[acimlessons_list] Lesson 287--October 14

Thu Oct 13 19:30:43 EDT 2005

Lesson 287 * October 14

"You are my goal, my Father. Only you."

Practice instructions

See complete instructions in separate document. A short summary:

* Read the commentary paragraph slowly and personally.

* Pray the prayer, perhaps several times.

* Morning and evening: Repeat the idea and then spend time in Open
Mind Meditation.

* Hourly remembrance: Repeat the idea and then spend a quiet moment
in meditation.

* Frequent reminders: Repeat the idea often within each hour.

* Response to temptation: Repeat the idea whenever upset, to restore
peace.

* Read the "What Is" section slowly and thoughtfully once during the
day.

Commentary

This lesson comes from a very high place. It is something that would
be spoken by a person ready to live in the real world, a prayer from
the heart of Christ within me. It <is> the heartfelt thoughts of
Christ, expressed in words; it is the mindset that I seek to listen
to all the time. And so it is true of me; I can speak these words
with honesty, even though I know that often I listen to the ego,
which has every other goal <but> God.

If I feel today that I cannot say with simple honesty, "You are my
goal, my Father. Only You," then let me look with honesty, and
without fear, on what other goals I still cherish. Let me ask myself,
"What could be a substitute for happiness? What gift could I prefer
before the peace of God?" (1:2-3). Any such other goal is obviously a
foolish one. Any goal that distracts me from the peace of God is
unworthy of me.

If I have another goal, if I cannot say "Only You," then I am
desiring to go someplace other than Heaven; I am looking for a
substitute for happiness; I am seeking something which I think is
preferable to the peace of God; I am looking to find and keep
something which I think is better than my own Identity; I am choosing
to live with fear rather than with love.

It really is that simple.

In the Course, Jesus assures me that it is not shameful to recognize
these things about myself. Recognizing my false goals is the
beginning of wisdom. All that is needful is for me to recognize what
I am doing, what other goals I am choosing, and the power of those
things will simply fall away. <Pretending> to love only God while
secretly holding on to other goals is a sure guarantee of failure and
unhappiness. Honest recognition of those other goals, and of my
responsibility in choosing them, is the sure way of release.

What Is the Holy Spirit?

PART 7: W-PII.7.4:1

>From knowledge, where He has been placed by God, the Holy Spirit
calls to you, to let forgiveness rest upon your dreams, and be
restored to sanity and peace of mind.

The Holy Spirit has been placed in knowledge, by God. Knowledge is
not a place but a condition, a state of knowingness. The Holy Spirit
knows the truth; He knows reality. He knows our real being, what and
who we really are. On the one side He is firmly linked with God,
knowledge, and reality. From that place of knowingness, He calls to
us within our dreams. On the other side He is linked firmly with us.
He is aware of our dreams, aware of what and who we think we are, as
well as knowing what and who we really are. He is perfectly equipped
to lead us out from those dreams and into the truth of full sanity.

If we listen, we can hear Him calling. We can become aware of
something within ourselves moving us to "let forgiveness rest upon
[our] dreams." The discipline of Workbook practice is teaching us, if
we are doing the exercises, to listen to that Voice, to respond to
that inner urging. Gradually we are becoming more and more aware of
the times we are dreaming; gradually we become aware we are dreaming
most of the time. We can let forgiveness rest on our dreams by
bringing them to the Holy Spirit and asking for His perception to
replace our dreams. This is the way to sanity; this is the way to
peace of mind.

In Chapter 5, the first chapter in the Text which strongly presents
the Holy Spirit and His place in our return to God, He is often
referred to as "the Call." He is called "the Call to Atonement"
(T-5.I.5:4), "the Call to return" (T-5.I.5:5), "the Call to joy"
(T-5.II.3:2), "the Call to awaken and be glad" (T-5.II.10:5), and
"the Call for God" (T-5.II.10:7). This Call is something within our
own minds. Something is drawing us home; if you are reading this
Course, you have felt that Call and responded to It. We can
dissociate that Call and block it from our awareness, or we can
deliberately turn our attention to It, and listen. He always calls us
to forgiveness, both to forgive and to be forgiven. His goal is the
end of guilt. He speaks to us, always, of innocence. He seeks to turn
us from the way of fear to the way of love. If we give Him our full
attention, He will safely guide us home. He knows the way.

    COMMENTARIES ON LESSONS FROM THE WORKBOOK OF A COURSE IN MIRACLES
    by Allen Watson, with Practice Summaries by Robert Perry
    The Circle of Atonement--Visit our website at <http://www.circleofa.com>

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Commentary by Allen Watson
+ Practice Summary: Robert Perry
+ Available in book format from The Circle
+ of Atonement (Vol. 1 reprint due soon, write us for info)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ The Workbook Commentaries are Copyright 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003
+ by The Circle of Atonement,
+ P.O. Box 4238,
+ W. Sedona, AZ 86340.
+ All rights reserved.
+
+ Please notify us of any intent to use them beyond the scope of this e-mail
+ list; write to info at circleofa.com.
+
+ WWW: <http://www.circleofa.com/>
+ Email: <info at circleofa.com>
+ Back Issues Lesson Archive: <http://www.circleofa.com/curwkbk.html>
+
Portions from Clarification of Terms (c) Copyright 1975, Psychotherapy:
Purpose, Process and Practice, (c) 1976, The Song of Prayer, (c) 1978, are
used by permission of the copyright holder, The Foundation for "A Course in
Miracles," 41397 Buecking Drive, Temecula, CA 92590.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To unsubscribe, send a message containing only one word: "unsubscribe",
to the appropriate address:

ACIMWKBK-LIST: acimwkbk_list-request at circleofa.com
ACIMLESSONS_LIST: acimlessons_list-request at circleofa.com

For additional information about unsubscribing, subscribing, and changing
settings for your subscription, send an e-mail message containing only the
Word "help" to either of the above two addresses, or visit the list websites
at http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/acimlessons_list or for
acimwkbk_list, use http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/acimwkbk_list
_______________________________________________
Tell your friends to subscribe. They can simply send an e-mail message to
either of the above addresses with one line in the message body:

    subscribe
_______________________________________________

Visit the new Circle of Atonement web site: <http://www.circleofa.com>

Support the Workbook commentaries! Make a donation to the Circle:
<https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=info%40circleofa.com&item_name=donat
ion+to+support+Workbook+commentaries&image_url=http%3A//www.circleofa.com/im
ages/main_title.gif&return=http%3A//www.circleofa.com&cancel_return=http%3A/
/www.circleofa.com&cn=Note+to+the+Circle&tax=0&currency_code=USD>

(If clicking the above link does not work, try copying it and pasting it
into the address field of your web browser, and clicking on "Go".)
_______________________________________________

-- 
<allenwatson at earthlink.net>
Scripts for OE and Entourage:
<http://homepage.mac.com/allen_a_watson/AppleScripts_For_You>
Entourage questions: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>