Inspiration for Healing Through Changing Your Mind --The articles in this newsletter are written by people from around the world who are taking their perceived problems to the Holy Spirit, and sharing their miracles stories of how their thoughts are being healed.

Request Free Printed Program & Product Catalogs

For more information, call
1-800-323-PATH (US & Canada) or 920/894-2339. Or click here to email your questions.

Recommend This Site to a Friend --Click here to send an email to your friends with a link to this page.

Pathways Free Electronic "Magazine" --Sign up to receive periodic emails with thoughts to ponder, inspirational articles and the latest news.

Share Your Miracle Story --Learn how you can share your miracle story here and in our printed newsletter. More info.

Subscribe to Miracles News --Click here to have the printed version of this newsletter mailed to you quarterly (US$15). When you enroll in a Pathways of Light Self-Study Course, Credential Correspondence Course or an A Course in Miracles Study Program, you receive a free, one-year subscription to Miracles News.

Pathways of Light®
13111 Lax Chapel Rd.
Kiel, WI 53042-3954
920/894-2339 Fax: 920/894-2122

Pathways of Light and the logo design are registered trademarks of Pathways of Light, Inc. a nonprofit organization.

All stories are © copyright 2001, Pathways of Light and/or the author. They are offered for your personal use. They may not reproduced, published or distributed for profit, in print or electronically, without written permission of the copyright holder(s).

Peace Is My One Goal -- by Claudia (Karuna) Saucy

After a horrible day and an equally horrible night, I am alive and I am grateful. I sit out on my 20 square meters of patio. The sun is shining, the sky is a calm blue, the birds are singing all around and it seems there is peace. I hesitate to turn on the television in fear of seeing yet more horrifying images, finding out about still more terrifying news.

I recall what a friend asked me last night: "What is the big deal anyway? Everyday for over thirty years we've known of the thousands of starving people in Africa and that doesn't make news anymore." My answer to that was, "In this case people are terrified that it is just the beginning of something far worse." What everyone I spoke to, no matter from what country, is most frightened about is U.S. retaliation and the possibility that this is the beginning of The Third World War that we all have been dreading so, especially knowing that war these days could mean the annihilation of the entire planet.

So far, the reactions I am aware of are 10% "Lets pray for world peace." and a 90% "Let's pray in remembrance of the victims and their families and lets take action against the ones who are responsible." It is this 90% that makes me sit here shaking with a deep empty feeling in my gut.

Dear friends, we are at the beginning of the 21st century, "to attack back" is a long outdated concept. Yet, we all agree that something must be done, so let us ask ourselves what? And particularly what can be done that won't lead to anything worse? In other words, let's try to see this differently, afresh, perhaps like we have never seen it before. Are you willing?

Perhaps we can start from a very ancient truth: That we are all one. There is no enemy "out there." The universe is an out-picturing of what is inside of us. For many this is not a new concept. For others it will be, and I ask them to bear with me. Just for a moment be willing to open up to a new possibility.

If the world out there is a mirror of what is inside of me, allow me to tell you how I see it. Terrorists have attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The root word of "terrorist" is "terror." The World Trade Center represents business, wealth, material well-being. The Pentagon represents security.

Lets begin with "terror." "Terror" is a primitive and most basic human emotion that we all carry as a race. We tend to speak of it as simply fear but those who have explored this emotion more deeply always describe it as "absolute profound terror." More precisely, terror of death. Most of our human activities are aimed at avoiding and covering up this absolute terror of death. One of the ways we do this, especially in the West, is to accumulate material things (World Trade Center) to give us some sense of security (Pentagon).

Some of us believe that if we make more money, if we have more material things, that to some degree we are safer. If we marry the right person, get the right job, have the right things, maybe we have a chance for a longer life and we won't have to face death until later. In the meantime, we try to enjoy life the best we can... Eventually things happen around us that remind us of how vulnerable we are: natural disasters, diseases, accidents, crime and last but not least terrorism. Our marriages end in divorce, our jobs get unbearably boring or inhumanely stressful, and the material things we buy deteriorate or simply become outdated.

Some of us are coming to understand that our security, much less our happiness, cannot depend on these external, limited things. The disintegration of The World Trade Center and the attack on the Pentagon are representing just this to me.

If you are willing to include the possibility that this is so also for you, then we can look at this from a totally different angle and take a radically different approach. Every crisis presents us with an opportunity. This particular situation is a golden one because it touches the whole world at the same time.

Will we participate in perpetuating the terror, the horror, the dismay and the building up of our defenses that will reconfirm our fear of death? Or will we break free of the old patterns of the past, find out where we went wrong in our belief about who we are and where our security lies and correct our course? If we are just physical bodies fearing death, we will most likely take the first. If we are more than just physical bodies, there is hope for something different.

If the terror of physical death has led us to where we are today, then this is what we must transform. This is not something to do "out there," but something each and every one of us can do for ourselves while we are doing it for the whole world. The terror of death we carry with us and we live according to every moment of our lives, is the terror of the death of the physical body only. Would you be willing to hold in your awareness, even if just for a moment, the possibility that we are not physical bodies only?

More and more people on the planet believe we are in reality spiritual beings, incarnated in an earth suit (our physical body), passing through this earth school (life) for the purpose of spiritual learning. If we are spiritual beings, we are immortal, invulnerable, pure indestructible love and everlasting peace. In other words, we are completely safe. To know that this is so will dramatically change the world.

As far as I am concerned, this is the task at hand for us all, that we may not remain helpless, shrug our shoulders and say we can do nothing. Of course this is not the way of the coward. It takes courage to face our own terror of death and to be willing to see in how many different ways we have denied it and tried to cover it up; to see how it has run our lives for so long; to see how much time, money and energy we have put into trying to defend ourselves from it.

I am told that by going through the terror, you come out on the other side where there is the knowing that the death of the body need not be fearful and that Love and Light is what we really are. The immense peace we can gain from knowing this makes this journey all worthwhile. So as you see, peace becomes an inner job, not something to be gained from the outside, not something to be imposed on others out there. Ultimately, peace is the expression of our true and deeper reality. It is who we really are. We have just spent centuries covering it up. It is possible that this is exactly what we are here in this earth school to learn: How to uncover again the truth of who we are; how to remember what we have temporarily forgotten. If, instead of outer wealth and physical security, our goal becomes inner peace, all situations, even ones this tragic, are stepping-stones to reaching that goal because they uncover our most hidden fears and offer us the chance to go through them and to come out on the other side. In other words to forgive them. How each one of us is guided to do this will be different and unique.

In a more practical sense, if we are spiritual beings, we already are complete and we really don't need much. We can spend less time, money and energy in accumulating "things" and the time, money and energy freed up we can use for much more meaningful activities: Spending time with family and friends; finding ways to be of service to others; spending time in nature; finding ways to be artistically creative -- all ways to get in touch with the love and the peace inside of us, which is what we really are.

Let the conflict we are seeing in the world be the opportunity to solve the conflicts that we have on the inside and to change our ways. Let the war we are seeing out there and the peace we are so desperately seeking outside, become the peace we already know that is inside of us.

Claudia (Karuna) Saucy is a Pathways of Light student living in San José, Costa Rica
Email: pankyJ@racsa.co.cr

Terrorism -- Real... Unreal -- by Rev. Bob Slawson

I was sitting in a restaurant Tuesday Sept.11, 2001 at 9:30 AM CDT when I first became aware of the terrorism attack on the World Trade Center. The word was passed by my waitress who heard the news on a radio in the back room. Soon the restaurant became very quiet. The patrons began leaving, myself among them.

I returned home and turned on the television and remained glued to it for several days. I was captured by the events and caught up in the horror of it all. My reactions were intense horror, devastation, tragedy, and man's inhumanity to man. I could not tear myself away from the television. I flipped from one channel to another soaking up the drama, watching the aircraft crash into the WTC building over and over again, seeing the buildings collapse as if I were watching the special effects of a movie.

My emotions ran from profound sadness for the victims to blind rage toward the perpetrators of this unspeakable atrocity. I wanted those responsible to pay for this with their lives. I wanted vengeance. I wanted an eye for an eye.

Every thing I had learned from my study of A Course In Miracles and Pathways of Light was gone in the moment. I was immersed in the "reality" of the insanity I was watching on television. The love I had in my heart turned to hate. The innocence I saw in my brother was transformed to guilt. I had totally given myself over to the ego.

A miracle unraveled the following weekend. I had previously signed up to take a miracle studies course at Pathways of Light. The course was entitled "Two Categories: Real... Unreal." Was this course being offered at this time just a coincidence? What does the Course tell me about coincidences?

I arrived at Pathways Friday 9-14-01 in a state of mind that was anything but peaceful. It was wonderful to meet old friends and new, but I retired that night still consumed with what I still perceived was the horror of it all.

The next morning we began our study of this new wonderful course. I was not the only one distracted by the events of the previous Tuesday. The eighteen people in attendance this weekend freely discussed the New York and Washington terrorist attacks in context with the subject matter in the course, Real… Unreal. We were reminded that A Course In Miracles tells us that, "Nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists." (ACIM, Text.Intro.)

I begin to apply the things I learned in ministerial training at Pathways of Light and through my study of A Course In Miracles. I gave my perceptions of the terrorist attacks to the Holy Spirit. What I received was that the Son of God cannot be harmed and in my defenselessness my safety lies.

Armed with this I began to see that those who I had seen as victims, were still the perfect Children of God that they were before 9-11. And 9-11 was really a 911 call for help and love.

My great desire for revenge dissolved when I went to Holy Spirit. An eye for an eye is the sure script for blindness. My job is to see the innocence in my brother. It is only this way that I can know my own innocence.

I am very grateful to Pathways of Light for the course offered that weekend. It helped me to choose once again; to choose peace, to choose love. I needed a reminder of who I am. And who my brother is.

Rev. Bob Slawson is a Pathways of Light minister living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Email: slawson@pathwaysoflight.org

TOP

The Big Picture -- by Rev. Judy Rae Angus

This summer, I began working intensely on letting go of my fear and anxiety for my children, which seemed to increase as they were going through the teenage years. It became very obvious to me how the anxiety and fear were working against everything I wanted for them and myself, and I became determined to "find a better way."

I began a journal of my journey out of fear and anxiety. Below is one of my entries from July, and as I reviewed it recently, I saw many ideas that I wanted to reinforce in myself. I also began to see that what I had learned that day could be applied to other situations, possibly including reactions to the events of September 11.

Last night my husband, Dan, and our 17 year old son, Ryan, had an argument in front of me. This was, and has always been, a real challenge for me. In the past I have always gotten involved in these disagreements, and played the referee. As Ryan gets older, my inability to control these situations becomes more and more apparent to me. It's time to find another way. But how?

I felt many emotions -- disappointment, dismay, anger, sadness. I retreated into myself this time to try to deal with this on an inner level. This morning I felt heavy and sad, and I turned to A Course In Miracles to continue my daily study. It was the first time in a while that it had felt so difficult to begin, but I capitalized on my willingness to try, and went ahead.

I cleared my mind of all my own thoughts and ideas, accepting as completely as I could that 'I do not know' (easier when you really feel stumped or overwhelmed). I then read Workbook Lesson 151, "All things are echoes of the Voice for God," and meditated on it. I opened my mind and heart to Spirit's view, or vision. I saw:

1) A call for Love --

I saw Dan and Ryan last night acting out the fear and judgement of their personality selves. We all do it -- in fact, I was doing it, too, as I fell into fear and judgement over their actions. I began to see the error of attacking them for doing it, which just adds to and multiplies the error. Thus was my ability to now add Love to the situation born.

2) Seeing their True Selves behind the masquerade of personalities --

I spoke to them both in Spirit, sending them Love and inviting their Souls/True Selves to come through their earth experience and light their way. I saw and acknowledged for them and for me that this could happen, and is happening.

3) The working out of Spirit's Plan --

They (we) are into fear and judgement in the world, and the Holy Spirit is leading them (us) out of it. It is going to look like this at times on the journey. All things are leading to God, and this brought me back to the title of Lesson 151, "All things are echoes of the Voice for God." The Holy Spirit's view is that they are on their way to Him, and every event is how they're getting there.

I do not have to be alarmed at what things look like, at what the senses of the body/personality self are telling me. The personality self can use all of this as evidence -- evidence as proof of the ego's thought system, fueled by fear. But I am choosing to let all this be used by the Holy Spirit. I am choosing to realize that this is all being used by the Holy Spirit.

4) The Big Picture --

The really big picture is that we are eternal. That is, our True Essence is eternal. Ryan's True Essence is eternal. Dan's True Essence is eternal. The Force of Love, our Souls, is the real, lasting energy that makes up the Universe. From that perspective, these arguments, these events, are blips in the 'geologic' time of the working out of our Souls' journey to our realization of Truth, of Love.

I was amazed at what happened that morning. It was a real miraculous experience for me; to move from fear to Love in an area that, for me, had a long-standing past history of strong negative emotions and upset reactions. This healing has given me so much -- has stretched my ability to see God in the world; has increased my ability to truly be helpful to Dan and Ryan in these situations, and advanced me on my journey.

And what was the catalyst that was used here? This 'painful' event. So, now how can I continue judging these events? I know firsthand that seeming pain can lead to God. Then it can for Dan and Ryan, too. And anybody else. I have a choice. I can look at their upsets and their pain, and I can moan and groan and fall apart in pain myself, or I can allow for the possibility that all this mess is leading them (us) somewhere good, and that is to God. The painful events of the world always hold a seed of transformation within them. My focus on that seed of transformation helps to create the fertile ground for it to sprout and bear fruit, within myself and others.

After I reviewed the above material from my journal, I decided to take another look at Lesson 151, to see what had so inspired me that day. What I found there helped me begin to open a way of looking at the current events in the world through the vision of the Holy Spirit.

"He will remove all faith that you have placed in pain, disaster, suffering and loss. He gives you vision which can look beyond these grim appearances, and can behold the gentle face of Christ in all of them. You will no longer doubt that only good can come to you who are beloved of God, for He will judge all happenings, and teach the single lesson that they all contain. …And you will see the love beyond the hate, the constancy in change, the pure in sin, and only Heaven's blessing on the world." (W-pI.151.10,11:3)

Rev. Judy Rae Angus is a Pathways of Light minister living in Orland Park, Illinois.
Email: jrae4@cs.com

TOP

Let It Pour -- by Diane Diller

Shortly after receiving a very powerful bodywork session in which I felt my heart open more fully, I sat one rainy afternoon listening to the thunder. It came to me that the loud booms and crashes coming from the sky were a lot like the sounds the walls around my heart make when they come tumbling down. Except these were much louder. Bang Bang Bang! Kerboom! Crrrrack-boom! Boy, it was really loud! Crrrrraaaaash! Boom! Only a LOT of walls tumbling down could make that much noise. There must be hearts opening all over the world! What a lovely thought.

That explained the loud noises, but what about all the water that was coming down, too? An answer came to me: The rain represents the love flowing out as the walls come down. Huge sheets and waves of it. Other times, a more gentle shower. But it just kept coming, and coming, and coming -- like it would never end. Wow, that's a LOT of water pouring down out there! There's no holding it back. NOBODY could hold it back. It's totally impossible to hold the rain back. You just can't do it. And that's what happens to the love in our hearts as we remove the walls that are holding it back. The flow of love, what I call the love-force, the God-force surges out in a big wave.

There were bright flashes of light, too, during this thunderstorm. What could that mean? Answer: As we allow the walls to come down, the Light within is able to shine out more brilliantly, and it surges sometimes -- as lightening. It shows that someone is "lightening up." Someone is lightening his/her load. Someone is "seeing the light."

A Course In Miracles says the holiest spot on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love. When we let go of fear (which could be masquerading as hatred, hurt, or resentment), we let a wall we've built around our heart come down. The love it releases blesses us all. When this happens, the Universe rejoices -- maybe with a thunderstorm.

Diane Diller is a Pathways of Light student living in Carrboro, North Carolina.
Email: dianediller@juno.com

TOP

The Innocent Shoplifter -- by Diane Diller

On my way there I asked God for help. She looked a lot like me or one of my friends and was standing just outside the exit door. As the manager on duty, I had been summoned to deal with her as a suspected shoplifter, my first. I was aware of feeling nervous, yet there was a surprising softness inside. She had a softness, too. I asked from the soft place if she had a receipt for the groceries in her hands. She fumbled through her purse, but came up empty-handed, saying, "I must have lost it in the restroom." I was surprised I felt so calm and centered. I told her I'd go with her to look for it. We were alone in there as she peered into the trash can, again coming up empty-handed and saying, "It's not here."

I asked which checkout area she had gone through. The front. I asked her what the cashier looked like. She didn't reply. I said we could go together to look for her cashier. She stood silently. I still felt that calmness; as softness inside. It was strong enough to override the nervousness. Finally I asked her gently, "Are you sure you paid for them? She stood there, looking at the floor.

While I waited, what filled my mind was a total realization of her complete and total innocence as a Child of God. My small self had just asked if she was going to confess to being guilty. And at the same time, I was aware of my True Self seeing her as total innocence. We stood there for a minute, with the words going through my mind over and over again, "You are totally innocent as a Child of God" I felt a strong feeling of non-judgment towards her. Just compassion. And softness. She finally replied, "No. I didn't pay for them."

Then my awareness level constricted as I remembered what I was supposed to do -- call the police. I felt confused. It was such a strange experience in that I felt like I had one foot in one world and one foot in another -- the real world vs. the world of the ego, of fear-based thinking. I had just experienced her total innocence. Yet, she had just confessed to stealing. What was I supposed to do next? I felt fearful of what would happen if I didn't follow store policy. I felt fearful of what the employees would think if I let her go. My nervousness and uncertainty increased as my awareness shifted from my Higher Self to my small self.

All I knew was that I didn't feel like calling the police. Yet, out of fear, I thought I had to DO something. So I told her she needed to leave and not come back, because we felt we couldn't trust her anymore. I took her name and address in an attempt to make it look more official. She asked if I was calling the police. I said, "No." and she left.

Was that experience in the restroom what the Course calls a holy instant? I think so. I see how my fear pulled me from it. And I forgive myself. What stays with me is the beauty of that minute when I knew for certain that she was totally innocent. Thank you, God!

Diane Diller is a Pathways of Light student living in Carrboro, North Carolina.
Email: dianediller@juno.com

TOP | More Fall 2001 Articles | Miracles News Index