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

Love created me like itself. Would I then judge the perfection in which I was created? This is a great opportunity to look upon our Self and undo the ego that is distracted by grievances. Love holds no grievances is the next lesson. Can we have a new way of living, in which all grievances are dropped. We are either in the celebration of Love, or we are forgiving that which we formerly judged. Our...

My only function is the one God gave me. Are we with our function? Forgiveness is it, as the light of the world. Accepting this function brings happiness and only happiness. My happiness and my function are one. Can we trust that this is so? The lessons confront our ego to let go. Can we do that?  1) My only function is the one God gave me.  2) My happiness and my function are one. 

Today’s Review tells us the light of the world, which is realized through forgiveness, brings peace to every mind. That is a function we all have. Can we remember it is the question? The ego wants to forget it. This is why we have to remind ourselves. “Let me not forget my function.” The challenge is clearly to forgive in situations that tempt us to reaction. 1) The light of the world brings peace...

In this year we give to God, are we giving ourselves to the practice of miracles? Today begins the Review II. We are asked to give 15 minutes twice in the day to contemplating the two lessons given: one in the morning, and one in the evening. This is an opportunity to see how committed we are. Are we holding ourselves accountable in this process? Are we holding Jesus accountable in His providence...

“Let me recognize my problems have been solved.” This Lesson is confronting us to give up the thoughts in us which have manufactured problems. We are to apply the lesson to any situation that is unsettling: “Let me recognize this problem has been solved.” Can we do it though, in the midst of the very conditions of the situation? That is the test, isn’t it? Sondra and Markus look at this lesson in...

What is our problem? This Lesson #79 says it is only one—our imagined separation from our Source Energy. The separation into believing we are an ego, and forgetting our Sacred Source, is the only problem we need to “solve.” Instead of having many “problems,” we have only one. This is it. What is the solution? Recognizing that it is impossible to be “separated,” and that we can be in constant conta...

This lesson makes it very clear: will we choose miracles or grievances? This is our choice, and we receive the results of our choice. Heaven or hell? The power of life or the illusion of death? The lesson applies this to relationships, and asks us to take the person we “hate” the most, and see them as our “savior” in the practice—a very sobering and important exercise.

We are entitled to miracles, but we have to be willing to receive them. This requires that we drop our position and let go. We need the Guidance of the Holy Spirit, but too often we think we can make decisions by ourself without considering miraculous outcomes. We have to ask, in other words, to be guided. Can we do it? We are entitled to miracles, but we have to be open to receive them.

We are under no “laws” but God’s. What are they? Sondra asks. God’s laws only give, they never take. Sacrifice and “payment” are not needed. Tap into the infinite supply of God’s abundance that can meet any need or solve any problem. We are under no laws but God’s. It is time that we claim our access to this divine order.

The Light has come. Can we forgive the world? To the degree we can we will see the light. To the degree we can’t, or “won’t,” we remain in the dark. This is a key lesson in our journey to wake up. We hold hands with you and choose forgiveness as our function as the light of the world.

There is no will but God’s. When we make our will one with God’s there is no conflict, then. These are statements that bring peace, because ACIM defines the will of God as one of perfect peace. We only need to decide this is our will as well, to come to inner peace. All else is a dream of “war” we made up.

“I will there be light.” Are we making our hell or accepting our heaven that we share with God? In this Lesson we have to make a decision to join our will with God’s. We can leave the past behind now, and give up our grievances for heaven.

Holding grievances is an attack on who we are, because grievances concern the body, and we are being asked to see ourselves as Love, not the body. The body is a “ship” of sorts in this dimension, and the “captain” of our ship directs its course. Are we directing it on the course of Love, or on the course of grievances and identification with the “body” as our “self?” This is a key lesson in removi...

Only God’s plan for salvation will work. This is a strong statement. Our “plans” will not lead to “perfect happiness.” This may be a “bitter pill” to swallow. We must admit “we don’t know,” and this is often challenging. In this Lesson, we actually ask God, “what do we do, where do we go, and what do we say?” This is the beginning of being guided.

The "problem" and the "solution" are brought together in this Lesson. The guilt, fear, and anger we have made up in our mind and be undone there too, by us. What we have made up, we can unmake. The "salvation" we seek from pain and suffering in this lifetime is within our mind to have. Give yourself 10-15 minutes of this inner peace as we practice these recent Lessons to restore our connection to...

Holding grievances hides the light in us. Sondra and Markus explore the situation in which seeing the status quo the way it is may require an action. Can this action be taken without a grievance? This is the crux of the lesson.

“Love holds no grievances.” This is a key lesson in A Course in Miracles. It defines the real action of forgiveness. Letting our complaints and our grievances go is an action we all must take to be students this work. Seeing our “enemy” as our friend is a necessary step in the process of Self Awakening. Can we do it? This is the challenge of this lesson.

“Love created me like itself.” This is the first lesson in which our Self is identified as Love. We accept our function as the Sons and Daughters of God. And God has only positive attributes. God is not a “punishing and vengeful god” that we may have been taught in our organized religions. God is Love and that is what we are too.

God gives us only happiness. So if we are not happy, then we are not in touch with our Divine Source. This lesson associates our function with our happiness. Fulfilling our function must result in happiness. God wills it, so we need to tap into the power of this statement: "My happiness and my function are one." 

This Lesson #65 further clarifies our function. It is the one God gave us. Every other goal is not only secondary, but can be preventing us from accepting this only goal God gave us. We are introduced to the absolute nature of the Divine Will in this Lesson. We are given the means for true meditation in this Lesson. The preceding 4 Lessons come to a head in this one Lesson. The question is, “Will...

We have forgotten our function is to be the light, and to be the light is to be supremely happy. Our job here is to remember who we are as God created us. Our job here is to be constantly happy. Forgiving everything that is not pure joy is the means we are given to fulfill our function. We are asked not to "substitute our own" for God's, because that is our real function. That is why we are here;...

We are told we are the light of the world. We are told our function as this light is to master forgiveness. Now we are told this mastery will "bring peace to every mind." The people who are the hardest to love need our love the most. Can we practice our forgiveness on them? This is the question. Sondra and Markus give a sober look at their practice with "the noisy neighbor next door." 

We need to make contact with true forgiveness. What is its Power? The Lesson says "it will remove all sense of weakness, strain and fatigue from your mind." Do we want that? Let's dedicate this day to fulfilling our function. Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world. I would fulfill my function that I may be happy.

This lesson is a leap in human evolution. "I am the light of the world." Who can say this and have it be their truth? Notice the challenges that come up in your everyday life that require you to accept this as a fact. "What is not love is murder." (TEXT;Chapter 23; Section IV; ❡1) We can take Action in the middle of the darkness. This is our purpose for being here. This is our acceptance of the Li...

This is the last Lesson of the first Review. Where do we need the Peace of God the most? In situations in our life that are the most upsetting is where we need to apply the lessons. Sondra and Markus discuss "the noisy neighbor" and the situation in the world, and how the Lessons can help us to navigate through and around our fears. Their vulnerability is palpable in this AYIGTG Podcast.