Morning!
Where Jesus states, “If you are shaken, think of it again. These practice periods are planned to help you form the habit of applying what you learn each day to everything you do. Do not repeat the thought and lay it down. Its usefulness is limitless to you. And it is meant to serve you in all ways, all times and places, and whenever you need help of any kind. Try, then to take it with you in the business of the day and make it holy, worthy of God’s Son, acceptable to God and to your Self”, Ken writes:
KEN’S THOUGHTS:
“This is an important paragraph. The language is simple, but Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms how essential these lessons are, as long as we practice and apply them. He told us earlier that the workbook is a one-year training program. The hope is that at the year’s end we would have understood the importance of remembering thoughts from ACIM throughout the day, using them as symbols of the truth to which we bring the illusions of our upsets.
To reiterate, understanding the metaphysics of ACIM means nothing if we still find ourselves guilty, angry, depressed, and isolated. The metaphysics’ importance lies solely in helping us realize that the world is indeed illusory, and that we made everything, including our upset, to keep specialness intact and the Love of God away. Therefore, we have to practice over and over the return to the decision-making part of our minds, where we had chosen against Jesus’ truth by choosing the ego’s illusion. Only then can we correct our choice for fear.”
MY THOUGHTS:
For me, it is very easy not to practice throughout the day given I have been through the Workbook countless times. Mari and I, among a few others over the years, have been reading it out loud for years now, each and every morning, taking turns and loving doing it. But I must ask myself, what does that mean? I think I understand ACIM fairly well, its basic metaphysics having studied it as well as reading a plethora of Ken Wapnick’s writings, prolific as they were. But, truly, am I practicing in this instant?
I am increasingly realizing how much I read that is Course-related as opposed to just being still throughout the day to ground myself. I love the excerpt form What is Forgiveness? In Part II of the WB where Jesus states:
“Forgiveness, on the other hand, is still, and quietly does nothing. It offends no aspect of reality, nor seeks to twist it to appearances it likes. It merely looks, and waits, and judges not.”
Also, if I think about I Need Do Nothing, a section in the Text, all I have to do is return to the quiet center Jesus references, regroup and then return to the “madness” and be a beacon of peace for others and myself.
Yes, I have overcomplicated it all, an ego ploy.
Not today.
Have a lovely day!
Love,
Gayle
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