I Am Spirit!

Another beginning for me, with a specific focus: I am Spirit. In quietness, I remember: I am Spirit. Today, I raise my vibration in remembrance: I am Spirit. 

For the next 40 days, I choose to focus on these words: I am Spirit. 

• My first thought in the morning, my last thought at night: I am Spirit.
• I strive to repeat hourly and quietly focus on the meaning: I am Spirit.
• As I walk through my day, always present and running through my mind: I am Spirit.

Who am I?  I am Spirit.

Rather than work, rather than indulgence, rather than anything else, I choose to remember: I am Spirit.

The purpose? To raise my consciousness to a new level of awareness of my true Self. I chose this day, this hour, this moment, to remember who I am.  I choose to remember: I am Spirit.

Make a Joyful Noise!

We are blessed this day.  And so we demonstrate our blessing by spreading our blessing.  Make a joyful noise today!  Let your heart today carry a song of thanksgiving, a song of love, a song of joy. 

Raise your vibration to the highest and let that beautiful light that is you shine forth.  We are blessed and we are the blessing for so many.  Let’s us NOT deny the world the blessing it deserves from us.

Make a joyful noise today!

Author Joy this Day!

“You make what you defend against, and by your own defense against it is it real and inescapable. Lay down your arms, and only then do you perceive it false.” From ACIM Lesson 170

Let’s have joy today in all we do.

Let’s see joy today in all we look upon.

Let’s decide joy today. 

When we deny that the world around us can impact the joy that God gives us, it reminds us that we are co-authors of the world we see and sole authors of the world we experience.

Author joy this day!

The End of a Month...And a New Beginning

Today we end a month…we bring closure to the first 31 days of the year.  We are exhilarated by the victories, thankful for the lessons, and grateful for the indwelling spirit that keeps us ever looking forward, guiltless about the past, and waking to a new birth.

What is my intention for the next 28 days?

I will write to my consciousness partner before noon each day, as I start each day “on fire” for spirit.

As an aside…I have a distant memory, perhaps a past life one, where a young person came to me, an “old spiritual master.”  This young person had such a love of God and Spirit and was on fire to be directed by His Voice.  I was humbled and inspired because I could see how very quickly this young person would likely pass me on the “spiritual path” because I had become dry in my thirst for God and hadn’t even known it.

Today, I become that young person.  Today, I renew my thirst.  Today, my salvation is before me.  I choose God first today, and every day for the next 28.

Have I chosen God first today? No. And as I write at 2:55, I choose God.  Have I chosen the joy of the spirit today? No. And as I write at 2:56, I raise my awareness to the joy that is around me. I see the world that my mind has projected and I am thankful that everything I have projected is here to serve me. I receive every blessing of the world I have projected with love and joy.  For I am home in God seeing every image in this world as an opportunity to help me see my way home.

I am so blessed!

Joy be to you this day as you spread your joy to everyone you experience, this day.

What is your intention for the next 28 days?

In Joy,

Michael

None of my substitutes for God can possibly work.

I woke this morning with a sobering, but happy thought:

No matter how much I try to find fulfillment through other things in my life—sex, relationships, material things, sex, fun activities, money, sex (is there a theme here?)—none of these things can possibly work. 

None of these things can possibly provide the lasting joy and peace that is already mine, that has already been given me. None of these could possibly work as a substitute for my oneness with God.

And I thank God, that this is so. I thank God, that a substitute is not possible; for if it were so, I would get lost in the offerings of the world instead of desiring to remember and learn how to experience His love, Our love.

Today, I dedicate to remembering who I am and my one true desire: to walk with the Holy Spirit in awareness of His presence, His Joy,and His Love.  I invite you to join with me in this walk today.

In Joy,

Michael

Oneness Is Not Twoness

In my lessons this past week in A Course in Miracles, I have been struck in a new way (for me) about the idea of oneness versus twoness.

See, for a while now my belief about Heaven has been that it is a state in which there is only oneness, a state in which I and the Father are one, a state that already is, and always has been, but a state that is not in my awareness or experience right now.

What’s new for me, however, is that for me to experience heaven, where there is only oneness, there must only be oneness now, which means there isn’t twoness.  That is, there IS only one will, and that I don’t have a “free will” separate from GOD’s will.  There IS only one will. I can choose to think I have a separate will.  But there IS only one will. And when I get still, I can get in touch with what my one will is, because it is God’s will and it is the only will there is.

And so going through the day in practicing Oneness, I am listening for what my will is.  Today, I found myself NOT listening to the radio while driving, NOT watching TV, NOT talking with people over the phone, but sitting quietly and listening. And as I interacted with others throughout the day, I found myself listening for, “What is our will here?”

Holy Spirit, thank you for helping me say that oneness is not twoness. There really is just one will here.

 

In Joy,

 

Michael

 

Will I Be Quiet Today?

There are days that I wake up and I am so inspired to want to go meditate and have my quiet time with God. There are days when I feel so in the flow, walking with Spirit, being guided every step of the way  with what to do and what to say.

And then there is the other 98% of the time.

Like today.

And like yesterday.

And like the day before.

There are so many times when I make excuses for why I can’t take 10 minutes to be still and remember the truth about who I am.  It’s quite ridiculous really. I SAY that quiet time in the morning is the most important part of my day.  I say it.  But my actions say otherwise.   By comparison, how often do I go out of the house without taking a shower first? Funny, isn’t it: I have time to do a physical cleansing every morning, but don’t seem to make the same time for a spiritual cleansing.  And a few days without the spiritual cleansing and my attitude stinks as bad as my body would after the same period without some soap and water.

A Course in Miracles and The Disappearance of the Universe tell me that my reluctance to get quiet in the morning, even though I know it would be most helpful, is just a manifestation of my split mind. The side of my mind that is aligned with the Holy Spirit wants to help me awaken to the truth that I am home with God. Yet the side of my mind aligned with the ego wants to stay in control and maintain the false image that I am a body, not spirit, stuck in a world of problems.

Just writing about it is a great affirmation for me. So please join with me today in being quiet and being open to the Holy Spirit leading the way.

In Joy, 

Michael

One Will

I am inspired today by the thought that there is just One Will in Heaven. 

 

Since there is just One Will, for me to “be” in Heaven means that I must get to the point where I recognize and gratefully accept that my will and God’s Will are one and the same. If my highest desire is to return to the awareness of my oneness with God…then every day I must practice the Oneness.

In Heaven, there is just One Will. Today, I practice walking with the One Will, which is my own.

I know that my seeming preoccupation with the present, my constant busy-ness, my intent on building something, my desire for sensuality, my judgment of others, etc. –are all reflective of a will that is not mine.  These are desires to make something real that is NOT.

Father, we share the One Will.  Today, I am blessed as I practice walking in the One Will.

Today, I ask in every situation, what is Our Will in this?

What is Forgiveness?

A friend asked me the other day to define forgiveness.  Here is what I sent him.
_____________________________________________________________________
 

Hey Buddy---

I’m catching up on emails that I’ve missed the last few months and noticed I hadn’t responded to this one.  Attached is a primer I put together on practicing forgiveness.  Let me give you a definition and then explain it.

FORGIVENESS is seeing your brother as sinless because you recognize what you thought he did to you never occurred.

Consider: Your wife having a dream about you lying to her over and over again.  When she wakes, she’s upset with you.  You explain that it was just a dream. However, this doesn’t help—she is still mad at you.  You explain that she is mad at you for what happened in her dream.  You explain that it was her dream, that she made it all up, and that she is mad at you for something she made up, when nothing has happened.  And so this thing that is not real (her dream) is getting in the way of your real relationship with her because she is believing in something that is not real. 

This, in a nutshell, explains forgiveness.

The spiritual discipline I follow starts with a few fundamental premises: 

1. God is perfect, eternal, unchanging, only loving.
2. Everything God created is like God: perfect, eternal, unchanging, only loving.
3. Only what God created is real and we cannot change what God made.
4. Right now, we are home in God, but we are dreaming a dream that we are living in a world that is full of change, filled with things that are good and bad, and dealing with people, some good, some bad.
5. Because it feels real, we think this world is real. But since God does not make anything that is different from God, this world that we think we live in could not have been made by God. We are still home in God, as we always have been, just dreaming we are living in a world that is unlike God and could not possibly exist.
6. Forgiveness is the centerpiece of our awakening because it leads us to see that what we thought others did to us has never occurred.  And allows us to see everyone as God created him, innocent.

This philosophy is summed up in three short sentences, which appear at the start of The Course in Miracles.

• Nothing real can be threatened.
• Nothing unreal exists.
• Herein lies the peace of God.

Very strange, I know.  But it can bring so much peace when you realize that no one is guilty. I use these words often, “I have created this for my healing.”  It helps me remember purpose and helps me forgive the other person because it squarely puts me as the creator of my dream.

Anyway…probably more than you wanted to know,

Michael

2014 - A New Start!

It’s time.  I am ready.

Let’s dedicate 2014 to remembering who we really are by reminding ourselves daily of who our brothers and sisters really are.  When I first read The Disappearance of the Universe many years ago, the chapter on the ego’s plan for salvation didn’t resonate with me.  The promise given in the book was that after reading that chapter you would be able to see the ego at work every day.  Frankly, I didn’t get it.

But over the last six months, it has become clearer. Put simply, any time I believe, “Things would be better if only the other person would _____,” this is a definite sign that my ego is at work and forgiveness is needed.

Here’s the workbook lesson from A Course in Miracles that helped put this into perspective for me.

ACIM WB#71

The ego's plan for salvation centers around holding grievances. It maintains that, if someone else spoke or acted differently, if some external circumstance or event were changed, you would be saved. Thus, the source of salvation is constantly perceived as outside yourself. Each grievance you hold is a declaration, and an assertion in which you believe, that says, "If this were different, I would be saved." The change of mind necessary for salvation is thus demanded of everyone and everything except yourself. The role assigned to your own mind in this plan, then, is simply to determine what, other than itself, must change if you are to be saved.

Who would I want to be different?  Unfortunately, the list is endless, which tells me I have a lot of forgiving to do! But I will start with those I contact today, as the universe offers me plenty of opportunities…right now.

Meditation: Who are You?

(I had the pleasure of doing the meditation several weeks ago at Atlanta Unity. Some commented that it helped them to remember...)

Good Morning. It’s our time to get still and to remember who we really are. So let’s quiet the outside world for just an instant.

Let’s imagine ourselves sitting not in this building, but in an open field. You hear the quiet creek behind you. You feel the cool breeze across your forehead.

And as you sit quietly, you see a person walking toward you. And yet there is something about this person walk that seems so alive, there something about their presence that seems so joyful.

And as the person comes closer, you feel from inside of you this rush of joy, this rush of love, this rush of acceptance. And as the person stands before you, you feel yourself engulfed in a wonderful, joyous light.

And you ask, “Who are you?”

And in your mind you hear the answer, “I am you.”

And in this moment, you once more feel that rush of love, your cup runneth over with joy and you ask, “You are me? But how?”

Once more, you hear the answer, “I am you. I am the you that God created. I am the you that you are always. I am the you who loves as God loves, I am all that you are.”

“You judge yourself not worthy. This is not true. You think you sin. This is not true. These are but idle dreams of a sleeping child. They are nothing. You are me, always me, always as God created you.”

And you ask, “How do I see you always?”

You hear the response, “Uncover your eyes and you will see as God sees. You judge your brothers as unworthy. This is not true. You think you see their sins. This is not true. As you see your brother you will see yourself. And as you see yourself you will see your brother. See your brother now as God sees him and you will see yourself, you will see me… always.”
And in quiet right now, you feel the love surrounding you and in silence experience that love now.
…
I am love, for that is how God created me. I am love, for that is how God created me. I am love, for that is how God created me. And so it is. And Amen.

The Reunion Lesson

Earlier this month I attended my 35th high school reunion. As a paperboy living in a relatively poor section of metro DC, I received a scholarship to attend a New England prep school. St. Marks was pretty much straight out of the old Robin Williams film, The Dead Poet Society: coat and tie to classes, graduating class of 50, some very rich preppies. (Our year book categories included the typical "first to make a million" but also had "already has a million" - and included more than one name!)

My four years at St. Marks was quite an awakening for me on a number of levels. One of those levels was athletically. Though I entered 3rd form (9th grade) at 5'1", 97 pounds, by my senior year I was a starting defensive back on the football team, lettered in the sport, and was named honorable mentioned to the all-league team. My biggest claim to fame is that in our final game of the season against our arch rivals, I made two interceptions that turned the game around and led to our victory.

However, I couldn't tackle worth a lick. Looking back at it now, my basic issue was that I would hit people and hope that they would fall down. I never learned the important lesson of "tackling through" people by keeping your legs churning and placing your helmet in the right spot.

On the plane ride to the school for the reunion, I remembered a practice in which the then assistant coach, Mr. Large, lined me up in a one-on-one drill with one of our most bruising running backs. The drill starts on the five yard line. The running back tries to score, the defensive back tries to stop him. Usually every defender gets one chance and the drill is over. Some how I must have done something that had gotten Mr. Large upset that day, because he ran me through this drill about ten times. And each time the running back scored.

I don't remember the incident bothering me that much back then - other than the embarrassment of not being able to stop the running back. But thinking about it on the plane ride, I found myself getting angrier and angrier at Mr. Large as I put two and two together and came out with seventeen. Listen to my mind as it did its ego math.

"Mr. Large never believed I belonged on the team. From the beginning he thought I was too small and not tough enough. Instead of taking the opportunity to provide me instruction in how to tackle, he tried to humiliate me by setting me up to fail, again and again."

I saw Mr. Large at the reunion. He was retiring and he gave his "last lecture" that weekend by telling his moving story of coming to the school, sharing his gifts, and some of the lessons he learned along the way. I talked with him about our time together, but didn't mention the tackling drill.

On the flight home, I could still feel that twinge of outrage that tells me I feel I have been treated unjustly. I made a half-hearted attempt at using the forgiveness tools, but I clearly wasn't ready.

When we forgive, we give a heavenly interpretation for our earthly experience. We see that what we think others did to us never occurred because this earthly experience is just a dream of separation.

This morning was different. While meditating on the Forgiveness Principles, Mr. Large and the tackling drill came to mind. I envisioned Mr. Large and felt his sense of guilt about the incident. I saw myself saying to him, as I have envisioned many times J saying to me, "It is nothing. I am spirit. You can not hurt me. It is nothing." I saw myself giving him the gift of forgiveness, releasing him from his own guilt.

And as I helped him release his guilt, my own anger and sense of injustice seemed to dissolve into nothingness. (The gift I give, I give unto myself.) I may have to repeat this exercise in the future should this sense of outrage about the tackling drill reoccur. Yet my sense is that the desire to release others from their guilt (whether they feel it or not) may help me remember to see them as they really are and release me from my own.

Give gifts this day!

In Joy,

Michael

My Only Desire is to Walk With You

Good Morning!

This morning I woke with such a strong sense and a renewed commitment to what I see as my highest ideal.

My only desire is to walk with You.

So what got me here this morning? Why did I wake this morning with that thought fresh on my mind? I think I have a clue.

My nephew and I were together yesterday evening. He was joining me to watch a soccer game in which my daughter was part of the half-time activities. The drive would require about 90 minutes round trip.

My nephew is in his late 20s and has struggled as we all do with negative thinking, self-limiting beliefs, and judgment of others. In his particular case, his thoughts have manifested as having to constantly deal with basic issues around work, housing, relationships, etc.

He and I had talked years before about The Disappearance of the Universe. My intention was to introduce him to a different way of looking at his world that he might find beneficial. He showed little interest at the time.

Yesterday, as we started our drive, I turned the car’s audio system from CD mode (I routinely have the CD version of The Disappearance playing) to AM radio mode to have the baseball game going as we drove.

It took all of 15 seconds for me to recognize the gift before me. I turned off the radio and reminded my nephew of the discussion we had years before and gave him a basic overview of The Disappearance and asked if it was okay if I play it as we drive.

By the time we had arrived at the soccer game, we had stopped the audio several times to talk about various passages and he had laughed frequently at the author’s irreverent humor. He was particularly intrigued by the idea that this world was not created by God. He found the material answered some life-long questions of his, but raised many more.

By the time we had arrived back home we had gotten part way through the second of the six CDs. He asked if he could copy the CDs for his own use. Of course I told him no because that would be copyright infringement. And I gladly gave him my CDs.

His openness to the radical thinking that has become the center of my own spiritual development was a gift to me. Listening to his questions and the way he was viewing the material renewed in me my own commitment to walking this path. I believe it was his interest and enthusiasm that resulted in me waking this morning with the thought.

My only desire is to walk with You.

As A Course in Miracles often reiterates, giving a gift is the only way to make it yours. May you give many gifts this day!

In Joy,

Michael

What I See is What I Get

Good Morning!

Many of us are old enough to remember the Flip Wilson line, “What you see is what you get.” Well, more and more I am becoming aware that, “What I see is what I get.”

Lesson 181 from A Course in Miracles has put this in my face.

Perception has a focus. It is this that gives consistency to what you see. Change but this focus, and what you behold will change accordingly. Your vision now will shift, to give support to the intent which has replaced the one you held before. Remove your focus on your brother’s sins, and you experience the peace that comes from faith in sinlessness.

All my life I have been a “process improver” – someone who has been rewarded with accolades and monetarily for my ability to perceive issues and find ways to successfully address them.

This can be helpful in the business world, yet not so helpful spiritually, for, What I see is what I get.

If we accept for a second that this life I am living is my dream, not someone else’s, then what I focus on I will indeed get more of. If I seek out errors in others, that is indeed what I will see and that will indeed be how I experience that person (and, by the way, how I will experience myself). Yet if I seek out, look for, insist that I focus on the gifts that each brings, I will indeed see these and recognize more the gifts I bring, rather than my awful self-judgments.

How does this play out in my life?

More and more, I am seeing that there are conversations I can no longer have with other people. I can’t spend time in conversations that focus on what is “wrong” with my co-workers, my family members, my friends. And I can no longer have those same conversations in my head with myself.

Of course this can sound pretty Pollyannaish, not realistic, not seeing what is really there. However… What I see is what I get.

Perhaps today is a day for you to give this thought an opportunity to be a blessing to you. I invite you this day to decide with me to focus on and see only the gifts in everyone. Let your thoughts, words and actions with each person align with this view. And let’s see what we get!

If you would like, let me know how this works for you at www.practicingforgiveness.blogspot.com.

In Joy,

Michael

This Morning - Seeing Through A Different Set of Glasses

Have you had the experience of seeing something differently because of the glasses you were wearing?

This morning I woke with what for me was a powerful connection. Suppose a spiritual master came to you and said, “I can see that you are close to your spiritual awakening and that you have only a few things that seem to be blocking your awareness and standing in the way of your enlightenment. If you would like, I am willing to spend 30 minutes each day mentoring you, providing you insights and giving you the instruction you seem to need. In addition, I will leave you with something to do each day that will help speed up the transformation you are seeking. Are you willing?”

Wow! What a gift that would be! How grateful I would be to that spiritual master for his/her devotion to me. What an honor and how humbly it would be – the seeming specialness of being singled out.

Would I rearrange my life around those 30 minutes each day? Would I figure out how, even when I travelled to the west coast, how to get those 30 minutes in? Would I tell my overseas clients when I travelled to Europe or the Middle East or even Australia that I would need to take 30 minutes in the middle of the work day to do this important work?

You bet I would!

This morning, I was reading Lesson 169 in A Course in Miracles, “By grace I live. By grace I am released.” And for the first time in the 20 years that I’ve been on this particular spiritual journey did I see ACIM through this set of glasses. This morning, I saw myself sitting at the Master’s feet as He gave me instruction for the day and the lesson to carry with me. This morning, for the first time I felt His devotion for me and was humbled and grateful. And I recognize that each of us has indeed been “singled out.” This morning, I realized that when I see ACIM through these glasses, my heart yearns to return His devotion with my own. This morning, I wanted just one thing, to be as devoted to my awakening as He was.

How our glasses make a difference! Have you had a similar awakening on your spiritual journey?

In Joy,

Michael

(P.S. – thanks for all the insightful responses to my question of balancing wholeness with running a company. I’ll be blogging on those responses in the future.)

Balancing Wholeness with Running a Company

I have a question for you.

How do you balance this idea of recognizing our wholeness with running a company and having to make judgments about people and their fit with the company’s environment?

A Course in Miracles is clear – Seek not to change the other person, but instead to change your mind about the other person. I have made efforts to practice this thought in my life. When I find myself desiring someone to change, my key strategy for practicing forgiveness has been to remember, “J would not have a problem with this person, so why do I?” And then I am able to remember that this is my dream, and I can lovingly join with the person, rather than judge the person, and share the thought, “You may find it easier if you…” And then the person has the choice to, whenever the person is ready, to choose once again.

And the Disappearance of the Universe has taught me that my judgment is indeed a call for love. That the person is helping me see an area inside of me requiring forgiveness. That the so called “minor irritation” that I feel is hiding an intense rage and this person is offering me an opportunity to choose once again. And often times, I step up and do my forgiveness work.

At the office, however, I find this more challenging. In my role in this dream life as a leader of a company, I believe it is my responsibility to cultivate a positive culture in which people are encouraged to grow. There are a set of company values we live by, talk about, and take seriously. And I believe I am responsible to others in the company to play my role.

There have been times when I have let people go because they did not fit the culture. From an earthly standpoint, this makes sense. We have company goals and values and the person is out of alignment with these. From a practicing forgiveness standpoint, I’m conflicted. With my practicing forgiveness hat on, I would want to see the judgment for what it is and keep the person in my direct experience as an opportunity for me to find my way home. This person is showing me the way to healing. And I believe the loving act is for me to work on myself, not to find the other person lacking.

So, how do you balance this idea of recognizing our wholeness with running a company and having to make judgments about people and their fit with the company’s environment?

Let me know your comments on this.

In Joy,

Michael

No Greater Love Than This

One of the passages in the Disappearance of the Universe that stands out for me comes in Chapter 2 before Arten describes the four major attitudes of learning that we all go through (dualism, semi-dualism, non-dualism, and pure non-dualism). Arten explains that we will interpret the exact same scripture differently depending upon in which attitude of learning we are currently engaged.

I had that same experience earlier today sitting in church. The minister at Perimeter referenced this scripture from chapter 15 of the Gospel of John: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I had read this scripture many times. I understood the traditional Christian meaning as Jesus laying down his life as savior to all people. For most of my adult life, however, I had thought of this scripture in terms of Jesus’ decision to use the crucifixion as an opportunity to show us that we are spirit and that there is no death.

This morning was different. The words transformed for me… There is no greater love than this, that a person would lay down his ego – the life he thought he was leading - for his friends. There is no greater love than to let go of your ego in every situation, to let go of any need to control any situation, to have a certain result, or to judge in any way. There is no greater love than to let go and to live in such a way that reminds all people that they are as God created them.

As I think about my coming week, I see myself walking with this thought on the front burner of my mind…to show my brother love by letting go of the self I thought I was and to instead express the love of God in every situation. To remember when I feel that telltale sign of frustration or anger to instead be still and release what I am thinking I am so that the me that I really am can come forth.

It’s going to be a fun week!

I invite your comments below. In particular, are there scriptures that you know interpret differently as you continue on your chosen path?

In Joy,

Michael

J's Transformation

I have been highly blessed in my life by a continuing five-year study of The Disappearance of the Universe. For those who are not familiar, the book’s premise is quite startling – it is allegedly an account of 17 visits to the author by two ascended masters who provoke a self-admitted slacker to practice the kind of forgiveness principles that transformed Jesus to his full awareness of his oneness with God.

The in-your-face, direct teaching style is both abrupt for some and quite effective for others. The 100% alignment by the ascended masters with A Course In Miracles makes it a powerful affirmation of the ACIM principles and an excellent first read for those unfamiliar with ACIM.

For me, one of the most powerful passages is the description the ascended masters give of the transformation of Jesus, or J as they call him. The description provides a road map for the “journey without distance” back to God. Each time I read it, I found myself inspired and renewed in my desire and commitment to learn to walk this earth as J did.

The Transformation of Jesus (From The Disappearance of the Universe, pages 39-40)

J was neither judgmental or a reactionary…If nothing is outside of your mind, then to judge it is to grant it power over you; and to not judge it is to withdraw its power over you. This certainly contributes to the end of your suffering. But our brother J didn’t stop there.

…If God is perfect and eternal, then by definition anything He creates would also have to be perfect and eternal…Since there is obviously nothing in this world that is perfect and eternal, J was able to see the world for what it was – nothing…J made a complete and uncompromising distinction between God and everything else – everything else being totally insignificant except for the opportunity it provided to listen to the Holy Spirit’s interpretation of it, instead of the world’s…

J learned to overlook perception and choose with the perfect Love of spirit on a consistent basis. The vital distinction between perfect spirit and the world of change allowed him to hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit more and more, which in turn allowed a process to unfold where he could forgive more and more.

The Voice for truth got louder and stronger until J got to the point where he could listen to just this one Voice and see right through everything else. Finally, J became, or better, he re-became what this Voice represents – his and your true reality as spirit and oneness with the Kingdom of Heaven.

Walking in the Spirit

A Course in Miracles teaches us that deep inside we all know that we are strangers here; that deep inside, we all know that this world we call our life is not our home at all; and that, even in this strange land, we do not walk alone; that the Holy Spirit – the voice for God – walks with us and reminds us of our true home with God.

With the start of the new year I have been more intent than ever to walk with the Holy Spirit, to “listen” for that voice, and to follow the guidance that I have felt. I think of this idea of walking with Spirit as a kind of Holy Communion, a joining in which, as the song says, I release and I let go of anything I think I want and let the Holy Spirit guide me to my real life. There is a sense of inner joy as my heart opens wide to the experience of being only here for God.

And of course there is that “ping pong” effect that Pursah talks about in The Disappearance of the Universe in which I bounce back and forth from those moments in which I am walking in the Spirit, and the other 95% of the time when I am caught up in the concerns of the world! And at the same time, I have avoided behaviors in my life which I don’t feel good about because my naturally tendency is, at those times, to cut-off the Holy Communion to avoid experiencing guilt. Does that sound like a reenactment of the Separation or what? In my head I recognize that I can’t change what God has made and that these behaviors, like everything else, need to be, and will be, forgiven.

And despite the ping-ponging, these first few days of 2010 have felt like a different year and a different experience. The sense of peace and joy is wonderful, as well as the knowledge that, as I follow, I am being blessed and others are being blessed as well. And, of course, the lessons continue.

Last week I flew out to Los Angeles for a speaking engagement on my latest book (Buying Styles – Selling the Way Your Customer Buys). When I arrived at the hotel around 10 pm, I realized I had forgotten to pack a tie with my suit. Now I was going to be speaking before 100 sales execs from a financial software company – I felt it was important to dress the part. So my first thought was disappointment with my Guidance. “Spirit, I have been walking with you this entire week. Why didn’t the thought come to not forget the tie?” And though the tie was a little thing, the disappointment was not. All through the week I had been receiving guidance on what to do, what to say, and so I felt somewhat abandoned on this.

The talk went very well and I was inspired to take a few additional risks with the audience that proved highly impactful for them. During the debrief that followed with the client contact, she said she liked the content, loved the way I kept the group engaged, and appreciated the way I was dressed! The implication was that I was wearing a suit, yet without a tie it was just the right touch of informality.

Leaving the presentation hall, I could only smile and think, "O ye of little faith.” Rather than questioning why I hadn’t received guidance to remember the tie, a different thought would have been, “I guess this is not something I will need,” or “No worries. Everything I need will be provided.”

May this day be a day of Holy Communion for you as you walk this day in the spirit!

In Joy,

Michael

MP3 - Getting Ready For Heaven

Michael's Talk - Getting Ready for Heaven; Unity Christ Center, June 2006 - MP3
Part 1 (11 minutes)
Part 2 (11 minutes)
Part 3 (11 minutes)
Part 4 (13 minutes)

ALL PARTS - Getting Ready for Heaven(46 minutes)

Handout for Getting Ready for Heaven

A New Year, New Forgiveness Opportunities!

Welcome to 2010! My prayer for you and for me is that this year is the year we choose more often to join with the Holy Spirit and with our brothers and sisters. I believe my biggest forgiveness lesson this past year is recognizing more than ever the importance of joining.

When I am living at my highest levels of awareness, it is fun to watch how my reactions to people lead me to join or not join with them. At work, when someone I trust makes a mistake, I join with them. I see the mistake as just an error to be corrected. Yet when someone I don't trust makes a mistake, my instinctive response, "Here we go again. Another mistake." Instead of joining with them, my thoughts are of separation -- I'm over here and the other person, the person who made the mistake, is over there.

As The Course in Miracles makes it clear, believing is seeing. We see what we believe. Not the other way around.

So this year, my desire is to remember to join with everyone I meet. To join with them, and act from a sense of joining and not act from a sense of separation. And as the Disappearance of the Universe repeats over and over, we are only joining with ourselves because, as in a dream, these are images we have made.

May 2010 bring you much love, joy and forgiveness!

Michael

Change your thinking

For decades now I have believed that by changing the way I think about the world I change my experience of the world.

For example, if I am sitting in a room with a number of people and I think they are supportive of me, I more than likely will experience peace. In the same way, if I am sitting with this same group of people and believe they are out to get me, I will experience fear. Whether I experience peace or fear is dictated by my thinking. And if someone acts in a way that I believe is insanely, and my thinking is that they are good yet behaving in a way that is not helpful to him or her, I will feel love, not fear; I will give peace, not judgment.

Likewise, if I declare that I don't like someone, my experience will be dictated by that. Or if I decide that I like the person, my experience will be dictated by that as well. And since your experience of the world is dictated by how you think about it, change your thinking about the world and you change how your experience the world.

However, while this belief has indeed been true in my life, I am now learning that the belief in itself is far too limiting! Take a look at this excerpt from Lesson 132 from A Course in Miracles.

"Belief is powerful indeed. The thoughts you hold are mighty, and illusions are as strong in their effects as is the truth...The world is nothing in itself. Your mind must give it meaning. And what you behold upon it are your wishes, acted out so you can look on them and think them real...There is no world apart from what you wish, and herein lies your ultimate release. Change but your mind on what you want to see, and all the world must change accordingly."

Yes, change your mind about the world and you change your experience of the world. But this excerpt is telling us that as we change our thinking about the world, we change the world!

As I continue to progress along this path of making practicing forgiveness a daily part of my life, I am seeing this more and more. And if this is my dream, how could it not be changed when I change my thinking? Healing of situations suddenly appear as I change my thinking. Broken relationships appear to suddenly repair themselves as I practice forgiveness. People's seeming destructive behaviors cease as I release my judgment and project forgiveness instead.

As we walk through this week, let's look for times when the world changes as we practice forgiveness. It's really quite remarkable!

As we change our thinking about the world, we change the world.

In Joy,

Michael

Business Busy

Because I want the peace of God, I remember that I am dreaming.

Over the last eight weeks I have found myself in "business busy" mode. This usually means that I have been so caught up in the dream I call my life that I have been "spiritually coasting" - that is, keeping the Holy Spirit grin on my face but not doing any focused work on my spiritual self. I feel in a sense that it has been a lot like being the hamster running on the wheel: expending a lot of energy, but not really going anywhere. And I forgive myself. Of course I know that learning comes even in seeming stagnation, and for this I am thankful.

In the Disappearance of the Universe, Arten reminds us how we give ourselves problems as a way of keeping us focused on the outer world. As he explains, problems are the ego's sure-fired defense against looking at and addressing the only true issue we all have -- our sense of separation from God -- an issue that can only be solved by going within.

When I accept even for the briefest of moments that I am truly home with God, when I find myself accepting, even if only for a brief period, that this is all my dream, this acceptance changes everything. How can I get irritated when a relative seems to be repeating the same old destructive pattern, when I am the one who is creating this? How can I get frustrated with the economy, when I am creating it. How can I get frustrated when a red light is taking too long to change, when it is all my dream? How can I beat myself up over something I did or didn't do yesterday, or did or didn't do 15 years ago, when I am really home with God?

Four years ago during the planning sessions that initiated our Practicing Forgiveness group, our planning team of four chose the following from The Disappearance of the Universe as the grounding statement that would start every Practicing Forgiveness meeting.
Because I want the peace of God, I remember that I am dreaming.
I forgive my projected images and myself for dreaming them.
I trust the Holy Spirit and choose His strength.
While the words had meaning to me then, they ring so much truer now. Walking on this forgiveness journey continues to show me the peace that comes with remembering. And while I don't always even want to remember, when I finally come to myself and do remember that I am spirit, home with God, the peace that comes - the relaxation and joy in the moment - is wonderful.

Here's to a week of remembering and forgiving!

In Joy,

Michael

The Impact of Guilt

Have you ever noticed the amazing impact that GUILT has in your life?

I've known for sometime that when I feel guilty about something, I put obstacles in my way. As early as age 13 I recognized at least some of the impact of my guilt. I can remember "dating" several girls that I knew I had no business spending time with (e.g., I though they were cute but I really didn't like being with them that much or they were someone else's girlfriend). Inevitably as I sensed the relationship was getting to the point where we would actually "make out" I would catch a cold - making kissing not possible. It was like clock work. It happened over and over again.

There is a passage in The Disappearance of the Universe in which Arten explains to Gary that if he didn't feel guilty about eating chocolate, he wouldn't break out every time he did.

Have you ever noticed the amazing impact that GUILT has in your life?

The other day I had an extreme example of the impact of my guilt. And even as I went through it, I knew what was going on and could only smile and shake my head as I watched my guilt manifest. In a strange way, it was like watching a dream or a movie. Instead of getting upset or feeling tense, I could look on what I had created and think, "This is what it is, and nothing more."

What happened exactly? Hang on for the movie I'll call, "Guilt In Action" or "And on the Eighth Day, Michael Created Guilt" (or more accurately, the "first" day). I'll use numbers to break up the narrative.
1. On this Sunday evening, I had a 5:50 flight to New Orleans because I was speaking at 10:30 the next day to what turned out to be over 300 people on strategic planning.
2. Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world, and Sunday afternoon at the Atlanta airport is typically the busiest time in the busiest airport, as thousands of weekend travelers returning home mix with thousands of business travelers flying out for the week. It is truly controlled chaos.
3. When I have to fly out on Sunday afternoons, I like leaving my home AT LEAST 2.5 hours ahead of time, if not earlier. So for a 5:50 flight, I had planned to leave at 3:15.
4. At 3:00, I was on the computer wanting to finish up something. I knew I needed to leave, I could feel my inner guide encouraging me to go, but I really wanted to finish what I was doing, even though it wasn't that important - I was just feeling willful. And ... I felt guilty about my willfulness. Unconsciously perhaps I was saying to myself, "You know you should be leaving. You know you should be listening to your inner guide. You know you should..." (A person once told me, "You have to stop 'should-ing' on yourself." She is SO right!)
5. It's 3:35 and I finally get in my car, 20 minutes later than I "should" be leaving. Except, the car doesn't start. Now I drive a Lexus and have done so for 15 years. One reason is because you don't have to worry about them not starting. I thought, "Wow, I must have left the lights on or something."
6. I don't panic. I have cables in my trunk (primarily to be able to help out other people). I get my wife to give me a jump and I am on my way. I let my wife know that I am going to stop by the office to pick up brochures, but I'll be on the expressway long enough to recharge the battery.
7. It's 4:10. I get to the office, pick up the brochures, jump back into the car. Except, the car doesn't start.
8. The parking lot of the office building is deserted. I remember thinking, "Okay, I have projected this for my healing. How is this one going to work out, God?"
9. I remember that the management company has a security vehicle that drives back and forth to check on the various buildings they manage in the area. I go to our receptionist's desk, find the telephone number for security and call. My call rolls to voice mail which gives me another number to call in case of an emergency. I call the emergency number. I let it ring, and ring, and ring, 20 times...no answer. I remember thinking, "Wow, I'll need to let them know the emergency number doesn't work some times."
10. I'm thinking through options. I call my DISCOVER Emergency Road Assistance number. Though I'm feeling pressed for time (or perhaps because of it), I get someone who takes me through what feels like 10 minutes of Q&A before she finally says they can get someone there and the cost will be $70. I explain to her that I am a member of the program, have been paying $25/month for over 10 years, this is the second time I used the service and I'm sure there is no additional fee. She explains what she sees on her computer and it is $70. I do a quick 5-second check-in with my inner guide, "Just pay the $70 or escalate?" I escalate and ask, "Is it possible that I can speak to your manager because I would like to get an explanation of this."
11. I'm on hold...and on hold...still holding...
12. After several minutes I notice someone drive up in the office building parking lot. Eureka!
13. I explain my situation and the need for a jump. She is more than happy to help, explains that she has no idea about cars or how to jump one, says that she is in a hurry as well, hands me her keys and runs into the building. What a trusting soul. I had never seen her before and haven't seen her since.
14. The good news is that her car starts fine. But when I go to find the hood release latch, I can't find it. I look everywhere: around the dashboard, the drivers seat, the outside hood. I get the sense that she probably won't know either. So...it feels so invasive, but I go ahead and open her glove compartment to get her car manual. Yes, it is there! I look up "hood." No, it isn't there. I realize this is an English car, so I'm trying to remember the name they use for "hood." I scan the index. There it is, "bonnet." The bonnet release button is on the passenger door. Now how much sense does that make? (I realize later that this makes a lot of sense. In England, they drive on the right side of the road. They moved the steering wheel for us Americans, but they didn't move the bonnet button!)
15. It's 4:40. I have 70 minutes to get to the gate. Possible, but I will have to put "pedal to the metal," and speed down the highway a lot more than a little bit. I realize though that if the problem is my battery, I will come back from New Orleans and will have a dead battery in the parking lot of the airport. I call Delta to check on possible later flights. "Mr. Wilkinson, there are two later flights, let me check on the status." I'm thinking that this is good and I'll just stop by Sears, get a new battery installed, and take a later flight. "But, Mr. Wilkinson, both flights are over-sold. I could put you on standby. But it is not likely that you would make it." Speed demon here I come.
16. It's 4:55. I am making good time...until I reach downtown. Traffic comes to a grinding halt. Not slow down, a full halt. I'm thinking, "It's a Sunday. What is this?" I turn on the radio just in time to hear the recap of a 4-2 Atlanta Braves baseball win, "Have a safe drive home." The game had just let out and 25,000 people are trying to drive home while I'm trying to get to the airport. I just shake my head and think, "Wow. I'm really doing it this time." Had I left when I had planned to leave...even with the other chaos, I still could have passed this point well before the game let out.
17. As we begin creeping along, I remember a way to get around the stadium and bypass the traffic. I take it, and it is indeed clear!
18. It's 5:15. I arrive at the airport, 35 minutes before flight time. I still have to get through security, but I am a CLEAR security card member and will be able to bypass most of the lines. But even with CLEAR, it still typically takes 30 or so minutes to get to the gate.
19. I get to the CLEAR line. There's no line! In fact there is not a single person there, not even the 2 or 3 CLEAR attendants. There is a sign, "Due to the inability to gain an extension in our credit lines, CLEAR is no longer in business." The sign is dated two days previously. I think, "Wow. This is just amazing."
20. It's 5:50. I get to the gate. I am the last person on board before they close the plane door!
21. It's 6:15. We are still at the gate. The captain announces, "We are having mechanical failure and will have to change planes. The new plane is on a different concourse at gate..." I could only smile and shake my head.
22. It's 7:15. We take off. Yeah!
23. It's 8:45. We are circling New Orleans...still circling...still circling. The pilot announces that New Orleans is experiencing severe storms and that the control tower is having planes circle until the storms pass. However, we are running out of fuel and will have to land in Baton Rouge to refuel. You could hear the collective groan from the passengers. I'm thinking, "Wow. This is truly unbelievable."
24. Once we land in Baton Rouge, a number of passengers are extremely vocal about the combined inconvenience of changing planes and having to land in Baton Rouge. The flight attendants catch the heavy dose of anger from the passengers. Unfortunately, one of the flight attendants became the lightening rod for animosity when she inadvertently gave her standard pre-exit pitch as we were landing in Baton Rouge, "You can pick up your luggage at ... if you have a connecting flight, please speak with..." - even though we were stopping just to refuel. As it turns out, a number of passengers demanded to get off the plane at Baton Rouge rather than continue on.
25. It's 9:50. We finally arrived in New Orleans - 3 hours late - even with the time zone change. I'm the last to get off the plane and a flight attendant says, "I noticed you were the only one smiling the entire time. You didn't seem to get upset at all about all this. Do you work for the airlines or something?" I didn't have the heart to tell her, "This was my dream. All this chaos, I created it. How could you not smile when you recognize it is you creating all this." I simply said, "It is what it is," and smiled out the door.
Have you ever noticed the amazing impact that GUILT has in your life?

As we practice forgiving ourselves and others, we release the guilt that creates much of the chaos in our lives. Perhaps if I had just spent 5 or 10 minutes at anytime in my journey reaffirming my guiltlessness I may have been able to release some of the experiences that came my way. "I am spirit, whole and innocent. All is forgiven and released."

At the same time, I do recognize that whether experiences are bypassed or not is perhaps not as important. Perhaps the greater point is how much more peace I felt going through the experience by understanding the dynamics of how my guilt can create chaos.

Be peaceful today my friend.

In Joy,

Michael