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

We are surrounded by the Love of God. This is a fact. We need the connection to our Source to experience the grace and the Gifts of God. We can simply give attention to this Divine Connection. This focus of our attention can undo our troubles, concerns, doubts, and fears. This is a good set of lessons in which to make this contact. 

Our holiness is the subject of these Lessons. We are asked to make contact with it, and actually use it in our dealings in the world. "My holiness blesses the world." is the miracle of Lesson #37. In light of the current events happening around the world, can we stay in our center, forgive ourselves for our own mistakes, and send the vibration of Peace out to those in need? We are blessed in this...

We are not victims of anything in the world. Why? Because we invented everything we see in the world. If we see war, we contributed to it with our thoughts of conflict. We can change our mind and see peace instead. Our mind is part of God's and the Mind of God is at peace. 

Above all else do we want to see things differently? Especially when there are dire external conditions like a war, what are we to see? Can we see God in everything? Can we divorce our seeing from "attack thoughts?" These lessons are challenging in light of recent world events. But it is always our responsibility to "look within" and end the "war" within ourselves. 

What is in our minds is projected outward. We take responsibility for "war" without, because we are willing to heal the "war within." We have to be willing to "see things differently" and give up our way of seeing. We have to be willing to give up our "attack thoughts."

In this review we see that our thoughts produce our results. Our thoughts will either lead to happiness or away from happiness. It is our responsibility to notice which way we are going with our thoughts. We are never stuck. We can always change our thoughts. (PS We apologize for the phone sounds intruding.)

In this set of Lessons we are looking at how the way we are thinking and seeing does not guarantee us an orderly and peaceful view of the world. It calls this view, even insane. God did not create it, therefore it is only a mirage we have made up. We can let it go. 

This is our meeting with our group who studies ACIM Lessons for one year. 

We are thinking with or ego thoughts which are mostly in the past. It is with our thoughts that we "see." We are not thinking with our real Thoughts we think with God. Therefore we are not really seeing. These are profound Lessons. 

This lesson begins the first Review. We have completed the first 50 lessons, and now we bring them to mind, five at a time, in our daily practice periods. Here are the first five of them. We are replacing our thoughts with those we think with God. 

The lesson says, "Here is the answer to every problem that will confront you, today and tomorrow and throughout time." Sondra and Markus explore this statement with some compelling examples from their own experiences. 

Sondra and Markus discuss Lesson #49, "God's voice speaks to me all through the day." This is a lesson of deep listening. Are we disengaged enough from the activities of the world long enough to listen? What are we hearing? Depressurize yourself, and listen for this other Voice of peace and beauty. 

This lesson is a miracle in itself when we accept it is true. But our ego is convinced there is a lot to fear. And we justify the fear with all kinds of catastrophic thinking. This Lesson puts us in touch with a glimpse of trusting in God's strength in us. When we do that, truly there is nothing to fear. 

This is a key Lesson in A Course in Miracles for the purpose of shifting our minds into the awareness of our Divine Source. God is the strength in which we can trust, and in that trust are all problems solved. Practice this lesson with special celebration today. We are never alone and the strength of God in us can solve anything. 

In this lesson we see the first glimpse of the word "salvation." God does not condemn, therefore forgiveness is seen as our natural state of innocence. Mistakes are all correctable, without any condemnation or guilt. We can extend this innocence to all those people we had "issues" with from our past. Therefore, we extend this innocence (forgiveness) and receive it ourselves. 

There are real thoughts we think with God. There are also thoughts of the ego we think in separation from our Source. This lesson takes us out of the ego's thoughts into those we think with God. 

This Lesson begins to undo the "self we made" and bring to our awareness our real Self God created. The "light" is the awareness of our true Self. The body's eyes do not perceive it. It is in our minds, and the practice of this Lesson helps us to reach our real Self in this light. 

This Lesson takes us to a place that transforms our perception. This Lesson prepares us for the "forgiven world" in which the gap between perception (body level) and knowledge (spirit level) is bridged. Join Sondra & Markus in this lively discussion about the application of this important Lesson. 

Sondra & Markus discuss the Lesson. What are we to see with God's vision? There is a positive aspect to "seeing" that relies on our ability to drop the way we were "seeing" before. Exploring this in the lesson will bring about the new way of seeing. 

This Lesson establishes our connection with our Source in all space and in all time. There is no place where this connection is not. It is up to us to be aware of this connection. And  Lesson of #41 is one way we can remain mindful of our Source. "God goes with me wherever I go." This is the beginning of true meditation. This is the beginning of the end of the "separation" we only imagine is...

This is the first Lesson in which we are introduced to our true Identity. The "Son of God" is our Identity. We are blessed by this fact. Sondra and Markus elaborate on this important Lesson. 

What is the opposite of guilt? Guilt keeps us in our own special version of hell. Escape from hell would be freedom from unloving thoughts. This Lesson asks us to look at our unloving thoughts and give them up. Our holiness is our salvation from unloving thoughts. Our holiness contains thoughts of innocence, thoughts of love, thoughts of pure joy. This is our salvation. 

There is nothing our holiness cannot do. Are we willing to accept this fact? In this discussion Sondra and Markus go deeply into this lesson in A Course in Miracles and apply it to their own situations. Miracles occur first in the mind by accepting the truth of our holiness. Join this discussion and apply the lesson to your own life.  

This is the beginning of our holy function in life. Our purpose here is made clear—"to bless the world"—with the peace we find within ourselves. Sondra & Markus explore this important lesson with their own experiences. 

We are asked to see our holiness envelop everything. We are asked to see the "sinless" nature of our real mind, that is part of God's Mind. We are asked to extend this holy vision to all the things our eyes rest upon. This is the real possibility based on the fact we have undone our attachment to all our past "thinking." Sondra and Markus are delighted to have come this far with you.