Several years ago I came across this passage in the Bible and it really spoke to me:  

Let the peace of God rule your heart,
acting as an umpire;
deciding and settling with finality
all questions that arise in your mind.
(Collisions 3:15 Amplified Bible)

 
          I love the idea of thinking of peace as an umpire.  What does an umpire do?  An umpire at a sporting event decides and settles with finality any question that arises in the game.  An umpire decides if a player is in or out of the game.  Basically, the umpire rules.

 

          It works the same with peace of mind.  Whenever I have a question about what to do in a situation, the absence or presence of peace supplies the answer.  Peace comes from a mind aligned with God, who is the author of peace.
 
          Most of us have had the experience of feeling the absence of peace about something, and then going ahead and doing it anyway.  Afterward we thought something along the lines of:  I knew I shouldn't have done that, said that, gone there, or whatever. 

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       "My name is Gaff. I spend days and many nights fishing on the beach in Kure Beach, North Carolina. It's funny-- odd funny-- that no matter what time of day I get to the beach my spot is empty and ready for me to set up my stuff. It's as though it was surrounded by a fence with a "Reserved" sign. Besides the rods and chair and cooler, I have a huge pirate flag to put beside my spot.

       All up and down the beaches of Pleasure Island I'm known by that flag. It's my symbol and attracts a lot of people to ask about it. Some I tell about the pirates that roamed this area way back when. With some, I discuss the Knights Templar, the militant monks pledged to "protect" pilgrims to the Holy Land during the time of the Crusades. What I say depends upon what the person can hear and to some extent determines what we talk about next.

       The talking is the important thing. Without leaving this small piece of real estate near Mother Water, I have talked to people from all over this country and from other countries, too. We have good conversations, and interesting.

       One of the most interesting I had was with a writer who spent a bit of time at the beach to finish a project. She walked a couple of times a day and sometimes stopped to visit with me. She was interesting, well-read and a thinker, and that makes for great discussions. Yep, that was Priscilla. She was articulate and had some strong beliefs about the way life should be lived. Still, she was open to other viewpoints and experiences that would enable her to grow. In fact, she was what I would call a Seeker of Truth.
       
 
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As my wife's mother's alter ego would say
This was a pair to draw to
The most unlikely duo to write
A most unusual tome of wisdom
A laser beam pointer of light
 
Intellectuals, scientists, and non-believers
They must have felt not quite right
About scribing this holy manuscript
That would show so many the light
 
The book did change them
As it has so many of us
Righted their lives and made them
Want to ride this bus
 
A pre-life contract of sorts
An engagement surely meant
To bring out the best in all of us
And point us Heaven bent
 
 
 From The Fly in My Eye - copyright 2010 J. Michaels
.

 

 FULL ARTICLE

 

 There is nothing I like more than a good question about the Course.  And by "good question", I mean a thought provoking one - a question that makes me reassess what I currently believe and perhaps come to see it in a new light. As a result, we have a very interactive study group of Course students here in Louisville where everyone is encouraged to share their insights and questions. It is also a very diverse group with people from widely varying religious backgrounds so we get a lot of very insightful questions and I've been making a note of them for the last 15 years. 

QUESTION: I am confused by how some Course students and teachers use the term "magic" in relation to miracles of physical healing.  Can you help clarify what ACIM means by "magic"?

  
ANSWER

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: The text is taken from the JCIM edition <now referred to as the original edition>of A Course In Miracles.  The Course is a Miracle in itself, and I have so much appreciation for Helen Schucman's ability to hear and express His Voice with such supreme beauty.
 
I have not changed the Course text at all, except as it is interspersed with Jesus' current Guidance on it.
 
The Course text is in bold face and slightly larger font.  The Guidance is in normal type, slightly smaller.
 
In His Guidance here, He has asked Me to capitalize the pronouns You and We as an acknowledgement of the Divinity of All of Us, an acknowledgement of Equality, an expression of His Love and respect for You.   When You see the word 'You'  capitalized in the Guidance, know that He is not just speaking to You, He is honoring You.  

 ____

 Course In Miracles ~ original edition 

*Sun~Rose is the scribe of this soon to be released book, "YOU ARE LOVED AND SAFE: Prep Notes for Experiencing God's Love." She is also author of, "A Radiant Life: Raw Food and the Presence of Love", available on amazon.com