During the cold and flu season this year, I decided to participate. Though it hung on for over two weeks, it seemed like two years! Finally, the fog lifted and I was back to my old self, but the experience did get me thinking. No, not about why I got sick….or what I was defending against (as you know, A Course in Miracles tells us “sickness is a defense against the truth”)…or how come I didn’t realize: “I am not a body. I am free. For I am still as God created me.”

When I am in the midst of my sickness…

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It was Valentine’s Day and Joey was busy making valentines for everyone in his class. His mother was happy to see her little boy so joyful, but she was worried that the other children would not remember to give a valentine to Joey. You see, Joey was a little slower than the rest of the kids, and he was often forgotten and not given much value by them. That did not seem to stop him, though, in getting into the spirit of Valentine’s Day. Joey was determined not to forget even one child…

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Have you ever felt locked in by your circumstances in life? Maybe it’s a job you don’t like. Maybe you feel overworked by the activities of raising a family and juggling work and home life. Or maybe you are being confronted by a chronic illness for yourself or a loved one. How do we live like the spiritual beings we are, when we feel so locked into the world?

Some well-meaning Course students would simply say the world is not real and that is that! Your body is not real and sickness is an illusion. One student said recently…

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Our January seminar “Fundamentals of Forgiveness” is now available for on-demand viewing. Experience all four sessions, including six hours of instruction, as well downloadable charts and PowerPoint presentations.

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My husband Paul and I take a walk out in nature almost every day. To get to our nature trail, we walk by the same set of homes and every day the same dog comes running to the fence to bark at us. I always thought his bark was so angry and it irritated me that he could not get used to us walking by every day. I kept thinking, doesn’t he know us by now?

One day I finally said to Paul, “What’s wrong with that dog? Why is he growling and barking at us like we’re strangers?”

“He doesn’t think we are strangers.” Paul replied. “Look at him, he’s wagging his tail. He likes us and wants to play.”

That perception hit me between the eyes…

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When I was growing up, every summer our family traveled the country. My dad was a salesman, and during the school year we were home with mom. He missed having his family around, and even though it was more expensive to travel with the family, he felt the benefits outweighed the costs. I am so grateful he did, because we saw some beautiful country and some interesting sites.

You have to remember this was back in the 60s when color TV and 3-D glasses were cutting-edge technology. As my brother and I sat un-seatbelted, and peered out the window of our un-air conditioned station wagon, we were fascinated by the billboards.

Each one piqued our interest for the next one…

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Most of us at the Center happen to be old-time movie buffs. Many of the old Christmas movies have wonderful spiritual messages to them. One of our all-time favorites is It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart. This classic Capra movie has become a holiday standard, and we wouldn’t miss it!

But, if you are up for another old-time adventure this holiday, you should check out the wonderful 1947 gem…

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As the season of gratitude and peace approaches, it is often difficult for us to believe God is present in the painful, confusing situations of life, or that anything “good” can come of a tragic circumstance. And yet, this is our guarantee, for as we read in the Course, “All things work together for good. There are no exceptions except in the ego’s judgment…

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The four weeks before Christmas are typically known as Advent. It is considered a time of preparation for the birth of Christ. Therefore, let us prepare for the birth of Christ by preparing our own inner garden. Today let us begin by noticing the weeds of fear that are chocking the seeds of healing in our lives and make a conscious choice to bring them to the light of true healing, to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to simply look on them. We don’t have to worry about how or when He will heal them. We have faith that if we bring them to Him, He will do the job immediately…

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When the holidays roll around, I start thinking of how I can make them more meaningful and less commercialized. As I write this, it is fall in Southern California, but it’s also 90 degrees. It doesn’t feel like Christmas, and yet our local Home Depot store is displaying fully-lighted, artificial Christmas trees and aisles and aisles of outdoor and indoor holiday decorations. Not to mention all the other stores and online outlets reminding me to purchase my gifts before it’s too late!

Yes, the holidays can seem too commercialized! But, what’s wrong with that? It is my choice to get caught up in the judgment of the holidays or to shift my perception to the wonder of the season…

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