IA´s Journal

[IA56]

LESSON 92

”Miracles are seen in light, andlight and strength are one.”

The idea for today in anextension of the previous one. You do not think of light in terms of strength,and darkness in terms of weakness. That is because your idea of what seeingmeans is tied up with the body and its eyes and brain. Thus you believe thatyou can change what you see but putting little bits of glass before your eyes.This is among the many magical beliefs that come from the conviction you are abody, and the body´s eyes can see. You also believe the body´s brain can think.If you but understood the nature of thought, you could but laugh at this insaneidea. It is as if you thought you held the match that lights the sun and givesit all its warmth; or that you held the match that lights the sun and gives itall its warmth; or that you held the world within your hand, securely bounduntil you let it go. Yet this is no more foolish than to believe the body´seyes can see; the brain can think. It is God´s strength in you that is thelight in which you see, as it is His Mind with which you think. His strengthdenies your weakness. It is your weakness that sees through the body´s eyes,peering about in darkness to behold the likeness of itself; the small, theweak, the sickly and the dying, those in need, the helpless and afraid, thesad, the poor, the starving and the joyless. These are seen through eyes thatcannot see and cannot bless. Strength overlooks these things by seeing pastappearances. It keeps its steady gaze upon the light that lies beyond them. Itunites with light, of which it is a part. It sees itself. It brings the lightin which your Self appears. In darkness you perceive a self that is not there.Strength is the truth about you; weakness is an idol falsely worshipped andadored that strength may be dispelled, and darkness rule where God appointedthat there should be light. Strength comes from truth, and shines with lightits Source has given it; weakness reflects the darkness of its maker. It issick and looks on sickness, which is like itself. Truth is a savior and canonly will for happiness and peace for everyone. It gives its strength toeveryone who asks, in limitless supply. It sees that lack in anyone would be alack in all. And so it gives its light that all may see and benefit as one. Itsstrength is shared is shared, that it may bring to all the miracle in whichthey will unite in purpose and forgiveness and in love. Weakness, which looksin darkness, cannot see a purpose in forgiveness and in love. It sees allothers different from itself, and nothing in the world that it would share. Itjudges and condemns, but does not love. In darkness it remains to hide itself,an dreams that it is strong and conquering, a victor over limitations that butgrow in darkness to enormous size. It fears and it attacks and hates itself,and darkness covers everything it sees, leaving it dreams as fearful as itself.No miracles are here, but only hate. It separates itself from what it sees,while light and strength perceive themselves as one. The light of strength isnot the light you see. It does not change and flicker and go out. It does notshift from night to day, and back till the morning comes again. The light ofstrength is constant, sure as love, forever glad to give itself away, becauseit cannot give but to itself. No one can ask in vain th share its sight, andnone who enters its abode can leave without a miracle before his eyes, andstrength and light abides in his heart. The strength in you will offer you thelight, and guide your seeing so you do not dwell on idle shadows that the body´seyes provide for self-deception. Strength and light unite in you, and wherethey meet, your Self stands ready to embrace you as Its Own. Such is themeeting place we try today to find and rest in, for the peace of God is whereyour Self, His Son, is waiting now to meet Itself again, and be as one. Let usgive twenty minutes twice today to join this meeting. Let yourself be broughtunto your Self. Its strength will be the light in which the gift of sight isgiven you. Leave, then, the dark a little while today, and we will practiceseeing in the light, closing the body´s eyes and asking truth to show u show tofind the meeting place of slef and Self, where light and strength are one.Morning and evening we will practice thus. After the morning meeting, we willuse the day in preparation for the time at night when we will meet again intrust. Let us repeat as often as we can the idea for today, and recognize thatwe are being introduced to sight, and led away from darkness to the light whereonly miracles can be perceived.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 93

”Light and joy and peace abides in me.”

You think you are the home for evil, darkness and sin. You think if anyone could see the truth about you he would be repelled, recoiling from you as if from a poisonous snake. You think if what is true about you were revealed to you, you would be struck with horror so intense that you would rush to death by your own hand, living on after seeing this being impossible. There are beliefs so firmly fixed that it is difficult to help you see that they are based on nothing. That you have made mistakes is obvious. That you have sought salvation in strange ways, - have bean deceived, deciving and afraid of foolish fantasies and savage dreams; and have bowed down to idols made of dust, - all this is true by what you now believe. Today we question this, not from the point of view of what you think, but from a very different reference point, from which such idle thoughts are meaningless. These thoughts are not according to God´s Will. These weird beliefs He does not share with you. This is enough to prove that they are wrong, but you do not perceive that this is so. Why would you not be overjoyed to be assured that all the evil that you think you did was never done, that all your sins are nothing, that you are as pure and holy as you were created, and that light and joy and peace abide in you? Your image of yourself cannot withstand the Will of God. You think that this is death, but it is life. You think you are destroyed, bu you are saved. The self you made is not the Son of God. Therefore, this self does not exist at all. And anything it seems to do and think means nothing. It is neither bad nor good. It is unreal, and nothing more than that. It does not battle with the Son of God. It does not hurt him, nor attack his peace. It has not changed creation, nor reduced eternal sinlessness to sin, and love to hate. What power can this self you made possess, what it would contradict the Will of God? Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God. Over and over this must be repeated, until it is accepted. It is true. Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God. Nothing can touch it, or change what God created as eternal. The self you made, evil and full of sin, is meaningless. Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God, and light and joy and peace abide in you. Salvation requires the acceptance of but one thought; - you are as God created you, not what you made of yourself. Whatever evil you mnay think you did, you are as God created you. Whatever mistakes you made, the truth about you is unchanged. Creation is eternal and unalterable. Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God. You are and will forever be exactly as you were created. Light and joy and peace abide in you because God put them there. In our longer exercise periods today, which would be most profitable if done for the first five minutes of every waking hour, begin by stating the truth about your creation:

”Light and joy and peace abides in me.
My sinlessness is guaranteed by God.”

Then put away your foolish self-images, and spend the rest of the practice period in trying to experience what God has given you, in place of what you have decreed for yourself. You are what God created ore what you made. On Self is true; the other is not there. Try to experience the unity of your one Self. Try to appreciate Its holiness and the Love from Which It was created. Try not to interfere with the Self Which God created as you, by hiding Its majesty behind the tiny idols of evil and sinfulness you have made tp replace it. Let It come into Its Own. Here you are; This is you. And light and joy and peace abide in you because this is so. You may not be willing or even able to use the first five minutes of each hour for these exercises. Try, however, to do so when you can. At least remember to repeat these thoughts each hour:

”Light and joy and peace abide in me.
My sinlessness is guaranteed by God.”

Then try to devote at least a minute or so to closing you eyes and realizing that this is a statement of the truth about you. If a situation arises that seems to be disturbing, quickly dispel the illusion of fear by repeating these thoughts again. Should you be tempted to become angry with someone, tell him silently:

”Light and joy and peace abides in you.
Your sinlessness is guaranteed by God.”

You can do much for the world´s salvation today. You can do much today to bring you closer to the part in salvation that God has assigned to you. And you can do much today to bring the conviction to your mind that the idea for the day is true indeed.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 94

”I am as God created me.”

Today we continue with the one idea which brings complete salvation; the one statement which makes all forms of temptation powerless; the one thought which renders the ego silent and entirely undone. You are as God created you. The sounds of this world are still, the sights of this world disappear, and all the thoughts that this would ever held are wiped away forever by this one idea. Here is salvation accomplished. Here is sanity restored. True light is strength, and strength is sinlessness. If you remain as God created you, you must be strong and light must be in you. He Who ensured your sinlessness must be the guarantee of strength and light as well. You are as God created you. Darkness cannot obscure the glory of God´s Son. You stand in light, strong in the sinlessness in which you were created, and in which you will remain throughout eternity. Today we will again devote the first five minutes of each waking hour to the attempt to feel the truth in you. Begin these times of searching with these words:

”I am as God created me.
I am His son eternally.”

Now try to reach the Son of God in you. This is the Self That never sinned, nor made an image to replace reality. This is the Self That never left Its home in God to walk the world uncertainly. This is the Self That knows no fear, nor could conceive of loss or suffering or death. Nothing is required of you to reach this goal except to lay all idols and self-images aside; go past the list of attributes, both good and bad, you have ascribed to yourself; and wait in silent expectancy for the truth. God has Himself promised that it will be revvealed to all who ask for it. You are asking now. You cannot fail because He cannot fail. If you do not meet the requirement of practicing for the first five minutes of every hour, at least remind yourself hourly:

”I am as God created me.
I am His Son eternally.”

Tell yourself frequently today that you are as God created you. And be sure to respond to anyone who seems to irritate you with these words:

”You are as God created you.
You are His Son eternally.”

Make every effort to do the hourly exercises today. Each one you do will be a giant stride toward your release, and a milestone in learning the thought system which this course sets forth.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 95


"Iam one Self, united with myCreator.”

Today´s idea accuratelydescribes you as God created you. You are one within yourself, and one withHim. Yours is the unity of all creation. Your perfectly unity makes change inyou impossible. You do not accept this, and you fail to realize it must be so,only because you believe that you have changed yourself already. You seeyourself as a ridiculous parody on God´s creation; weak, vicious, ugly andsinful, miserable and beset with pain. Such is your version of yourself; a selfdivided into many warring parts, separate from God, and tenuously held togetherby its erratic and capricious maker, to which you pray. It does not hear yourprayers, for it is deaf. It does not see the oneness in you, for it is blind.It does not understand you are the Son of God, for it is senseless andunderstanding nothing. We will attempt today to be aware only of what can hearand see, and what makes perfect sense. We will again direct our exercisestowards reaching your one Self, Which is united with Its Creator. In patienceand in hope we try again today. The use of the first five minutes of everywaking hour for practicing the idea for the day has special advantages at thestage of learning in which you are at present. It is difficult at this pointnot to allow your mind to wander, if it undertakes extended practice. You havesurely realized this by now. You have seen the extend of your lack of mentaldiscipline, and of your need for mind training. It is necessary that you beaware of this, for it is indeed a hindrance to your advance. Frequent butshorter practice periods have other advantage for you at this time. In additionto recognizing your difficulties with sustained attention, you must also havenoticed that, unless you are reminded of your purpose frequently, you tend toforget about it for long periods of time. You often fail to remember the shortapplications of the idea for the day, and you have not yet formed the habit ofusing the idea as an automatic response to temptation. Structure, then, isnecessary for you at this time, planned to include frequent reminders of yougoal and regular attempts to reach it. Regularity in terms of time is not theideal requirment for the most beneficial form of practice in salvation. It isadvantageous, however, for those whose motivation is inconsistent, and whoremain heavily defended against learning. We will, therefore, keep to the fiveminutes an hour practice periods for a while, and urge you to omit as few aspossible. Using the first five minutes of the hour will be paritcularlyhelpful, since it imposes firmer stucture. Do not, however, use your lapsesfrom this schedule as an excuse not to return to it again as soon as you can.There may well be a temptation to regard the day as lost becasue you havealready failed to do what is required. This should, however, merely berecognized as what it is; a refusal to let your mistake be corrected, and anunwillingness to try again. The Holy Sprit is not delayed in His teaching byyour mistakes. He can be held back only by your unwillingness to let them go. Letus therefore be determined, particularly for the next week or so, to be willingto forgive ourselves for our lapses in diligence, and our failures to followthe instructions for practicing the day´s idea. This tolerance for weaknesswill enable us to overlook it, rather than give it power to delay our learning.If we give it power to do this, we are regardingit as strength, and areconfusing strength with weakness. When you fail to comply with the requirementof this course, you have merely made a mistake. This calls for correction, andfor noting else. To allow a mistake to continue is to make additional mistakes,based on the first and reinforcing it. It is this process that must be laidaside, for ti is but another may in which you woulddefend illusions against thetruth. Let all these errors go by recognizing them for what they are. They areattempts to keep you unaware you are one Self, united with the Creator, at onewith every aspect of creation, and limitless in power and in peace. This is thetruth, and nothing else is true. Today we will affirm this truth again, and tryto reach the place in you in which there is no doubt that only this is true.Begin the practice periods today with this assurance, offered to your mind withall the certainty that you can give:

”I am one Self, united with myCreator,
At one with every aspect ofcreation,
And limitless in power and inpeace.”

Then close your eyes and tellyourself again, slowly and thoughtfully, attempting to allow the meaning of thewords to sink into your mind, replacing false ideas:

”I am one Self.”

Repeat this several times, andthen attempt to feel the meaning that the words convey. You are one Self,united and secure in light and joy and peace. You are God´s Son, one Self, withone Creator and one goal; to bring awareness of this oneness to all minds, thattrue creation may extend the Allness and the Unity of God. You are one Self,complete and healed and whole, with power to lift the veil of darkness from theworld, and let the light in you come through to teach the world the truth abouryourself. You are one Self, in perfect harmony with all there is, and all thatthere will be. You are one Self, that holy Son of God, united with yourbrothers in that Self, the Son of God Himself, sinless as Its Creator, with Hisstrength within you and His Love forever yours. You are one Self, and it isgiven you to feel this Self within you, and to cast all your illusions out ofthe one Mind that is this Self, the holy truth in you. Do not forget today. Weneed your help; your little part in bringing happiness to all the world. AndHeaven looks to you in confidence that you will try today. Share, then, itssurely, for it is yours. Be vigilant. Do not forget today. Throughout the daydo not forget your goal. Repeat today´s idea as frequently as possible, andunderstand each time you do so, someone hears the voice of hope, the stirringof the truth within his mind, the gentle rustling of the wings of peace. Yourown acknowledgment you are one Self, united with your Father, is a call to allthe world to be at one with you. To everyone you meet today, be sure to givethe promise of today´s idea and tell him this:

”You are one Self with me,
United with our Creator in thisSelf.
I honor you because of what Iam,
And what He is, Who loves usboth as one.”

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 96

”Salvation comes from my oneSelf.”

Although you are one Self, youexperience yourself as two; as both good and evil, loving and hating, mind andbody. This sense of being split into opposites induces feelings of acute andconstant conflict, and leads to frantic attempts to reconcile the contradictoryaspects of this self-perception. You have sought many such solutions, and noneof them has worked. The opposites you see in you will never be compatible. But oneexists. The fact that truth and illusion cannot be reconciled, no matter howyou try, what means you use and where you see the problem, must be accepted ifyou would be saved. Until you have accepted this, you will attempt an endlesslist of goals you cannot reach; a senseless series of exxpenditures of time andeffort, hopefullness and duoubt, each one as futile as the one before, andfailing as the next one surely will. Problems that have no meaning cannot beresolved within the framework they are set. Two selves in conflict could not beresolved, and good and evil haveno meeting place. The self you made can neverbe your Self, nor can your Self be split in two, and still be what It is andmust forever be. A mind and body cannot both exist. Make no attempt toreconcile the two, for one denies the other can be real. If you are physical,your mind is gone from your self concept, for it has no place in which it couldbe really part of you. If you are spirit, then the body must be meaningless toyour reality. Spirit makes use of mind as means to find its Self-expression.And the mind which serves the spirit it as peace and filled with joy. Its powercomes from spirit, and it is fulfilling happily its function here. Yet mind canalso see itself divorced from spirit, and perceive itself within a body itdonfuses with itself. Without its function then it has no peace, and happinessis alien to its thoughts. Yet mind apart from spirit cannot think. It hasdenied its Source of strength, and sees itself as helpless, limited and weak.Dissociated from its function now, it thinks it is alone and separate, attackedby armies massed against itself and hiding in the body´s frail support. Nowmust it reconcile unlike with like, for this iw what it thinks that it is for.Waste no more time on this. Who can resolve the senseless conflicts which adream presents? What could the resolution mean in truth? What purpose could itserve? What is it for? Salvation cannot make illusions real, nor solve aproblem that does not exist. Perhaps you hope it can. Yet would you have God´splan for the release of His dear Son bring pain to him, and fail to set himfree? Your Self retains Its thoughts, and they remain within your mind and inthe Mind of God. The Holy Spirit holds salvation in your mind, and offers itthe way to peace. Salvation is a thought you share with God, because His Voiceaccepted it for you and answered in your name that it was done. Thus issalvation kept among the thoughts your Self holds dear and cherishes for you.We will attempt today to find this thought, whose presence in your mind isguaranteed by Him Who speaks to you from your one Self. Our hourly five minutepracticing will be a search for Him within your mind. Salvation comes from thisone Self through Him Who is the bridge between your mind and It. Wait patiently, and let Him speak to you about yourSelf, and what your mind can do, restored to It and free to serve Its Will.Begin with saying this:

”Salvation comes from my oneSelf.
Its thoughts are mine to use.”

Then seek Its thoughts, andclaim them as your own. These are your own real thoughts you have denied, andlet your mind go wandering in a world of dream, to find illusions in theirplace. Here are your thoughts, the only ones you have. Salvation is among them;find it there. If you succeed, the thoughts that come to you will tell you youare saved, and that your mind has found the function that it sought to lose. YourSelf will welcome it and give it peace. Restored in strength, it will againflow out from spirit to the spirit in all things created by the Spirit asItself. Your mind will bless all things. Confusion done, you are restored, foryou have found your Self. Your Self knows that you cannot fail today. Perhapsyour mind remains uncertain yet a little while. Be not dismayed by this. Thejoy your Self experiences It will save for you, and it will yet be yours infull awareness. Every time you spend five minutes of the hour seeking Him Whojoins your mind and Self, you offer Him another treasure to be kept for you.Each time today you tell your frantic mind salvation comes from your one Self,you lay another treasure in your growing store. And all if it is given everyonewho asks for it, and will accpet the gift. Think, then, how much is given untoyou to give this day, that it be given you!

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 97

”I am spirit.”

Today´s idea identifies you withour one Self. It accepts no split identity, nor tries to weave opposing factorsinto unity. It simply states the truth. Practice this truth today as often asyou can, for it will bring your mind from conflict to the quiet fields ofpeace. No chill of fear can enter, for your mind has been absolved frommadness, letting go illusions of a split identity. We state again the the truthabout your Self, the holy Son of God Who rests in you; Whose mind has beenrestored to sanity. You are the spirit lovingly endowed with all your Father´sLove and peace and joy. You are the spirit which completes Himself, and sharesHis function as Creator. He is with you always, as you are with Him. Today wetry to bring reality still closer to your mind. Each time your practice,awareness is brought a little nearer at least; sometimes a thousand years ormore are saved. The minutes which you give are multiplied over and over, forthe miracle makes use of time, but is not ruled by it. Salvation is a miracle,the first and last; the first that is the last, for it is one. You are thespirit in whose mind abides the miracle in which all time stands still; themiracle in which a minute spent in using these ideas becomes a time that has nolimit and that has no end. Give, then, these minutes willingly, and count onHim Who promised to lay timelessness beside them. He will offer all Hisstrength to every little effort that you make. Give Him the minutes which Heneeds today, to help you understand with Him you are the spirit that abides inHim, and that calls through His Voice to every living thing; offers His sightto everyone who asks; replaces error with the simple truth. The Holy Spirit wilbe glad to take five minutes of each hour from your hands, and carry themaround this aching world where pain and misery appear to rule. He will notoverlook one open mind that will accept the healing gifts they bring, and Hewill lay them everywhere He knows they will be welcome. And they will increasein healing power each time someone accepts them as his thoughts, and uses themto heal. Thus will each gift to Him be multiplied a thousand-fold and tens ofthousands more. And when it is returned to you, it will surpass in might thelittle gift you gave as much as does the radiance of the sun outshine the tinygleam a firefly makes an uncertain moment and goes out. The steady brillianceof this light remains and leads you out of darkness, nor will you be able toforget the way again. Begin these happy exercises with the words the HolySpirit speaks to you, and lett hem echo round the world through Him:

”Spirit am I, a holy Son of God,
Free of all limits, safe andhealed and whole,
Free to forgive, and free tosave the world.”

Expressed through you, the HolySpirit will accept this gift that you received of Him, increase its power andgive it back to you. Offer each practice period today gladly to Him. And He willspeak to you, reminding you that you are spirit, one with Him and God, yourbrothers and your Self. Listen for His assurance every time you speak the wordsHe offers you today, and let Him tell your mind that they are true. Use themagainst temptation, and escape its sorry consequences if you yield to thebelief that you are something else. The Holy Spirit gives you peace today.Receive His words, and offer them to Him.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 98

”I will accept my part in God´s plan for salvation.”

Today is a day of special dedication. We take a stand on but one side today. We side with truth and let illusions go. We will not vacillate between the two, but take a firm position with the One. We dedicate ourselves to truth today, and to salvation as God planned it be. We will not argue it is something else. We will not seek for it where it is not. In gladness we accept it as it is, and take the part assigned to us by God. How happy to be certain! All our doubts we lay aside today, and take our stand with certainty of purpose, and with thanks that dobut is gone and surety has come. We have a mighty purpose to fulfill, and have been given everything we need with which to reach the goal. Not one mistake stands in ourway. For we have been absolved from errors. All our sins are washed away by realizing they were but mistakes. The guiltless have no fear, for they are safe and recongize their safety. They do not appeal to magic, nor invent escapes from fancied threats without reality. They rest in quiet certainty that they will do what it is given them to do. They do not doubt their own ability because they know their function will be filled completely in the perfect time and place. They took the stand which we will take today, that we may share their certainty and thus increase it by accepting it ourselves. They wil be with us; all who took the stand we take today will gladly offer us all that they learned and every gain they made. Those still uncertain, too, will join with us, and, borrowing our certainty, will make it stronger still. While those as yet unborn will hear the call we heard, and answer it when they have come to make their choice again. We do not choose but for ourselves today. It is not worth five minutes of your time each hour to be able to accept the happiness that God has given you? It is not worth five mintues hourly to recognize your special function here? It is not five minutes but a small request to make in terms of gaining a reward so great it has no measure? You have made a thousand losing bargains at the least. Here is an offer guaranteeing you your full release from pain of every kind, and joy the world does not contain. You can exchange a little of your time for peace of mind and certainty of purpose, with the promise of complete success. And since time has no meaning, you are being asked for nothing in return for everything. Here is a bargain that you cannot lose. And what you gain is limitless indeed! Each hour today give Him your tiny gift of but five mintes. He will give the words you use in practicing today´sidea the deep conviction and the certainty you lack. His words will join with yours, and make each repetition of today´s idea a total dedication, made in faithas perfect and as sure as His in you. His confidence in you will bring the light to all the words you say, and you will go beyond their sound to what theyr eally mean. Today you practice with Him, as you say:

”I will accept my part in God´s plan for salvation.”

In each five minutes that you spend with Him, He will accept your words and givet hem back to you all bringht with faith and confidence so strong and steady they will light the world with hope and gladness. Do not lose one chance to be the glad reciever of His gifts,that you may givet hem to the world today. Give Him the words, and He will do the rest. He will enable you to understand your special function. He will open up the way to happiness, and peace and trust will be His gifts; His answer to your words. He will respond with all His faith and joy and certainty that what you say is true. And you will have conviction then of Him Who knows the function that you have on earth as well as Heaven. He will be with you each practice period you share with Him, exchanging every instant of the time you offer Him for timelessness and peace. Throughout the hour, let your time be spent in happy preparation for the next five minutes you will spend again with Him. Repeat today´s idea while you wait for the glad time to come to you again.Repeat it often, and do not forget each time you do so, you have let your mind be readied for the happy time to come. And when the hour goes and He is there once more to spend a little time with you, be thankful and lay down all earthly tasks, all little thoughts and limited ideas, and spend a happy times again with Him. Tell Him once more that you accept the part that He would have you take and help you fill, and He will make you sure you want this choice, which He has made with you and you with Him.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 99

”Salvation is my only function here.”

Salvation and forgiveness are the same. They both imply that something has gone wrong; something to be saved from, forgiven for; something amiss that needs corrective change; something apart or different from the Will of God. Thus do both terms imply a thing impossible but yet which has occured, resulting in a state of conflict seen between what is and what could never be. Truth an illusions both are equal now,for both have happened. Theim possible becomes the thing you need forgiveness for, salvation from. Salvation now becomes the borderland between the truth and the illusion. It reflects the truth because it is the means by which you can escape illusions. Yet it is not yet the truth because it undoes what was never done. How could there be a meeting place at all where earth and Heaven can be reconciled within a mind where both of them exists? The mind that sees illusions Thinks them real. They have existence in that they are thoughts. And yet they are not real, because the mind that thinks these thoughts is separate from God. What joins the separated mind and thoughts with Mind and Thought which are forever one? ’What plan could hold the truth inviolate, yet recognize the need illusions bring, and offer means by which they are undone without attack and with no touch of pain? What but a Thought of God could be this plan, by which the never done is overlooked, and sins forgotten which were never real? The Holy Spirit holds this plan of God exactly as it was received of Him within the Mind of God and in your own. It is apart from time in that its Source is timeless. Yet it operates in time, because of your belief that time is real.Unshaken does the Holy Spirit look on what you see; on sin and pain and death,on grief and separation and on loss. Yet does He know one thing must still be true; God is still Love, and this is not His Will. This is the Thought that brings illusions to the truth, and sees them as appearances behind which is the changeless and the sure. This is the Thought that saves and that forgives,because it lays no faith in what is not created by the only Source it knows.This is the Thought whose function is to save by giving you its function as your own. Salvation is your function, with the One to Whom the plan was given.Now are you entrusted with this plan, along with Him. He has one answer to appearences; regardless of their form, their size, their depth or any attribute they seem to have:

”Salvation is my only function here.
God still is Love, and this is not His Will.”

You who will yet work miracles,be sure you practice well the idea for today. Try to perceive the strength in what you say, for these are words in which your freedom lies. Your Father loves you. All the world of pain is not His Will. Forgive yourself the thought He wanted this for you. Then let the Thought with which He has replaced all your mistakes enter the darkened place of your mind that thought the thoughts that never were His Will. This part belongs to God, as does the rest. It does not think its solitary thoughts, and make them real by hiding them from Him.Let in the light, and you will look upon no obstacles to what He wills for you.Open your secrets to His kindly light, and see how bright this light still shines in you. Practice His Thought today, and let His light seek out and lighten up all darkened spots, and shine through them to joint hem to the rest.It is God´s Will your mind be one with His. It is God´s Will that He has but one Son. It is God´s Will that His one Son is you. Think of these things in practicing today, and start the lesson that we learn today with this instruction in the way of truth:

”Salvation is my only function here.
Salvation and forgiveness are the same.”

Then turn to Him Who shares your function here, and let Him teach you what you need to learn to lay all fear aside, and know your Self as love which has no opposite in you. Forgive all thoughts which would oppose the truth of your completion, unity and peace. You cannot lose the gift your Father gave. You do not want to be another self. You have no function that is not of God. Forgive yourself the one you think you made.Forgiveness and salvation are the same. Forgive what you have made and you are saved. There is a special message for today which has the power to remove all forms of doubt and fear forever from your mind. If you are tempted to Believe them true, remember that appeareances can not withstand the truth these mighty words contain:

”Salvation is my only functionhere.
God still is Love, and this is not His Will.”

Your only function tells you you are one. Remind yourself of this between the times you give five minutes to be shared with Him Who shares God´s plan with you. Remind yourself:

”Salvation is my only function here.”

Thus do you lay forgiveness on your mind and let all fear be gently laid aside, that love may find its rightful place in you and show you that you are the Son of God.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 100

”My part is essential to God´splan for salvation.”

Just as God´s Son completes his Father, so your part in it completes your Father´s plan. Salvation must reverse the mad belief in separate thoughts and separate bodies, which lead separate lives and go their separate ways. One function shared by separate minds unites them in one purpose, for each one of them is equally essential to them all.God´s Will for you is perfect happiness. Why should you choose to go against His Will? The part that He has saved for you to take in working out His plan is given you that you might be restored to what He wills. This part is asessential to His plan as to your happiness. Your joy must be complete to let His plan be understood by those to whom He sends you. They will see their function in your shining face, and hear God calling to them in your happy laugh. You are indeed essential to God´s plan. Without your joy, His joy is incomplete. Without your smile, the world cannto be saved. While you are sad, the light that God Himself appointed as the means to save the world is dim and lusterless, and no one laughs because all laughter can but echo yours. You are indeed essential to God´s plan. Just as your light increases every light that shines in Heaven, so your jou on earth calls to all minds to let their sorrows go, and take their place beside you in God´s plan. God´s messengers are joyous,and their joy heals sorrow and despair. They are the proof that God wills perfect happiness for all who will accept their Father´s gifts as theirs. We will not let ourselves be sad today. For if we do, we fail to take the part that is essential to God´s plan, as well as to our vision. Sadness is the sign that you would play another part, instead of what has been assigned to your by God. Thus do you fail to show the world how great the happiness He wills for you. And so you do not recognize that it is yours. Today we will attempt to understand joy is our function here. If you are sad, your part is unfulfilled,and all the world is thus deprived of joy, along with you. God asks you to be happy,so the world can see how much He loves His Son, and wills no sorrow rises to abate his joy; no fear besets him to disturb his peace. You are God´s Messenger today. You bring His happiness to all you look upon; His peace to everyone who looks on you and sees His message in your happy face. We will prepare ourselves for this today, in our five minute practice periods, by feeling happiness arise in us according to our Father´s Will and ours. Begin the exercises with the thought today´s idea contains. Then realize your part is to be happy. Only this is asked of you or anyone who wants to take his place among God´s messengers.Think what this means. You have indeed been wrong in your belief that sacrifice is asked. You but receive according to God´s plan, and never lose or sacrifice or die. Now let us try to find that joy that proves to us and all the World God´s Will for us. It is your function that you find it here, and that you find it now. For this you came. Let this one be the day that you succeed! Look Deep within you, undismayed by all the little thoughts and foolish goals you pass as you ascend to meet the Christ in you. He will be there. And you can reach Him now. What could you rather look upon in place of Him Who waits that you may look on Him? What little thought has power to hold you back? What foolish goal can keep you from success when He Who calls top you is God Himself? He will be there. You are essential to His plan. You are His messenger today. And you must find what He would have you give. Do not forget the idea for today between your hourly practice periods. It is your Self Who calls to you today. And it is Him you answer, every time you tell yourself you are essential to God´s plan for the salvation of the world.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 101

”God´s Will for me is perfect happiness.”

Today we will continue with the theme of happiness. This is a key idea in understanding what salvation means. You still believe it asks for suffering as penance for your ”sins”. This is not so.Yet you must think it so while you believe that sin is real, and that God´s Son can sin. If sin is real, then punishment is just and cannot be escaped.Salvation thus cannot be purchased but through suffering. If sin is real, then happiness must be illusion, for they cannot both be true. The sinful warrant only death and pain, and it is this key ask for. For they know it waits for them, and it will seek them out and find them somewhat, sometime, in some form that evens the account they owe to God. They would not escape Him in their fear. And yet He will pursue, and they can not escape. If sin is real,salvation must be pain. Pain is the cost of sin, and suffering can never be escaped, if sin is real. Salvation must be feared, for it will kill, but slowly, taking everything away before it grants the welcome boon of death to victims who are little more than bones before salvation is appeased. Its Wrath is boundless, merciless, but wholly just. Who would seek out such savage punishment? Who would not flee salvation, and attempt in every way he can to drown the Voice Which offers it to him? Why would he try to listen and accept Its offering? If sin is real, its offering is death, and meted out in cruel form to match the vicious wishes in which sin is born. If sin is real,salvation has become your bitter enemy, the curse of God upon you who have crucified His Son. You need the practice periods today. The exercises teach sin is not real, and all that you believe must come from sin will never happen, forit has no cause. Accept Atonement with an open mind, which cherishes no lingering belief that you have made a devil of God´s Son. There is no sin. We practice with this thought as often as we can today, because it is the basis for today´s idea. God´s Will for you is perfect happiness because there is nosin, and suffering is causeless. Joy is just, and pain is but the sign you have misunderstood yourself. Fear not the Will of God. But turn to it in confidence that it will set you free from the consequences sin has wrought in feverish imagination. Say:

”God´s Will for me is perfect happiness.
There is no sin, it has no consequence.”

So should you start your practice periods, and then attmept again to find the joy these thoughts will introduce into your mind. Givet hese five minutes gladly, to remove the Heavy load you lay upon yourself with the insane belief that sin is real. Today escape from madness. You are set on freedom ´s road and now today´s idea brings wings to speed you on, and hope to go still faster to the waiting goal of peace. There is no sin. Remember this today, and tell yourself as often as you can:

”God´s Will for me is perfect happiness.
This is the truth, because there is no sin.”

Love