Miracles News
Spring 2004

We Are One in the Thought of Love

by Rev. Barbara Kraetsch

There is really only One Thought, and that is God. This One Thought extends Itself endlessly. It is the Thought that says, “I AM” forever and ever. There is nothing other than this. There is only God proclaiming Himself, extending Himself. There is only Love proclaiming Itself, extending Itself. Love says, “I AM.” There is nothing else. It is inconceivable to Love that anything else could be.

We are part of this extending Love. It is really all we need to know. If we merely sit with this idea — rest in this idea — all else will be made known to us. It sounds so simple and it really is.

When I sit and get in touch with the Thought of Love, feel my connection to It, and just rest in It, I feel certain of existence. I feel certain that I am. Is there anything else I need to know in any given moment? If so, I know it will be made known, for I am what there is to know.

This sense of certainty rises up in me, filling me. It feels complete. There is only Love and that’s all I need to know. Everything extends from that, I am certain.

I don’t know exactly how Love works. I don’t quite grasp that. But, it is not a concern, for Love minds Itself. The Thought of Love minds all there is. All I need do is be aware that I am connected to It, that I can’t be anything else but connected to It. This is all. I can do this, for I can be my Self. I can be the Thought of Love extending Itself everywhere through my Self.

How simple an idea, yet how far reaching, nowhere and everywhere at once. For there is nowhere Love is not. And Love is everywhere. Love encompasses me and sets my boundary of eternity, the placeless place where I can only be.

Today, I am Love. And today, I recognize that there is only Love. Everyone and everything that seems to be other than Love cannot be. For there is only Love and I am surrounded by It. There is no other way than to fulfill Love’s Presence. Let us together be Love’s Presence today, for you are only Love as well as me. And in our joining in the Thought of Love are we made One with It.

Rev. Barbara Kraetsch is a Pathways of Light minister living in Hartford, WI

Email: kraetsch@execpc.com

I Was Re-minded of… “Love Ye One Another”

by Rev. Therese Ward

There is a motion picture that is said to show the passion of a man who lived 2,000 years ago. Talk is, it is an extremely violent and bloody movie. From past experience I have learned that when I see such things, I have nightmares and flashbacks for weeks after. Yet this was supposed to be the story of God’s Son’s death and resurrection. I was conflicted; to go, or not to go. I affirm, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” Taking my partner, Holy Spirit, I affirm, “Spirit go before me, make straight and easy my path; translate my perceptions to truth.” I seat myself in theater number 9.

He seemingly had agonized in a garden, alone. I was re-minded of the times I seemed to sweat blood, alone in my agony of being betrayed. Life is not supposed to be this way. Help me God, help me!

He seemingly was unjustly condemned to die. I was re-minded of the people in Iraq and elsewhere, condemned to die, labeled terrorists or other such.

He seemingly was scourged and forced to carry his cross. I was re-minded of the children born with fetal alcohol syndrome, aids babies, sexual abuse victims, starving and homeless millions and my own crosses to bear. Life is not supposed to be a bed of thorns.

He was depicted carrying his cross through the streets, bloody, beaten and near death; being jeered at and tortured, bearing all suffering. I was re-minded of the lesson he was teaching. You are not a body, you are eternal Life. See: I have overcome the world’s belief that there are bodies that can attack and suffer; and so can you.

He was seemingly executed by means of crucifixion. “Father why have you forsaken me?” I was re-minded of the wailing of mothers clutching the bloody bodies of their dead and mangled children. People dying, drenched in blood in Oklahoma City bombing and New York City 9-11 and the citizens of Baghdad being blown to bits. Nothing had changed in 2,000 years, in the world of man’s inhumanity to man.

He had a crown of thorns on his head, seemingly, profusely dripping blood over his swollen, disfigured face. There was not an inch on his body that was not gouged open, his blood flowing down the cross, spewing over the barren earth. I was re-minded of eight hours each day spent in makeup, of all the pixels of light it took to make this illusion.

“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” I am re-minded that in the world, forgiveness is the only way to At-one-ment without suffering.

He seemingly died on the cross. I was re-minded of his words, “You do not take my body. I have the POWER to lay it down and take up again.” In other words, there is no death. The world believes there is; he demonstrated otherwise.

His body was placed in a tomb. I was re-minded of the steel blue coffin bearing the body of my 32 year old sister; a victim of the war on cancer. Re-minded of the numerous bodies in flagged draped coffins, carried through the streets, today, in memory of those hailed as heroes of the war on terror.

The stone was rolled back and it seemed his bloody body disappeared, leaving only burial cloths behind; then he reappeared in a radiant body. I was re-minded of seeing my father, mother and sister after each of them died, and of the many stories of others who had seen their loved ones after they passed from this world. I was re-minded of a teaching “dream” I once had in which my five year old son fell to his death, impaled on an iron fence. In the midst of my agony, I heard his laughter, and looked up to see him happily walking down the sidewalk towards me, with his six year old sister. I ran to him and embraced him for dear life, crying tears of joy. He then stood back and laughed at me and said, “Don’t you know you can’t die?” Well, I knew after that experience!

During the movie I noticed that I was indeed at peace. During the movie I had awakened to the truth that it’s all in mind; that matter reflects mind. I realized I was in the peace of God. Indeed, all was one, silent peace.

This morning my husband and I sat for our daily reading of what I call, A New Word for a New World; actually it’s A Course in Miracles. The reading was my confirmation of truths revealed. “When you equate yourself with a body you will always experience depression. When a child of God thinks of himself in this way he is belittling himself, and seeing his brother’s similarly belittled.” (T-8.VII.1:6-7) I invite you to check it out. See your Self with/in Holy Spirit’s vision.

Rev. Therese Ward is a Pathways of Light minister living in Cold Spring, Kentucky.

Email: d.t.ward@fuse.net

A Personal Story about Healing

by Linda Wisnewski

I was introduced to the book “The Disappearance of the Universe” at Pathways of Light. I was fascinated by the radical concepts it presented. In fact I can say, “It blew my mind.” What does it mean the universe is an illusion; the body is not real; the world is a projection of ego’s thoughts, feelings and beliefs? What does it mean that the only reality is the presence of the Holy Spirit, Who is within us to remind us of God’s Love and lead us toward our true home? What does the book mean that our only job is to practice forgiveness and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to true healing?

In my quest to find out why, I kept getting sick and hit with different diseases, I tried many different approaches, but I kept getting sick. I took herbs, I tried many different alternatives; I practiced meditation, chanting, body work, energy work. I went to different healers and I still kept getting sick.

I thought I understood the mind-body connection. In fact, I taught classes on it for stress management. I told others that if they had frequent bladder infections, they might want to ask themselves, “Who are you pissed with?” I thought I tried everything and was feeling frustrated. Why isn’t anything working? Yes, I would experience relief and I thought healing was taking place but I kept getting sick.

One thing I hadn’t learned until going to Pathways is that healing isn’t about fixing the body; it doesn’t come from external sources; it’s about healing the mind. Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course by Karen Casey states, “Ailing bodies don’t keep us sick; our attitudes and perceptions do.” Since I was learning to ask Holy Spirit to guide me, I asked Holy Spirit to teach me concretely about illusions and reality. Lo and behold, three weeks ago, I was flattened with the flu. It left me so depleted, I couldn’t get up to eat and had to withdraw from my daily activities.

At first I blamed the flu because my son-in-law came to visit and he was sick with a respiratory infection. But if this was true, how come my husband didn’t catch the flu? I got the flu because I couldn’t say no to all the activities I got involved in and I was so busy running around saying yes to everyone except myself. I was a super pleaser, falsely believing that my self-worth was tied to pleasing others. I also believed that my need for love and my fear of being alone in the world would be met by filling up my time with activities that I believed would feed my Spirit and nourish my soul.

It was interesting that as I withdrew from the world, it was as if the world really disap-peared. I received no phone calls asking about my health. I didn’t see anyone and being in the loft, my only view was of the sky. And so, I spent my time communing with Holy Spirit; resting in His Presence. Even though I felt lousy in my body, moment to moment I was bathed in peace and Love; something I never experienced before as I frantically searched for Love in all the wrong places.

The presence of Holy Spirit was so gentle and loving. I was learning that the reason I felt so alone in the world was because I separated myself from my True Essence, the Holy Spirit in me. It was in me all along, patiently waiting for me to reach out. Never have I felt more loved than in these three weeks. Holy Spirit was teaching me what the Course teaches — that the body is simply a vehicle for learning the lessons we need. As I lay there, the ego kept trying to pull me back into fear, worry, self doubt. I used the time to ask for forgiveness and ask for release from the guilt and fear of punishment I believed would happen if I didn’t follow ego.

There is still so much more I have to let go of but I’m learning there is no hurry. Holy Spirit is gentle. He wants me to be gentle with myself and not be driven in my lessons like I have been driven in the rest of my life. I am filled with gratitude to Holy Spirit for answering my prayer and letting me see what is an illusion and what is reality.

The Course says that “the body is used by the ego or Holy Spirit to communicate. I am learning that I have a choice I choose to say yes to Holy Spirit, say yes to Self and ask for the healing that is true healing — a change of mind from fear to Love. I am filled with gratitude to Pathways for giving me opportunities through its courses to continue learning what real healing is about.

Linda Wisnewski is a Pathways of Light student living in Plymouth, Wisconsin.

Email: linwis@aol.com

The Gifts of the Spiritual Relationship Counselor Training

by Rev. Jackie Tritt

I feel guided to share with you about my journey with Pathways course 2010: Spiritual Relationship Counselor Training. When I took this training, I received more than I ever imagined or hoped to expect. It is simply structured, highly intuitive and most importantly, honest. If we are willing, we can bring to Light some of our most profound fears for healing and continual growth.

Participating as a student, I found myself working on my own healing, understanding that I had no desire to be an unhealed healer. While I enjoyed that part of the journey and the necessary reading material brought great insight for my personal growth, the real journey for me began with my first student.

To have someone give you the gift of their trust and confidence, to share their willingness to be so completely honest with where they are on their journey has been nothing short of an honor. It is to experience the oneness, the truth, and the light of the Higher Self. There is healing for both the teacher and the student. The line from A Course in Miracles says it best, “I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal.”

Miracles are happening. If you are a Pathways of Light minister, I invite you to consider taking the Spiritual Relationship Counselor Training. Allow the course work to act as a guide for you to continue to grow and reach out to others, taking you to new heights of compassion and understanding of your relationship with yourself and others.

It is not necessary to be in the “perfect” relationship to begin. You are welcome to come as you are. I have no doubt the gifts you will receive will bring you tears of joy as well.

Rev. Jacqueline Tritt is a Pathways of Light minister who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Email: jacqueline909@msn.com

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