We are spending two days with Lesson 47, because it represents an important shift. It represents a shift from trusting in ‘me’ to trusting in a mystery that the mind cannot begin to fathom.

Last week I wrote about some of the aspects of reality: life, awareness, intelligence, and love (unconditional-allowance). Another important aspect of reality is mystery; reality can never be fully understood.

The human idea of love is very different from the love of God. Our ideas about love miss the mark by quite a bit. Since our ideas about love are mistaken, we can also misunderstand a lesson that uses the word ‘love.’ Therefore, let’s take a minute to look at ‘love’ in order to get more clarity about it.

Love is best defined as openness. That’s what all embracing allowance is: openness.

Other words that help us understand the meaning of love are non-judgment and non-interference.

To illustrate, let’s consider the space the room where you are sitting now (or the space outside, if you are outside now). If you contemplate the space around you, notice it is open, allowing, non-judgmental, and non-interfering. For example, if two lovers decide to make love in the space around you, the space does not try to stop them. Its openness naturally allows that. Likewise, if one person violently murders another person in the space around you, the space does not try to stop that either. Its openness is as open to murder as it is to making love. The openness of space is so naturally open, it can’t be anything but open. Judgment and interference are impossibilities for the space around you.

God (our true nature) is like the space around you. God is completely open. God cannot be anything but completely open.
Love is the perfect openness of God.

Consider love as perfect openness as you review these phrases and sentences from today’s lesson:

God does not forgive because He has never condemned.

His Love is nevertheless the basis of forgiveness.

God is the Love in which I forgive myself.

I have already been forgiven.

Optional Practice: If you’d like to add an extra practice today, take some time to notice your natural openness. You won’t find your natural openness in the mind. The mind obviously judges, rejects, condemns, etc., but there is a part of you that is always perfectly open. That is your true nature.

You might start this extra practice by spending a few moments contemplating the space around you. Notice its intrinsic openness. Then, close your eyes, and notice your intrinsic openness. Notice that all of the sounds in your environment are allowed by your openness. Notice that all of the sensations in your body are allowed by your openness. If the mind begins to chatter, notice your openness allows the mind’s chatter too. Your openness is completely natural for you. It’s an openness you cannot close. In that way, you are like the space around you.

If you notice your inherent openness for even a fraction of a second today, you have taken a giant step toward realizing your true nature.

You will spend 2 days with this lesson, before going to the next lesson.

In order to have openness regarding what this lesson points toward, we may need a different understanding of the words “thought” and “think”.

In The Most Direct Means to Eternal Bliss, Michael Langford defines thought as “the words of your native language in your mind.” Thoughts can also come as pictures in the mind’s eye. However, when Lesson 45 says, “You think with the Mind of God. Therefore, you share your thoughts with Him, … They are the same thoughts, because they are thought by the same Mind,” it is not referring to the words of your native language in your mind and it is not referring to picture thoughts. This is important to know, because if you are looking for the right words in your mind or the right pictures, you will remain focused on form and not go beyond form, which is where your “real thoughts” are realized.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “thought” simply as “past tense and past participle of think.”

“Think” has a few different definitions, but the one that applies most in this context is “to have in mind” with “mind” defined as “consciousness.” Therefore:

Think = To have in consciousness

So a ‘thought’ is something in consciousness.

Our ‘real thoughts’ are the aspects of reality. I introduced some aspects of reality in the second tip for Lesson 44. Life, awareness, and all embracing allowance (love) are aspects of reality, so life, awareness and all embracing allowance are examples of your real thoughts.

Your real thoughts will not show up in your mind as word-thoughts or picture-thoughts. Word-thoughts or picture-thoughts that point toward your real thoughts or which reflect your real thoughts can appear in your mind, but to directly experience real thoughts, one needs to transcend the fascination with word-thoughts and picture-thoughts.

Today and tomorrow as you practice Lesson 45, try to go beyond word-thoughts and picture-thoughts to see if you can realize the aspects of reality (our real thoughts), which are always with you.

Note: Stay with Lesson 45 for two days. Go to Lesson 46 the day after tomorrow.

Yesterday I wrote that “light” and “awareness” are synonymous in the context of Lesson 44. If you read Lesson 44 with this realization, the lesson speaks clearly. For example, it says “light and life must go together, being but different aspects of creation.” In this sentence, “creation” is a term used to mean the ‘totality of reality’. It doesn’t refer to form. It refers to the cumulative aspects of reality, such as life (isness), awareness (light), intelligence (knowledge) and love (all embracing allowance).

In Lesson 44, we are focused on one of those aspects, light (awareness). We are told, “In order to see (true vision), you must recognize that light is within, not without.” In other words, we don’t see by sunlight or by light bulb. Seeing isn’t with the eyes at all. We see with awareness.

In The Most Direct Means to Eternal Bliss Michael Langford wrote, “Awareness is not thought. Awareness is that which is aware of thought. … Awareness is not emotions. Awareness is that which is aware of emotions. … Awareness is not the objects seen by the eyes. Awareness is that which is aware of the objects seen by the eyes.”

Here’s a brief story that points directly to the light of awareness:

The other day I was taking a shower in a bathroom with no windows. While I was in the shower, the electricity went out. Since there wasn’t a window in the bathroom, once the lights went out I could not see anything at all. It was as dark as the darkest cave. Even though I couldn’t see anything, I was aware I could not see. The light of awareness was present even though physical light was not present. That’s why Lesson 44 says, “An essential part of this equipment is the light that makes seeing possible. It is with you always, making vision possible in every circumstance.”

As we practice Lesson 44, we are focused on the aspect of reality known as awareness. Since awareness is an aspect of reality, focusing on awareness is a way of realizing the nature of reality. Thus, keeping attention on awareness is “attempting something very holy.”

Note: There is no tip for the third day with Lesson 44. However, be sure to read and practice Lesson 44 tomorrow too. The day after tomorrow, go on to Lesson 45.

You will stay with this Workbook lesson for three days in order to learn how to meditate by focusing on awareness. “Light” and “awareness” are synonymous, so “God is the light in which I see” also means “God is the awareness in which I see.”

Please read the workbook lesson in full each of the three days that we practice this lesson. Each day, you will meditate three times during the day for 3-5 minutes each time. If you are comfortable meditating longer, you can meditate longer. However, avoid introducing strain or a sense of self-competition. It’s more helpful if the meditation is relaxing.

Here is the form of meditation to use as you practice Lesson 44:

1. Begin each meditation period by repeating the lesson to yourself with your eyes open. Notice that you are aware your eyes are open. Notice you are aware that you are repeating the workbook lesson to yourself.
2. Close your eyes and repeat the workbook lessons several more times. Notice that you are aware your eyes are closed. Notice that you are aware you are repeating the workbook lesson to yourself.
3. Let go of repeating the workbook lesson. Notice you are aware the workbook lesson is no longer being repeated.
4. Keep attention with awareness. Be aware that you are aware. Notice that regardless of what you hear, feel or think, awareness is present.
5. Continue to keep attention with awareness. Simply remain aware that you are aware for the remainder of the practice session.

If you want to, watch this optional 29-minute video, Introduction to Awareness Watching Awareness.

Note: Although we are staying with Lesson 44 for three days, you will have a new tip tomorrow.

During this lesson’s practice sessions, we are asked to allow related thoughts to come to us. The lesson says, “Any thought related more or less directly to today’s idea is suitable. The thoughts need not bear any obvious relationship to the idea, but they should not be in opposition to it.”

We have seen this practice of ‘allowing related thoughts’ a few times now. This is a very helpful practice.

We all have the ability to listen to thoughts that reflect truth and point toward truth. When we allow thoughts into our mind that are related to the workbook lesson, we are tuning into that ability. The more we tune into that ability, the easier it is to access those thoughts.

Imagine it this way: You know from NTI Ephesians that we receive thoughts rather than think thoughts. Imagine thoughts flying through the air with darker (more untrue) thoughts being at a lower, heavier vibrational level and with lighter thoughts (pointing towards truth) being at a higher vibrational level. Both types of thoughts are flying by, but your receiver (the mind) is tuned at a level that picks up on the heavy, more dense thoughts. Because it is so used to the density of these thoughts, it doesn’t even notice the lighter ones.

During these practices, you are learning to retrain or retune your receiver so it notices and becomes accustomed to the lighter vibration. Your mind is becoming sharper and more sensitive (more discerning), so that it notices the difference between the lower vibration and higher vibration thoughts, and then it tunes itself to pick up the higher vibration and pull those thoughts into the mind so you can give attention to them.

In the Course, listening to the higher vibrational thoughts is commonly called listening to the Holy Spirit or the right mind. This is the training we go through as we allow related thoughts into our mind during these practices.

It is possible that your ego will tell you that you are only making up the related thoughts that come to you as you practice the workbook lessons, but if you remember that you don’t make up thoughts, you receive them, then you will know the thought about making up related thoughts is just a lower vibrational thought trying to pull you back into the lower vibration thought stream.

The workbook gives great instructions for staying with the higher vibration. It says, “If you find your mind wandering; if you begin to be aware of thoughts which are clearly out of accord with today’s idea, or if you seem to be unable to think of anything, open your eyes, repeat the first phase of the exercise period, and then attempt the second phase again. Do not allow any protracted period to occur in which you become preoccupied with irrelevant thoughts. Return to the first phase of the exercises as often as necessary to prevent this.”

Regina’s Tip for Lesson 36

Setting the Goal from Chapter 17 in A Course in Miracles says:

“The value of deciding in advance what you want to happen is simply that you will perceive the situation as a means to make it happen. You will therefore make every effort to overlook what interferes with the accomplishment of your objective, and concentrate on everything that helps you meet it. It is quite noticeable that this approach has brought you closer to the Holy Spirit’s sorting out of truth and falsity. The true becomes what can be used to meet the goal. The false becomes the useless from this point of view. The situation now has meaning, but only because the goal has made it meaningful.”

Today’s Workbook lesson puts forth a goal:

My holiness envelops everything I see.

Setting the Goal says that an advantage to determining the goal in advance is you will “overlook what interferes with the accomplishment of your objective.” It also says:

“It is quite noticeable that this approach has brought you closer to the Holy Spirit’s sorting out of truth and falsity.”

In other words, in order to realize that your holiness envelops everything you see, you must overlook everything false that would say otherwise. The Workbook points out what must be overlooked in order to meet today’s goal. That is the idea that you are anything less than sinless.

The idea that you are less than sinless is what I call the I am bad belief. The I am bad belief interprets the things you see through the idea that you are not good enough. For example, the I am bad belief may show up in your mind in one of these ways:

You glance at a rug on the floor and think,
“I should have vacuumed that rug. I am so lazy.”

While waiting for an appointment, you stare at a wall and
mentally criticize yourself for something ‘stupid’ you said earlier.

You look at your hands and think, “I am getting old and ugly.”

As you walk towards your desk chair, you distractedly think,
“I will never get this project done on time. They all think I’m a loser.
That’s because I am a loser.”

An attractive person catches your eye, and you think,
“I’m such a fat pig.”

As you sit with a pen in your hand, balancing the checkbook, you think,
“I can’t ever make enough money. I’m a failure at life.”

In other words, in order to realize that your holiness envelops everything you see including that rug, that wall, these fingers, that chair, that body and this pen, you must overlook thoughts that spawn from the I am bad belief.

The idea that you are not good enough is false. The idea that you are holy is true. The goal today is to experience the true by disregarding the false.

Regina’s Tip for Lesson 37

Today’s lesson fits well with a previous workbook lesson, “I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing,” and this week’s reading from NTI Luke 9.

NTI Luke 9 says:

“Everyone who reads My Word, listens to My Word and practices My Word teaches My Word. There can be no exceptions. You, who are reading this now, are My holy teacher.”

Today’s Workbook lesson says:

“This idea contains the first glimmerings of your true function in the world, or why you are here. Your purpose is to see the world through your own holiness. Thus are you and the world blessed together. No one loses; nothing is taken away from anyone; everyone gains through your holy vision.”

That means that in practicing today’s Workbook lesson, you are rendering a great service to the world.

If you haven’t read NTI Luke 9 yet, consider reading it today. Reflect on it in relation to what is written in today’s Workbook lesson.

Regina’s Tip for Lesson 38

Some people may find today’s lesson hard to believe. That’s okay. You don’t have to believe it. You only need to practice it.

Others may get the impression they can pick a problem or form of suffering and ‘heal’ it miraculously with their holiness. You might be surprised to hear that’s not the best way to understand this lesson. The reason that’s not the best way to understand the lesson is that understanding puts too much emphasis on your perception of problems and suffering. When you are focused on problems and suffering, you are notfocused on your holiness.

Remember, you are not alone in experiencing the effects of your seeing. If you see problems, there are problems. If you see suffering, suffering is experienced.

A better way to understand this lesson is in relationship to NTI Ephesians, NTI Colossians and NTI Luke 9. As we contemplate our truth, our holiness extends into the world and manifests as grace. Grace touches the world in miraculous ways. It corrects misperceptions. It undoes miscreations. Grace is able to do this, because we are not involved in seeing—and therefore in miscreating—problems and suffering.

In other words, our role is simply to contemplate our holiness. Grace takes care of arranging the miracles that extend from that.

This point is emphasized in A Course in Miracles, Chapter 1 as miracle principle #5:

“Miracles are habits, and should be involuntary. They should not be under conscious control. Consciously selected miracles can be misguided.”

Consciously selected miracles are misguided for the reason already explained. If you select a problem or form of suffering and decide it needs a miracle, you’ve already seen a problem or form of suffering, and you are not alone in experiencing the effects of that seeing.

You may ask, “If that’s the case, why am I asked to select problems and forms of suffering as part of today’s Workbook lesson?”

That’s because right now you do see problems and forms of suffering in the world. Today you look at the way you see now and have faith that your perception will change as you focus on your holiness. And, your perception will change as you focus on your holiness, because there is nothing your holiness cannot do. As your perception changes, grace will extend into the world and perform miracles of correction. This will happen when your perception changes, because you are not alone in experiencing the effects of your seeing.

Regina’s Tip for Lesson 39

If this was an aerobics class, lessons 1-38 were the aerobic warm up; we were increasing intensity to get our heart rate up into the aerobic zone. Now our heart rate is in the aerobic zone, and it’s time to throw ourselves whole-heartedly into the aerobic activity.

Of course, we aren’t here to burn off fat or calories. We are here to burn off ego.

As you begin lesson 39, start by remembering how important healing or awakening is to you. Find your motivation. Realize your excitement about giving yourself fully to today’s workbook lesson. Your motivation and excitement will come from the heart, not the mind.

Once you are aware of how valuable this goal is to you, create a plan for accomplishing today’s longer practice periods. Set a stretch goal—aim to do more than the minimum—but do not set a goal that is beyond what is reasonable for you and your schedule. The ‘over-achiever’ aspect of mind can be the ego defending itself by setting you up for a sense of failure. Pay attention to intuition as you create your practice plan for the day.

Determine how many longer practice sessions fit in your schedule. Determine how long each practice session will be. Schedule each practice session for a specific time of day. Write the practice plan on a piece of paper or note it in your phone and carry it with you throughout the day. If you find it helpful, set an alarm to remind you when it’s time to practice.

Here’s an example of a practice plan for today’s lesson:

• 10-minute practice after reading the lesson and the tip
• 5-minute practice in the parked car before walking into work
• 10-minute practice during my lunch break
• 5-minute practice in the parked car before driving home from work
• 10-minute practice after supper
• 5-minute practice before bed

Take advantage of the flexibility in the instructions for today’s longer practice periods to spend a minute or two resting with the lesson, allowing related thoughts to come into your mind. For example, here are some related thoughts that came to me:

There is peace in my holiness.
My holiness is rest.
My holiness is love.
My holiness is joy.
My holiness is present.
My holiness is real.

This week I have found myself coining a new term, “divine greediness.” Divine greediness is the right useof greed. See if you can be divinely greedy today by embracing the shorter practices as enthusiastically as you would embrace someone handing you a gold coin three, four or more times each hour.

Think about how exciting that would be!

And then realize your salvation is worth more than gold and practice each hour with divine greediness.

Regina’s Tip for Lesson 40

Today’s workbook lesson is simple. You may also find that it’s comforting, or even fun. I recommend practicing this lesson as often as possible throughout the day. The more you practice, the more value you will get from this lesson.

Regina’s Tip for Lesson 41

Today’s Workbook lesson says:

“Deep within you is everything that is perfect, ready to radiate through you and out into the world. It will cure all sorrow and pain and fear and loss because it will heal the mind that thought these things were real and suffered out of its allegiance to them.”

It also says:

“You can never be deprived of your perfect holiness because its Source goes with you wherever you go.”

If we put these two paragraphs together, we see that we are holy because the Source of holiness is deep within us. It goes with us wherever we go, because it is within us.

Our holiness, or our true Self, is present within the background of our awareness. It is unaffected by the mind, and it cannot be lost. Truth realization occurs when we become consciously aware of the already present Self.

The ego is active in the conscious mind, and it has a tendency to protect itself. As we try to bring conscious awareness deep within, to the background of awareness, the ego struggles to hijack attention before it reaches that level. That’s the challenge of meditation.

Today’s Workbook lesson is our first attempt at meditation. It is our first attempt to go beyond “all the idle thoughts of the world” to reach enlightenment, which is already present within us.

As you meditate today, see thoughts about the world as the ego’s attempt to hijack your meditation. Do not fear or resist those thoughts; simply see them as unimportant right now. You can give attention to worldly thoughts later, when you aren’t meditating. Gently remind yourself, “For these few minutes, I have a different and more important goal.”

Regina’s Tip for Lesson 42

Yesterday, I mentioned that enlightenment is already present within. As you meditated, you attempted to sink beyond thoughts about the world to reach enlightenment. Today, you will attempt to let enlightenment come to you.

Letting enlightenment come to you is easier than it sounds. Thoughts from your enlightened Self can reach your conscious awareness. We practiced this with lesson 39 when we let related thoughts come into the mind. Those related thoughts came into conscious awareness from the true Self. Today we will practice that again.

Today’s practice will work best if you relax—don’t struggle to make thoughts come. Simply remember your intention and trust any thought that rises up that is related to today’s lesson. If it seems related, don’t judge it. Just silently repeat it to yourself, and then wait for the next thought to arise.

For example, here are some thoughts that came to me today:

I need not fear.
I can trust God’s strength, which is within me.
Surrender is the best way to lean on God’s strength,
and so I surrender.
Through surrender, I receive God’s vision.
I celebrate God’s vision now.
I know it is given.
I trust the promise that it’s here.
I happily lean on God.
I go forward with excitement.
The goal of truth realization is at hand.

Letting these thoughts reach consciousness is the first step toward listening to the Holy Spirit throughout the day, because these thoughts, the Voice of your enlightenment, is the Holy Spirit.