THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2016
Healers Prayer

A COURSE IN MIRACLES
CH 4 "THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL"
IX. TRUE REHABILITATION     
 
You can do much on behalf of your own rehabilitation and that of others if in a situation calling for healing you think of it this way:
 
     I am here only to be truly helpful. 
    I am here to represent Christ, Who sent me.
    I do not have to worry about what to say or what to do,
    because He Who sent me will direct me.
    I am content to be wherever He wishes,
    knowing He goes there with me.
    I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal.
 
A COURSE IN MIRACLES
WORKBOOK Part I
INTRODUCTION
WorkBook Intro
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1 A theoretical foundation such as the text is necessary as a background to make these exercises meaningful. Yet it is the exercises which will make the goal possible. An untrained mind can accomplish nothing. It is the purpose of these exercises to train the mind to think along the lines which the course sets forth.
 
2 The exercises are very simple. They do not require more than a few minutes, and it does not matter where or when you do them. They need no preparation. They are numbered, running from 1 to 365. The training period is one year. Do not undertake more than one exercise a day.
 
3 The purpose of these exercises is to train the mind to a different perception of everything in the world. The workbook is divided into two sections, the first dealing with the undoing of what you see now and the second with the restoration of sight. It is recommended that each exercise be repeated several times a day, preferably in a different place each time and, if possible, in every situation in which you spend any long period of time. The purpose is to train the mind to generalize the lessons, so that you will understand that each of them is as applicable to one situation as it is to another.
 
4 Unless specified to the contrary, the exercise should be practiced with the eyes open, since the aim is to learn how to see. The only rule that should be followed throughout is to practice the exercises with great specificity. Each one applies to every situation in which you find yourself and to everything you see in it. Each day's exercises are planned around one central idea, the exercises themselves consisting of applying that idea to as many specifics as possible. Be sure that you do not decide that there are some things you see to which the idea for the day is inapplicable. The aim of the exercises will always be to increase the application of the idea to everything. This will not require effort. Only be sure that you make no exceptions in applying the idea.
 
5 Some of the ideas you will find hard to believe, and others will seem quite startling. It does not matter. You are merely asked to apply them to what you see. You are not asked to judge them, nor even to believe them. You are asked only to use them. It is their use which will give them meaning to you, and show you they are true. Remember only this-you need not believe them, you need not accept them, and you need not welcome them. Some of them you may actively resist. None of this will matter nor decrease their efficacy. But allow yourself to make no exceptions in applying the ideas the exercises contain. Whatever your reactions to the ideas may be, use them. Nothing more than this is required.
 
  ~ Original Hand Script of ACIM    

  
CIRCLE OF ATONEMENT ~ COMMENTARY
          
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DAILY LESSON
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 L e s s o n 49
God's Voice speaks to me all through the day.
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1 It is quite possible to listen to God's Voice all through the day without interrupting your regular activities in any way. The part of your mind in which truth abides is in constant communication with God, whether you are aware of it or not. It is the other part of your mind that functions in the world and obeys the world's laws. It is this part which is constantly distracted, disorganized, and highly uncertain. 
 
2 The part that is listening to the Voice of God is calm, always at rest, and wholly certain. It is really the only part there is. The other part is a wild illusion, frantic and distraught, but without reality of any kind. Try today not to listen to it. Try to identify with the part of your mind where stillness and peace reign forever. Try to hear God's Voice call to you lovingly, reminding you that your Creator has not forgotten His Son. 
 
3 We will need at least four five-minute practice periods today and more if possible. We will try actually to hear the Voice reminding you of God and of your Self. We will approach this happiest and holiest of thoughts with confidence, knowing that in doing so we are joining our will with the Will of God. He wants you to hear His Voice. He gave It to you to be heard. 
 
4 Listen in deep silence. Be very still, and open your mind. Go past all the raucous shrieks and sick imaginings that cover your real thoughts and obscure your eternal link with God. Sink deep into the peace that waits for you beyond the frantic, riotous thoughts and sounds and sights of this insane world. You do not live there. We are trying to reach your real home. We are trying to reach the place where you are truly welcome. We are trying to reach God. 
 
5 Do not forget to repeat today's idea very frequently. Do so with your eyes open when necessary, but closed when possible. And be sure that you sit quietly and repeat the idea for today slowly whenever you can, closing your eyes on the world and realizing that you are inviting God's Voice to speak to you.
   
          ~ Original Hand Script of ACIM   
  
  
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ACIM Edmonton - Sarah's Reflections 
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Lesson 49
God's Voice speaks to me all through the day. 
 
Sarah's Commentary: 
  
Isn't it interesting how our unwillingness to hear God's Voice is the only thing that keeps us from hearing It? What makes us unwilling? It is our choice to listen to the ego, and to value our own identity as individual, unique beings who want to make our own decisions and maintain control over this perceived life we call our own. It is all about our resistance to losing our special identity and our individual selves. This is why we still listen to ourselves and clutter our minds with all kinds of random thoughts. We keep the noise in our minds to keep the Holy Spirit away. "The memory of God comes to the quiet mind." (T.23.I.1.1)(ACIM OE T.23.II.7)
 
Jesus says God speaks to us throughout the day, and our right minds are in constant communication with Him. (W.49.1.2) This is the part of our mind where truth abides. "It is quite possible to listen to God's Voice all through the day without interrupting your regular activities in any way." (W.49.1.1) We might wonder how this can be. If we accept this is the case, we could become more aware of this Voice, yet only if we were truly willing. Jesus says we are in constant communication, whether we are aware of it or not. We are not aware because our conscious mind "is constantly distracted, disorganized, highly uncertain," (W.49.1.4) and "functions in the world and obeys the world's laws." (W.49.1.3)
 
This highly distracted part is not all there is to our minds. Our minds are split between the part focused on the world and "obeys its laws," and the part that is sane (the right mind where the Holy Spirit resides) and is still in communication with His Voice. If we were in touch with God's Voice, we would be hearing it constantly, but that means we would have to go beyond the distractions of the ego thought system. It does not mean, however, we would not be obeying the laws of this world. While we are seemingly here, we are called to appear like everyone else and follow the laws of this world, while still holding a different mindset.
 
The only real part of the mind is that which is calm, always at rest and wholly certain. That is where God's Voice abides. "It is really the only part that there is." (W.49.2.2) We have another part, which is our wrong mind, which we listen to most of the time. This part of the mind is a "wild illusion, frantic and distraught, but without reality of any kind." (W.49.2.3) Jesus asks us to "Try today not to listen to it." (W.49.2.4) We don't have to try to make ourselves calm or certain. All we have to do is be willing to quiet the ego. "Sink deep into the peace that waits for you beyond the frantic, riotous thoughts and sights and sounds of this insane world." (W.49.4.3) In this Lesson, we do a meditation practice of going beyond these raucous thoughts. Other Lessons would have us look at them and be willing to release them. Both practices are important to our mind training.
 
There is a section early on in the Text in Chapter 5, "The Voice for God," where he clearly says while we can keep in unawareness the place in our minds where God is, we cannot obliterate it. What happens with the experience of the holy instant is we receive a reflection of this unbreakable connection with God. At the point of separation, when the wrong-minded thought system arose, "God placed in the mind the Call to joy. This call is so strong that the ego always dissolves at Its sound. That is why you must choose to hear one of two voices within you. One you made yourself, and that one is not of God. But the other is given you by God, Who asks you only to listen to it. The Holy Spirit is in you in a very literal sense. His is the Voice That calls you back to where you were before [the separation] and will be again." (T.5.II.3)(ACIM OE T.5.III.19)
 
Do you doubt you hear this call? Do you doubt you hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit that is always speaking to you? You are reading this and studying the Course, but why? You do this because it was the call planted in your mind that you heard and responded to. While we think we don't hear Him, something in us does. Why do we not tune in to Him more consistently? We do not because our focus is on the raucous, frantic chattering of the part of our mind tuned in to the things of this world. In other words, we are listening to the voice of the ego. To hear the Holy Spirit more consistently, we need to go past our thoughts to the quiet within. We need to refocus and choose where to put our attention. It will take practice to "Go past all the raucous shrieks and sick imaginings that cover our real thoughts," (W.49.4.3) to the quiet, calm place where God is. Eventually, we will be able to bring this peace to any situation, but at this point it will take work and concentration. This requires willingness to take the time in quiet reflection and meditation.
 
Jesus tells us learning to listen only to God's voice was his final Lesson. We all have work to do if we are to become like him. It requires we choose against our wrong-minded thinking. We can make the choice as to which voice we listen to. Jesus says, "It is possible even in this world to hear only that Voice and no other," (T.5.II.3.9)(ACIM OE T.5.IV.20) but "It takes effort and great willingness to learn." (T.5.II.3.10)(ACIM OE T.5.IV.20) That is what Jesus modeled for us, when he heard only the Voice of the Holy Spirit, which came when he released his final doubt thought.
 
It is reassuring to know God's calm and loving Voice is always available to us. I am never alone no matter how angry, fearful or out of control I may feel. He is always available to guide me. I just need the willingness to look at how I am blocking this Voice by choosing to listen to the ego. He will never impose on me. I am totally free not to listen, but what I can't do is to destroy this Voice in me. I can't destroy this connection to my Source, which is a statement of the Atonement Principle that the separation never happened, but I can choose to remain unaware of its presence. Jesus respects our decision. He never coerces us.
 
Today, let us take the time to go past all our unsettling thoughts to that calm place in us that is always there. How do we know we are hearing God's Voice? Is it actually a voice? Yes, it can be, but it is more likely to be an experience of peace and stillness. It may show up as an image, or we might get an intuitive sense of something we feel guided to say or do. His Voice may come in several different ways. "If I need a word to help me, He will give it to me. If I need a thought, that will He also give. And if I need but stillness and a tranquil, open mind, these are the gifts I will receive of Him. He is in charge by my request. And He will hear and answer me, because He speaks for God my Father and His holy Son." (W.PII.361.1.1-5) That is what hearing His Voice is. He gives us guidance in all matters, including practical matters. His guidance in practical matters is described in the Song of Prayer as the echo of the real song being sung to us by God. The real Song is the Song of His Love and gratitude for us, which we return in our deep love and connection for Him.
 
"If you cannot hear the Voice for God, it is because you do not choose to listen. That you do listen to the voice of your ego is demonstrated by your attitudes, your feelings and your behavior. Yet this is what you want. This is what you are fighting to keep, and what you are vigilant to save. Your mind is filled with schemes to save the face of your ego, and you do not seek the face of Christ." (T. 4.IV.1.1-5)(ACIM OE T.4.V.56)
 
When we listen to the ego, "it is sure that you will see yourself as tiny, vulnerable and afraid. You will experience depression, a sense of worthlessness, and feelings of impermanence and unreality. You will believe that you are helpless prey to forces far beyond your own control, and far more powerful than you. And you will think the world you made directs your destiny." (T. 21.V.2.3-6)(ACIM OE T.21.VI.50)
 
That is our choice. We listen to the raucous shrieks of the ego and the perceived demands of our world, or we go within and connect with One Who knows our best interests, One Who knows the outcome that serves everyone equally, and One Who can bring us quiet certainty in the face of any perceived calamity. It hardly seems like a choice if we really believed this, yet our resistance is strong because of our investment in the world and our identity as a separate, unique, individual self.
 
Today I felt a sudden prompt to go to see my mother. I had no plan to go today and had other things on my agenda that I actually preferred to do. There was initial resistance to listening to the prompt, but it felt quite insistent. So away I went and it turned out she needed my presence there. I was very grateful I listened to the prompt and thanked the Holy Spirit for directing me to where I needed to be. My own personal agenda fell away, and in the end nothing had to be addressed as I had thought.
 
Course-based meditation is what the Lessons now speak about starting in Lesson 41 and again in 44, 45, 47 and today's Lesson 49. These Lessons, taken together, point to how we approach our meditations and are important to the way we do the practice sessions. We are to approach the sessions with the confidence that we can do this, since it is the most natural thing in the world. We know the way will be open if we believe it is possible. If we join with God's Will, how can we not succeed? We approach the meditation time as approaching a most holy altar to God, recognizing we are attempting something very holy. We start by repeating the idea, making no effort to think about anything, but instead turning inward, sinking past all idle thoughts of the world, entering very deeply into our own mind, and keeping it clear of any thoughts that might divert our attention. Observe any passing thoughts without involvement or attachment, and slip quietly by them. No particular approach is advocated, only a sense of importance of what you are doing and its inestimable value to you.

Love and blessings, Sarah

IX. True Rehabilitation   

103 Every mind which is split needs rehabilitation. The medical orientation to rehabilitation emphasizes the body, while the vocational orientation stresses the ego. The "team" approach generally leads more to confusion than to anything else because it is too often misused as a way of exerting the ego's domination over other egos, rather than as a real experiment in the cooperation of minds. Rehabilitation as a movement is an improvement over the overt neglect of those in need of help, but it is often little more than a painful attempt on the part of the halt to lead the blind.
 
104 The ego is likely to fear broken bodies because it cannot tolerate them. The ego cannot tolerate ego weakness either without ambivalence because it is afraid of its own weakness as well as the weakness of its chosen home. When it is threatened, the ego blocks your natural impulse to help, placing you under the strain of divided will. You may then be tempted to withdraw to allow your ego to recover and to gain enough strength to be helpful again on a basis limited enough not to threaten your ego but too limited to give you joy. Those with broken bodies are often looked down on by the ego because of its belief that nothing but a perfect body is worthy as its own temple.
 
105 A mind that recoils from a hurt body is in great need of rehabilitation itself. All symptoms of hurt need true helpfulness, and whenever they are met with this, the mind that so meets them heals itself. Rehabilitation is an attitude of praising God as He Himself knows praise. He offers praise to you, and you must offer it to others. The chief handicaps of the clinicians lie in their attitudes to those whom their egos perceive as weakened and damaged. By these evaluations, they have weakened and damaged their own helpfulness and have thus set their own rehabilitation back. Rehabilitation is not concerned either with the ego's fight for control or its need to avoid and withdraw. You can do much on behalf of your own rehabilitation and that of others if in a situation calling for healing you think of it this way:
 
106 I am here only to be truly helpful.
    I am here to represent Christ, Who sent me.
    I do not have to worry about what to say or what to do,
    because He Who sent me will direct me.
    I am content to be wherever He wishes,
    knowing He goes there with me.
    I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal.

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