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

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

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)

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)

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

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

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

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.

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