Lessons

[Julie, Co Moderator]

I am having great difficulty getting through the lessons. I believe the problem may be that I am thinking too literally.

For example: Lesson 14, Page 23

"God did not create and so it is not real.

As you may know, we have just had a blizzard here on the East Coast.

Yesterday I inserted blizzard into the sentence. But how could that be true? We did in fact have a blizzard and there was much snow. While God did not create the blizzard, the snow was real,

[Angelanadine]

I may be totally off the mark here, but here is where my thoughts go with this, or similar, points:

I perceive there to have been a blizzard that dumped a lot of snow here. Since I just moved northward from a southern state a few months ago, this is a lot of snow to me. To the locals, this isn't a lot of snow at all, and they have all commented on how mild of a winter this is. To someone who lives in, say Sweden, this may be a minor snow storm, or even a perfectly normal day, even though to me, it is a huge blizzard. So that shows me that I am attaching my own perception to the situation in front of me, and the situation in front of me is neither good, nor bad, nor anything, it just us an illusion that at this point in time I choose to perceive to be meaningful in the following way: We have a blizzard.

Having said that, I still have to go shovel snow off our very long driveway.....

[Ramon, Co Moderator]

Julie wrote: "I am having great difficulty getting through the lessons. I believe the problem may be that I am thinking too literally.

For example: Lesson 14, Page 23

"God did not create and so it is not real...."

LESSON 14.
God did not create a meaningless world.
The idea for today is, of course, the reason why a meaningless world is impossible. What God did not create does not exist. And everything that does exist exists as He created it. The world you see has nothing to do with reality. It is of your own making, and it does not exist.
The exercises for today are to be practiced with eyes closed throughout. The mind-searching period should be short, a minute at most. Do not have more than three practice periods with today’s idea unless you find them comfortable. If you do, it will be because you really understand what they are for.
The idea for today is another step in learning to let go the thoughts that you have written on the world, and see the Word of God in their place. The early steps in this exchange, which can truly be called salvation, can be quite difficult and even quite painful. Some of them will lead you directly into fear. You will not be left there. You will go far beyond it. Our direction is toward perfect safety and perfect peace.
With eyes closed, think of all the horrors in the world that cross your mind. Name each one as it occurs to you, and then deny its reality. God did not create it, and so it is not real. Say, for example:
God did not create that war, and so it is not real.
God did not create that airplane crash, and so it is not real.
God did not create that disaster [specify], and so it is not real.
Suitable subjects for the application of today’s idea also include anything you are afraid might happen to you, or to anyone about whom you are concerned. In each case, name the “disaster” quite specifically. Do not use general terms. For example, do not say, “God did not create illness,” but, “God did not create cancer,” or heart attacks, or whatever may arouse fear in you.
This is your personal repertory of horrors at which you are looking. These things are part of the world you see. Some of them are shared illusions, and others are part of your personal hell. It does not matter. What God did not create can only be in your own mind apart from His. Therefore, it has no meaning. In recognition of this fact, conclude the practice periods by repeating today’s idea:
God did not create a meaningless world.
The idea for today can, of course, be applied to anything that disturbs you during the day, aside from the practice periods. Be very specific in applying it. Say:
God did not create a meaningless world. He did not create [specify the situation which is disturbing you], and so it is not real.

“While God did not create the blizzard, the snow was real” - as real as you believe it was. But – the only things that are actually real, are only those things that God created. It is interesting that you can say that God did not create the blizzard, but yet, you believe the snow as real. Just like Adam - in the garden of Eden. God created Adam – whole – not lacking anything – and yet Adam believed that he was naked – lacking something.

I think that you are doing great. It is one thing to see with your eyes and yet another thing to tell your mind that the thing you think you see with your eyes isn't really real. I had the same problem the first time I took the course too. Don't worry about it. Just continue to move forward.

[Ramon, Co Moderator]

Angelanadine wrote: "I may be totally off the mark here, but here is where my thoughts go with this, or similar, points:

I perceive there to have been a blizzard that dumped a lot of snow here. Since I just moved nort..."

You make me smile - I do many things everyday that I know aren't real. It's only when I think of the unreality of it that I recognize the illusion. I cleaned my refrigerator out yesterday because I thought it needed it.