If you appreciate this magazine (and our many other projects and services), we hope you will take a moment to make a contribution.

Transcription

1 If you appreciate this magazine (and our many other projects and services), we hope you will take a moment to make a contribution. Without your assistance, The Holy Encounter, and our Center itself, will not be here to help. Your gift supports all of Miracle Distribution Center's services for A Course in Miracles students... and for U.S. residents, it's tax-deductible. Click to Contribute Now then continue to the magazine...

2 MAY / JUNE 2015 A Miracle Distribution Center Publication He s a very self-motivated learner. He asks questions, helps others, and frequently communicates with me when he needs help. That was the note our son Jeffrey brought home from school when he was selected student of the month. His high school chemistry teacher had nominated him, and he was honored to have been selected and to receive a button which he wore proudly on his shirt. We were thrilled for him, but I was especially taken by the words his teacher wrote because the sentiment seemed to be exactly what we all need to be doing to succeed in our spiritual growth. It s also what A Course in Miracles is asking us to do to learn this course. We must want a better way, question every value we hold dear, remember salvation is a collaborative venture, and communicate with God when we need help. Just because some of us may have ended our formal worldly education doesn t mean our spiritual education has ceased. We know how important it is to continue to stimulate our brains, so let s investigate a little further what the Course is Student of the Month by Beverly Hutchinson McNeff We are not asked to do much for our awakening; we are simply asked to turn in its direction to become aware of our compromises to peace, our unforgiving thoughts, and no longer choose to dwell in them. asking of us to complete our real education, and learn how we can become student of the month! Are you a self-motivated learner? Do you want a better way? This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. These are the beginning words in the text s introduction. Just as any academic class you might take, A Course in Miracles gives you a syllabus that tells you what it is, what is required, and then the rest is up to you. The effort you put into the Course becomes the benefit or lack of benefit you receive. Those who want to learn will find wisdom that can last them a lifetime. I still remember the invaluable lessons of classes I took many years ago, but I also know it was because I wanted to learn; I put in the effort. If you feel the Course is your path, then you need to give it the effort it asks. The Course is telling us that a course in awakening to your reality in love is required (whether it be A Course in Miracles or some other path), but the time you take it is voluntary. Only you can honestly answer the question as to whether JOIN ME Continued on page 12 Beverly is the co-founder and president of MDC, one of the longest running organizations based on A Course in Miracles. As a student, lecturer and author on the Course since 1977, her recorded weekly commentaries on Course principles have become a wonderful source of inspiration and study for many around the world. Receive a FREE recording by contacting MDC. at the CENTER'S CONFERENCE August 1516 A Course in Miracles Celebrating 50 Years In celebration of the 50th anniversary of A Course in Miracles birth, we will be sharing some of its history. The following is from Helen Schucman s autobiography (as shared in Absence from Felicity by Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D.) and it describes an explanation for the coming of the Course. I was given a sort of mental explanation... in the form of a series of related thoughts that crossed my mind in rapid succession and made a reasonably coherent whole. According to this information, the world situation was worsening at an alarming pace. People all over the world were being called back to help, and were developing what to them were highly unexpected talents, each making his individual contribution to an overall, HELEN SCHUCMAN prearranged plan. I had apparently agreed to take down a course in miracles which the Voice would dictate to me as part of the agreement, and my doing it was actually my reason for coming. It did not really involve unexpected abilities, since I would be using abilities I had developed very long ago, Continued on page 14

3 Daily Lesson - I am doing the lesson s and so appreciate your making this service available. And, we appreciate Robert in Seattle, Washington for his kind words and tax-deductible donation in support of our new FREE service of the Center! The Daily Workbook Lesson service sends you your Course lesson for the day, automatically. During the quick sign-up process, simply indicate the lesson on which you d like to begin. On each succeeding day you will automatically receive the next lesson. The daily messages can be read on your smartphone, tablet, or home computer. Each includes the lesson title in an attractive graphic. Directly below it, a link will lead you to the entire lesson. You may start and stop at any time and even reset the number on which to begin. It was fifty years ago, in October 1965 (not May 29th, as we misstated in our last issue), that Helen Schucman heard the words, This is a course in miracles. Please take notes. She and her colleague William Thetford embarked upon a sevenyear process of Helen receiving her inner dictation and Bill supporting her and typing out the notes. It was forty years ago that the Foundation for Inner Peace published the first edition of A Course in Miracles. We celebrate these milestones with profound gratitude for the two scribes of the Course, what they considered their sacred trust, and the Foundation for Inner Peace s commitment to carry out these 2 wishes. The Foundation plans to memorialize this occasion by presenting rare photos and recordings online throughout the year. Go to Welcome Macedonia - We are pleased to welcome a new A Course in Miracles study group in Skopje, Macedonia to our map of groups. Explore the worldwide map to see all 2,000 study groups. Simply go to our website at and our geo-location feature will zoom you in to the groups closest to you, or you may enter the country you d wish to view. As always, this service is free of charge and part of our 37 year commitment to bringing Course students together. Thanks so much for the powerful Lessons in Light. They have helped me to stay calm through some recent challenges. There have been many opportunities to put the steps you teach week by week into practice, each one building on the other, to form a firm foundation. That s how Rae in Florida expressed her support of our recent meetings at the Center that coincided with the Lenten season as we moved into Easter. If you missed the series or want to view some comments again, you can go to Request your free, full-color 2015 bookmark today which lists all the thoughts in the prayer ministry & join us each day at 4:30 pm (PT) as we unite in a moment of prayerful support for one another. Call ACIM(2246) or at miraclecenter.org our video clips page. There you will find a collection of clips from our past meetings. You can also sign up to be an ongoing member of our group and have access to archived meetings to watch for as little as $5 a week. It s a great support for students and the Center. Let Me Remember is the theme of this year s International Conference on A Course in Miracles, August 15-16, 2015 in Irvine, California. With 2015 being the 50th anniversary of the Course s birth, this year s conference will feature a special presentation created by the Foundation for Inner Peace (original publishers of the Course.) Don t miss this transformational event as students gather from around the world to experience the life-changing power of the Course. Check out the back page of this issue for more details and join us! Need a pick-me-up? Visit our webpage and select the Choose-A-Quote page and there, at the click of a button, a quote from A Course in Miracles will be selected for you. Click the button again, and a new quote is at your fingertips! Keep clicking for your inspiration. We also have a Choose-A-Quote card to carry with you that has a barcode to scan with your mobile device that will send you directly to the page. Plus the card has a beautiful reminder quote from the Course you ll definitely want to have. Give us a call at: Continued on page 14

4 Change Your Mind, Change Your Life Another Way of Looking at Blindness... I am determined to see things differently by Gerald Jampolsky, M.D. and Diane V. Cirincione-Jampolsky, Ph.D. As I write this article, I am one week away from completing a sevenweek stay at the Western Veteran s Blind Rehabilitation Center in Menlo Park, California. I am still assimilating this experience, which has been life changing, awesome, and challenging. On the first day of my stay, I had just left my room to go to my instructor s office when I came upon the following scene. There were five veterans with white canes walking toward me, and three other veterans with white canes walking in the direction I was about to travel. I stopped in my tracks. I immediately created a heart print of the scene, and my heart immediately opened to great compassion for these people. Then, suddenly, I recognized I was legally blind, about to walk with my white cane, and I was not separate from them but part of them! I realized I was feeling compassion for those in front of me, but I did not remember feeling compassion for myself. And I remembered I am not able to give true love or compassion to another person unless I am feeling the same love and compassion for myself. As I look back on the situation, I realize I was not considering myself to be a blind person. I believe that in some way I was practicing healthy denial and could not see myself as limited or suffering loss. How could I be any of those things if I know my true identity is spirit and not a body? I have been a student of the A Course in Miracles since I know I am not always in a higher consciousness. But that day, I was not seeing myself as blind. I believe the Course is about experienc- ing a new reality where, when we let go of our old belief in the ego s fearful agenda, love becomes our only reality. These days, as I walk down the dock to our houseboat, people will ask me: How are you doing today, Jerry? My firm answer is always, My spiritual vision is getting better each day, and I am doing greater than great. For many years now, Diane and I have ingrained in ourselves that we are spiritual beings, not bodies. We have learned to believe we are blind when Then, suddenly, I recognized I was legally blind, about to walk with my white cane, and i was not separate from them but part of them! we respond to illusions as if they were real; when we are judgmental; when we believe anger gets us something we really want; and when we are holding onto grievances instead of practicing unconditional love with everyone including ourselves. We continue to experience more inner peace and joy when we remember our true home is in the consciousness of God. We relish seeing others as light beams that reflect the light in us. Another Way of Looking at the World. I remember Bill Thetford telling me about the time when he was in his office with Helen Schucman and was very stressed about getting funds for his psychology department. All of a sudden, he said, There must be a better way of living in this world. And to his surprise, Helen held Bill s hands and said, Bill, I agree with you, and I am willing to help you find that better way. As I write this article I feel the presence of Bill and Helen in my office. There is no way of sharing the depth of my appreciation on a daily basis because, by golly, together they were messengers of a new way of looking at and experiencing life. They showed us how to experience love and peace as we let go of the blocks we put in the way. I am blessed beyond measure for all the days and years I was able to be with them, either in person or over the phone. I remember when Judy Skutch Whitson gave me the manuscript of the Course before it was published. I looked at the table of contents of the workbook, and my eyes fell on the lesson entitled, I am determined to see things differently. At that time I mistakenly thought the lesson was about my learning to see things differently with my physical eyes. Wow, how wrong I was! It took me a long time to believe and then truly know the lesson was about letting go of illusions and learning to experience love as my only reality. There was a time when I stopped studying the Course because I stubbornly felt I did not need to take ten minutes out of every hour to study the lessons. Three months later I returned to the Course with recognition of how powerful my ego could be in wanting to prevent any oneness in this world. That is why I see our work in Attitudinal Healing healing the illusion of separation as being so important. During one of my difficult times with the Course, when I felt a great deal of resistance, I decided to create an imaginary club for people who felt they were remedial students of the Course. Naturally, I decided to elect myself president of the club. I think there must be thousands of students who would join this imaginary club if they knew about it! In this moment, which is the only time there is, I am happier and more peaceful then I ever have been. And I have learned to navigate in this illusory world with greater ease. Gerald Jampolsky, M.D. and Diane Cirincione-Jampolsky, Ph.D., international lecturers and bestselling authors, share their insights and experiences in applying the principles of A Course in Miracles in our world. Their books and other items are available at 3

5 Miracle Musings... The Inside Job by Paul McNeff JOIN ME at the CENTER'S CONFERENCE August 1516 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Bible: Matthew 5:5) The best defense, as always, is not to attack another s position, but rather to protect the truth. (T-3.I.2) It wasn t the Marines that made a man of me, it was KidSingers. What?! This buff soldier credited a kid s choir with making a man out of him instead of the Marine Corps? Oorah! Yes, I could hardly believe it myself when I heard KidSinger alumnus and two year veteran of the Marine Corps, Huver Miranda, share that with me. Huver had been in KidSingers for seven years prior to joining the Marines following his high school graduation. For those of you who don t know, KidSingers is an inner city, afterschool youth choir for at-risk kids in grades 3-12 in Santa Ana, California which my wife Beverly and I founded eighteen years ago. Huver went on to say the KidSingers values of respect, tolerance, fairness, kindness and love helped to shape his life into one of purpose and meaning. Additionally, because his college financial needs would eventually be funded by the G.I. Bill, Huver also donated his $4,500 in KidSingers college scholarship money back to the program. A very magnanimous gesture! Now in this illusion, I m not questioning the efficacy or need for our nation s armed services and the daily sacrifices our service men and women render for our freedom and safety. I m grateful for that. But as the words rolled out of Huver s mouth, I couldn t help but sit up and notice the contrast of the two entities he referenced. The Marines trains warriors KidSingers trains singers. The Marines build up one s body In Jesus day, many wanted him to take up the sword and lead a rebellion against Rome so the Hebrew nation could once again live in freedom and peace. Instead, he chose otherwise to lead a radical way of living... and spirit and arms it with weapons to kill KidSingers build up one s body and spirit to lovingly use as a healing agent. The Marines teaches one to engage an enemy in fierce combat KidSingers teaches kids to engage an audience with inspirational music from their heart. The Marines teach peace through defense KidSingers teaches to see the unity of all humankind and inhabit the axiom: peace begins with me. As the Course says, The best defense, as always, is not to attack another s position, but rather to protect the truth. Protecting the truth is not to condone ones actions in the world, but simply to join with God in vigilantly seeing the Christ child in each and every brother. In Jesus day, many wanted him to take up the sword and lead a rebellion against Rome so the Hebrew nation could once again live in freedom and peace. Instead, he chose otherwise to lead a radical way of living; instead of taking up the sword, he beckoned us to take an expedition into the heart, one that did not call for attack and defense at all costs, but one that would engender love, forgiveness, and goodwill. He defined it as the Kingdom of God (heaven). It was not made of brick and mortar, but something far more eternal in nature. And then he went on to teach the Kingdom was not a destination but an attitude. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught; Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy; Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Jesus further teaches about the Kingdom of Heaven in A Course in Miracles: Truth is without illusions and therefore within the Kingdom. Everything outside the Kingdom is illusion. When you threw truth away you saw yourself as if you were without it. By making another kingdom that you valued, you did not keep only the Kingdom of God in your mind, and thus placed part of your mind outside it. What you made has imprisoned your will, and given you a sick mind that must be healed. Your vigilance against this sickness is the way to heal it. Once your mind is healed it radiates health, and thereby teaches healing. (T-6.C.9) Similarly, the Dalai Lama offers insight into the kingdom. The antidote to hatred in the heart, the source of violence, is tolerance. It enables you to refrain from reacting angrily to the harm inflicted on you by others. You could call this practice inner disarmament, in that a well-developed tolerance makes you free from the compulsion to counterattack. For the same reason, we also call tolerance the best armor, since it protects you from being conquered by hatred itself. Beverly and I have often observed how KidSingers represents a stealth version of teaching A Course in Miracles. Call it an inside job! Without using formal Course language, KidSingers inculcates the content of the Course into each child that participates in the program. Those same values Huver learned are assimilated by each child through the magic of music. The kids go through the process of learning the material, memorizing the words, and then internalizing the message as a subtext for performance. By the time the singing ultimately germinates in the ears of 4 Paul McNeff is married to MDC s founder and has been a student of the Course since He is a professional singer and conductor and holds a master s degree in vocal performance. In 1997, along with Beverly, he founded KidSingers, an inner-city, after-school children s chorus. The program has won many awards and been featured on Good Morning America. Learn more at:

6 the audience, both giver and receiver experience an inspiration and love that is transformational. The truth, like a sympathetic vibration, can t help but vibrate the interior pathways leading directly to the heart where it ultimately resonates freely. As children we used to say the Pledge of Allegiance before class time in school. Mirroring that concept, KidSingers recite the KidSinger Code before each rehearsal. It goes like this: We pledge to respect one another, to be trustworthy and fair. We will care about each other and be good citizens. Above all else, we will take responsibility for our actions in our quest to build a better you and a better me. Wouldn t it be great if we if we could all make that our daily code? The Course tells us we cannot change the world, but we can and must change the way we view the world. All great spiritual teachings basically guide us to the same inner path that helps us to awaken to the truth about ourselves and our brother. Worthy of noting, the Course never says the world is evil or that having wealth, power, money, and things, are wrong. But in our attainment of those things, we often wander away from our spiritual anchor and choose to listen to the ego dictates of greed, avarice, and blind ambition. However, the Course so eloquently teaches this is only a choice we are making, and while it may have dire consequences in this world, it is never irreversible in the Kingdom. We will never be eternally separated from God as a result of this choice. We will only feel separated because of the ego-erected blocks to love s awareness. But by our choosing once again to join with God, we can get back on the path to happiness and peace. Like the prodigal son, we can return home to the arms of our loving father. This truly is an inside job! The Course tells us we cannot change the world, but we can and must change the way we view the world. And, as we do, we will make a shift in the world that will be miraculous. Join me in calling forth a miracle, a shift in perception. As part of our spiritual practice, whether by meditation, prayer, or simple random acts of kindness, with the Holy Spirit as our inner Update: Prison Project by Maria Zakich The Prison Project of Miracle Distribution Center sends A Course in Miracles and other Course-based items to those in prison. Through your generous donations, we have been able to supply many newly-started spiritual libraries in prisons. In some cases we have been able to provide multiple copies of books so more inmates can read about the love that is their essence. These principles are truly making a difference and quenching a thirst for truth that many in prison have found no other place. As the Course often reminds us, to give and to receive are one in truth. The following letter from Margaret in New Zealand beautifully expresses the importance of extending support to those who find themselves within the walls of physical prisons. As we reach out in support, we release everyone with us. Dear Beverly, I was clearing some papers in my filing cabinet a few days ago and came across a letter from a manager of a women s prison in Christchurch in New Zealand. The letter was thanking me for a number of Jerry Jampolsky s books I had donated to the prison and how she appreciated Jerry s philosophy as it was what she was aiming to bring into the prison. This was very heartwarming to me because when I worked in a women s prison in the 1970s I had done the same thing with some of Joel Goldsmith s books, which were passed on to the Prison Chaplin who told me he did not think the girls would understand the books and had therefore taken them into his own personal library. Now this morning after reading the updates on your Prison Project I am including a check for more books for your Prison Project. Incidentally, in the three and a half years I worked in a prison, I was the only officer who was not attacked by inmates. I feel this was because I was, without realizing it at the time, actually practicing Attitudinal Healing and also Restorative Justice at the same time. My love and blessings to you and all at MDC for the work and encouragement you bless the world with. Thank you, Margaret for your generous donation. It s support like this that allows us to send this type of healing support into our prisons. As an example, we recently received a letter from a woman who works in a correctional department in Arkansas. She is starting an A Course in Miracles study group and asked for materials. We are sending out multiple copies of A Mini Course for Life and An Introduction to A Course in Miracles to her and we re thrilled to think so many of the inmates will have their own copies to hold and study. Donations made to the Prison Project go directly to sending out books and THE HOLY ENCOUNTER to those who request them. Maria Zakich coordinates The Prison Project at MDC. You may her at maria@miraclecenter.org collaborator, let us allow our disrespect to be transformed into respect, our judgment into tolerance, our hatred into kindness, our cheating into fairness, and our fear into love. In so doing, may we gain access into the eternal, where all the treasures of heaven will lighten our path, warm our hearts, and restore to us the ability to see the oneness of all humankind. May this be the focus of our inside job. To find out more about KidSingers go to 5

7 Remembering this is often hard. Not only hard, but impossible as long as I am fixated on remembering I am one with my ego mind! From our earliest days, our focus is directed toward the care and maintenance of the personal self its safety, needs, and requirements for self-promotion. As we are reminded in the Course, we have made gods of the self-concepts contrived as we mature, and do indeed, worship at their altars. A wonderful quote from A Course in Miracles And thus are two sons made, and both appear to walk this earth without a meeting place and no encounter. One do you perceive outside yourself, your own beloved son. The other rests within, His Father s Son, within your brother as he is in you. Their difference does not lie in how they look, nor where they go, nor even what they do. They have a different purpose. So naturally, our own beloved sons command our respect and allegiance. The problem is that those sons can t deliver happiness, peace, security, or connection, although they search mightily and endlessly for them. It is considering the body/mind/personality as the primary identity and sending it off in search of peace of mind that guarantees it won t be found. So why is the ego (body/mind/personality) so uniformly unsuccessful at permanently finding what it wants, remaining endlessly on the hunt? Because the ego is fictitious a collection of programs and conditions, mostly installed very early in life. And this will forever be the case, so we must look elsewhere for happiness, which Let Me Remember I Am One With God by Carol Howe by Jacob Glass If the ego is not my primary identity, although I behave as though it were, then what is? Early on in our earthly life, we begin to confuse primary and secondary identities, lose tract of reality, and the trouble begins. everyone in the world seeks. If the ego is not my primary identity, although I behave as though it were, then what is? Early on in our earthly life, we begin to confuse primary and secondary identities, lose track of reality, and the trouble begins. Our primary identity is, of course, life, spirit, the invisible light and presence, the extension/ creation of God. But how do we know and relate to that presence on a familiar daily basis when I am singularly involved with my own beloved son? To make that point here is a sentence: I am going to work. Here, the I AM, or sense of primary identity, is ascribed to the body/mind. But what if I say, I am noticing that I am working too many hours. Now we have two I AMs in the sentence and they are not the same. To what does the first one refer? What s doing the noticing that the body/mind is overworking this something that is preceding the body/mind and able to regard it as an object, and about which it can make commentary? It is being, conscious awareness, the real I AM, and this I must remember I AM! This is my primary identity, able to observe the ego the secondary identity. Notice the characteristics of conscious awareness right now as you read limitless, clear, empty, boundless, constant, eternal, non-judgmental, non-resistance, completely accepting, and more. Does this not sound like our description of God? How about the characteristics of the body/mind? The 50 trillion cells in the body are made of molecules and atoms, endlessly being replaced so the body itself is never constant from one second to the next. What about that mind, made up of JOIN ME at the CENTER'S CONFERENCE August 1516 thoughts, feelings, and perceptions? We know, without doubt, that all of these change every second or less. Talk about an unstable concoction! This should be wonderful news to realize I actually am (and we all are collectively) right now this presence with these amazing characteristics. Who would want a small, constantly changing, unpredictable, unhappy, ineffective invention that can t deliver the goods to be our primary identity? We would have to be insane, which the Course assures us we are. So we are called upon to remember we are always one with conscious awareness that is omnipresent. There is never an instant when it disappears. Now that s stable and count-on-able! So we are asked to return our ATTENTION from the ego to conscious awareness, to practice being in the witness position, watching what the body/mind/ego is doing, thinking, and wanting. And the more we observe what the ego is up to, rather than closely identifying with the ego itself, the calmer and more peaceful we feel. Isn t peace of mind our stated goal? Isn t it more peaceful to watch what my ego is doing, demanding, worrying about rather than actually identifying with it? The Course would refer to that as being above the battleground. Am I not remembering I am one with God as I pay attention to this peace? And as we become more conscientious and motivated to stay in this place of primary identity, observing the ego rather than getting so tangled up in it, we discover something wonderful. More and more we discover, to our delight, that this conscious awareness is also the home of love, tranquility, brilliance, light, and happiness as well as peace. And it s all right here, constantly and safely, for our choosing. Lesson 132 states,...and nowhere does the Father end, the Son begin as something separate from Him. So let us daily remember we are always one with 6 Carol is an author, teacher and counselor. She was a close friend of Bill Thetford's and has been a Course student and teacher for more than thirty years. Her books and videos can be found at

8 causeless, eternal, loving conscious awareness right here and now. Nothing to do about it, nothing to learn. It s happily an unavoidable circumstance and we are only asked to pay attention, to shift our allegiance. Regardless of what we believe, we are always at home, always beloved and asked only to choose to remember that for deepest peace and happiness guaranteed beyond measure. Available from the Center See How Workshop Series on DVD by Carol Howe Throughout this workshop series you will see Carol interact with a small class composed of students with varying degrees of experience with the Course. Through spontaneous interaction, Carol shares concepts that are anchored in real life experience. $ EACH Price plus S&H. CA residents add sales tax Titles available: See How A Course in Miracles Works See How Building the Ego Works See How Relationships Work See How Forgiveness Works See How Acceptance Works See How Healing Works See How Guidance Works See How Choice Works To Order ACIM(2246) or at miraclecenter.org 7

9 8 9

10 Forgiveness Lies in Communication: A Lesson From Helen Schucman, Ph.D. by Jon Mundy, Ph.D. JOIN ME at the CENTER'S CONFERENCE August 1516 Forgiveness lies in communication as surely as damnation lies in guilt. (T-15.VII.13:1) Though we only lived a few blocks from each other in New York City, I first met Dr. Helen Schucman and Dr. William Thetford at a Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship Conference in Chicago in My first book, Learning To Die, had just been published and I was giving a talk at the conference on the similarity between the reports of near-death and mystical experiences. Helen and Bill attended my lecture. I was introduced to Helen more formerly that evening, and I was told she had written an inspirational book. Helen was a short, little woman with frizzy hair and big glasses, and I looked at her and thought, Isn t that nice, the little lady wrote an inspirational book. I ll bet it has some nice prayers in it. It does! Little did I know they were talking about A Course in Miracles. In 1974, I wrote a letter, which was published in the newsletter of the Journal for Transpersonal Psychology, expressing Helen was a short, little woman with frizzy hair and big glasses, and I looked at her and thought, Isn t that nice, the little lady wrote an inspirational book. I ll bet it has some nice prayers in it. interest in connecting with someone working in the fields of psychotherapy and spirituality, as I was working on a dissertation on that topic. Bill saw my letter and told Helen he thought it was a call for her to complete the writing of Psychotherapy, Purpose, Process and Practice so I might have a copy. Helen agreed. She completed the pamphlet in April 1975, called and said she had something for me. I did not know what she was talking about, but I agreed to meet with her, Bill, and Dr. Ken Wapnick in Ken s little studio apartment on East 17th Street. At the time, I was living inside of General Theological Seminary between West 20th and 21st Streets. On Sunday evening, April 20, 1975, I walked over to Ken s place for our meeting. Helen sat on Ken s daybed and told me about the Course, how it came into existence, and how it affected those in the room. I carried the manuscript of the Psychotherapy Pamphlet home that Lesson 101: Perfect Happiness by Jon Mundy, Ph.D. Perhaps the Course s most essential lesson is 101 the belief that there is no sin and that God s will for us is perfect happiness. Jon digs deeply into this concept, providing and insightful and clear path through one of the workbook s most meaningful and complex lessons. Hardcover pages To Order ACIM(2246) or at miraclecenter.org $ Price plus S&H. CA residents add sales tax evening, thinking that probably the most important thing which would ever happen to me had just happened. I had no idea what it was, though. After that, Ken came to visit me at General Theological, and I began to sponsor lectures with Ken in New York City, Orange, and Westchester counties. Helen, in turn, became something of a mother figure and counselor in times of trouble. It seemed I was frequently in trouble in my relationships with women. That same April, an incident regarding forgiveness occurred in which Helen was very helpful. I had broken off a relationship with a woman I had been dating. The lady in question got very angry. She started calling at 2 a.m. just to wake me up and annoy me. It got to the point, where in order to get any sleep, I had to take the phone off the hook before going to bed. She came unannounced to General Theological, and when the guard at the door told her I was not in, she picked a cup of coffee up off of his desk and threw it on him. One day as I was leaving my office/apartment with another lady, we found this woman waiting outside my door and she physically attacked my friend. Fortunately, I was able to restrain her. I threw my car keys to my friend and she ran ahead and locked herself in my car. After that, a lawyer friend suggested my getting a restraining Order of Protection against her, but I didn t want to do that. I felt tremendous guilt over having entered this relationship and did not know how to resolve it. I was carrying such a weight of guilt that I went to see Helen. Helen suggested I leave the phone on the hook, and the next time she called I should talk to her in a reasonable and loving manner. I should not argue or disagree with her. I was just to let her be who she was and let her talk it out, for as long as she Continued on page Jon is a former university professor and the publisher of Miracles Magazine. He is the author of several books based on A Course in Miracles including his latest, Lesson 101: Perfect Happiness.

11 Recognizing Spirit Nothing is Ever Lost but Time: Inspirational Psychology on Choosing by Dr. Lee Jampolsky, Ph.D. Listen. But first choose what you want to listen to. Then silence the rest without any argument. Having been profoundly deaf for many years now, my appreciation of the features of high-tech hearing aids has shifted. At one time, I was very hopeful technology would one day help me, and I took interest in all of the exciting new features that would possibly help me to hear more clearly. The manufacturers and dealers optimistically promised many things, but my ability to hear others when they were talking to me was not improved, and I was disappointed. No matter the technology, my ability to discriminate speech in order to understand what is being said is still very poor, and I rely on lip reading. Now I have come full circle. I think the greatest feature of any hearing aids, the one I appreciate the most, is the off switch. I have found that being deaf and being able to have complete quiet at any time, in any situation, is a unique, rare gift. Ironically, as I tried to fill quiet with noise for many years, the quiet is also what allows me to hear what is most important, the voice of Love within me, and within you. I hope we will all one day find that our spiritual paths are not dissimilar, despite the names by which we call our paths, or the ways in which we come to them our goal, always, is to quiet the chatter of our minds so we can hear the whisper of peace, the soft voice of love, the tenderness within the wonderful moment we are in. This is why I love A Course in Miracles so much. Our goal is to be able to learn to discriminate what we are hearing, and sometimes to do so we have to, strangely stop listening to one thing so we can truly hear the other. We have to stop listening to the chatter of fear so we can hear instead the voice of calm compassion and gentleness within us. Left on its own, without training or a prod in the right direction, our minds can become loud, erratic, and I hope we will all one day find that our spiritual paths are not dissimilar, despite the names by which we call our paths, or the ways in which we come to them our goal, always, is to quiet the chatter of our minds so we can hear the whisper of peace, the soft voice of love, the tenderness within the wonderful moment we are in. frantic. Sometimes, our mind-chatter is nonstop. It can be like trying to write a beautiful sonnet in the midst of a war zone. We can become lost, or at the minimum, greatly distracted from the peace within us. Today in your study of the Course choose to not be distracted, to stop listening to the chatter and distractions so you can hear your Inner Wisdom. Imagine your mind has, like my hearing aids, an off switch. Listening to your Inner Wisdom can be tough when there is a lot going on that seems important, when it seems you must worry about this or that, and about all the many problems you may see. Today, try and remember you make all of this up every one of your worries, thoughts, or fear-based concerns are only thoughts you have made up in your mind. They are not as all-important as you have made them up to be. I suggest all of this because this helps me, because if I remind myself I am the author of the worry, the anger, and fear in my mind, then I can begin to look past it all to what is truly within me, beneath and beyond all the distractions. I can begin to erase them, to rewrite them. This is the greatest challenge on my spiritual path: to turn it all off, and to do so consistently. My task as a student of the Course is as simple as this: Let love call me back to where I was before, and will be again and never left. As I write these words, I realize my whole path is contained in this one sentence; it is one directive, one wish, one goal. It takes great effort to be consistent, and a profound willingness to learn this each and every day. I am still learning. But the little moments of progress, of success, are not little at all to me they are what have been most important in my life and give me a glimpse of what is possible and who I am, who I can be. I feel this as I write in this moment. Blessed. I feel this so intently and increasingly consistently, and yet there are still times I become frustrated with myself, still fall prey to the meaningless chatter that somehow takes its precedent over gentleness and a peaceful focus. Sometimes, I can look back and feel like I have wasted an hour, or even longer periods, lost in the chatter. But this morning, from the quiet within, I truly understand what the Course says about time is true: Nothing is ever lost but time, which in the end is meaningless. For it is but a little hindrance to eternity, quite meaningless... (T-26.V.2:1) While here in this world where time does feel so very real to so many, may we each learn to use time well, to learn more each day about love. You Can Follow Us On To sign up, just go to our home page at Dr. Lee Jampolsky is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Carmel, CA. He is the author of several books based on A Course in Miracles. Lee can be reached at 11

12 Student of the Month Continued from page 1 you are making the effort; whether you are a self-motivated learner. I know some of you are already feeling guilty, right? You re wondering if you are putting in enough effort. You d like to get a note from your Teacher saying you re a self-motivated learner, right? Rest assured the note has been sent, and your little willingness has been noticed. We are not asked to do much for our awakening; we are simply asked to turn in its direction to become aware of our compromises to peace, our unforgiving thoughts, and no longer choose to dwell in them. Even though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear, for God is with us. God hides nothing from His Son, even though His Son would hide himself. Yet the Son of God cannot hide his glory, for God wills him to be glorious, and gave him the light that shines in him. You will never lose your way, for God leads you. When you wander, you but undertake a journey that is not real. The dark companions, the dark way, are all illusions. Turn toward the light, for the little spark in you is part of a Light so great that it can sweep you out of all darkness forever. (T-11.III.5) Are you asking questions? To learn this course requires willingness to question every value that you hold. Not one can be kept hidden and obscure but it will jeopardize your learning. (T-24.Intro.2) I ve heard Course students say they do ask questions, but they don t get answers. This is usually because they have an expectation of what they want the answer to be. If we hear something that doesn t fit into our expectation, then we don t think we have received an answer. As the Course says, All are called but few choose to listen. On the other hand, children in school are much like a blank slate; they don t have a lot of blocks to learning. If they are told a lesson by their teacher, they believe him or her, and learning occurs. It has been said 12 We can all be purposeful. Don t diminish your extensions of love or service because it doesn t look as grand as another. the most fertile time for learning occurs in those early years of life and can set the stage for a child s interest or lack of interest in learning. Every child asks questions. Sometimes it can be tedious, but it can also be exciting if we realize it is our opportunity to learn as well. I remember when Jeffrey was little and sitting in his car seat in the backseat. As I drove, he would ask me all sorts of questions about the things he saw and the words on signs. He made me see things I had never noticed before, and my world became more interesting and full because of the questions he posed. We need to turn to the Holy Spirit with our questions, even when we think we know, because he can show us a deeper meaning and understanding that not only makes life easier but makes it more exciting. Little children recognize that they do not understand what they perceive, and so they ask what it means. Do not make the mistake of believing that you understand what you perceive, for its meaning is lost to you. Yet the Holy Spirit has saved its meaning for you, and if you will let Him interpret it, He will restore to you what you have thrown away. Yet while you think you know its meaning, you will see no need to ask it of Him. (T-11.VIII.2) Are you helping others? A Course in Miracles tells us, Whenever two Sons of God meet, they are given another chance at salvation. Do not leave anyone without giving salvation to him and receiving it yourself. (T-8.III.4) This is a major part of the Course s curriculum because the Course is teaching you who you really are and that you cannot find yourself without your brother. There are so many passages that reflect this truth, and the following is a particularly powerful one: The goal of the curriculum, regardless of the teacher you choose, is Know thyself. There is nothing else to seek. Everyone is looking for himself and for the power and glory he thinks he has lost. Whenever you are with anyone, you have another opportunity to find them. Your power and glory are in him because they are yours. The ego tries to find them in yourself alone, because it does not know where to look. The Holy Spirit teaches you that if you look only at yourself you cannot find yourself, because that is not what you are. (T-8.III.5) Kids are encouraged to help each other in class because by doing so it reinforces what they have learned. The first time I was asked to help my fellow students was in kindergarten. The teacher gave me a threaded sewing needle and had me sew on buttons for the two eyes of each student s bunny poster. All these years later, I can still feel the joy of being helpful. Every time you have reached out to another, I know you have felt the same reward. It s not dependent on whether or not they respond with great appreciation or not. As a matter of fact, I can t remember one students reaction to my gesture of help, but the joy was not about thanks, it was about seeing I was needed and purposeful. We can all be purposeful. Don t diminish your extensions of love or service because it doesn t look as grand as another. As the Course tells us, all expressions of love are maximal. A good example is the Biblical story of the widow s mite. The widow who had so little wanted to tithe to Jesus when he was teaching in the Temple of Jerusalem and so she gave a mite, which was a very meager sum (it translated to be worth about six minutes of an average daily wage). Jesus says to his disciples that she gave the greatest gift, for the small gift meant more to her than the extravagant gifts meant to the rich. Don t diminish your gifts of service and support, but see each as an extension of love whose value cannot be quantified. Are we communicating with God when we need help? God is your safety in every circumstance. His Voice speaks for Him in all situations and in every aspect of all situations, telling you exactly what to do to call upon His strength and His protection. (Lesson 47) Why would we not turn to God for help with this type of guarantee? Why would we want to do anything without His help? As Jeffrey enters higher levels of science and math, he is encouraged to ask for help and show his work, especially when solving chemical equations and mathematical theorems. His teachers

13 promote this because then they can see where students are making errors, and quickly identify the problem and correct it, so the students can easily continue on their path of learning. Many times it s a simple concept mistake, but if students don t show their work, they can feel overwhelmed and think they can t do this type of problem solving at all. When Jeff has asked for help from his teacher, which he does often (because mom and dad can t help him anymore with this advanced stuff)! He will usually tell me it was an easy fix because his teacher could see where his thinking might be faulty and introduce a correction. This is much the same way the Holy Spirit can help us with our faulty thinking, as we read in the Course... The Holy Spirit asks of you but this; bring to Him every secret you have locked away from Him. Open every door to Him, and bid Him enter the darkness and lighten it away. At your request He enters gladly. He brings the light to darkness if you make the darkness open to Him. But what you hide He cannot look upon. He sees for you, and unless you look with Him He cannot see. The vision of Christ is not for Him alone, but for Him with you. Bring, therefore, all your dark and secret thoughts to Him, and look upon them with Him. He holds the light, and you the darkness. They cannot coexist when both of you together look on them. (T-14.VII.6) The Course tells us that salvation is not hard, it s just very different than what we are used to. As children we are taught to become self-sufficient, but would we ever tell a child he or she doesn t need food, water, shelter or any of the things vital to their existence? Our communication with God is that integral to the awareness of our real existence; we could not live without it. Therefore, the communication is always going on, but it s just one-sided meaning God is always communicating with us, but we are not experiencing it. Our desire to hold onto our anger, judgments, or rightness is causing us to feel disconnected from His Help. We need to see how vital it is for us to turn to God not just when we need help, but every moment of the day. We have built up so much resistance to the truth that we now must develop the habit of joining our minds with God. Children are naturally excited about growing up and learning. I remember playing school before I was old enough to go to school, and I bet you did too. I have never really had a problem getting Jeffrey to go to school because he wanted to learn. Even when he experienced some challenges in school, he never let them stop him from seeing the bigger picture of what school could offer. This is much like what the Course is offering us as we continue our higher education. We are asked to lift our vision from the fearful fray of the world and move above the battleground where we can see with more clarity the benefit of our healing. The Course tells us to teach is to learn. Therefore, we learn through the demonstration and actions of our life. If we are living a life dedicated to learning the truth of our existence, questioning the limitations of the world, helping each other, and opening our hearts to the answers of the infinite, life becomes an exciting adventure of endless possibilities. At the end of every commencement speech, students are told of their limitless potential and how a future of success is within their reach. The The Course tells us that salvation is not hard, it s just very different than what we are used to. same is true for us right now. We have never lost our power or place in the Mind of God, but it s up to us when we will experience it. Your student of the month note has been sent; you just need to open it up and be willing to believe it s meant for you! Wall of Innocence Join the Awakening! Forget not once this journey is begun the end is certain. Doubt along the way will come and go and go to come again. Yet is the ending sure. No one can fail to do what God appointed him to do. When you forget, remember that you walk with Him and with His Word upon your heart. Who could despair when hope like this is his? (M-Epilogue) It s amazing the smiles we see on peoples faces when they look at their own childhood photos. They remember their innocence, and if they can remember their own perhaps they can think that way about people who tempt them to anger. Our innocence, no matter what we have done, can never be lost. It s time for us to awaken to the truth that we all are for each other, so we invite you to send us your childhood photo (around the age of 5 or 6, but younger is okay, too) so we can post it on our Wall of Innocence on MDC s website at You can us your photo or send us an original which we will scan and return to you. Please include your name, city and state and your approximate age at the time of the photo. Check back to our site often to see the wall grow in love and innocence. 13

14 What s Happening Continued from page 2 If you are tempted to be dispirited by thinking how long it would take to change your mind, ask yourself, How long is an instant? Could you not give so short a time to the Holy Spirit for your salvation? This passage in the Course reminds us once again that healing does not take time but willingness. Let us be willing each day to remember the power of God in our lives and in the lives of those in the Miracle Prayer Ministry at the Center. Join with us each day at 4:30 PM (Pacific Time) as we pause for an instant for the salvation of ourselves and all those whose names and needs are in the prayer ministry. If you have a prayer request, please send it to the Center by post or . Don t forget to request your free, full-color bookmark which lists all the thoughts in the prayer ministry for Celebrating 50 Years Continued from page 1 Affirmations for: May: Love created me like Itself. (L 67) June: I have a function God would have me fill. (L192) July: Above all else I want to see. (L27) Forgiveness Continued from page 10 wanted. She was obviously crying out for help, and the appropriate thing was to be helpful. Before I left, Helen reached over, tapped my knee and said, You know you re not guilty. I assured Helen that she did not know what she was talking about. I was indeed guilty. I entered this relationship without clarity. I had broken off the relationship and hurt someone. Still, on a deeper level, I felt as if I knew what Helen meant. In the reality of my true Self, I was not guilty, but that was not the way I felt. That night the phone rang again at 2 a.m. I got up and answered it and we talked till dawn. I sat at my desk looking out the window as the sun rose that glorious spring day. We both cried and forgave each other for our misperceptions. We are friends to this day. She still calls two or three times a year and always on my birthday. Each time she says, I know you re busy, and she never stays on the phone for more than a few minutes. It s been 40 years since that incident. She called recently, to tell me of some of her problems. I found myself calling her dear, and reassuring her things would be okay. All of this simply proves once again that, The holiest of all the spots on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love. (T-26.IX.6:1) The special relationship will remain, not as a source of pain and guilt, but as a source of joy and freedom. (T-18.II.6:7) For the five years I knew her, Helen would time and again help me find my way through an amazing maze of special relationships we call romance. I am forever grateful for her teaching me that forgiveness lies in communication. If we truly knew each other as children of God, in the innocence of who we really are, there would be no division, no discord, no grievances, no guilt, and no pain. but which I was not yet ready to use again. And that was why I would have so much trouble doing it. However, people had reached a point where they were losing more than they were gaining. Thus, Thus, because of the acute emergency, the usual slow, evolutionary process of spiritual development was being by-passed in what might be called a celestial speed-up. because of the acute emergency, the usual slow, evolutionary process of spiritual development was being by-passed in what might be called a celestial speed-up. I could sense the urgency that lay behind this explanation, whatever I might think of the content, not to mention my not understanding it. The feeling was conveyed to me that time was running out. Watch for more stories about the Course s beginnings in future issues. 14 For more on the Course s history... Absence from Felicity by Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D. $ Journey Without Distance by Robert Skutch $ All prices plus S&H. CA residents add sales tax. To Order ACIM(2246) or at miraclecenter.org Helen Schucman and her notebooks

15

16 In this issue... Beverly shares how to be "Student of the Month" Jerry is determined to see things differently Paul describes "The Inside Job" Carol declares "Let Me Remember I Am One with God" Jon shares a lesson from Helen Schucman Lee reminds us "Nothing is Ever Lost but Time" We look back at our Holy Encounter Retreat and much more! Miracle Distribution Center Founded E. La Palma Ave. Anaheim, CA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non Profit Org US Postage PAID Anaheim CA Permit No 143