“God does not forgive because He has never condemned. And there must be condemnation before forgiveness is necessary.” This powerful thought begins Lesson 46 in the Workbook for Students in A Course in Miracles, and it is an important thought because it tells us something about the Course’s view of God…
Nearly twenty years ago, a book came out entitled, The Purpose Driven Life. It became a huge success because the idea spoke to a deep need and desire in each of us; we all want to know our purpose. We want to know how we fit in — how we can make a difference. We want to feel our contribution is valuable.
We often view our purpose as our profession…what we do for a living. Our profession can be what we get paid for, or what we do without pay, which can be just as important, such as being a parent.
I kept a Mother’s Day card my son gave me a few years back…
There is a simple children’s book — a perennial favorite I read to my kids when they were young — that depicts the search for spiritual truth in an unusually perceptive and direct manner. P.D. Eastman’s book, Are You My Mother? tells the story of a baby bird who hatches and tumbles from its nest while its mother is off gathering food. Not knowing what its mother looks like, the baby bird wanders the world in search of her, bumping up against a variety of different animals and objects along the way (including a dog, cow, boat, airplane, and a bulldozer) and asking each one the only question that matters to it: “Are you my mother?” Each answers, “No,” except for the bulldozer, which says, “Snort!” and then, in a surprising move, lifts the baby bird back to its nest, where it is finally reunited with its real mother. You might wonder how this story qualifies as a spiritual classic. Let me explain….
The other night we were watching the movie Titanic. I had forgotten how the movie started. It was all about treasure hunting and how this present day crew was using sophisticated machinery to survey the underwater wreckage of the Titanic. The salvagers were on a hunt for a precious, heart-shaped diamond that was purported to have sunk to the bottom of the sea on the ill-fated ship. The movie starts out as a hunt for a worldly treasure and then quickly turns into an inner journey about real value and treasure in the hearts of people…
Legend has it that the first brownie was made at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, Illinois at the request of Bertha Palmer, socialite and wife of the owner, Potter Palmer. She wanted something cake-like and small that could be served to the ladies at the Columbian Exposition for the Chicago World’s fair of 1893. Working with the hotel pastry chef, she came up with this delicious confection. In 1898 the first reference to the brownie in America appeared in the Sears Roebuck Catalog published in Chicago. If you like your brownies…
This thought is the cornerstone on which A Course in Miracles is built because it is the truth. From love is everything possible for our healing and the healing of the world. This thought is the reason why “you are the light of the world” …“why God appointed you as the world’s savior” …“why the Son of God looks to you for his salvation.” The Son of God is saved because, “Love created you like itself.” As this lesson goes on to say…
Richard Buckminster Fuller was an American architect, author, inventor, and futurist. Probably best known for his creation of the geodesic dome, Fuller dedicated his life to making the world work for all humanity. What a wonderful purpose! When Fuller died, the following words were inscribed on his gravestone: “CALL ME TRIMTAB.” If you have ever wondered how mighty sailing ships turn, you probably thought it had to do with a rudder…
I watched the Golden Globes the other night. Usually these award shows are a mix of boring speeches, crazy fashion, and shows I’ve never heard of. This year, however, it seemed to have a very cohesive message of self-empowerment and kindness. One speech really stuck out to me…
Dr. Bob Rosenthal has been a student and teacher of A Course in Miracles for over forty years. As co-president of the Foundation for Inner Peace, he recognized the need for a series of books that could help those who have heard of the Course and feel drawn to it, but may need a leg up to get started. In this, the first book of the series, Dr. Rosenthal approaches the Course from an entirely fresh perspective. Using common sense wisdom and sharing from his own experience as both a psychiatrist and Course student, he unpacks the core elements of the Course’s teaching in a clear and comprehensible manner…
As we enter another new year, a lot of emotions come up. As we clean up and reset our minds from the holidays, some of us feel overwhelmed about starting yet another year from zero, some of us feel nothing since we have started many new years with not much changing, and some of us may be feeling a new stirring within our souls. A little sense that you are willing for a new perception to come to you so that you might walk through this world in a lighter and more connected experience. Perhaps a feeling where you truly know that everything you need for your awakening, your salvation, is available to you right now…