FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE
Inspirational Articles
(You may also be interested in my
chapter from the book Women's Spirit Awakening called
"Living by Spirit")
“Forget this World, Forget this Course, and …
Five Quick Tips for Leading the Inspired Life”
By Linda L. Chappo
This article is
based on a talk Linda gave at the Community Miracles Center in San Francisco, CA
(April 11, 2010)..
A Course in Miracles offers us a helpful, but
seemingly complicated message of attaining peace in times of uncertainty.
ACIM tells us its message is simple, yet many of us get so wrapped up in
interpreting the words, ideas and principles that we sometimes overlook what
it’s really asking us to do. But I ask “if it’s so darn simple, why does it take
1200 pages to get this message of peace across to us? Let’s explore what it does
say.
This article is based on the last line in the paragraph
from Lesson 189 “I feel the love of God within me now.” This title, I
feel, is one of the most powerful affirmations in the book. Saying it to
yourself daily helps to shift your perceptions from doubt and fear to love and
peace. ACIM asks us to do the following:
“Simply do this: be still and lay aside all thought of
what you are and what God is, all concepts you have learned about the world, all
images you hold about yourself. Empty your mind of everything it thinks is
either true or false or good or bad, of every thought it judges worthy and all
the ideas of which it is ashamed. Hold onto nothing. Do not bring with you one
thought the past has taught, nor one belief you ever learned before from
anything. Forget this world, forget this course, and come with wholly empty
hands unto your God.” W-189.ACIM
These are my 5 quick tips for leading an inspired life:
1. Self-Identify as Spirit, not the body/ego.
This
affirmation stands out: “I am not a body, I am free, for I am still as God
created me.”
* One of the most liberating and
powerful stances is that the body you are temporarily wearing is just a shadow
figure of the grace and love that you are.
* You are an immortal, unlimited being of light and divinity.
* Think of yourself as Spirit, it
changes how you act and react to disturbing situations.
* As Spirit, you are on the same level with Angels, except you are having a
human experience.
* Self-identify as Spirit and you step up the evolutionary ladder.
* “If you think you’re a body, and
a fixture in this world, you are destined to get broken.”
* Know that everyone else, no matter how cruel, ignorant or selfish is a child
of Spirit too.
2. Know that you have a direct
line to the Divine – I’m going to build on point one:
* When we identify as Spirit, made in the likeness of Spirit, then ACIM
tells us we are a part of the One Mind. (thoughts & perceptions that come from
the one mind – except when our perceptions are ego-centered.)
* We get so involved in the world,
or the illusion that we forget that there is a larger hand in place to guide us.
Jesus said “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
* That means it’s right
here, right now, and not in some distant future. ACIM is trying to get us
to that awareness, that it’s happening here and now.
* In ACIM, we look to
guidance from the Holy Spirit or the still small voice. That voice is a gentle
guiding force that leads you away from the ego landmines.
* God has a plan for what he would have you do and who he would have you be.” *
Ask for guidance and let go of everything you think you know. You will then be
open to receiving information that molds you into what he would have you be.
Channeling: As Spirit’s we
are always channeling the Divine.
* As long as the ego is not
in play, we are claiming our grace, our inheritance, our innocence.
* Then there’s the idea of channeling Spirit.
I used to be embarrassed to tell anyone that the spiritual path I believed in
was channeled. I don’t know if it was my Christian upbringing, but I’ve always
had this eerie, spooky feeling about channeling. Most of us who are into all
things metaphysical know of people who channel professionally.
* There’s JZ Knight who channels
Ramtha, Kevin Ryerson and Abraham-Hicks. Their material is good, almost
revolutionary. I drove down to San Jose (to a miracles center) many years ago
with another Course student to watch Ryerson channel. It made me a bit
uncomfortable, but other people readily accepted the process.
Helen Shucman was a channel for
Jesus. She heard the still small voice of Jesus and brought us this phenomenal
healing book, A Course in Miracles.
Arten & Pursah. And we now
have two ascended masters, Arten and Pursah who have joined the ranks of
resident ACIM teachers. They appear in Gary Renard’s living room, giving
detailed accounts of life with Jesus.
* I enjoyed both of Gary’s books: The Disappearance of the Universe,
Your Immortal Reality. I recommend them to anyone who studies ACIM
and needs some “down to earth” clarity. Is that a misnomer?
* I was rather confounded by the risqué language of these two teachers.
Sometimes they sound more like Gary speaking than Ascended Masters. But I have
to admit, it was a fun read.
George W. Bush
I recently saw the movie “W” about
the life and times of our past president George W. Bush. By all accounts, if the
story was true, he was painted as a shiftless alcoholic. It was an interesting
portrayal, but I like to stay away from President bashing. We may not agree with
his policies, but taking pot shots at the president is almost sacrilegious to
me. As a product of the 70’s, it was a time of liberating the body, mind and
spirit. And yes, it led to drugs, sex and rock and roll. And there was a great
consumption of alcohol. I was there, and I was part of all of it too. Those of
us who experienced those interesting times could better keep our judgments in
perspective.
I was inspired
by this movie because in the end, W cleaned up his act and found God. He was
guided, if the story is true to form, to become president of the U.S. He went to
Harvard and Yale but still couldn’t get it together on what to do with his life.
He aimed high. He had the support and contacts of Daddy Bush and about half the
population (and evidently the Universe), and did it. He became president beyond
all odds. That’s a true success story.
- Let yourself not be threatened by the world –
* You’ve identified as spirit.
* You’re connecting with the Divine, and it puts you on a unique vibrational
level. It’s a level that makes all things possible.
* Attain inner peace by reading
the book, and doing the lessons/tools. There’s nothing like using it in your
daily life to see that it does work.
* Jesus knows that the force of
the ego is a difficult and challenging one. It continually threatens our peace
of mind. He’s always willing to help you make another choice.
* If we feel threatened in any
way, then we are not trusting that God is taking care of the details. All
you have to do is just show up.
* Have you lost your job? – There
is the appearance of a bad economy. Is that really true? When there are major
life changes, it generally means that another chapter is coming up for you. How
could you move into another stage of your life with peace and the anticipation
of a new adventure?
* The Course tells us that this world isn’t a world at all. It’s an
illusion, a dream. It’s a fence to keep God out, to keep Him separate from us.
* As Spirits, we let God in. We
remember the truth, that we are always connected.
- Be the First to Let go of Grievances: Don’t wait for
the other person to start the process.
* Grievances can be the one place where our ego gets stuck.
* Grievances are blocks to keep peace and love away. Forgive and get it
behind you so you can both move onto more joyful experiences.
* “Letting Go” are the two magic words here. There’s no quicker way to
get to the state of peace than letting go of what doesn’t matter: who’s right
and who’s wrong, and remembering what does: that healing the relationship will
bring you both the peace and love that you desire.
- Give Yourself Permission to be Joyful.
* We’re supposed to be happy! The Course is guiding us to that ultimate
experience.
* Freedom from turmoil, achieving inner peace and practicing forgiveness is
what ACIM is all about. To let anything threaten you is to give in to
your ego. Don’t let it rule your thoughts and your life. Take control! Shift
your thinking! Ask for guidance and spend time listening/meditating.
* Don’t get stuck in the quagmire!
* You know who you are. You have inside help. Peace is your one goal. And
constant joyfulness brings about a heavenly state of mind.
My message for today is to “Forget this world,
forget this course, and come with wholly empty hands unto your God.” I’d like to
reiterate my 5 points:
- Forget this World! In other words, don’t look to this
world for validation of your ego body, but show up as Spirit and you stand
apart from those who see themselves as limited.
- Forget this Course. That means read from it, and
don’t get stuck in the reading. Learn it and don’t get stuck in the learning,
but use it’s message to forgive others for their errors, and forgive you for
yours.
- Use it to attain peace for yourself. Create a heavenly
paradise around you. “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
- “Come with wholly empty hands unto your God.” It
says empty hands. That means to come with no money, don’t bring your big
screen TV, no cell phone, no glass of merlot, no keys to your BMW, no
attachments to the world, and no book called ACIM. Jesus encourages
you to come with empty hands and a quiet mind ready to accept from the
inside what the Holy Spirit is calling you to do.
- Letting go of grievances, suffering and judgments are
the most direct way to experiencing a happy life. Thank you.
* Did you enjoy this article? If so, please let me know.
I’d love to hear what other topics might interest you. Send an email to
marryyourself1st@aol.com
This is a talk Linda gave at the
Community Miracles Center in December 2006.
Laughing
Your Way to Heaven
by
Linda Chappo
I like to start
my talks with some humor. I looked on the internet and there are no A
Course in Miracles jokes, so I had to use some that were available. I also
want to apologize in advance if these offend anyone. I know we practice
forgiveness, and have a sense of humor.
Jim Baker and
Jimmy Swaggert (you remember them?) are collaborating on a new book
together. It’s called “Ministers Do More Than Laypeople.”
What does this
have to do with ACIM?
Nothing
Mother Superior
called all the nuns into the conference room. She announced that there was
a problem, that a case of gonorrhea had been discovered in the convent. An
elderly nun in the back of the room exclaimed, “oh, thank God, I was
getting so tired of drinking Chardonnay.” What does this have to do with
ACIM?
Absolutely Nothing
It doesn’t have
anything to do with the words of ACIM
or anything that it says, but it has everything to do with the vision or
goals of the Course.
The Course wants
us to be peaceful, happy, joyous and full of laughter. I feel happy when I
hear you are laughing. And when you laugh, it raises your endorphins, and
yes, laughter is good medicine. I do know one thing, that when you are
laughing it takes you outside of yourself. It changes your state. You
cannot laugh and be sad at the same time. You cannot laugh and be in fear,
conflict or turmoil. It’s not possible.
The words laugh
or laughter is mentioned about 45 times in ACIM.
There are two instances that are important to what I have to say. The
first is from the Text and the title The Hero of the Dream.
“Into eternity,
where all is one, there crept a tiny mad idea, at which the Son of God
remembered not to laugh. In his forgetting did the thought become a
serious idea and possible of both accomplishment and real effects.” This
is how we went into this detour into fear, and so here we are.
The other
important quote is from the Manual for Teachers in the section How Will
the World End? “The world will end in laughter, because it is a place of
tears.” So it is our destiny to be peaceful, to be happy and to laugh a
lot.
So how does this
come about? ACIM
is a guidebook for happiness and peace. Even on the front cover we have
the words “Foundation for Inner Peace.” It offers us a foundation for
correcting our perceptions and being in relationships more peacefully. One
of the first passages we come across is “Nothing real can be threatened,
Nothing unreal exists. Therein lies the peace of God. It’s telling us not
to let anything threaten us.
Because we are
miracle-minded people it is our responsibility to be an example or role
model for joyful living. My message to you today is to “let go of negative
thoughts, and your life will change in amazing ways. We can then change
the world through keeping a light heartedness, enjoy your life and share
laughter whenever you can. You laughter and peace will inspire others.
Laughing is contagious, so please pass it on.
Choosing Independence
By Linda
Chappo
This is an
article Linda wrote for the Community Miracles Center (San Francisco)
newsletter "Miracles Monthly." It was published in July 2002.
One of my favorite rituals at this time of the year
is watching the fireworks and participating in the 4th of July
celebrations. It reminds me to be thankful and appreciative of freedom in
America: Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I’ve often wondered
if we know what independence really is, what it entails and how to
incorporate it into our lives. Ideas on independence and freedom may vary
from you to me to the Holy Spirit’s idea. I’m suggesting that we be open
to the Holy Spirit’s interpretation of independence and let the spirit
within us guide us in our endeavors.
I cherish the idea of independence and
whit it means to me to have persona freedom. I see physical independence
as a stepping stone to something much more powerful. The teachings of A
Course In Miracles are very much in alignment with the idea of
independence. The course teaches us how to free our minds from the
illusion of separation. The Course gives us the spiritual and mental tools
by which to maintain a peaceful resolve. If we follow the workbook lessons
in part 1, they take us from a rigid perception of the world to one that
is more mindfully liberating. The early lessons help us to look at people,
places and things in a different light. We move from a preoccupation with
our past ideas of what the world is all about to an awareness of our unity
with our brothers and God.
Independence is really an inside job. When we look
within we have and inner dependence on our own innate wisdom, or on
guidance from the Holy Spirit. It’s the kind of total dependence that’s
freeing rather than binding. “The belief in ego autonomy is costing you
the knowledge of your dependence on God, in which your freedom lies. The
ego sees all dependency as threatening, and has twisted even your longing
for God into a means of establishing itself. But do not be deceived
by its interpretation of your conflict” (T-11.V.6.). ACIM also says
“Except ye become as little children” means that unless you fully
recognize your complete dependence on God, you cannot know the real power
of the Son in his true relationship with the Father. (T-1.V.3.)
Whenever we change our mind or perception about
anything at any given time, we are exercising our independence. This brief
story illustrates my point. I recently started working in San Francisco’s
Chinatown district. Nearby is a swank hotel on Nob Hill where I once
worked. I heard it was redecorated so I went in to see the changes. Fond
memories returned from the last time I visited the restaurant, so I
decided to re-experience the buffet. Shortly after ordering the bill
arrived and I was astonished at the exorbitant price. It seemed unfair
since the buffet had previously been free. In my mind I immediately
started building a case against the restaurant. Instead of focusing on the
beautiful environment and delicious food, I was creating a drama around
the charges. After a few minutes I became aware of what I was doing and
reminded myself that I chose to be there and my negative thoughts were
ruining my experience. I then finished my meal in peace. This story shows
how easily the insane ego can build a mountain out of a molehill. We
experience the essence of independence when we recognize the insanity and
choose a more peaceful approach.
According to the New World Dictionary, independence
means “to be free from the influence, control or determination of
another.” There are so many influences that try to control our thoughts
and actions. Media advertising is always a big one, but the strongest and
most difficult is our own ego thoughts which try to sabotage our desire to
be at peace. One of Aim’s highest goals for us is freedom from the tyranny
of fearful ego thoughts. “Freedom cannot be learned by tyranny of any
kind, and the perfect equality of all God’s Sons cannot be recognized
through the dominion of one mind over another. God’s Sons are equal in
will, all being the Will of their Father. This is the only lesson I can to
teach”. (T-8.IV.6.).”
The insidious ego voice is a form of internal
terrorism that says you’re not worthy of that career promotion, or you’re
not good enough to have a romance with that person. ACIM discourages us
from succumbing to fear, passing judgment or condemning people or
situations. Or unnecessarily holding grievances. Those kinds of thoughts
limit who we are, and what we are capable of doing and becoming. They stop
us from expressing God’s love and joy to those around us.
One of the biggest ego traps is believing that
something outside of us will set us free. There are plenty of promises of
independence through the use and abuse of recreational and prescription
drugs. Television commercials are full of prescription advice for whatever
ails us. There’s a wide array of pills that offer freedom from worry,
headache pain, insomnia, hot flashes, impotence, and more. Social drugs
like cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, ecstasy and others promise to offer us
relief from stress or boredom.
I created an acronym for D.R.U.G.S.: Destructive
Relationship Undermining God’s Son. It’s a negative relationship that
undermines our pursuit of happiness, destroys our values and everything we
hold dear. This destructive relationship is remarkably similar to the
Course’s description of a special relationship. “Yet one thing the ego
never allows to reach awareness is that the special relationship is the
acting out of vengeance on yourself. Yet what else could it be? In seeking
the special relationship, you look not for glory in yourself. You have
denied that it is there, and the relationship becomes your substitute for
it” (T-16.VII.5.).
Special relationships don’t just apply to people with
who we sleep. It may also apply to an abusive or unhealthy relationship
with anything outside of ourselves that we are dependent on as our sole
source of happiness. This might include certain foods, sugar, alcohol,
sex, drugs, money, cigarettes, or material objects. The destructive
relationship often adds to our dilemma by also jeopardizing our health. At
the time I was writing this article I received an email from a friend who
lives across the country. Her only child recently passed away. She sadly
informed me that her son literally ‘drank himself to death.’ He was around
thirty years old. Dependence on D.R.U.G.S. maintains the separation
because it’s a relationship that tries to replace God rather than include
God.
The ego’s voice assures us that a cigar will make us
powerful, a cigarette will make us popular or sexy, and alcohol will give
us confidence or courage. Unless we are high invsome way we can’t relax or
cope with this world. D.R.U.G.S. claim to give us pleasure and release
form daily pressures. They subconsciously and temporarily set us free from
the guilt we may be experiencing over something we did or didn’t do. It’s
a destructive cycle where no one wins.
I recently read a report which stated that teenager
in Marin County, CA choose to smoke marijuana versus cigarettes “because
at least you don’t die from it.” People who have experience with marijuana
know it kills in other ways by distorting one’s perceptions, and the
danger lies in losing touch with what is real. Although one of the most
subtle message of ACIM is that we have all lost touch with what is real.
“The children of God are entitled to the perfect comfort that comes from
perfect trust. Until they achieve this, they waste themselves and their
true creative powers on useless attempts to make themselves more
comfortable by inappropriate means. But the real means are already
provided, and do not involve any effort at all on their part.”
(T-2.III.5.). As long as we identify with external pressures or
circumstances rather than internal knowing, we will continue this detour
into fear and delay our remembrance of love.
My theory is that many of us are seeking love through
D.R.U.G.S. I’m convinced that every time we reach for D.R.U.G.S., we are
indirectly reaching for God’s love and acceptance. That’s the illusion and
we can choose not to be spiritually deprived. ACIM says, “Sooner or
later must everyone bridge the gap he imagines exists between his selves.
Each one builds this bridge, which carries him across the gap as soon as
he is willing to expend some little effort on behalf of bridging it. His
little efforts are powerfully supplemented by the strength of Heaven, and
by the united will of all who make Heaven what it is, being joined with
it.” (T-16.III.8.)
When we give our power away to the addiction, we
become dependent rather than independent. We will never find the love we
are seeing in D.R.U.G.S., because it doesn’t exist there. People who are
addicted and seek love and acceptance through D.R.U.G.S. have a stronger
need for God’s love. They’ve forgotten more than other people. For those
of us who remember, it’s our function to express forgiveness to those who
are hurting. This opens the door to the experience of love.
Recreational drugs won’t recreate real love or the
awareness of Home. “Would you know the Will of God for you? Ask it of
me who knows it for you and you will find it. I will deny you nothing.
Ours is simply the journey back to God Who is hour home.” (T-8.V.5.)
Putting ourselves in a mental state where home is possible to experience
will re-create the feeling, the pleasure, the oneness we are seeking. We
can honor what our spirit’s are really striving for by spending time going
within and building up our personal and spiritual resources.
The closest encounter with love that we can
experience, other than a revelation from God, is the love we give to each
other. That’s why it’s so important that we constantly choose the thoughts
of love and become the love we are seeking.
Sometimes I think uncertainties are inevitable, or
that there will always be terrorism or tyranny on some level. But I don’t
believe that’s true. I believe in the goodness and the magnificence of
God’s Son. I trust that we are going to eventually ‘get it’ and wake up to
the reality emphasized by the Course. It may not happen overnight, but if
we each choose peace and love one moment at a time, one day at a time,
them we will certainly experience the kind of independence that leads to
real happiness.
For More Information Contact:
Heart To Heart Living
Tel: 510-524-6014
in El Cerrito, CA 94530
Internet:
marryyourself1st@aol.com
