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Union, winter is cutting. This was the firstof my two trips to the Soviet Union inwhich I lead groups of Course students onwhat was called a cross-cultural joining ofpeople. I had been given this opportunityquite by chance, or so it seemed — al-though the Course tells us, “No accidentnor chance is possible within the universeas God created it, outside of which isnothing.” (T-21.II.3:4)

Anyway, here’s the “chance” happen-ing: I had been asked to appear on a

television show inSouthern Californiacalled There is A Wayto talk about A Coursein Miracles. At thattime, I had just com-pleted my first record-ing with StevenHalpern, You Are

Entitled toMiracles,whichfeatured mereadingpassagesfrom theCoursesurrounded by Steven’s beautiful and

s I reflect back over the nearlyforty years I have studied

A Course in Miracles (since 1977), I’mastounded by the many miracles that havepermeated my life. If you’re like me, some-times in the midst of those miracles youdon’t recognize their power and all they’reteaching you.

As I have thought about this personallandmark in my life, many stories haveflooded back into my mind... stories thathave been so meaningful and growth-in-spiring to me on myjourney. So, I thought Iwould share a story thathappened to me in1986 and made a last-ing impression on mymind and heart. I havefondly called this my“to Russia with love”story because it hap-pened on my trip toRussia and centered on a favorite topic:fashion!Fashion. Webster’s dictionary defines it

as “the current style of dress.” Somepeople find it to be their passion and profitmargin. To me, fashion became a messagefrom God.

It was the end of the winter of 1986,and it was cold. Winter is cold in manyplaces, but if you are in Leningrad (nowSaint Petersburg) in the former Soviet

AA

by Beverly Hutchinson McNeff

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016A Miracle Distribution Center Publication

Continued on page 12

Continued on page 15

A Retro Fad or Whatthe New GenerationWants?

recent article in The WashingtonPost revealed a surprising fact:

People in their twenties, so-called “digi-tal natives,” still strongly prefer printedbooks and magazines to electronic ver-sions of the same written content. Asone student expressed, “I like the feel-ing of it. I like holding it. It doesn’t gooff. It’s not making sounds.” A linguistfrom American University added,“These are people who aren’t evensupposed to remember what bookssmell like. It’s astounding.”

We see this same tendency with ourreaders who often send us letters andemails of thanks for continuing to pub-lish THE HOLY ENCOUNTER as a printedpublication.

As Deborah in Sedona, Arizonashares... “I see so much value in apaper copy of THE HOLY ENCOUNTER be-cause I love to go back and forth, un-derline and even cut out articles. Pleasekeep the paper! Thank you for all youdo.”

Joanne in Chesterfield, New Hamp-shire says... “At age 83, I’ve been astudent of the Course almost from itsintroduction to the public and my life isso much richer. I want to share theCourse and THE HOLY ENCOUNTER maga-zines because it has articles that a newstudent can comprehend easily and it’sBeverly 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, herrecorded weekly commentaries on Course principles have become a wonderful source of inspi-ration and study for many around the world. Receive a FREE recording by contacting MDC.

Elaine & Beverly in Leningrad, 1986

A Trip to Heaven...Russia, Fashion and a Miracle

““OOnnllyy aa ssmmaallll ppeerrcceennttaaggeeooff ppeeooppllee wweerree mmeemmbbeerrssooff tthhee ccoommmmuunniisstt ppaarrttyy,,bbeeccaauussee ii tt’’ss aaccttuuaallllyy vveerryy

ddiiff ffiiccuulltt ttoo ggeett iinnttoo iinnRRuussssiiaa.. BBuutt,, mmyy

cchhaannccee ffiinnaall llyy ccaammeewwhheenn II mmeett EEllaaiinnee.. ””

�� He is not a body,He is free! On June 23,2016, our dear friendFrank Stevens “gentlylaid his body down” andpassed into eternal life.Frank had been a student of the Courseand attended the Center’s study group for nearly twenty-five years.Listeners from around the world recog-nized his voice, and, with the addition oflive streaming, became aware of Frank’ssmiling face each week. His knowledge ofthe Course was masterful, and we allgained much from his humor and insight.Frank will be greatly missed by all of us atthe Center and by his worldwide family,but he will live on through the life of theCenter and the Course.

Frank had a deep love and gratitude forthe Course and wanted to make sure itwould continue to bless future genera-tions; therefore, we have set up the FrankStevens memorial fund at MDC. (See page 7) Tax-deductible donations may besent to the Center in honor of Frank. Wewant to acknowledge the following giftsfrom: Rachel Carring in VA, Kay Frances inAZ, Paul & Teri Hooper in CA, Janie Neil inTX, and Steve Nelson in CA.

To paraphrase The Song of Prayerwhen it describes what we experience atdeath: “Now Frank goes inpeace to freer air and gen-tler climate, where it is nothard to see the gifts Frankgave were saved for him.For Christ is clearer now;His vision more sustained in Frank; His Voice, the word of God, more certainly Frank’s own.” We celebrate your liberation,Frank, and we are grateful to have you sur-rounding us with your love. We continue tosurround Frank in our loving prayers.

�� “Thank you, Beverly! I have a friendarriving momentarily, and we will take thishealing approach to today’s tragedy in Or-lando. We will be praying with you andeveryone at MDC.” Thanks to Barbara inCalifornia for her reply to the email mes-sage we sent out the day after the tragedyin Orlando, Florida. Many readers wereblessed by Beverly’s message of hope, somake sure the Center has your currentemail address. That way you won’t missany of our email messages. Because ofcurrent technology, the Center is able tooffer timely support from the Course whenworld issues take place, so make sure youdon’t miss out. Contact us at: info@mira-clecenter.org If you’re not sure if you areon the list, go ahead and email us, andwe’ll make sure you are.

�� ACIM Retreat in February 2017! —“Thank you Beverly and team and all thebeautiful Children of God who attended theretreat for giving me the opportunity totouch a piece of Heaven.” This is howDebra Coker, who joined us from Trinidad,felt about her retreat experience in 2015.That was our first retreat at the beautifulRW Ranch in Lucerne Valley, California,and it was met with rave reviews for thetransformative experience and incrediblefacility and location! So, we are thrilled topresent the next Holy Encounter Retreat,

on February17-19, 2017.Please join usfor this inten-sive experi-ence of ACourse in Mir-acles with Bev-erlyHutchinson

McNeff through lectures, guided experi-ences, intimate sharing times, music andso much more. The weekend includeswell-appointed lodging and six organic,chef-prepared meals. We encourage you to

2

visit our website to see all the details andhear what others have said about this in-spiring retreat. Go to: www.miraclecen-ter.org and click on “Events” in the menubar.

�� Have you ever wanted to find a concept or a quote in the Course?Well,we have the answer: our Online ACIMLook-up! It’s a wonderful way to search theCourse, read the text, or find your work-book lesson for the day. It’s always available on MDC’s site, so you can accessit on your computer, iPhone, iPad or anyelectronic device. You never have to worryabout where your book is; you’re alwaysconnected. As Franchita Cattani in Switzer-land said, “Thank you – I’m using and enjoying your helpful online ACIMlookup!!” We hope you will join Franchitaby using MDC’s online look-up. There aremany wonderful services available atwww.miraclecenter.org, so stop by andcheck out all that is going on!

�� “The memory of God comes to thequiet mind,” says A Course in Miracles.When we take those quiet moments duringthe day to have faith that God can and willsettle every problem now, we call upon thepower of the universe, the power of love towork miracles in our lives. We invite you topractice this awareness with us every dayat 4:30 pm (Pacific Time) as we join with allin our prayer ministry to remember thepower of love to transform our lives andthis world. If you have a prayer request,please send it to MDC. Affirmations for:September: Forgiveness offers everything

I want. (Lesson 122)October: I share God’s Will for happiness

for me. (Lesson 102)November: I thank my Father for His gifts

to me. (Lesson 123)

Continued on page 15

Frank Stevens

many things, including aging, if we startedto believe “perfect love has the power tocast out all fear”?

Is it possible that our attitudes play apivotal role in determining how we dealwith life, health and aging? And is it possi-ble that our attitudes help to determinewhether our relationships are loving andpeaceful or full of conflict and fear?

As we find ourselves growing older,many of us may also find ourselves ascaregivers for our aging parents. Or per-haps we have a close friend or partner whois now requiring the help of a caregiver. Itis not unusual for these situations to set offfears associated with our own aging.

There are those of us who have seen aparent or loved one suffering from the

symptoms ofAlzheimer’s disease, orother forms of demen-tia. We may find our-selves fearing the samecould happen to us.

There are so manyissues associated withaging, everything from

memory loss to falling and having an injurythat causes us to be more dependent onothers.

Perhaps you’ve noticed your empathyfor a friend’s suffering has aroused yourfears about almost everything that mightaffect your own life. And given the eco-nomic instability we’ve witnessed in recentyears, perhaps you fear you won’t haveenough money to live independently andmay possibly lose your ability to makechoices about how you live.Any one of us might put together a list

of fears we are imagining. It has been ourexperience that the biggest fear most of ushave, either consciously or unconsciously,is the fear of dying. And on top of everything else, we’re all

e know that our happiness andhow well we feel we have lived

our lives is not determined by the level ofour education, or by how much money wehave, or by how many things we haveamassed. It is not determined by the job ti-tles or positions we have held. Neither is itdetermined by the number of friends wehave made or by the experiences we havehad in the past.

Happiness and feeling good about thelives we are now living are most profoundlydetermined by the attitudes we hold in ourminds. In actuality, how we experienceeverything in our lives is ultimately deter-mined by our attitudes. Therefore, healingour attitudes becomes a major steppingstone toward enjoyinga happy and fulfillinglife.

As we get older, we may be prone to worrying more. Ormaybe we becomemore impatient, complaining, andshort-tempered. We may find happiness ismore difficult to experience. And we maystart to feel our physical and mental capabilities are slowly diminishing.

Is it just possible that our culture is putting too much emphasis on our bodiesand not enough focus on the thoughts andattitudes we put into our minds?Is it possible that there is another way

of looking at the world and our beliefsabout our bodies, minds, and spirits? Is it possible that our true reality is

spiritual and not physical? And is it possible that we have uninten-

tionally created a fearful ego mind thatmakes us afraid that when we die it is theend of life?

What would happen to our fears of so

4

bombarded by the media about how im-portant it is to look and act as if we wereyears younger than our biological age, as ifthe reality of our age was something ofwhich we should be ashamed.

The purpose of the book we have justcompleted is to share with you anotherway of looking at the world and anotherway of looking at the aging process.

You do not have to fear you are a victimof your aging. All of our negative, fearful attitudes can be changed by healing our attitudes.

In the pages ahead, we’ll explore howeach of us has an opportunity to live thelater years of our lives with inner peace,happiness, and tranquility, regardless ofwhat may be happening to our bodies andour minds.

The Most Important Gift We Are Given

Perhaps the most important gift the universe has given us is the freedom tochoose what thoughts and attitudes we putin our minds. Are you willing to imaginewhat would happen to you, and to the lifeyou live, if you truly thought it was of valueto believe love can heal any problem younow have, or any problem you will have inthe future?

By changing our belief system, by letting love become more important thanfear, we can grow older with grace and behappy and peaceful inside – regardless ofwhat is happening on the outside or thecondition of our bodies.

A few years ago an 82-year-old womancame in to see Jerry. She had moved to anearby retirement community from South-ern California specifically because shewanted to start an Attitudinal Healing Support Group at her new home andwanted him to help her.

Within a short time, the group was

W

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. Diane’s therapeutic counseling practice specializes in applyingACIM to all aspects and situations in life. Their books are available at www.miraclecenter.org

by Gerald Jampolsky, M.D. and Diane V. Cirincione-Jampolsky, Ph.D.

Change Your MindChange Your Life

Aging with Attitude

““IIss iitt ppoossssiibbllee tthhaatt tthheerreeiiss aannootthheerr wwaayy ooff llooookk--iinngg aatt tthhee wwoorr lldd aanndd oouurrbbeell iieeffss aabboouutt oouurr bbooddiieess,,

mmiinnddss,, aanndd ssppiirrii ttss??””

5

started with seniors from ages 65 to 94.Many of the members felt anxious and de-pressed about the future while others hadboth physical and cognitive challenges.

As the group continued throughout theyears, many of these symptoms reportedlylessened. It was our impression that be-cause the members of the group were feel-ing both helpful and useful to others, thatthey received as much as they gave, andthe attitudinal healing was palpable.

Through forgiveness, many who formerly were complainers stopped complaining. They frequently forgave theiradult children and other family memberswho were not in contact with them asmuch as they would have liked. Overall,they were happier and were messengers oflove and forgiveness wherever they went.

About that time there was a popular national television program called TheHugh Downs Show. It was about people in advanced years finding happiness. Our people went on the show with Jerry. Theyshared their experiences that by changingtheir attitudes they succeeded in changingtheir lives. They taught others around thecountry that we can be happy and peacefulregardless of our age, circumstances, whatis happening to our bodies, or what limitations we may have in our lives. They also pointed out how important

forgiveness is for removing the blocks tolove and peace, and how quickly love replaces fear when we forgive others orourselves. They demonstrated that wheneach morning they committed to have ahappy day, no matter what happened inthat day, they usually ended up having ahappy day.Learning to create healthier attitudes is

a way of having more peace and harmonyeach day. Rather than focusing on our ownfears around aging, it can be helpful to askourselves, throughout the day, “In whatways can I be more loving and helpful toothers? How can I be a better listener?

““YYoouu ddoo nnoott hhaavvee ttoo ffeeaarryyoouu aarree aa vviiccttiimm ooff yyoouurr

aaggiinngg.. AAllll ooff oouurr nneeggaattiivvee,, ffeeaarrffuull aatttt ii ttuuddeess

ccaann bbee cchhaannggeedd bbyy hheeaalliinngg aatttt ii ttuuddeess..””

How can I be more accepting, more compassionate and less judgmental?”

We have listed the “35 Guidelines toAging with Attitude” in our new book.These guidelines can be extremely helpfulin changing our attitudes about the way welook at the world and, ultimately, how weexperience the rest of our lives. The peoplewe know who go through the agingprocess with the greatest happiness andpeace of mind seem to be following at leastsome of these guidelines, a few of whichare listed below. • Seeing the value of consciously choosing

peace instead of conflict in every situation• Choosing love instead of fear• Choosing patience instead of impulsivity• Choosing to be gentle to others and ourselves • Choosing to be a love-finder instead offault-finder• Choosing to be a love-giver rather than alove-seeker• Choosing to count our smiling wrinklesinstead of our aging wrinkles• Deciding each day to teach and demon-strate unconditional love.

Aging with Attitudeby Gerald Jampolsky, M.D. and Diane Cirincione, Ph.D.

This book will change your mind about aging. It offers inspiring new perceptions for living the second half of your life with inner peace, happiness, and tranquility, regardless of what may be happening to your body and mind. In these pages you’ll discover how yourfears about aging are reversible, and how you can live in a consciousness of giving, making forgiveness and love a way of life.

Paperback. $10.95

Call 1-800-359-2246 or visit www.miraclecenter.organd click on “Store” to see our large selection of books, CD’s and other Course related items.

Remember when you purchase from the Center youhelp to support our many free services. See pg. 7

Plus S&H andCA sales tax

6

“Iam not afraid to die.” The man that matter-of-factly uttered these words

one week before he left this plane was ourdear friend, Frank Stevens. Frank transi-tioned into eternal life on June 23, 2016.Cancer took his body.

All of us who knew him will dearly misshim. He blessed usevery week with hisincredible knowledgeof A Course in Mira-cles and even more asa living example of in-tegrating the Courseinto his daily life. Tohim, dying was but adropping of his bodyand a graduation intoeternal happiness.Yes, we will miss him,but we know his presence will always bewith us. Knowing Frank as I did, I am confident

he would never want us to be sad for his passing. Butwith your permission, Frank,we will be a little sad, and we will honor you by havingour remembrances of you be ones of happiness.As our local study group

members and worldwide livestreaming audience know,Frank was a big fan of Beverly and herteaching of the Course. In fact, I think he

replaced me as cheerleader-in-chief sometwenty-five years agowhen he started attending our weeklyCourse meetings.

Following a Wednesday meeting,Frank would often

email Bev with words tothe effect, “Girl, youwere ON tonight!” But,he was so much morethan that. Frank alsofilled the role of “re-search assistant-in-chief,” always sendingBev (and me) articles

about metaphysics, science, spiritualityand the like. In fact, many of our THE HOLYENCOUNTER articles were inspired by

articles Frank had sent us. (Seemy article in the 2016 May/Juneissue “A Synaptic Path to Peace”)Frank shared his passion of delv-ing deeply into spiritual truth.

When I think of Frank, I willnever experience him as “dead.”The Course says: “Yet we havelearned that the idea of deathtakes many forms. It is the one

idea which underlies all feelings that are

not supremely happy.” (ibid) When I think ofFrank, it is always accompanied by a gentlesmile that comes to my heart. In theseways, Frank is never dead.

Frank was gay. But he never let that define who he was, even in a world thatstill has not fully come to embrace our gaybrothers and sisters. But, one predominantcharacteristic that did define him was hisimmediacy to laugh. Not just the kind oflaughter that enjoys a good joke, but thekind of joy that spontaneously bursts forth

at any given moment. TheCourse says death is not a statebut a mistaken thought wecould be separate from ourSource. The fact we take this as a serious idea with actualconsequences is laughable.The Course even tells us

we need to take a lighter touch when it comes to the world. Frank was a seriousCourse student but he never took thisworld too seriously. He had an infectiouslaugh. In his presence, you were magneti-cally drawn into that energy, something I deeply cherished as part of our relationship.

Like all of us, Frank had his struggles.He was human. He had many issues hewas constantly working through, not theleast of which was his cancer during thelast year of his life. But, it was in thosestruggles that Frank chose, like a spiritualwarrior, the opportunity to see truth in the

Miracle Musings...A Tribute to Frankby Paul McNeff

Paul McNeff is married to MDC’s founder and has been a student of the Course since 1986. He is a professional singer and conductor andholds a master’s degree in vocal performance. In 1997, along with Beverly, he founded KidSingers, an inner-city, afterschool children’s chorus. The program has won many awards and been featured on Good Morning America. Learn more at: www.kidsingers.org

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” I Corinthians 15:55

There is no death because what God created shares His life. There is no death becausean opposite to God does not exist. There is no death because the Father and the Son areone. In this world, there appears to be a state that is life’s opposite. You call it death. Yet wehave learned that the idea of death takes many forms. It is the one idea which underlies allfeelings that are not supremely happy. It is the alarm to which you give response of any kindthat is not perfect joy. All sorrow, loss, anxiety and suffering and pain, even a little sigh ofweariness, a slight discomfort or the merest frown, acknowledge death. And thus deny youlive. (W-167.1:5)

““AAll ll ooff uuss wwhhoo kknneeww hhiimmwwiill ll ddeeaarrllyy mmiissss hhiimm..HHee bblleesssseedd uuss eevveerryy

wweeeekk wwiitthh hhiiss iinnccrreeddiibblleekknnoowwlleeddggee ooff AA CCoouurrssee

iinn MMiirraacclleess aanndd eevveennmmoorree aass aa ll iivviinngg eexxaammpplleeooff iinntteeggrraattiinngg tthhee CCoouurrssee

iinnttoo hhiiss ddaaiillyy ll iiffee..””

Frank and Beverly at MDC’s 2005 Int’l Conference

Frank could usually be seen with a cup of coffee in hishand. Here he is enjoying one with Ken Radcliffe atMDC’s 2015 Int’l Conference.

Frank with Sandy Brisbin

7

midst of struggle, to overcome the sorrow,loss, anxiety, suffering and pain. Frank didnot acknowledge this as death, but alwaysas an opportunity to truly live.

Frank was a spiritual trailblazer, but younever got the idea from him that he was onan exalted level, one you could not reach.Too often we perceive the spirituality ofJesus, Buddha, Martin Luther King, or Mohandas Gandhi, as something we cannot attain. Frank was a true flesh-and-blood human being who realized this perception was not his truth. He embracedand clearly knew his part of the Sonship asone with us all. He served as a brilliant example that however dim we may perceive our spiritual light to be, howeverweak our failing bodies may be, within iswhere truth lies. We all can ignite that lightand thus experience life.

Thank you, Frank, for your life. Ourhearts will forever carry your light and joywith us.

Since Frank had a deep love and gratitude for the Course

and wanted to make sure it wouldcontinue to bless future

generations, we at the Center have set up the

Frank Stevens Memorial Fund. Tax deductible donations may be

sent to the Center in honor of Frank and will be

acknowledged in future issues ofTHE HOLY ENCOUNTER.

Donations may be made online atwww.miraclecenter.org

Click on “Donate”. In the message boxtype in “Frank Stevens”

Or through the mailMiracle Distribution Center3947 E. La Palma Ave.Anaheim, CA 92807

the

Frank StevensMemorial Fund

����

����

us in meditation to expand our thought. Inevery instance, we are either projectingfear or extending love, so with that inmind, we sent miracles first to ourselves,then to everyone in the room, and to family, friends, everyone in the city, in thecounty, in the state of Florida, in theUnited States, and all over the world, andeven beyond. As the group joined in thispowerful extension of love, it was amazingto lift up beyond the limitation of form andjust keep giving and sharing miracles...be-cause that is our function, extending LOVE.

Back in the hotel room thatnight, I was so charged

that I couldn’t sleep

most of the night. Now I get it. I am enti-tled to miracles!!! (expressions of God’slove, etc.) Since the conference, I’ve beensending miracles out wherever I go. I do itbefore I go to bed, as well as first thing inthe morning. It’s amazing, and I’m sothankful to Bev. I spoke with a friend onthe West Coast (one I hadn’t talked to inmany years) yesterday, she told me shefelt that miracles energy over the week-

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The Holy Encounter WeekendWith Beverly Hutchinson McNeff • St. Petersburg, Florida - April 8-9, 2016

A Reviewby Rae Karen Hauck

My husband Elliot and I had a wonderful Holy Encounter Week-

end of miracles in Florida in April! It wasjoyful to meet the MDC family in person.The conference room was packed andBeverly was our guide, presenting thegroup with the best of her “Felix the Cat”spiritual repertoire tool bag, a miracle anti-dote for every ego occasion! Laughterplayed a key role — with folks “droppingtheir feathers,” and also playing a warmgame of catch with a soft shaped heart.

Bev and her husband,Paul, are a dynamicduo, and I washappy to get achance tomeet Jeffrey(their son) be-fore the confer-ence. He has a sparkle

in his eye... and worked with Darin (MDC’sAdministrator) on the tech side of the pro-gram. Tess got us going with morning yogastretches, and thanks to Monica, Elliot andI bought the latest version of the Course,with added supplements. My old duct-taped book is on the shelf after thirtyyears.The meditation Friday night was power-

ful. Since we are entitled to miracles be-cause we are children of God, Bev guided

end... and she isn’t a Course student. Bev emphasized the point that we get

so easily distracted from the truth, so weneed our bag of spiritual tricks when thingspop up to disturb our peace. We can alsomake it a point to build brain synapses bytraining our minds with these tools of remembrance. While doing laundry, takinga shower, or blow drying our hair, we canremember a truth – part of our “problemsolving repertoire.” For me, I am tuninginto “I am entitled to miracles.”

Loving nature, I believe that God canspeak through the flowers, birds, andtrees. Something sweet happened whenwe arrived Friday afternoon before check-

in time. We weresitting in the carin the hotel parking lot, facing a pond

with a water fountain. Elliot spotted

the most unusual bird wading by the edge. Tall-legged with a

turquoise beak, this was a new messenger.Blue is the color of spirituality, and the Lit-tle Blue Heron is native to southern Florida.I found the heron symbolism in alignmentwith the Holy Encounter Weekend. “Assertyourself when opportunities appear.Change is coming anyway, so act with self-reliance. Take advantage of changes.”

Thanks to Bev, Paul, Jeffrey, Darin, Tess,Monica and the whole MDC family for

Rae Karen Hauck has been a student of the Course since 1992, and a subscriber to MDC Listeners’ Board for several years. Bev’s weeklyteachings along with the support of the MDC family helped her heal during her mother’s transition.

“Thank you to my MDC family for this excellent Holy Encounter experience. What a great way to immerse myself in the life-changing power of the

Course. I have a full ‘bag of tricks’ to help memake life a happy dream.”

Linda Goff, FL

“Bev, you are amazing...with humor, real-life experiences,

compassion, wisdom and insight, you bring the teachings of the Course to all of us in yourown unique way. The weekend activities madeus all laugh yet through our laughter we were

learning... as an educator, that is the best way to teach.Debbie Rubin, FL

bringing your Light to Florida. One morething: the hotel was landscaped with redbottlebrush trees. I think of a bottlebrushas getting deep down inside a narrownecked vessel to clear out all the hard-to-reach dregs at the bottom. I learned onlinethat a bottle-brush tree’sspiritual mean-ing is abun-dance,laughter, andjoy, which wehad plenty ofthis weekend.

Sunday morning we were on I-4 head-ing home shortly after sunrise. I lookeddown at my orange bracelet, “I will arise inglory” (a conference gift). As we droveover sunlit Tampa Bay, I could feel thepresence of angels as I sent miracles toeveryone on the road and elsewhere. It is atime for miracles... we just have to stay vigilant for God and His Kingdom and keepon extending Love.

Bev encouraged everyone to sign thePeace Pledge on the MDC website, sub-scribe to the daily Workbook e-lessonsavailable for free, and to keep asking theHoly Spirit for help in “seeing peace instead of this” — always a good reminder!By the way, I’m still singing, “The Spirit inme, greets the Spirit in you...”

9

“Thank you for the wonderful and inspirational Holy Encounter

Weekend in St. Petersburg! Beth Reilly, FL

Charlene Sammisand Linda Goffshare miraclesand laughter atour Listener Gathering for subscribers toMDC’s WeeklyMeetings.

You Can FollowUs On

To sign up, just go to our home page at

www.miraclecenter.org

10

ave you ever been driving and thought you were lost, but then

happened along the place you wished togo, discovering you were on the right roadall along? Today we begin to recognize thatwe cannot lose our way because there isno way but the path back home, back tolove. Choosing certain situations over oth-ers can save you time, but the times youhave not done so were not wasted; theywere only lessons to motivate you to behere, right now, reading these words. Soonyou will fully realize that there is nowhereyou can go, nobody youcan be with, that doesnot have the potential tolead you to a deeperawareness of Love.

Once when I was inanother country, I asked for directionsfrom a local, and aftermuch thought andwanting to be helpful,the person replied, “I am sorry, but you can’t get there fromhere.” Internally I had a chuckle, thinking ofsome sort of dark vortex in this particularspot in town that rendered it impossible toget to where I wanted to go. On the path toloving deeply, the opposite is actually true— there is no path you can take that won’tlead you, eventually, to love, for there is apart of our consciousness that never actu-ally has left. Think about this for a moment;there is a part of your mind that knowspeace and is full of the wisdom of love, nomatter where you are or what the situation

keep doing the same things despite thosechoices not working for you, you are mostdefinitely stuck in some sort of unaware-ness or unconsciousness pattern.

In the beginning of increasing yourawareness of love, it is important to makethe following intentional choice: “I want tobe compassionate, loving, and forgiving inmy daily life. No exceptions.”You have a precious opportunity to love

every second of every day, even whenthings are not going your way. This is theproper use of time. It is easy to love peo-ple in your life when they are filling yourneeds and playing by agreed-upon rules.But when they want to find their own path,and it differs from yours and what you maythink is best, it’s not so easy to be kind,supportive, and loving. In fact, many times,in your humanness, you may become littlemore than opinionated and defensive.However, you can learn to stop, turn to-wards the knowledge of love that lives inthe spaciousness within you, and ask your-self how to be, what to say, and what re-sponse is best. Though your ego may haveits own fear-based answers, in your heartlove is always at the core of the answer.

This approach of using time might notmake sense to some people. They mightsay, “If the feeling of love is not there, it isjust not there. You can’t make it up.” Whenit comes to romantic love this may be true,but loving deeply is different because ittakes you straight into the truth of who youare. Deep love only needs your intentionalchoice in this moment to enter your aware-ness because it is already and foreverpresent in your heart.

“...all of time is but the mad belief thatwhat is over is still here and now... Crossthe gap between the past and present,which is not a gap at all.” (T-26.V.13)

Awaken to Love Exercise:Decide on the Purpose of Time

is. The journey to love is a journey withoutdistance and you cannot help but succeed,not unlike driving endlessly, thinking you’llnever get there, only to make a suddenturn and arrive, incredulous, at your destination.Time and Intentional Choice:

The proper use of time is to make inten-tional choices that increase the awarenessof love. This is the practice of gentleness.These three choices are at the foundationof such a practice:• Be aware that the power of love existsat all times and is always available to you.

• Have the single goalto give and receivereal love. • Take action by allowing love to express itself. Each of these re-

quires exercising will,which can be thoughtof as “intentionalchoice.” When I use

the word intentional along with choice, itmay seem redundant. But “non-inten-tional” choices are made all the time by anunaware or unconscious mind. When life isoverwhelming and bad things are occur-ring, many people don’t feel they are mak-ing choices in their lives at all, much less“intentional choices.” They live from theposition of “I have to,” or, “I don’t haveany other choice.” If they make choices atall they are entirely unconscious ones; acontinuance of making the same choiceseven though the patterns that result arenot getting them what they want. If you

Lee Jampolsky is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Carmel, California. He is the author of several books based on A Course in Miracles. Lee can be reached at www.DrLeeJampolsky.com

by Lee Jampolsky, Ph.D.

H

Recognizing SpiritLearning Gentleness–Inspirational Psychology on the Purpose of Time

You are either learning of gentleness and love or you are reinforcing fear, attack, and de-fense. Nothing in between these two is possible. Time exists for you to choose whether youwish to learn of love through the Now or to go deeper into suffering through holding ontoguilt, blame, and resentment. There is nothing else to choose between, and nothing else thattime is for. Today begin to hold the heart gently of each you meet along your journey, judg-ing not, nor thinking you should be elsewhere with someone else. In the single act of takingkindness, all can be forgotten that is not of love, and all can be remembered that is.

Continued on page 15

““SSoooonn yyoouu wwii ll ll ffuullllyy rreeaall iizzee tthhaatt tthheerree iiss

nnoowwhheerree yyoouu ccaann ggoo,, nnoobbooddyy yyoouu ccaann bbee wwiitthh,,tthhaatt ddooeess nnoott hhaavvee tthhee ppootteennttiiaall ttoo lleeaadd yyoouu ttoo aa ddeeeeppeerr aawwaarreenneessss

ooff lloovvee..””

11

Continued on page 14

The Unexamined Lifeby Bill Kasal

Bill Kasal has more than three decades in radio and television production. His latest book, Searching for Joy, and his others can be found at BillKasal.com

According to Plato, Socrates said, at his trial for impiety and corrupting

youth, “The unexamined life is not worthliving.”

I have examined my life. I do it all thetime. However, it’s not a text-book exampleof an examination. To me, that soundsrather scientific. An examination. Ooooh...serious! An inspection! An investigation!An analysis of one’s life.

Mine is more like a perpetual questionof What the bleep am I doing?! Well, to behonest, sometimes the question varies.Why do I keep doing this to myself?! Howdo I keep finding myself here?! They basi-cally all have the same root, and I’m notsure that’s what Socrates had in mindwhen he referred to the unexamined life.But I do relentlessly question...

I have often questioned the meaning ofmy existence. Why am I here? What’s thepoint? What the bleep am I – Oh yeah,I’ve already said that one...

I heard it said that “God doesn’t wantyou to change the world. He gives you theworld so you can change yourself... ”

That actually makes some sense to me.True, there are those whose lives havemade a tremendous impact on the entireworld: Abraham Lincoln, Jonas Salk, MarieCurrie, Stanislav Petrov, Steve Jobs, Albert

Einstein, and Thomas Edison, to name justa few. There are also countless others whodedicated their lives to service or sacrificedtheir lives so that others might have betterones.

But I’m not an inventor or a scientist ora medical researcher or a soldier or any-thing close. I mean, what does a goofballhave to offer to theworld? But, going onthe aforementionedcomment that Godwants me to changemyself, I’m assumingthat means He is offering me the chanceto better myself; to improve myself; to be a better version of mySelf.

Holiness created me holy.Kindness created me kind.Helpfulness created me helpful.Perfection created me perfect. (W-67.2:3)

So, with my realization that I’m not in aposition to impact the entire world, I thenponder whether I have made a differenceto others around me — my family, friendsor strangers I pass on the street. Well,that’s certainly something within thepurview of a goofball. I could be nice toothers!

When I examine my life, the first thing I do is recall the countless times I’vescrewed up, the myriad times I’ve embar-rassed myself, the innumerable times I’vesaid something insensitive or been, inother ways, cruel. But I realize that it’s myego – you can call it my personality, thatpart of me that makes me, me, but alsowants to keep me separate from God andmy fellow humans – that immediatelysends me down that path of self-loathing.But, if I can look past those thoughts,

I can find some times in my life where Iwas able to be kind to or otherwise helpanother.

I had a production company for manyyears and produced TV programs aboutnon-profit organizations. My hope is that I was able to somehow help and/or enrichthe lives of people I never met. But I earned a living doing that. So I was curious whether I’d ever helped anotherwithout any reward or remuneration for

myself. Well, once in my

radio days, manydecades ago, I offeredencouragement to ayoung man, whichhelped him to launchhis dream career. OK.Maybe that was

helping another.One time I received a letter from a man

with whom I had worked many years before. I’d lost track of him and his letter tome said he’d gotten a job as the generalmanager of a small-market TV station. Theletter was incredibly complimentary to me,telling me he frequently remembered hisdays as one of my staff when we had ablast working together. In the letter he saidsomething like “... I often ask myself whatBill would do in this situation...” I was morethan surprised I’d made an impact on thisman. The letter was very humbling, and I was grateful to have been able to help, albeit without conscious intention.

In my book, Ketchup on the Badge;More Real Life Adventures of a VolunteerPolice Officer, I continually wonderwhether anything I did while a reserve police officer ever mattered to the life ofanother. I wasn’t paid for my time, and myintention was to perform my duties inorder to have the opportunity to help others. I’m not sure I could ever answermy own question to my satisfaction.

“As you come closer to a brother you

““II hheeaarrdd ii tt ssaaiidd tthhaatt ‘‘GGoodd ddooeessnn''tt wwaanntt yyoouu ttoo

cchhaannggee tthhee wwoorr lldd.. HHee ggiivveess yyoouu tthhee wwoorrlldd

ssoo yyoouu ccaann cchhaannggee yyoouurrsseellff..’’””

12

healing music. I just “happened” to mention it on the show, and the inter-viewer, who had the cassette (see, this is along time ago!) in front of him, held it up tothe camera.

Little did I know that someone watchingthat show also had that cassette, and whenit was held up on the screen saw it as theanswer to her question, “Who should leadour trip to the Soviet Union?” This lady andher husband had been taking groups ofpeople to the Soviet Union for the purposeof cross-cultural joining to hopefully dispelfear and show people the love that reallyconnects us. They were also both studentsof the Course and wanted to take a groupthere but did not know who they would getto lead such a trip. Sothat day, as shewatched television, herquestion was answered,and I was on my way toRussia!

My first trip to theSoviet Union proved tobe an exciting andtransforming experi-ence. From borderguards, to checkpoints,to Russian cuisine, myperceptions were chal-lenged at every turn.

It seemed everyone’s great desire in thegroup I traveled with was to meet a communist, and my wish was no different.But communists weren’t swarming thestreets of the Soviet Union, as one mighthave thought from all the press. Only asmall percentage of the people were members of the communist party, becauseit’s actually very difficult to get into in Russia. But, my chance finally came when I met Elaine. It was arranged that Elainewould come to my hotel room to meet andtalk with me.

I was excited and a little nervous as I opened the door of my room, not quitesure what to expect. Would she fit my Hollywood image of a Russian communistwoman: tough, rugged, plain with militarygarb and attitude? To my surprise, Elainewas very feminine, dressed immaculatelywith a fur-trimmed hat and color-coordi-nated shoes, purse and coat. Her face

appeared soft and rosy, and her make-upwas attractively applied. My stereotype hadbeen pleasantly shattered.

After the niceties, we began to talkabout politics, and that’s when she showedher “true colors” — and unfortunately, sodid I.

It was quite apparent we had two different points of view when it came toour opinion of Ronald Reagan (who wasthen president), the nuclear issue, humanrights, etc. It all came down to the view thatthe U.S. wasthe big badenemy, andthe USSR wasthe victim.

My ego hada heyday withthat, as I

thought: “Well, howpreposterous! What asmall view of world issues! A typical communist (as if I really knew what a typical communist waslike!) How could sucha seemingly sophisti-cated woman have

such a primitive view?”What became very clear as our egos

sophisticatedly tried to attack, defend, andone-up the other guy was that we werevery different and very separate. But downdeep inside I felt: “You aren’t that differentfrom her and you are not separate, only inform perhaps, but not in content. You bothhave strong beliefs. The issue is, do youwant the differences or do you want tojoin? Do you prefer that you be right orhappy?”

“I want to be happy,” I thought, “I wantto join with Elaine, but how?” The wholepurpose of our trip to this part of the worldwas to find out how we were really all thesame — I needed help to do it, though.Well, help was there. As the conversation with Elaine went

on, I continued to ask within for help. Ourflurry of rights and wrongs still seemed tocontinue, as my ego strategically maneu-vered for one more defensive strike.

“Help me, Holy Spirit,” I cried inside. My ego seemed to counter, “Could one

more well-placed diplomatic jab reallyhurt?”

“Help me Holy Spirit,” came my internalplea, “I want to join with Elaine, but I needYou to lead the way.”

Then it happened. Somewhere amidstthe political rhetoric and sandwiched in between the “Reagan wrongs” and the“Gorbachev gripes,” that little insignificant,trivial, seemingly unspiritual word “fashion”arose. And, like a Cecil B. DeMille movie,the red sea of our rhetoric parted, and wewere joined. Her eyes lit up with excite-ment, and my heart jumped into my throat!We found a joining point! I ran to the closetwhere, in a satchel I had brought fromAmerica, there was a special fall fashionissue of Vogue magazine. The magazine, ifyou know anything about the special fall issues, was about four inches thick and feltlike it weighed five pounds!

Elaine’s face glowed with the excitementof a child experiencing her first Christmas.We went through the magazine page bypage discussing fashion ideas, trends,color coordination, make-up tips and somuch more. At one point, Elaine turned tome with an enormous smile and said, “Thisis so exciting, we are just like two ladiestalking.”

And we were! We were talking andsharing our joy and laughter. A true joiningwas taking place through something as“trivial” and “unspiritual” as fashion. But isanything trivial and unspiritual when itbrings two people together? Politics hadtorn us apart; fashion became the instru-ment that brought us together. But morethan that, it was a willingness to know ourunity, not to feel separated, that brought ustogether.

A good four hours later we hugged andElaine left carrying the gift of that fashionmagazine, but the true gift we shared wasmuch deeper. For those few hours we werejoined, and no one had to be right orwrong.

In A Course in Miracles we are told,“The holiest of all the spots on earth iswhere an ancient hatred has become apresent love.” (T-26.IX.6) Communist and capitalist had come together, and that hotelroom in Leningrad had been the birthingplace for a joining beyond politics or borders — a place of love and joining.

Continued from page 1A Trip to Heaven

““TThheenn ii tt hhaappppeenneedd..SSoommeewwhheerree aammiiddsstt tthhee

ppooll iitt iiccaall rrhheettoorriicc aannddssaannddwwiicchheedd iinn bbeettwweeeenntthhee ‘‘RReeaaggaann wwrroonnggss’’ aanndd tthhee ‘‘GGoorrbbaacchheevvggrriippeess,,’’ tthhaatt ll iitttt llee

iinnssiiggnniiffiiccaanntt,, ttrr iivviiaall,,sseeeemmiinnggllyy uunnssppiirrii ttuuaallwwoorrdd ‘‘ffaasshhiioonn’’ aarroossee..””

Vogue 1985 cover

13

I have many times reflected on this experience, and it has been a strong reminder of how easily I get caught up inmy judgments, but also how easily Godcan use my smallest willingness to trans-form those judgments into a miracle.Throughout the Course, we are told noth-ing in this world is worth the separation oftwo brothers, and that when our issues ofright and wrong come into play, everyonesuffers.

There’s a story about Bill Thetford, co-scribe of the Course, who received aphone call from a student who wantedclarification on a passage in the Course.The night before in a study group, therehad been a heated discussion over thispassage with the “lines being drawn” as towho was right and who was misguided.This student called Bill to have him to settlethe argument, and Bill did. His answer wasto go to the page in the book where the ar-gument centered and tear it out. For, as Billtold him, nothing, not even A Course inMiracles, is worth the separation of twobrothers.

God wants us to be healed and atpeace, but we cannot be healed and atpeace as long as we hate even onebrother. As we read in the Course, “exemptno one from your love, or you will be hiding a dark place in your mind where theHoly Spirit is not welcome. And thus youwill exempt yourself from His healingpower, for by not offering total love youwill not be healed completely.” (T-13.III.9:2)

For most of us this passage is a hardone, because we can’t figure out how tolove everyone. Well, that’s not our job. Ourjob is to let love and healing be donethrough us. We are not asked to do whatlies beyond our abilities to understand. TheCourse tells us, “A savior cannot be ajudge, nor mercy condemnation. And vision cannot damn, but only bless. Whosefunction is to save, will save. How He [theHoly Spirit] will do it is beyond your under-standing, but when must be your choice.”

(T-22.II.8:3)

God has appointed us as saviors andwe are asked to accept His function for ourlives now and not figure out how it couldbe possible that the Holy Spirit, God, orJesus could love that “so and so” or “fix”that problem. I have found the followingpassage helpful in serving as an impetus ingiving the willingness to choose for the

Holy Spirit so He can do the rest in thosemost challenging of relationship situations:

“A jailer is not free, for he is bound together with his prisoner. He must be surethat he does not escape, and so he spendshis time in keeping watch on him. The barsthat limit him become the world in whichhis jailer lives, along with him. And it is onhis freedom that the way to liberty depends for both of them.

Therefore, holdno one prisoner. Release instead ofbind, for thus are

you made free. Theway is simple. Everytime you feel a stab ofanger, realize you holda sword above your head. And it will fall or be averted as you choose to be con-demned or free. Thus does each one whoseems to tempt you to be angry representyour savior from the prison house ofdeath. And so you owe him thanks insteadof pain.” (W-192.8:3)

First we are given an illustration of whathappens when we get angry, attack, orhold another responsible for our happiness— we hold them in prison and ourselvesthere with them. Our release from our suffering (for we can never truly feel goodor at peace when we are holding a griev-ance) is to release them in our minds instead of bind them in our own mentalprison. But, how? The Course and theabove passage give us the clues:

1) Remember, you don’t know anything. From your limited understandingyou can do nothing and understand nothing. But, there is a Power within you(the Holy Spirit) that can help you and willdo so the moment you turn to Him. He canlight your mind and bring awareness andsolutions to your seemingly unfixable situations and relationships. He can do thissince He sees only the truth and does notshare your illusions.

2) Next, be aware. The moment “youfeel a stab of anger” is the time you needhelp. Your desire at that point is to seeyour brother as guilty, and if you continuewith that perception, the sword of judg-ment that hangs above your head willbegin to fall and your guilt will grow. The

anger you hold against him will be theanger you hold against yourself, and thatanger will not only separate you from yourbrother, but will make you believe you areseparated from God — hopeless and afloatin a sea of pain without a paddle.

3) Bless your brother, who is onewith you. Every situation that gives you thechoice to heal is a blessing. As we stop theendless, vicious circle of condemning

others and our worldfor the pain we suffer,we finally stop blamingourselves and openourselves up to the lifeGod has in store for us.The willingness (not the“doing”) to let His will

be done requires we share His knowledgeof all our brothers and that knowledge is:“...they are His beloved Sons in whom Heis well pleased.” (T-7.VII.6:2) This passage goeson to say: “You cannot be apart from thembecause you are not apart from Him. Restin His [God’s] Love and protect your restby loving. But love everything He created,of which you are a part, or you cannotlearn of His peace and accept His gift foryourself and as yourself. You cannot knowyour own perfection until you have hon-ored all those who were created like you.”

The Course tells us we will find Heavenas we allow our relationships to be transformed by Christ’s holy vision, “Allyou need do to dwell in quiet here withChrist is share His vision. Quickly andgladly is His vision given anyone who is butwilling to see his brother sinless.” (T-22.II.13:1)The willingness not to heal our perceptionof our brothers and share His vision iscosting us Heaven. Are we really willing topay that price?

My trip to Russia gave me a lasting ex-perience of Heaven. It taught me there is avision that will lead me to Heaven and thatvision comes from a willingness to join withmy brother and see his or her sinlessness,to see their interest the same as my own.And if in the process, we get to do a littleshopping, what’s the harm?

“Look on your holy brother, sinless asyourself, and let him lead you there[Heaven].” (T-22.II.13:7)

““GGoodd wwaannttss uuss ttoo bbeehheeaalleedd aanndd aatt ppeeaaccee,, bbuuttwwee ccaannnnoott bbee hheeaalleedd aannddaatt ppeeaaccee aass lloonngg aass wweehhaattee eevveenn oonnee bbrrootthheerr..””

14

Continued from page 11The Unexamined Life

approach me, and as you withdraw fromhim I become distant to you.” (T-4.VI.8:1)

About a decade ago, on one of my fly-fishing trips to Montana, I met a boy ofabout ten or eleven years old who wascamping and fishing with his father anduncle. Somehow I found myself in the middle of the campground talkingwith this friendly boy.He was telling me hewasn’t too good at fishing, but he was trying. The men camealong and were friendlyto me, but commentsto the boy were nothing more thanbarked orders. I got the impression his father and uncle were just tolerating theboy’s inclusion in their trip and were moreconcerned with drinking and their ownfishing. They were boisterous and jollywhen they stopped to say hello to me, butwhen they turned to the boy, their facespractically turned to monstrous scowls. Itwas such a stark change, I still recall the

encounter these many years later.There had been an early hatch of

grasshoppers that year, and I’d learned afew patterns, so, once the men had goneabout busying themselves for their next sojourn on the river, I opened one of myfly boxes and surreptitiously handed theboy some grasshoppers I’d tied.

“Try these,” I said.“Oh, sir. I can’t take your flies.”“You take these. I tied them and have

plenty.”It was either the

next summer or theone following. The boycame up to me andasked if I rememberedhim. At my furrowedbrow, he refreshed mymemory about givinghim the hoppers.

“Oh, Yes! I remem-ber now! How was thefishing?”

He lowered his head, a bit sheepishly,and then looked up. With a smile he said, “I caught a lot of fish. More than my dad and uncle.”

I laughed openly. “I’ll tell you what,” I said. I again opened a fly box and said,“This is called a Sparkle Dun. I learned itthis year. Take these, and use them up onthe bend in the river.”

“That’s where we’re going thisevening!” His face was alight.

I winked at him, and he scurried off,again calling a thank you to me in his wake.The following day he saw me along theriver. “How’d it go?” I asked.

He could hardly contain himself. “I wasthe only one that caught anything, and Icaught six!” His expression dropped a little,and he continued, “My dad and unclemade me give them the rest of the flies... “

I opened my box and quickly picked outfive more. “Here. Take these,” I said.

“Sir, I can’t.”“Please,” I said. “Enjoy yourself.”“Thank you, sir!” he said.My religion is loving kindness.

(The 14th Dalai Lama)

I’ve never seen him again but, once in awhile, I think of that boy and hope myfriendliness was a good contrast to his father’s harsh treatment of him. It wasn’tcuring cancer or saving someone from aburning building, but I sure feel like thosefew, brief encounters made my life better.

It’s become a cliché to say helping others helps ourselves, but each time I’vemanaged to overcome my self-involvedrecto-cranial inversion for a moment andbecome aware of and help another, it has,by far, been the best feeling in my life. Itfeels like my body is, in some fashion,electrified. It feels good!

Helping others feels good, even if it’ssomething as simple as a smile to a passingstranger. Still...

One day my daughter told me she wentinto the room where her (grade-school-aged) daughter sat, attempting to take apicture of her own arm.

Do this for me. Bend your arm up sothat your hand is by your shoulder. Nowraise your elbow outward a bit from yourbody. Do you see the crease in the crookof your arm where your forearm meetsyour bicep? My granddaughter was at-tempting to take a close up picture of that.

My daughter said her immediate suspi-cions were confirmed by her daughter. Shewas taking a close-up picture of that creaseand was going to send it to a friend tomake the friend think it was her... ummm...backside.

My daughter immediately shot her afiery question, “Which one of your disgusting little friends taught you that?!!”

With a smile, my granddaughterchirped, “Poppie showed me!”

And I had.I’m sure it’s needless to say that my

daughter might agree that my life needsadditional examination.

““SSoo,, wwiitthh mmyy rreeaalliizzaattiioonntthhaatt II ’’mm nnoott iinn aa ppoossiitt iioonn

ttoo iimmppaacctt tthhee eennttiirreewwoorrlldd,, II tthheenn ppoonnddeerr

wwhheetthheerr II hhaavvee mmaaddee aaddiiff ffeerreennccee ttoo ootthheerrss

aarroouunndd mmee –– mmyy ffaammiillyy,,ffrriieennddss oorr ssttrraannggeerrss IIppaassss oonn tthhee ssttrreeeett””

15

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Continued from page 10Learning Gentleness

Continued from page 2What's Happening

“It seems to me that the coming of loveis like the coming of spring — the date isnot to be reckoned by the calendar. It maybe slow and gradual; it may be quick andsudden. But in the morning, when we wakeand recognize a change in the world with-out, verdure on the trees, blossoms on thesward, warmth in the sunshine, music inthe air, we say spring has come.” - Bulwer

Rarely is time ever questioned, or its reality or purpose contemplated, and yetuntil you decide what time is for, you willneedlessly suffer. In order to help with thisdecision, Inspirational Psychology con-denses the choice to one single question:Is time for the accumulation of guilt andupset, or is it for the extension of love, forgiveness, and healing? The importanceof this decision, of deciding on the purpose of time, cannot be overstated. Inshort, fully embracing and practicing thattime has no purpose other than healingand discovering the love within you canand will transform your life and greatly impact those around you.

Today contemplate the followingthree statements about time:1. Time is inconceivable without change,yet love does not change.

2. If you are overwhelmed by thinking howlong it would take to change your mindso completely as to be at peace con-stantly, ask yourself, “How can I use thisinstant to extend love?”

3. Time becomes your friend when youfocus on the present moment and theloving voice within you. “Can you imagine what it means to have

no cares, no worries, no anxieties, butmerely to be perfectly calm and quiet allthe time? Yet that is what time is for; tolearn just that and nothing more.” (T-15.I.1:1)

Continued from page 1A Retro Fad

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And Now in This Issue...• "A Trip to Heaven"• "Aging with Attitude"• "A Tribute to Frank"• "The Purpose of Time"• "The Unexamined Life"• A New ACIM Coloring Book

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