THE GIFTS OF GOD — Sondra Ray and Markus Ray on A Course in Miracles

What do we value? Will it last forever? Does it serve the good of everyone? Will it instill our God Created innocence? These are the questions Sondra and Markus discuss in this Lesson from Review IV. What is true forgiveness. This is also explored in this Podcast.

The Truth we honestly seek is ours. We cannot fail in this search. But one of the actions we must take is to bring our Mind to emptiness. No judgments, no assessments of the world we see at all compose the "real world." We can see the meaninglessness of all of our projections. On the "clean slate" of our Holy Mind, the "still mind" and the "quiet mind," God can show us who we really are. In this Truth we cannot fail. 

We have a decision to make. There is a "world" of the ego's thought system. And beyond that world, there is nothing short of Heaven. But it requires our decision. Because we cannot see both, or the sight of one blocks the sight of the other, we have to choose. Which will it be for you? 

1) Beyond this world there is a world I want. 

2) It is impossible to see two worlds

“There is no Love but God’s.” We see the reflection of love in this world. Clearly it comes from the Original Source of Creation. We are asked to tap into that love. Also, we are asked to move past and beyond the “substitute” forms of “love,” which masquerade as attachment, co-dependence, and a “world” that really holds nothing for us.

Today we explore the "quiet." In Quiet I receive God's word and "thoughts." Can we bring our mind to that deep silence within? And then we give from that place of inner connection. What we give grows within us, and our storehouse is increased. The more joy we give away the more we have it for ourselves. This is obvious. And in turn, we have more Joy to give away as we take it within ourselves. 

Grievances and non-forgiveness block our awareness of our Divine Mind. Can we let them go? In order to see our mind one with God's Mind, forgiveness is necessary. And forgiveness is the key to happiness. The gifts of God are realized in this Mind, one of total forgiveness. Are we ready to remember who we really are in this Mind we share with God. It reminds us of lesson in #35: "My mind is part of God's. I am very holy."

1) I thank my Father for His gifts to me. 

2) Let me remember I am one with God. 

“My mind holds only what I think with God.” This thought would silence all of the rest. What would we be if only the “thoughts of God” filled our mind? Forgiveness would be complete, our mind would be still—emptied of all the meaningless “chatter” of fear, anger or guilt that keeps us distracted from awareness of our Sacred Source. But in fact, our mind only does hold what it thinks with God. This begins our direct contact with those thoughts.

1) Forgiveness is the key to happiness.

2) Forgiveness offers everything I want.

Only your innocence is the real "medicine." We try to "heal the body" of its symptoms without healing the source of the sickness in the first place—good old fashioned GUILT! Guilt is underneath all sickness in the body. It is the mind that makes up the guilt, not the body. We have to accept the Atonement for ourselves. Only complete forgiveness, then (The course calls this "salvation") can be said to cure you of guilt, the cause of your disease.  

Accepting who we are as God created us restores us to our Divine Perfection instantly. There is no heavy penance to perform. We discover a silence deep within that has left the uncertainties of the world behind. The Holy Spirit takes us there when we accept the Atonement for ourselves.

Have we ever made a real decision? Perfect Happiness is our true nature. It does not have an opposite. This is something you know in your very bones is true, and not any storm or change of fate can undo it. This is one of the "pinnacle" Lessons in a long string of Miracles. Can we take these words and heed them? One day we must. Why not now? We took a birth to come and make this one Decision. We have the help of the Holy Spirit to make it. There is a place in you of perfect peace that does not have an opposite. Enter into this place and never leave it.