALWAYS comes!
Today, you can simply survey your situation, your relationships, your
checkbook, your job or anything that is troubling you, and say to
yourself, "I'm willing to see this differently." Do not decide what you would see instead. Simply hold a place for the new perception to be given.
Thanks Robin. Kirsten and I will be back out in northern California
in December and plan to visit your brother Scott and Lorae in December
before heading to the South Pacific for the new year.
Love,
David
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Commentary on Kirsten
I have added words after her words:
I am a thought in God's mind. singularityy
I am baptized in light.
I am bathed in purity. purity
I am divine, real, whole. reality
Align my thoughts with the singular thought of God. oneness
Do not be concerned with other's opinions. certainty
Clear the mind of extraneous thoughts. emptiness
Bless everyone that comes into my mind. fortune
Do not be afraid of responsibilities awakening might bring. discipline
It is not arrogance to admit to being a powerful being already. humility
I am love. I am loved. love
Never doubt myself. strength
Extraneous thoughts are useless. nothingness
I am an ageless being. eternity
I am life itself. life
I touch every one I meet.unity
The importance of a personal me will fade.
A personal past is insignificant.
Personality traits are unimportant. christ
Accept the truth about myself and nothing else. holiness
I feel the kiss of God. power
from the last post:
All preferences are of the ego--what radiates forever is of God
I am a thought in God's mind. singularityy
I am baptized in light.
I am bathed in purity. purity
I am divine, real, whole. reality
Align my thoughts with the singular thought of God. oneness
Do not be concerned with other's opinions. certainty
Clear the mind of extraneous thoughts. emptiness
Bless everyone that comes into my mind. fortune
Do not be afraid of responsibilities awakening might bring. discipline
It is not arrogance to admit to being a powerful being already. humility
I am love. I am loved. love
Never doubt myself. strength
Extraneous thoughts are useless. nothingness
I am an ageless being. eternity
I am life itself. life
I touch every one I meet.unity
The importance of a personal me will fade.
A personal past is insignificant.
Personality traits are unimportant. christ
Accept the truth about myself and nothing else. holiness
I feel the kiss of God. power
from the last post:
All preferences are of the ego--what radiates forever is of God
More from Kirsten
The topics of idols, life, death, the purpose that I give everything in form are so clear. Wow. As Jacqui (my mother) would say, "a light bulb moment".
I realize that the idols that I have selected to keep me from heaven now involve the future. I have stopped myself from immersing totally in the present moment because I might be sacrificing my future idols, which aren't even real. How insane.
Answer: Idols are images made to block the awareness of Gods love. Seek happiness in them and you turn away from God. You choose death over life.
Questioner: Could you talk about "every living thing contains all
there is" from the text?
Answer: "Every living thing contains all there is" is a metaphor for God Is. God is all there is and you are complete and whole within God. You contain all there is as does every living
thing because God is infinite, God is everything everywhere.
Questioner: But it has nothing to do with form? When I think of "every living thing" I think of people, animals, nature etc. But those are images, thoughts that I have given reality, they
do not contain life within themselves…
Answer: Think of all that you see as being unified, a tapestry of moving, colored images. Seek not for heaven within the images that appear to be outside of you.
Questioner: The text says idols are nothing, nowhere, and God is everywhere. I'm reminded of the lesson "these thoughts are images I have made"… I feel myself turning inward more and more, not trying to figure out the world and make it all fit together in a way
that makes sense.
Answer: This world does not make sense. Turning inward is turning to God, turning away from the world to peace.
Questioner: Thank you for this message of love. I feel safe in the knowledge that love, happiness, peace, all that I have ever sought and wanted is within me.
Join AwakeningInChrist
I realize that the idols that I have selected to keep me from heaven now involve the future. I have stopped myself from immersing totally in the present moment because I might be sacrificing my future idols, which aren't even real. How insane.
Answer: Idols are images made to block the awareness of Gods love. Seek happiness in them and you turn away from God. You choose death over life.
Questioner: Could you talk about "every living thing contains all
there is" from the text?
Answer: "Every living thing contains all there is" is a metaphor for God Is. God is all there is and you are complete and whole within God. You contain all there is as does every living
thing because God is infinite, God is everything everywhere.
Questioner: But it has nothing to do with form? When I think of "every living thing" I think of people, animals, nature etc. But those are images, thoughts that I have given reality, they
do not contain life within themselves…
Answer: Think of all that you see as being unified, a tapestry of moving, colored images. Seek not for heaven within the images that appear to be outside of you.
Questioner: The text says idols are nothing, nowhere, and God is everywhere. I'm reminded of the lesson "these thoughts are images I have made"… I feel myself turning inward more and more, not trying to figure out the world and make it all fit together in a way
that makes sense.
Answer: This world does not make sense. Turning inward is turning to God, turning away from the world to peace.
Questioner: Thank you for this message of love. I feel safe in the knowledge that love, happiness, peace, all that I have ever sought and wanted is within me.
Join AwakeningInChrist
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Kirsten On Awakening
From AwakeningInChrist Yahoo Group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AwakeningInChrist . . . God Bless You Holy One!
AwakeningInChrist Main Page
Dear everyone,
This mornings "date with the Holy Spirit" involved being in full study mode, reading and taking notes from the text.
The following points are from the Undoing of Fear section.
The dreamer of the dream does not know he sleeps… The separation started when… The mind made sickness… The miracle is the first step in giving the function of causation back to cause and not to effect… Healing only the body is half the lesson... The mind is sick that thought the body could be sick…
Questioner: So the dream reflects the separation of myself and God.
I believe I turned on God and in doing so what I have created seems to have turned on me. Because I fear God the figures in the dream seem fearful… What can you tell me about this?
Answer: Know that you are the dreamer. You actively dream the dream. The world reflects the thoughts / beliefs within your mind. Remember me always. When I am the guiding light within your mind in every moment you are remembering God because I hold the memory of God always. You are asleep in the sense that you have turned away from God in fear. When all fear of God has left your mind you will awaken.
Question: I don't really think I fear God, I didn't even know
God in this lifetime until 2 years ago…why do I fear God?
What does it look like in this world? (At this moment I experienced feelings of nervousness and fear welling up)
Answer: This world, the dream that you are dreaming, plays out your fear in form. As you believe/dream that you deprive your Father of his Son you dream of deprivation and separation.
This world plays out the fear – You believe you are the cause of your existence, that you can create your own life and that you have experiences within this world - some of which you choose, some that happen to you.
This is a backwards and utterly untrue perception. Question: It seems like a struggle this morning. I've written and crossed out several sentences.
Why is this?
Answer: Resistance is high.
When you really understand the concept of cause and effect, of true Cause and Effect v's false cause and effect, you will see this world for what it is.
Right now you are having glimpses.
Confusion produced this dream and when you have cleared your mind of all confusion you will be free of the dream.
Question: What would be helpful to keep in mind right now as I continue to learn and apply this? Answer: God Loves You.
Answer: :-) I shared with Regina that it felt like a struggle rather than a freeflow this morning and lo and behold she was having the same experience. We immediately felt joined and so grateful to be sharing this experience right now.
Thank you Holy Spirit, I am eternally grateful for your gentle, loving guidance.
With much love,
Kirsten
AwakeningInChrist Main Page
Dear everyone,
This mornings "date with the Holy Spirit" involved being in full study mode, reading and taking notes from the text.
The following points are from the Undoing of Fear section.
The dreamer of the dream does not know he sleeps… The separation started when… The mind made sickness… The miracle is the first step in giving the function of causation back to cause and not to effect… Healing only the body is half the lesson... The mind is sick that thought the body could be sick…
Questioner: So the dream reflects the separation of myself and God.
I believe I turned on God and in doing so what I have created seems to have turned on me. Because I fear God the figures in the dream seem fearful… What can you tell me about this?
Answer: Know that you are the dreamer. You actively dream the dream. The world reflects the thoughts / beliefs within your mind. Remember me always. When I am the guiding light within your mind in every moment you are remembering God because I hold the memory of God always. You are asleep in the sense that you have turned away from God in fear. When all fear of God has left your mind you will awaken.
Question: I don't really think I fear God, I didn't even know
God in this lifetime until 2 years ago…why do I fear God?
What does it look like in this world? (At this moment I experienced feelings of nervousness and fear welling up)
Answer: This world, the dream that you are dreaming, plays out your fear in form. As you believe/dream that you deprive your Father of his Son you dream of deprivation and separation.
This world plays out the fear – You believe you are the cause of your existence, that you can create your own life and that you have experiences within this world - some of which you choose, some that happen to you.
This is a backwards and utterly untrue perception. Question: It seems like a struggle this morning. I've written and crossed out several sentences.
Why is this?
Answer: Resistance is high.
When you really understand the concept of cause and effect, of true Cause and Effect v's false cause and effect, you will see this world for what it is.
Right now you are having glimpses.
Confusion produced this dream and when you have cleared your mind of all confusion you will be free of the dream.
Question: What would be helpful to keep in mind right now as I continue to learn and apply this? Answer: God Loves You.
Answer: :-) I shared with Regina that it felt like a struggle rather than a freeflow this morning and lo and behold she was having the same experience. We immediately felt joined and so grateful to be sharing this experience right now.
Thank you Holy Spirit, I am eternally grateful for your gentle, loving guidance.
With much love,
Kirsten
Sunday, July 24, 2005
from Brian of Church of the Holy Instant
My Groups Holy_Instant Main Page
The Tablecloth
The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities.
When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas eve.
They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc.,and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.
The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in.
One of the items was a beautiful handmade ivory colored crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall.
He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it.
The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.
She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry.
The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet.
She asked the pastor, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials "EBG" were crocheted into it there.
They were.
These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.
The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth.
The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria.
When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured and sent to prison, and she never saw her husband or her home again.
The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home as that was the least he could do.
She lived on the far side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.
What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve.
The church was almost full.
The music and the spirit were great.
At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.
One older man who the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war.
How could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he insisted his wife flee for her safety, how he was supposed to follow her but was arrested and put in a prison, and how he never saw his wife or his home again in all the 35 years between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride.
They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman a few days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and observed the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.
My Groups Holy_Instant Main Page
The Tablecloth
The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities.
When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas eve.
They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc.,and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.
The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in.
One of the items was a beautiful handmade ivory colored crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall.
He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it.
The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.
She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry.
The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet.
She asked the pastor, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials "EBG" were crocheted into it there.
They were.
These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.
The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth.
The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria.
When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured and sent to prison, and she never saw her husband or her home again.
The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home as that was the least he could do.
She lived on the far side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.
What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve.
The church was almost full.
The music and the spirit were great.
At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.
One older man who the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war.
How could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he insisted his wife flee for her safety, how he was supposed to follow her but was arrested and put in a prison, and how he never saw his wife or his home again in all the 35 years between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride.
They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman a few days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and observed the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
questions about the genesis of ACIM
Here are the original Guidelines Given By Jesus to Helen Schucman and
Bill Thetford for the overall use of A Course In Miracles in the
world. These Guidelines are still very helpful and practical today.
1. A Course In Miracles was copyrighted when it was first published
in the 1970s in order to keep its thought-system intact during the
first 3 decades of its birth and distribution to the world.
2. A Course In Miracles was intended to be a self-study course. Only
Jesus & the Holy Spirit can reveal the meaning of the Course to the
student's mind. Only God knows the readiness of the student to
receive this revelation.
3. A Course In Miracles was only to be published by those who devoted
their lives to its guardianship.
4. A Course In Miracles was not to be commercially advertised. It
has and will make its own way around the world. Freely you have
received, now freely give.
5. Free copies of A Course In Miracles were to be provided to those
people who could not afford the cost of the Course. This function
was originally the responsibility of the publisher, and now is up to
everyone who hears and Answers the Call. A Course In Miracles is now
offered freely on the Internet for those who wish to read and/or
print a copy of the book for their study and use.
6. No one was to make any money from A Course In Miracles. Revenues
and donations are always to be used for sharing and extending the
Course with the world and experiencing the Inner Peace of the Kingdom
of Heaven within.
Thanks to Trisha Aude for sharing these Guidelines through the years.
Love & Blessings,
David
http://awakening-mind.org
Bill Thetford for the overall use of A Course In Miracles in the
world. These Guidelines are still very helpful and practical today.
1. A Course In Miracles was copyrighted when it was first published
in the 1970s in order to keep its thought-system intact during the
first 3 decades of its birth and distribution to the world.
2. A Course In Miracles was intended to be a self-study course. Only
Jesus & the Holy Spirit can reveal the meaning of the Course to the
student's mind. Only God knows the readiness of the student to
receive this revelation.
3. A Course In Miracles was only to be published by those who devoted
their lives to its guardianship.
4. A Course In Miracles was not to be commercially advertised. It
has and will make its own way around the world. Freely you have
received, now freely give.
5. Free copies of A Course In Miracles were to be provided to those
people who could not afford the cost of the Course. This function
was originally the responsibility of the publisher, and now is up to
everyone who hears and Answers the Call. A Course In Miracles is now
offered freely on the Internet for those who wish to read and/or
print a copy of the book for their study and use.
6. No one was to make any money from A Course In Miracles. Revenues
and donations are always to be used for sharing and extending the
Course with the world and experiencing the Inner Peace of the Kingdom
of Heaven within.
Thanks to Trisha Aude for sharing these Guidelines through the years.
Love & Blessings,
David
http://awakening-mind.org
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Frequently Asked Questions from Advertisers
To read the FAQ for Viewers, please click here.To read the FAQ for Publishers, please click here.Why advertising on blogs
What are Blogads good for?
If these things are so great, why don't I see any big companies buying Blogads?
Word of mouth? What do Blogads have to do with "word of mouth?"
But why don't most big companies "get" blogs?
So is this peer to peer?
Where else can I look for information about Blogads?
Sales Questions
We are an ad agency. We would like to brainstorm and talk about our campaign. Can you help?
I work for an ad agency. What are your net prices?
Why do Blogads run continuously for a set period?
What kind of clickthru can I expect?
Can my ad appear at the top of an advertiser's adstrip?
How can I ensure that my ad is prominently displayed on a page?
Ad formatting, specifications, ad submissions
I don't have a userid, how do I get one?
What are the technical specifications for ads?
Can I put links inside my ad text?
Can my ad be animated?
Can I add Flash to my ad?
Can I add HTML to my ad?
Why can't I see exactly what my ad will look like on the "preview" page?
How many days does a "one month" ad run?
When will my ad appear?
I can't upload my image. What gives?
It says that my ad text is over 300 characters. What am I doing wrong?
Questions about submitted ads
Can I revise an ad?
How do I revise my ad?
I've revised my ad but the new text isn't showing up yet on the blogs.
If next to an ad it says "Draft " what exactly does this mean?
It says ˝Deferred˝ next to my ad. What does this mean and what should I do?
I've bought an ad on multiple blogs. Can I see click counts for each?
My ad looks different on different blogs. Is there anything you can do about this?
What is the "replicate" check box? Does ticking it mean my ad will continue running seamlessly after the original one expires?.
On the blogad results detail page, why do I have lots of impressions one day and none the next?
I cannot see the Edit link on the Manage My Ads page.What is wrong?
Why advertising on blogsWhat are Blogads good for?Blogs are ideal for promoting books, gigs, candidates, software, EBay auctions, legal services -- goods and services that require a strong intellectual or emotional engagement with an audience. Most of all, Blogads are good for new products and services that require word of mouth to really catch fire.If these things are so great, why don't I see any big companies buying Blogads?Recognizing the Blogosphere's superior signal-to-noise ratio, some PR agencies _are_ starting to pitch ideas to bloggers. And Microsoft apparently has carved out a budget for communicating with bloggers. But these folks are the exception at present. Some sleepy ad executives turn up their noses at an ad that's cheaper than lunch.Word of mouth? What do Blogads have to do with "word of mouth?"Most purchases are made in a social context. Only 1 in 10,000 people buy something really new; most of us wait until two or three or ten friends or peers try something. (Were you the first person in the Western Hemisphere to get a tattoo?) So marketers are obsessed with "word of mouth." But you can't rely on demographic slicing to get good word of mouth... unless you've got thermonuclear ad budget. You've got to think in a new dimension, and advertise to groups of influential people who know each other, respect each other, talk to each other. Blogs make the networks of peers reachable. Now you don't have to hit 500,000 eyeballs to stir up some word of mouth... it's far better to talk to 500 people who know and respect each other, right?But why don't most big companies "get" blogs?First, despite the buzz, blogs aren't yet used much beyond certain circles of programmers and journalists. The medium has to be widely used for most big companies to get excited. Aunt Millie, Laura Bush and Homer Simpson have to blog. Second, blogs are defining new social and demographic cohorts -- for example "warbloggers" -- that are still too fuzzy for an ad agency to pitch to a big client. Only members of these groups are going to understand the value of their media. Finally, big companies need to spend big money... it is not worth GM's time to buy an ad for $30, $300 or even $3000. It will be years before you can buy $30,000 of advertising on a cohort of blogs. Finally, bloggers doesn't pay a commission to the ad agencies who lubricate the traditional advertising mechanism both offline and on.So is this peer to peer?Yep. For a while at least. While software, books, music and magazines are sold by big companies, obviously they are usually created by individuals or small groups. Blogads pricing and scale should mesh well with the individual creators' needs and wallets.Where else can I look for information about Blogads?Visit archives full of quips and quotes about Internet advertising trends.Sales QuestionsWe are an ad agency. We would like to brainstorm and talk about our campaign. Can you help?Please contact our sales expert Anthony Perry at (919) 338 8144 or get in touch with us via http://www.blogads.com/contact.I work for an ad agency. What are your net prices?The prices you see displayed on the blogs or on the blogads order page are net.Why do Blogads run continuously for a set period?You get more branding and the reader gets the ability to come back tomorrow and click the ad... rather than waiting 'til the ad gets regurgitated again from some mammoth database queue of ads.What kind of clickthru can I expect?Some advertisers get 5% clickthrus, some get 0.01% on the same blog. The key thing is to keep your ad fresh. You've got a great chance to really dig into the minds of a key network of decision makers, to drive word of mouth. Tweaking your ad every couple of days or completely revamping it is a great way to get into a dialogue with these people.Can my ad appear at the top of an advertiser's adstrip?Bloggers get to designate where ads appear. On some blogs, you can order on a premium or patron slot to ensure your position.How can I ensure that my ad is prominently displayed on a page?While click thrus on even the biggest adstrips are competitive with industry averages, advertisers who want prominent placements can order "premium" ads on some bigger blogs.These ads are generally priced at 2 to 4 times ads in standard slots and can be backlogged.Ad formatting, specifications, ad submissionsI don't have a userid, how do I get one?You create a userid when you first create an ad by filling in the "e-mail" and "password" fields.What are the technical specifications for ads?Your image can be up to 150 pixels wide by 200 pixels tall (jpeg or gif, max 16K) plus an optional 30 character title and 300 visible characters of text, which can include simple HTML tags like b, i, link and u. We discourage fast or infinitely looping animation, since these annoy readers and decrease your clickthrus. You will be able to edit your creative at any time during the campaign.Can I put links inside my ad text?Yes. This format is perfect magazines who want to posted links to different articles as well as to their subscription form. Likewise, a company pushing multiple services can link to each individual service. An added benefit: this format makes the ad look like an ad. Not for nothing these things are called blogads.Can my ad be animated?Yes, although some bloggers reject ads that loop infinitely. Best to stop your ad after three or four rotations. Also remember that although you may design your ad as a joke (a + b = c!?) the reader may see the punch line first and never see the set-up line.Can I add Flash to my ad?We are sorry but this is currently not possible.Can I add HTML to my ad?You can add bold and italics, but centering won't work. Adding a link in the ad text will disable our clickthru count; put the destination link into the designated field.Why can't I see exactly what my ad will look like on the "preview" page?Since ads could run on different adstrips with different formatting and widths (depending on the taste of the individual bloggers), we can't give you a true preview unfortunately.How many days does a "one month" ad run?31When will my ad appear?In most cases, bloggers approve ads immediately. Sometimes bloggers don't get our e-mail because of spam blockers. If your ad hasn't run in 24 hours drop us or the blogger a note.I am unable upload my image. What gives?Your image likely exceeds the 16 Kbyte limit, 150 pixel width or 200 pixel hight. Note also that images must be either jpeg or gif. If your ad fits all these requirements and you still have trouble uploading it, please drop us a note via http://www.blogads.com/contact and attach the image to your message.It says that my ad text is over 300 characters. What am I doing wrong?The blogad text limit is 300 visible characters including spaces and at most three s. If your text fits these criteria but you are still getting an error message, please drop us a note via http://www.blogads.com/contact and include youe ad text in the messageQuestions about submitted adsCan I revise an ad?Yes please. This will improve your clickthru. Please keep your new ad is in the spirit of the original, so the host blogger gets what s/he bargained for.How do I revise my ad?When logged in, click on the "edit" link in the "status" column beside your ad. If this link is not visible, check your firewall or antivirus software (Norton, etc). Turn "ad blocking" OFF, hit reload on your browser and the "edit" links should appear.I've revised my ad but the new text isn't showing up yet on the blogs.Sometimes it takes a few minutes before your revision appears on the blogs. If you think you have been waiting for too long now please get in touch via http://www.blogads.com/contact and we will investigate.If next to an ad it says "Draft " what exactly does this mean?Draft means you have not yet paid for the ad. Click the edit link in the row of the ad, and proceed to payment after the preview page.It says ˝Deferred˝ next to my ad. What does this mean and what should I do?This means that the blogger has put the ad on hold for some reason. This stops the clock from ticking, so your ad will still appear as long as it was purchased for. Feel free to send a polite note to the blogger to find out the specifics of the deferral or drop us a note via http://www.blogads.com/contact and we will try to help.I've bought an ad on multiple blogs. Can I see click counts for each?Click the impressions or clicks link and you'll find a page containing breakouts by blog and by ad version.My ad looks different on different blogs. Is there anything you can do about this?Most site designers try to serve 97% of the people 99% of the time. Bloggers want their sites to look nice, so if your ad looks bad, please drop them and us an e-mail.What is the "replicate" check box? Does ticking it mean my ad will continue running seamlessly after the original one expires?Replicate simply saves you the time of creating the ad from scratch. It does not automatically guarantee seamless continuity. (Someone may have jumped in the queue ahead of you.) Make sure you include the expiry date of your current date as the "Run after" date.On the blogad results detail page, why do I have lots of impressions one day and none the next?Because this information actually tracks ads by version, not by dayI cannot see the Edit link on the Manage My Ads page.What is wrong?If you are running Norton Security, or other similar software, make sure you either have Adblocking turned off or whitelist Blogads pages. Once you've done this, you will likely see the Edit link.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Paula Bruce3020 Bridgeway, Ste. 134Sausalito, CA 94966.0Phone: [1] 415-332-6577Fax: [1] 415-332-0684
CASS' RENTAL MARINA - website
Lois Keating-FisherP.O. Box 643Sausalito, CA 94966.0Phone: [1] 415-332-6789Fax: [1] 415-332-5729
Description: Sailboat rentals, charters and instruction.
CAT BALLOU, INC. - website
Ellie & Chuck Longanecker1433 KingfordCarmichael, CA 95608.0Phone: [1] 916-487-1246Fax: [1] 916-484-6719
Description: Cat Ballou is a warm, spacious, comfortable 42' Catamaran. Cat Ballou does not have the tippyness that is experienced with a single hulled boat. Great for parties, weddings & convivial outings.
CAT CHALET
Saga Perry7 Harrison St.Sausalito, CA 94965.0Phone: [1] 415-332-1721
Description: Cat rescue and shelter.CALHOUN'S LIQUOR STORE
William Calhoun317 Johnson St.Sausalito, CA 94965.0Phone: [1] 415-332-6232Fax: [1] 415-332-6236Dryrobertl@aol.com wrote:
old house account leads for you.
Clipper Yacht Harbor - 332-3500 (No Contact Name)
Hamilton Credit Union - 883-5955 (No Contact Name)
Heart of Humanity - 898-4278 - Verlinda Montoya
Home Instead Senior Care - 883-6260 - Julie Ann Anderson
Home Theater by The Sea - 603-356-9695 Nathanial or Diane Gurien
IET Nutrition Works 800-987-7530 Ed Bauman
Intuitive Psychiatry - 332-3269 Carol Banyas
Independence Forum - 707-769-2898 - Nancy Greer
ITA COnference - Melody Sullivan 805-563-6701
Good Luck and let me know what happens
Robert
CASS' RENTAL MARINA - website
Lois Keating-FisherP.O. Box 643Sausalito, CA 94966.0Phone: [1] 415-332-6789Fax: [1] 415-332-5729
Description: Sailboat rentals, charters and instruction.
CAT BALLOU, INC. - website
Ellie & Chuck Longanecker1433 KingfordCarmichael, CA 95608.0Phone: [1] 916-487-1246Fax: [1] 916-484-6719
Description: Cat Ballou is a warm, spacious, comfortable 42' Catamaran. Cat Ballou does not have the tippyness that is experienced with a single hulled boat. Great for parties, weddings & convivial outings.
CAT CHALET
Saga Perry7 Harrison St.Sausalito, CA 94965.0Phone: [1] 415-332-1721
Description: Cat rescue and shelter.CALHOUN'S LIQUOR STORE
William Calhoun317 Johnson St.Sausalito, CA 94965.0Phone: [1] 415-332-6232Fax: [1] 415-332-6236Dryrobertl@aol.com wrote:
old house account leads for you.
Clipper Yacht Harbor - 332-3500 (No Contact Name)
Hamilton Credit Union - 883-5955 (No Contact Name)
Heart of Humanity - 898-4278 - Verlinda Montoya
Home Instead Senior Care - 883-6260 - Julie Ann Anderson
Home Theater by The Sea - 603-356-9695 Nathanial or Diane Gurien
IET Nutrition Works 800-987-7530 Ed Bauman
Intuitive Psychiatry - 332-3269 Carol Banyas
Independence Forum - 707-769-2898 - Nancy Greer
ITA COnference - Melody Sullivan 805-563-6701
Good Luck and let me know what happens
Robert
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
13 elements
13 Elements of Winning Small Business Advertisement
Nobody can guarantee a winning ad. The only way to know for sure is to test it. But there are several elements that you can incorporate into your ad or sales letter to give it a better chance of being a winner. Use these elements as your own personal “winning ad checklist.”
Element #1 – Smart Ad Placement
The first step in positioning your ad for success is increasing its chance of being seen by your target market. Running the world’s best radio ad for your retirement planning services on a local hip-hop station wouldn’t be a good idea.
Find out what your target market watches (i.e. sports, cooking, business), where they watch it (i.e. car, home, airport), and how they watch it (i.e. newspaper, magazine, radio). Until you know this information, you cannot make smart choices about ad placement and you’ll likely end up wasting a lot of your hard-earned dollars on an ad that didn’t even get seen by your target market.
Element #2 – Focus on Your Objective
You’ll never get what you want if you don’t know what you want. This is true in your personal goals and also your advertising efforts. You must have a specific objective for your ad if you want people to act. Is it to call your office, come to your store, or go to your website?
Whatever your objective is, gear all the elements of your ad to persuade consumers to fulfill your objective. Suppose you want readers to call your toll-free telephone number, then your call-to-action should be, “call our toll-free number now!”
If you include a testimonial, have your endorser say something like, “when I made a call to your toll-free number…” or you might include copy that says, “one toll-free phone call can change your life forever.”
Multiple objectives will confuse your prospect and when people get confused, they usually do nothing.
Element #3 – Irresistible Offer
If you have ever seen the ginsu knife infomercial you have witnessed the anatomy of an irresistible offer. Not only do you get the set of ginsu knives, but also you get the “magic shredder”, the “never-dull chopper”, and the “easy egg slicer.”
BUT that’s not all – you also get the “2-in-1 blade sharpener” and if you order in the next 10 minutes you’ll also receive a second set of ginsu knives! Now that’s an irresistible offer. Who could resist all these bonuses for the price of one set of ginsu knives?
The secret to constructing an irresistible offer is to add valuable bonuses and extend risk-free, easy-to-pay terms. Continue heaping valuable bonuses on your customer until they throw up their hands and say, “Okay, I give!”
One last thought about your irresistible offer. Sometimes you can make your offer so irresistible that it appears to good to be true. Always tell the reason why you can make such a great offer. This will add credibility to an incredulous ad.
For example, you might be having a sale that advertises 70% off retail price. When people see “70% off” many will think that all you have done is boost your price 50% just so that you can advertise a 70% off price.
But if you tell them you can offer 70% off because the recent hailstorm caused some very slight damage to your product and you need to liquidate. People can now reconcile you great offer in their minds so that it makes sense and is believable.
Element #4 – Unique Competitive Advantage
Why should your prospect do business with you over any of your competitors. Even those that have lower prices! Do you have a “wider selection than anybody in the tri-county area” or do you “deliver within eight hours after the purchase”?
Often your unique competitive advantage is the biggest benefit you can offer your prospects so consider including it in your headline, bulleted copy, or your guarantee.
If by chance, you don’t have a unique competitive advantage(s) then you better get one…fast. Not having a unique competitive advantage with which to show value, results in competing solely on price - - and that’s a losing proposition (unless you have a significant cost advantage).
Element #5 – Advertorial Style
Studies have shown that consumers read new articles seven times more than they do advertisements. It is said that the average consumer is presented with over 3,500 ad impressions per day. We have become jaded to promotions and commercials.
Cloaking your ad in a news style editorial format will not only pull more attention, but also instill credibility, which is one of the major roadblocks to consumer response. “Advertorial” (advertisement – editorial) type ads include compelling headlines, lots of informative, interesting text, quotes, and a judicious use of graphics.
The reason advertorial ads are so compelling is that people are tired of in-your-face sales ads and would prefer the silent, soft sell of an authoritative news article.
Element #6 – Compelling Headline
Your headline is the most important part of all the technical aspects of your ad. 80% of the success of the headline can be attributed to its headline. A powerful headline is either, (1) benefit driven, (2) news oriented, (3) curiosity driven, or (4) how-to oriented.
The following is an example of each:
Benefit Driven Example:
“You Too Can Have a Slimmer Figure Without Dieting”
News Oriented Example:
“Amazing New Formula Cures Arthritis Pain”
Curiosity Driven:
“Are You Making These Deadly Hair Care Mistakes?”
How-to Oriented:
“How to Flood Your Business with New Customers for Under $50”
It’s a good practice to develop a minimum of 30 variations of your headline before you select the one you’ll use. Readers satisfy their interests by scanning headlines. If your headline doesn’t grab attention your ad will never be read, let alone noticed.
Element #7 – Sell the Benefits
Your prospects don’t care about you. They don’t care about your awards, the name of your business, how much you sell, or how good you think you are. They only care about how you, and what you offer, can benefit them. So leave out all of “me” copy and sell the benefits. Ultimately people only want two things, to (1) gain pleasure, or to (2) avoid pain.
Tell people how your offering will help them either gain pleasure or avoid pain by expressing them in the form of benefits. Don’t confuse this with listing the features of your product or service. People aren’t concerned as much with features as they are with what the features will do for them personally.
To do this, list each of the features of your product and then determine the benefits, both the potential of gain or the avoidance of pain, your prospects will receive as a result of each feature. Hint: Studies have shown people respond better to the fear of loss (pain) then they do to the promise of gain.
Element #8 – Make it Risk-Free
Consumers are naturally skeptical. With all the scams, rip-offs, and untruthful ads consumers have experienced, who knows what to believe anymore? You must make your ad credible and risk-free. The good news is that it’s easy to do. Using a combination of these three strategies will provide a powerful risk-free offer.
Strategy #1 – Use Testimonials
Testimonials from real people are powerful. People don’t like to be guinea pigs. If they’ve seen that someone else has received the promised benefits, it provides instant credibility. Hint: Including pictures of the endorser will double the effectiveness of your testimonial.
Strategy #2 – Offer a Strong Guarantee
Provide as strong a guaranteed as absolutely possible. If you can’t provide a strong guarantee for your product, perhaps you shouldn’t be selling it. Unfortunately, too many small business people fear that customers will take them up on it. Let me ask you, when was the last time your took somebody up on their guarantee? Seldom do guarantees get exercised. Use a powerful guarantee.
Strategy #3 – Include Facts and Statistics
Use facts and statistics from reliable sources to bolster your claims. People find comfort in positive, scientific proof.
Each of these strategies will build credibility and reduce the risk prospects naturally feel when contemplating an offer. Above all, be truthful and honest!
Element #9 – Call-to-Action
When someone tells you that they don’t like being told what to do - - don’t believe it. People do want to be told what to do. In fact, people need to be told what to do and when to do it.
Phrases such as, “call now”, “come in today”, “sign up right now” trigger emotional response mechanisms that get your prospect to take action on an offer that secretly you want to take advantage of anyway. Make your call-to-action explicit and clear, so your prospect knows exactly what to do.
Element #10 – Urgency
Admit it, the vast majority of people are naturally lazy and like to procrastinate. Without a real or perceived sense of urgency your prospects will drag their feet. To compel your prospect to act immediately you must inject a feeling of “scarcity.”
Scarcity is felt when the supply of either time or product quantity is limited. For instance, placing a deadline on your offer makes your prospect feel as though they have to take advantage of your offer before they lose the opportunity. An example of this tactic could be rescinding a discount offer or a special additional bonus within a specified period of time.
Another tactic is to limit the quantity available so that people will feel the need to take advantage of your offer before your product runs out. It’s not unusual to see offers stating, “while supplies last”, or “only 50 available, first come, first serve.”
If you use scarcity tactics (and you should), make sure that you hold true and keep your word by rescinding the offer when you say you will. If not, you will lose credibility and the tactic will backfire on you.
Element #11 –Simple to Respond
Most people buy on impulse rather than logic. If your prospect finds it difficult to take advantage of your offer during their moment of impulse, you will lose the sale. Make it easy to do business with you.
Many people communicate in different ways. Some like to call on the phone, others like to go to the Internet, and yet others will only fax you their order. It’s important to offer multiple ways to be contacted such as telephone, fax, website, cell phone, pager, or any other communication method.
Studies have shown that the vast majority of people take advantage of impulse buying using the telephone more than any other method. The same studies show that when you offer a toll-free number, response rates increase. Finally, if you offer a recorded message with a toll-free number in which people can hear a message and leave their contact information, response rates increase even more. Element #12 - Graphics
Using a graphic is the first step in a three-step system for getting your audience to read your ad. The first step is to attract your reader’s attention with an exciting graphic, step two is to pull them into your ad with a gripping headline, and the third step is to persuade them to take action with your copy.
A good graphic can attract the attention of your prospect and draw them in to your message. However, a common mistake advertisers make is to add graphics that overpower the copy, leaving little space to tell their story. Although a picture is worth a thousand words, it can also be interpreted a thousand different ways, sometimes causing confusion.
Graphics should draw attention and add to your message. Exciting graphics showing action are always an eye pleaser. Including someone in your graphic from the target market you’re trying to reach, actively using your product or service, is also a good choice that will add to your message.
Element #13 – Accountability
Small businesses don’t have a lot of money to spend on advertising and; therefore, must hold their advertising dollars accountable. Without knowing what ads are pulling better than others, you could be wasting a lot of money.
To avoid this, you need to track the response rates of your ads. Instead of asking your customers where they heard about you, get definitive proof by implementing a process by which you can track your ads.
For instance, using a separate phone line or extension number for specific ads can help you determine the source of the inquiry. Another tactic may be to use a unique landing page on your website for different promotions. If you’re using lead generation by direct mail, tell the recipient that they need to bring the mailer in to take advantage of your offer.
If you are using radio or television as your primary medium, offer the audience a special report whether it is a paper report, audiocassette, or a video. This not only helps you track your response rate but give your prospect a good reason to respond.
Conclusion
As you track your ads, keep the best pulling ads as your “control” piece.
Vary the different elements of the ad to determine if your new ad pulls better than your control ad. If it does, make that ad your new control ad.
Although, none of these elements alone can guarantee a successful ad, the combination of these elements will increase the potential for your ad to be a solid winner. As a reward for reading the entire article, you can click here to see a good example of a winning ad.
Article by David Frey
Nobody can guarantee a winning ad. The only way to know for sure is to test it. But there are several elements that you can incorporate into your ad or sales letter to give it a better chance of being a winner. Use these elements as your own personal “winning ad checklist.”
Element #1 – Smart Ad Placement
The first step in positioning your ad for success is increasing its chance of being seen by your target market. Running the world’s best radio ad for your retirement planning services on a local hip-hop station wouldn’t be a good idea.
Find out what your target market watches (i.e. sports, cooking, business), where they watch it (i.e. car, home, airport), and how they watch it (i.e. newspaper, magazine, radio). Until you know this information, you cannot make smart choices about ad placement and you’ll likely end up wasting a lot of your hard-earned dollars on an ad that didn’t even get seen by your target market.
Element #2 – Focus on Your Objective
You’ll never get what you want if you don’t know what you want. This is true in your personal goals and also your advertising efforts. You must have a specific objective for your ad if you want people to act. Is it to call your office, come to your store, or go to your website?
Whatever your objective is, gear all the elements of your ad to persuade consumers to fulfill your objective. Suppose you want readers to call your toll-free telephone number, then your call-to-action should be, “call our toll-free number now!”
If you include a testimonial, have your endorser say something like, “when I made a call to your toll-free number…” or you might include copy that says, “one toll-free phone call can change your life forever.”
Multiple objectives will confuse your prospect and when people get confused, they usually do nothing.
Element #3 – Irresistible Offer
If you have ever seen the ginsu knife infomercial you have witnessed the anatomy of an irresistible offer. Not only do you get the set of ginsu knives, but also you get the “magic shredder”, the “never-dull chopper”, and the “easy egg slicer.”
BUT that’s not all – you also get the “2-in-1 blade sharpener” and if you order in the next 10 minutes you’ll also receive a second set of ginsu knives! Now that’s an irresistible offer. Who could resist all these bonuses for the price of one set of ginsu knives?
The secret to constructing an irresistible offer is to add valuable bonuses and extend risk-free, easy-to-pay terms. Continue heaping valuable bonuses on your customer until they throw up their hands and say, “Okay, I give!”
One last thought about your irresistible offer. Sometimes you can make your offer so irresistible that it appears to good to be true. Always tell the reason why you can make such a great offer. This will add credibility to an incredulous ad.
For example, you might be having a sale that advertises 70% off retail price. When people see “70% off” many will think that all you have done is boost your price 50% just so that you can advertise a 70% off price.
But if you tell them you can offer 70% off because the recent hailstorm caused some very slight damage to your product and you need to liquidate. People can now reconcile you great offer in their minds so that it makes sense and is believable.
Element #4 – Unique Competitive Advantage
Why should your prospect do business with you over any of your competitors. Even those that have lower prices! Do you have a “wider selection than anybody in the tri-county area” or do you “deliver within eight hours after the purchase”?
Often your unique competitive advantage is the biggest benefit you can offer your prospects so consider including it in your headline, bulleted copy, or your guarantee.
If by chance, you don’t have a unique competitive advantage(s) then you better get one…fast. Not having a unique competitive advantage with which to show value, results in competing solely on price - - and that’s a losing proposition (unless you have a significant cost advantage).
Element #5 – Advertorial Style
Studies have shown that consumers read new articles seven times more than they do advertisements. It is said that the average consumer is presented with over 3,500 ad impressions per day. We have become jaded to promotions and commercials.
Cloaking your ad in a news style editorial format will not only pull more attention, but also instill credibility, which is one of the major roadblocks to consumer response. “Advertorial” (advertisement – editorial) type ads include compelling headlines, lots of informative, interesting text, quotes, and a judicious use of graphics.
The reason advertorial ads are so compelling is that people are tired of in-your-face sales ads and would prefer the silent, soft sell of an authoritative news article.
Element #6 – Compelling Headline
Your headline is the most important part of all the technical aspects of your ad. 80% of the success of the headline can be attributed to its headline. A powerful headline is either, (1) benefit driven, (2) news oriented, (3) curiosity driven, or (4) how-to oriented.
The following is an example of each:
Benefit Driven Example:
“You Too Can Have a Slimmer Figure Without Dieting”
News Oriented Example:
“Amazing New Formula Cures Arthritis Pain”
Curiosity Driven:
“Are You Making These Deadly Hair Care Mistakes?”
How-to Oriented:
“How to Flood Your Business with New Customers for Under $50”
It’s a good practice to develop a minimum of 30 variations of your headline before you select the one you’ll use. Readers satisfy their interests by scanning headlines. If your headline doesn’t grab attention your ad will never be read, let alone noticed.
Element #7 – Sell the Benefits
Your prospects don’t care about you. They don’t care about your awards, the name of your business, how much you sell, or how good you think you are. They only care about how you, and what you offer, can benefit them. So leave out all of “me” copy and sell the benefits. Ultimately people only want two things, to (1) gain pleasure, or to (2) avoid pain.
Tell people how your offering will help them either gain pleasure or avoid pain by expressing them in the form of benefits. Don’t confuse this with listing the features of your product or service. People aren’t concerned as much with features as they are with what the features will do for them personally.
To do this, list each of the features of your product and then determine the benefits, both the potential of gain or the avoidance of pain, your prospects will receive as a result of each feature. Hint: Studies have shown people respond better to the fear of loss (pain) then they do to the promise of gain.
Element #8 – Make it Risk-Free
Consumers are naturally skeptical. With all the scams, rip-offs, and untruthful ads consumers have experienced, who knows what to believe anymore? You must make your ad credible and risk-free. The good news is that it’s easy to do. Using a combination of these three strategies will provide a powerful risk-free offer.
Strategy #1 – Use Testimonials
Testimonials from real people are powerful. People don’t like to be guinea pigs. If they’ve seen that someone else has received the promised benefits, it provides instant credibility. Hint: Including pictures of the endorser will double the effectiveness of your testimonial.
Strategy #2 – Offer a Strong Guarantee
Provide as strong a guaranteed as absolutely possible. If you can’t provide a strong guarantee for your product, perhaps you shouldn’t be selling it. Unfortunately, too many small business people fear that customers will take them up on it. Let me ask you, when was the last time your took somebody up on their guarantee? Seldom do guarantees get exercised. Use a powerful guarantee.
Strategy #3 – Include Facts and Statistics
Use facts and statistics from reliable sources to bolster your claims. People find comfort in positive, scientific proof.
Each of these strategies will build credibility and reduce the risk prospects naturally feel when contemplating an offer. Above all, be truthful and honest!
Element #9 – Call-to-Action
When someone tells you that they don’t like being told what to do - - don’t believe it. People do want to be told what to do. In fact, people need to be told what to do and when to do it.
Phrases such as, “call now”, “come in today”, “sign up right now” trigger emotional response mechanisms that get your prospect to take action on an offer that secretly you want to take advantage of anyway. Make your call-to-action explicit and clear, so your prospect knows exactly what to do.
Element #10 – Urgency
Admit it, the vast majority of people are naturally lazy and like to procrastinate. Without a real or perceived sense of urgency your prospects will drag their feet. To compel your prospect to act immediately you must inject a feeling of “scarcity.”
Scarcity is felt when the supply of either time or product quantity is limited. For instance, placing a deadline on your offer makes your prospect feel as though they have to take advantage of your offer before they lose the opportunity. An example of this tactic could be rescinding a discount offer or a special additional bonus within a specified period of time.
Another tactic is to limit the quantity available so that people will feel the need to take advantage of your offer before your product runs out. It’s not unusual to see offers stating, “while supplies last”, or “only 50 available, first come, first serve.”
If you use scarcity tactics (and you should), make sure that you hold true and keep your word by rescinding the offer when you say you will. If not, you will lose credibility and the tactic will backfire on you.
Element #11 –Simple to Respond
Most people buy on impulse rather than logic. If your prospect finds it difficult to take advantage of your offer during their moment of impulse, you will lose the sale. Make it easy to do business with you.
Many people communicate in different ways. Some like to call on the phone, others like to go to the Internet, and yet others will only fax you their order. It’s important to offer multiple ways to be contacted such as telephone, fax, website, cell phone, pager, or any other communication method.
Studies have shown that the vast majority of people take advantage of impulse buying using the telephone more than any other method. The same studies show that when you offer a toll-free number, response rates increase. Finally, if you offer a recorded message with a toll-free number in which people can hear a message and leave their contact information, response rates increase even more. Element #12 - Graphics
Using a graphic is the first step in a three-step system for getting your audience to read your ad. The first step is to attract your reader’s attention with an exciting graphic, step two is to pull them into your ad with a gripping headline, and the third step is to persuade them to take action with your copy.
A good graphic can attract the attention of your prospect and draw them in to your message. However, a common mistake advertisers make is to add graphics that overpower the copy, leaving little space to tell their story. Although a picture is worth a thousand words, it can also be interpreted a thousand different ways, sometimes causing confusion.
Graphics should draw attention and add to your message. Exciting graphics showing action are always an eye pleaser. Including someone in your graphic from the target market you’re trying to reach, actively using your product or service, is also a good choice that will add to your message.
Element #13 – Accountability
Small businesses don’t have a lot of money to spend on advertising and; therefore, must hold their advertising dollars accountable. Without knowing what ads are pulling better than others, you could be wasting a lot of money.
To avoid this, you need to track the response rates of your ads. Instead of asking your customers where they heard about you, get definitive proof by implementing a process by which you can track your ads.
For instance, using a separate phone line or extension number for specific ads can help you determine the source of the inquiry. Another tactic may be to use a unique landing page on your website for different promotions. If you’re using lead generation by direct mail, tell the recipient that they need to bring the mailer in to take advantage of your offer.
If you are using radio or television as your primary medium, offer the audience a special report whether it is a paper report, audiocassette, or a video. This not only helps you track your response rate but give your prospect a good reason to respond.
Conclusion
As you track your ads, keep the best pulling ads as your “control” piece.
Vary the different elements of the ad to determine if your new ad pulls better than your control ad. If it does, make that ad your new control ad.
Although, none of these elements alone can guarantee a successful ad, the combination of these elements will increase the potential for your ad to be a solid winner. As a reward for reading the entire article, you can click here to see a good example of a winning ad.
Article by David Frey
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