Thursday, December 26, 2019

Merry Christmas!


Some thoughts I shared on Christmas morning about the purpose of Christmas, and the healing that I've experienced.




Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Turkey Soup Miracle

Join me for this live broadcast video as I share my recent miracle with the turkey soup!

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Undoing of the Denial of Fear

It's been a powerful couple of days in community! Lots of healing and exposing of the ego, resulting in the undoing of the denial of fear.

In this video, I share some of the joy and exuberance I've been experiencing here in community the past couple of days. 💖💖💖

We have two upcoming online retreats... one this weekend (Dec 6-8, 2019 called "The Forgiven World"), and another Dec 27-29 called "Take Me Home", which will feature a profound documentary filmed at the Living Miracles Monastery about the healing that takes place there.

You can find all the details for both events (plus several others) here: 
livingmiracles.org/events 💖 

Much love,
Erik

Thursday, November 14, 2019

No People Pleasing / No Private Thoughts

I went live on Facebook tonight to share about “no people pleasing”, and “no private thoughts”... AND about this new documentary which illustrates these principles in action! Here’s a brief summary…

In our Living Miracles community, “no people pleasing”, and “no private thoughts” are the two foundational guidelines we practice as a means of opening our heart and transcending the ego self. When I tell people about this, they usually tell me that it sounds a bit “scary”!

I can understand why it would seem that way. AND... in my experience these principles are practiced with such care and intuition in our community. It is a path of love, transparency, and True Kindness. And if you could only see the healing that occurs in people as a result…

Well the good news is that now you can! There’s a brand new film that was produced this year called “Take Me Home” which documents the healing process that went on over a 30-day period at our Living Miracles Monastery where these principles are practiced. The documentary was produced by Frances Xu, who was guided to make the film purely for her own healing (as opposed to for worldly acclaim), and the end result is an amazing experience. It is a film that has the potential to bypass your intellect, go straight to your heart, and connect you directly with Source.

I’ve seen it twice now and both times it was like a profound meditation. I was brought to tears several times throughout the movie, and at the end, I was basically like ‘puddy’ in the Holy Spirit’s Hands. :-)

For those of you who’d like to see “no private thoughts” and “no people-pleasing” in action, I invite you to join us for the ONLINE PREMIER of this documentary in late December. Since the U.S. premier last August, Frances, David Hoffmeister, and members of the cast and crew have begun leading workshops and retreats on these principles, using the film as a means of illustration and to give people the chance to ask questions. This will be the first time such a retreat will be offered online, and I can think of no better Christmas gift to give yourself than a weekend devoted to the Christ in you. ❤️❤️❤️

It’ll be on the weekend of Dec 27-29. If you'll be somewhere with family, I suggest telling them that you’ll be taking the majority (if not ALL) of that weekend as a Christmas Gift to yourself to contemplate the true meaning of Christmas. Be willing to face whatever backlash arises, and trust that it'll all be okay. :-) I’ve had to communicate this kind of thing SO many times in the past with my family over the holidays, where I felt to be more “inward” than “social”. And while it was always a bit difficult to stick with what I Knew was best for my healing, it was always definitely worth it!

Plus, it’s a great opportunity to start practicing “no family pleasing”! 😍

You can click here to learn more and register for the online retreat, or join me in this video for more encouragement!

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Secret of True Prayer

I'll be going live again tonight... this time to share my experience of practicing "the secret of true prayer".

In "The Song of Prayer: Prayer, Forgiveness, Healing", one of the two supplements that followed A Course in Miracles, Jesus gave us this amazing sentence:

“The secret of true prayer is to forget the things you think you need.” (S-1.I.4:1)

I've always found this line to be SO helpful and practical. It is the secret of true prayer because not only does it undo the ego's replacements for inner Peace (the things I think I need), but it ensures that everything we TRULY need WILL be Given us. <3 <3 <3
I'll be live at 9pm EST, or you can always watch the replay later. :-)


Tuesday, November 12, 2019

I Am the Dreamer of the Dream

I'll be going live quite soon from YouTube (Tuesday, Nov 12, at 9pm EST) to share a song and some metaphysics from A Course in Miracles. You can watch live or see the replay later!

Monday, November 11, 2019

"Make the Committment First"

After A Course in Miracles was all written but before it had been published, Helen, Bill, Judy, and Ken sat down one day and prayed to Jesus, "What should we do with the Course now that it's finished?"

The answer they got?

"Make the commitment first."

Before he could give them their next steps, they needed to first have made a commitment to stewarding the Course as faithfully as possible for the rest of their lives. Why? Because Jesus knew that all the steps that would follow would flush up a great deal of ego resistance, and that if their minds were "wishy-washy", the ego would win the day.

Someone once asked Mother Teresa, “If you knew what your life would become once you picked that first person up off the street, would you still have done it?” And she said, “No!” She said at that point in her life it would have been too frightening to even ponder that amount of responsibility, and that the fear would have made her give up.

This is why the Spirit only gives us steps He knows we can handle. And He asks us to commit to whatever He knows we’re ready for, because this will pull us through the ego resistance that will inevitably follow. This is how we are led from step to step along the mind-training of A Course in Miracles, as each small commitment prepares us for the next and then the next... until we're ready for the final commitment: choosing to accept the Atonement for our Self once and for all and without ever turning back! :-D

Committing to attend an event with the purpose of Awakening is one example of a step that can be offered by Spirit. I've experience SO many times how the event actually begins the moment that I register. It may feel like a big step in the moment, but once I take that "leap of faith" and commit, a quantum shift is felt immediately! My whole life reorients around this new, inspiring future and sense of Purpose, and all the universe suddenly seems to conspire to support me!

Of course, doubt thoughts may seem to arise (usually in the form of other people—family, friends, etc.), but once I've made the commitment, it doesn't phase me. It's like I'm plugged into a reservoir of Strength from beyond "me" and which carries me through whatever fears may arise. I can face all those doubt thoughts with Love, knowing that they're only arising to be forgiven.

It's very empowering to follow my heart regardless of what the world thinks of me, knowing I can't be swayed from my Goal.

If you feel you're meant to be there with us next August 2020 for Awakening 2 Love, I invite you to "make the commitment first" and register now before the early bird special ends. Following your heart ALWAYS involves facing your fears, but you'll be SOOOOOOOO glad you did in the end!



By the way, here's a taste of last year's Awakening 2 Love event—the complete opening talk from David Hoffmeister and Frances Xu!

Awakening 2 Love Enlightenment Retreat: Opening Session
Description: In this opening session of the Awakening 2 Love Enlightenment Retreat held at the Living Miracles Monastery in Utah, David Hoffmeister and Frances Xu share some incredible insights and parables about the awakening journey. They speak about the addiction to time and how thinking about the past and future are actually defenses against a present change in focus. It is actually possible to not think about time at all and live fully in the present, happy and free. 
 
In this session, Frances also speaks about the making of her documentary movie “Take Me Home” which will be shown at this retreat. The documentary illuminates the two principles we practice here at the monastery, “no people pleasing” and “no private thoughts.” These principles are all about being transparent, which we've discovered to be helpful practices towards awakening from the egoic thought system of fear and guilt. At the end of this opening session, several participants share their gratitude for being here (some came from quite a long distance) and for David and the way he has demonstrated the truth for so many years.

This session opens with two beautiful songs performed live by Svava Love. It was recorded on the evening of August 2, 2019, at the Living Miracles Monastery in Utah, USA.
Love you!!!
Erik

Update on Plans for Winter 2019

This was a Facebook Live I did on November 10, 2019 to share about what I'm being Guided to do next. In my last video I announced I'd be going on tour soon, but after praying into that more, I discovered that Spirit had other plans for me!




Monday, November 4, 2019

My Notes from the "Purpose is the Only Choice" Online Retreat

This weekend I attended an online retreat with David Hoffmeister, Frances Xu, and others from the Living Miracles community, and it was a very powerful experience for me. Not only am I going through a transition at the moment in my life (getting ready to embark on a new phase of Spirit-led travels - see last post), but I've been praying for a deeper experience of what Purpose really means. This retreat was an answer to my prayer.



The weekend started off with a beautiful and intimate session with Frances Xu, in which she shared from her own experience and opened it up for others to share as well. Some of my favorite take-aways from this session were as follows (each point below is a combination of what was actually said plus the insights I gained from this):

Session one with Frances

1. Our mind's creative power is active ALL the time. It never sleeps. It is therefore important to watch the mind carefully in every moment, for it is always using its power to align with and extend the Truth, or to multiple illusions. The difference between these two purposes in our experience is the difference between Heaven and hell.

2. It is necessary to become as honest as I can about my own egoic motivations and purposes in every moment, as subtle as they may seem. For example, when I'm not happy in what I'm doing, it's helpful to ask myself why I'm doing it. "Am I doing this to please somebody, to gain approval, to ensure that I'll still be loved?" Just acknowledging and being honest with ourselves about our underlying motivations is how the healing process begins.

This is, in fact, what the mind-training of A Course in Miracles is for. Jesus says, "The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance." And the only way to allow those blocks to be removed is by first allowing them to be seen and accepted. It's helpful, for example, to admit, "Yes, right now I'm very much wanting to make sure that so-and-so will remain happy with me. That is my purpose at the moment."

This is akin to the first step of all 12-step programs: "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable." In our terms we could say "We admitted we were powerless over our egoic desire for approval—that our lives had become unmanageable." Only by taking this first step of exposing the problem exactly as it is can we then open up to accepting Holy Spirit's Help.

3. Just relax! Only in a relaxed state can we hear everything we need to hear from Spirit. Yet we generally take this spiritual journey way too seriously, as if we have to personally "get it right". In the Course, Jesus makes it clear that our tiny part is merely to have "a little willingness". And when Frances invited us all to just relax and let go of any seriousness or pressure we may have been putting ourselves, I realized something profound: that relaxing is HOW I can give my little willingness to the Spirit! So long as I'm tense and trying to figure something out or "get it right", I'm actually usurping His function. Relaxing is mine!

Incidentally, "Just Relax" was the title of the first song I was Guided to write ten years ago when I was going through a similar phase. And I need to hear it now just as much as I did back then. Listening to it again now, I am reminded of how simple this journey really is: my willingness to relax is truly ALL that is being asked of me.




Session two with David

As I shared in a recent Facebook post, there were two main take-aways I got from this very powerful session with David:

1. That purpose is in and of the mind. It has nothing to do with the body or form of any kind.

What it means to me is that whenever I'm asking the question, "What should I do?" or "What is my purpose on this earth?", I'm actually caught on the ego's playing field already. My question should actually be, "What is my purpose in the mind?" This question can serve to redirect my attention back to the fact that I am not the body but the mind; the dreamer of the dream. And as the dreamer, I only have one of two choices to choose between: I can either fall asleep and use the dream to reinforce the belief that I am a body, or I can let Holy Spirit awaken me from the dream by forgiving all the symbols I perceive.

On this topic, I was also reminded by something David said regarding the disappearance of the universe. This is where it's all leading, because the "physical universe" was merely a projection of the ego, made to keep the mind asleep. Awakening leads first to a happy dream in which the dream is SEEN as a dream, and then to the permanent revelatory experience in which the dream disappears once and for all!

So the question becomes, am I willing to let the dream (and myself as a body) disappear? Am I willing to let it all go?

If not, it's good to look at what I'm still valuing here. Not to beat myself up over it, but simply to become aware of the problem exactly as it is (again, like the first step). Awareness of the problem is always the first step to becoming free of it.

2. The second major take-away I got was regarding transparency and how important that is. Transparency with the Spirit. Not hiding anything. Allowing my dark thoughts to arise and be exposed in His Light. This is related to the "Technique to end all techniques" audio post I recorded, which helped me through a morning of deep darkness I was stuck in recently...




Session 3 with David (Movie session)

For the third session of the retreat, David showed us the movie "Illusion", which I HIGHLY recommend if you haven't seen it (and if you have, you should watch it again)!
Here's a trailer...



This movie brought up some deep emotions for me, and it again brought me to the question I mentioned above... am I willing to disappear? Am I willing to let the movie of my life end? If not, why not? Am I identified with it? And if so, is that identification worth the cost of being unaware of my true Identity which it was made to replace?

Deep questions...

After the movie, David really emphasized the need to put our full focus on Enlightenment Now... to really go for it! To not hold back! To put our full heart into it! It really stirred my heart when he began talking this way, and I realized how much I needed to hear that. I've been so caught up in trying to be a good person, even a good "spiritual person" that I'd forgotten how deeply I want to transcend personhood all together!

Final Session with David and a panel of others

Okay, I took a lot of notes during this session, because my mind was just exploding with insights the whole time! Some of these notes were based on what David said, and others just came to me independent of what he said but were clearly related. I'll list them all and elaborate on some of them...

1. I don't have to figure anything out! Just trust and sink inwards beneath the thoughts in order to look at them. Nothing else to do...

2. Even making future plans is to make a bodily identity, and to make a bodily identity is to deny our True Identity. Future plans can still be made through me, but this is a very different kind of experience than making plans for the future to secure the body and it's paradigm. Personal planning is actually an attack on the Son of God, our true Identity.

3. Even to just be concerned about the future is to attack the Son of God.

4. Again... my purpose and function are IN THE MIND (not in the body).

5. Only the MIND is in need of salvation (not people). And it is salvaged ONLY through Peace. Peace requires that we listen to and follow only ONE Voice in our mind; the Voice of the Holy Spirit.

6. I am here to FORGIVE (and that is all)!

7. Love is content and not form of any kind. (this is a quote from the Course here (T-16.V.12.1)

8. Be like a turtle: just relax and go slow! Slow and steady is the way to return to God.

9. And finally, my favorite: If I'm not clear on what to do next, it's probably best to do nothing until I am. There's nothing that I need to do, for doing is never a cause in and of itself. It is always merely an effect of my purpose in mind, and it doesn't have any effects of its own (doing is never causative). My willingness to look within is ALL that is ever required, and all the appearances of "helpful doings" will merely arise out of this willingness automatically.


Summary

Overall, I feel like this retreat helped me open to a deeper experience of the metaphysical teachings Jesus has offered us in the Course; the dream-like nature of this world, the fact that it's all MIND, and that our little willingness to look at everything with Spirit is all that He's asking of us.

The turtle analogy has been coming in very strongly as well; to just relax and allow myself to go as slow as I need to feel steady and relaxed throughout. Of course, there are times when the Spirit will move through us very quickly in order to reduce the pain and fear (like pulling a band-aid off quickly instead of a torturous peeling), but this is under Christ's control and not our own. Willingness, again, is the only contribution we can make to His overall Plan.

And thank God! For if willingness is our only contribution, well then, our only job in each moment becomes to see how we are unwilling and to look at the underlying fears. Probably my favorite "technique" for transcending fear, which I've used and talked about many times over the years, is to ask myself, "What specifically am I afraid of right now?" I've found that just becoming aware of what I'm specifically afraid of and then asking Jesus for help with it brings me to a feeling of ultimate release.

So thanks so much for reading this and hopefully you got a few "nuggets" out of these notes. Keep in mind that these kind of online retreats are currently happening on the first weekend of every month, and the value they offer is truly priceless! Next month's theme will be "The Forgiven World" and you can learn about it (and other upcoming events) by clicking here. ❤️



Much love,
Erik


Sunday, November 3, 2019

Traveling on Faith

Over the past 10 years, I've often been guided to travel on faith to share music, love, and the teachings of Jesus in A Course in Miracles. Each travel adventure has been instrumental in taking me deeper into the experience that Jesus promises us in the Course:

"Once you accept His plan as the one function that you would fulfill, there will be nothing else the Holy Spirit will not arrange for you without your effort. He will go before you making straight your path, and leaving in your way no stones to trip on, and no obstacles to bar your way. Nothing you need will be denied you. Not one seeming difficulty but will melt away before you reach it. You need take thought for nothing, careless of everything except the only purpose that you would fulfill. As that was given you, so will its fulfillment be. 10 God's guarantee will hold against all obstacles, for it rests on certainty and not contingency. It rests on you. And what can be more certain than a Son of God?" 
~A Course in Miracles (T-20.IV.8.4-12)

These travel phases seem to be interspersed by periods of deep rest and/or devotion to service in my spiritual community. Whether traveling, sinking into stillness, or collaborating on projects with other devoted brothers and sisters, the purpose remains the same: Awakening. Through it all, I can feel Jesus lovingly guiding me deeper and deeper into the experience of Eternal Peace that he discovered himself, that he may extend that experience through me. Here's an interview I did in which I shared more about my experience of this (please forgive the video issues that occur)...




As I write this blog (November 3, 2019), I'm getting ready for another travel phase that will take me from the Peace House (one of our community centers) in Cincinnati to wherever Spirit guides. This typically occurs through invitations from others who feel a Calling to join me in this purpose by hosting me for a gathering in their home or a local venue. I've posted many of these gatherings online here for anyone to freely listen to.

Once the details of this upcoming travel phase (and where I'll be going) becomes clear and invitations start coming in, I'll be posting all the details on this Event page. If you'd like to receive updates by email, simply subscribe to this blog (in the upper-right) as I'll be posting each new gathering that gets scheduled (you can always unsubscribe later). You can also subscribe to my regular mailing list here and let me know in the comments section of any inspirations you have to connect!

And if you're interested in the possibility of hosting a gathering with me yourself, you can send me an email at erik@livingmiracles.org. I'll then be happy to join with you over the phone and pray into the possibilities. 💖💖💖

With love,
Erik

P.S. If you'd like to go deeper into the teachings of Jesus in A Course in Miracles, you can find many online resources I've shared over the years, and you can also check out the much larger body of resources that have been shared by my long-time teacher and friend David Hoffmeister. To me, David is like a modern-day Jesus. He has been a huge inspiration and blessing to thousands whose lives have been touched by his, and his teachings are crystal clear, down-to-earth, and uncompromisingly joyful!



Going from Newtonian Relationships into Quantum

David​ was on FIRE during the final session of this weekends' online retreat! In this short clip I filmed he's talking about Isaac Newton, and how we need to make the leap from Newtonian science into Quantum science... especially in regard to our relationships! 🤩

Thank you so much to David, Frances, Svava, Greg, Jeffrey, and everyone who participated in this online retreat and everyone behind the scenes! It was a profound deepening for me, and came at a perfect time when I'm starting to shift gears and open up to Spirit-guided world travels (reach out to me at erik@livingmiracles.org if you're interested in hosting a gathering). Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 💗💗💗

I'm soon going to be sharing all my Notes from this retreat and the insights I'm SO grateful to have received this weekend. I'll share them here on Facebook, but if you want to receive them for sure, you can subscribe to this blog with your email address (find the subscribe box to the upper-right). This is also where I'll be posting my upcoming tour dates and details as they become clear. 🙏😍😘





P.S. You can get info on next months' online retreat "The Forgiven World" here: livingmiracles.org/events

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Fear to Look Within / Till I Find

I wrote this song about a year ago during a time when I was finding it quite hard to sit still and just meditate (which I used to be quite GOOD at)! I was in a 10-day hermitage at the time, in a trailer at the Living Miracles Monastery in Utah, praying into what I would be doing next. After a few days had passed, I got somewhat frustrated with my lack of focus and decided I needed to be more vigilant with my mind. This song came out of that experience... it's called "Till I Find". (I've also shared some ideas from Course in Miracles that relate to this—read below). 💗


Awakening is a collaborative venture, and it takes a lot of trust to face the obstacles that inevitably arise. I feel like everyday is a huge adventure in going inward and looking... just looking... that's all we're really being asked to do. It seems difficult because we are afraid—terrified actually—of what we will see. We have believed the ego's lies which tell us that we are sinful, shameful, evil and ugly. And now the Holy Spirit is saying, "No, you're none of those things. In fact, you are 100% Holy, and you've never done anything wrong. It was all just a bad dream. But you'll never believe me unless you're willing to LOOK at what you believe about yourself. And if you look with me, you'll feel safe, and you'll be relieved to see that you were wrong."

Here's a song I wrote about my desire to look within and be vigilant with my mind in this regard. It's called "Till I Find". I invite you to join me in looking and resting within, with the help of our mutual Spiritual Comforter. Allow the fear to arise, but don't let it stop you from looking within, for this is the only way to be free of it. ❤

"The search for truth is but the honest searching out of everything that interferes with truth. Truth is. It can neither be lost nor sought nor found. It is there, wherever you are, being within you. Yet it can be recognized or unrecognized, real or false to you. If you hide it, it becomes unreal to you because you hid it and surrounded it with fear. Under each cornerstone of fear on which you have erected your insane system of belief, the truth lies hidden. Yet you cannot know this, for by hiding truth in fear, you see no reason to believe that the more you look at fear the less you see it, and the clearer what it conceals becomes." (ACIM, T-14.VII.2)

Upcoming Living Miracles events to support this inward journey of looking with the Holy Spirit: livingmiracles.org/events
--

You can freely download a recording of this song here:
https://erikarchbold.bandcamp.com/track/till-i-find-live-on-spiri-tv-february-1-2019

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Technique to End All Techniques

I often wake up in the morning feeling a bit "off", and there's usually a feeling of fear that comes up about becoming disfunctional as a result. Like, "What's wrong with me? What if I can't get going into my day?" The ego's first reaction is to try to fix myself, but this morning I had an insight that brought me back to peace. You could say it's a "technique to end all techniques".

Here's a short recording I made to share what was coming to me...


Sunday, October 27, 2019

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Forgive, Listen, Follow...

This little diagram was made by a friend who was at the "Into the Kingdom" retreat in Holland earlier this month, and I LOVE it!!!  ❤️❤️❤️ It describes my practice of A Course in Miracles perfectly! 

This is what he wrote:

I made this diagram to remind myself of one the core lessons I took from the retreat: If we listen to guidance, follow it, and forgive whatever comes up, we can unwind our mind in the present moment. 
We don't need to do anything else. 
This goes in a loop: If we feel that we cannot listen clearly, we can forgive to help clear our mind. Then listen, follow, forgive, and listen again, over and over, until we are all the way back home. 
Feel free to use this if it is helpful to you.
Much Love 💛”

So helpful indeed.  ❤️❤️❤️

This retreat in Holland was the largest event ever put on by Living Miracles (about 200 people I heard), and by a strong popular demand, there will definitely be another one put on next year in October 2020.  The website is now officially open for early-bird discount registration at intothekingdomretreat.com

And if you'd like to enjoy the fruits of this last retreat, you can listen to the whole thing for free on David’s Spreaker channel! Here’s the link to the opening welcome session

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Importance of Love and Passion in Awakening

My experience with the practical application of A Course in Miracles—with following the Holy Spirit's specific guidance in my life—is that it only works when I'm feeling a strong love and passion for what I'm being Called to do. Otherwise, the ego's resistance just takes over and wins the day. But when I feel super inspired and in love with what I'm being guided to do—at least at the beginning—then that inspiration and love will carry me through even the most difficult challenges.

I love this video sharing below from my friend Diana, because she shares a story of an American ballet dancer who was so passionate about dancing that she moved to Moscow to join a Russian ballet company whom she felt matched her level of passion. But when she started training with the company, she realized that the Russian ballet instructors are much more "harsh" and firm than what she'd grown accustomed to in America. In Russia, they will train the dancers by  "hitting" them on their arms or legs during ballet poses in order to train/correct the muscles, whereas in America, ballet instructors are not even allowed to touch their students!

Of course, the ego can point the finger and say that the Russian instructors are too harsh (or that American instructors are too soft), but in truth, it's just a matter of perspective.  To this young woman however, it definitely felt like military boot camp, and she wondered how much of this "abuse" she could tolerate.

But when she looked deep within, she remembered the love and passion that drew her to this company to begin with. She remembered her original passion and purpose for joining the Russian company, and this gave her the strength and willingness to stick with it, as challenging and extreme as it felt. And when she finally committed to it, she actually began to feel nothing but love, gratitude, and appreciation for what she had previously judged as "intolerable"; for it was this that had served powerfully to expand her comfort zone and make her a much better dancer in the end.

This is what Spirit is trying to do for us all: expand our comfort zone. To get us out of our little boxes. To get us to go beyond what we thought was possible or what we thought we could handle, and show us that we have NO IDEA how strong we are or how much we could handle! In truth we are limitless, but Spirit needs to guide us to this realization through many, many, MANY experiences that will gradually expand us beyond our fixed belief in lack.

But again, the main point of Diana's story is that a strong feeling of love  and passion needs to be there first. We need to be guided by love, by our inspiration, by our commitment to something higher than just "fitting in" or getting the next paycheck. We need to be courageous enough to dip down within and ask for guidance from our Source, Who loves us unconditionally and wants ONLY for us to be supremely happy! 

So check out Diana's video if you're interested, and I also recommend you join us for next month's online retreat, "Purpose is the Only Choice" (see link below). Powerful stuff I tell you!!! 😃😃😃

💖https://circle.livingmiraclescenter.org/purpose_is_the_only_choice 💖



Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Advaita and A Course in Miracles

Beautiful interview on the topics of non-dual teachings like Advaita and A Course in Miracles. Subtopics include: God, the ego, time, Enlightenment, the improper use of denial, the "advaita shuffle", and even sex! 😍 Enjoy... (just click the link below)

David Hoffmeister Interview in Holland by Patrick Kicken - Advaita & ACIM

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Script is Written = Purpose is the Only Choice


Like so many other ACIM students, I've tried very hard to understand the line in the Workbook that says, "The script is written." I've spent years creating mental models that would help me understand and explain this concept to others, and yet there's never been a sense of real satisfaction with it. There's always been an underlying frustration; a subtle feeling that no matter how "perfectly" I think I "understand" it, I'm still not at peace.

Starting at 1:05:18 of this talk by David Hoffmeister, a young woman asks a question about "the script is written", and David gives the best answer I've ever heard. It is one I think I'm finally able to accept 100%, because in essence it points to the ultimate answer: Purpose is the only choice.




Purpose is the only choice means that in truth, I do not really have any choice about what to do, what time to go to bed, what to eat, who to spend time with, or even what spiritual path to study. My only choice is one of Purpose, and relaxing into this realization undoes all guilt and brings the remembrance of Divine innocence.

A Course in Miracles says that my only responsibility is to accept the Atonement for myself. I am not responsible for anything in the script, for the script is over, it cannot be changed, and was only a dream to begin with. The script includes what we would call the past and what we would call the future, both of which are in the past (we could call them the past-past, and the future-past). Being over and done and in the past, there is no point in trying to control the script.  That is why Jesus in the Course says, "seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world." Since the world and the script are synonymous, we could also read that line as saying, "seek not to change the script, but choose to change your mind about the script."

How do I change my mind about the script? By choosing to follow the Holy Spirit's Purpose of awakening, forgiveness, and love instead of the ego's purpose of judgment, blame, and guilt. What this means being willing to let my judgments be replaced by the Holy Spirit's Perspective on everything that seems to occur in it. Practically speaking, this means putting all my focus on asking for His guidance with everything I seem to be dealing with in the script (as opposed to trying to figure things out on my own). By following His guidance, miracles occur which show me that I was mistaken about what I believed. For example, when Spirit tells me to do one thing when I'm "convinced" I should do another thing, but then I follow Him and something amazing occurs as a result—this is a miracle! And miracles undo my fixed perspectives and opinions little by little (or sometimes a lot by a lot!) and open my mind towards the realization that what I believed was not actually true.   

Here's a beautiful passage that points to the experience of releasing the attempt to change or control the script:

"Release the future. For the past is gone, and what is present, freed from its bequest of grief and misery, of pain and loss, becomes the instant in which time escapes the bondage of illusions where it runs its pitiless, inevitable course. Then is each instant which was slave to time transformed into a holy instant, when the light that was kept hidden in God's Son is freed to bless the world. Now is he free, and all his glory shines upon a world made free with him, to share his holiness." (W-pI.194.5)

And this is the realization to where it all leads:

"In the ultimate sense, reincarnation is impossible. There is no past or future, and the idea of birth into a body has no meaning either once or many times." (M-24.1.1,2)

In other words, we've never really incarnated in the first place, and so we're not really here (it's just a dream).

"How else can you find joy in a joyless place except by realizing that you are not there? You cannot be anywhere God did not put you, and God created you as part of Him." (T-6.II.6.1,2)

But this is quite high, and so again, it comes back to practicality. How DO I come to the realization that I'm not really here in the world, have never really incarnated in the first place, and am simply having a dream of separation?

Here is the answer:

"The curriculum is highly individualized, and all aspects are under the Holy Spirit's particular care and guidance. Ask and He will answer. The responsibility is His, and He alone is fit to assume it. To do so is His function.  To refer the questions to Him is yours. Would you want to be responsible for decisions about which you understand so little? Be glad you have a Teacher Who cannot make a mistake. His answers are always right. Would you say that of yours?

"There is another advantage,—and a very important one,—in referring decisions to the Holy Spirit with increasing frequency. Perhaps you have not thought of this aspect, but its centrality is obvious. To follow the Holy Spirit's guidance is to let yourself be absolved of guilt. It is the essence of the Atonement. It is the core of the curriculum. The imagined usurping of functions not your own is the basis of fear. The whole world you see reflects the illusion that you have done so, making fear inevitable. To return the function to the One to Whom it belongs is thus the escape from fear. And it is this that lets the memory of love return to you. Do not, then, think that following the Holy Spirit's guidance is necessary merely because of your own inadequacies. It is the way out of hell for you." (M-29.2-3)

So, so practical. Thank you Jesus.

If you'd like to go deeper into how to live this way without exception (and thus experience the peace seen in the man's face below), I invite you to join us each month for the Awakening from the Dream series of online retreats. They are a powerful way to learn from other mighty companions who have devoted their life to Awakening.

This next month's topic (November 2019) will be "Purpose is the only choice". You can watch the video below to learn more, or go directly to the event page. Alternatively, you can see a list of all upcoming events offered by the Living Miracles community here.


Love you,
Erik

Monday, September 30, 2019

Sing Street!—Inspired Movie for Awakening

I just watched this movie "Sing Street" (my second time) seeing it, and all I can say is, "Mmmmmmm... SO good." My favorite parts in the movie are the following:

1. When he finally stands up to the bully and ends with the line, "You only have the power to stop things. But not to create." For those of you who study ACIM, this is quite a profound couple of statements. As a mind identified with the ego, we cannot actually create. All we can do is stop projecting.

2. The scene when the girl comes back from London all disillusioned, and he's talking to her in the park. She starts going into victimhood and projecting a pretty dismal meaning onto "what her life has come to", including the projection onto him as just being a "15 year old schoolboy". Instead of trying to argue with her, he just gets up but without any anger at all and says, "I gotta go now... I've got a gig to rehearse for." She tries to pull him back with, "Well tell me about that." And he simply says "No" and walks away.

To me, this is an incredible example of how to practice True Empathy as the Course teaches. You don't buy into your brother's illusions and then try to talk them out of it if they're not asking. You simply overlook the ego in your brother and continue following your Inspiration. This teaches by example.

There's so many other scenes that really stirred my heart, but I'll leave it to you discover them for yourself (it's got some really great music as well)!

(And here's a full talk David Hoffmeister once gave on this movie you might find helpful as well:

Sing Street: Song of Awakening—Movie Talk by David Hoffmeister

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Dreamer of the Dream

An incredibly deep talk on the importance of accepting that I am the "dreamer of the world of dreams. No other cause it has, nor ever will. Nothing more fearful than an idle dream has terrified God's Son, and made him think that he has lost his innocence, denied his Father, and made war upon himself. So fearful is the dream, so seeming real, he could not waken to reality without the sweat of terror and a scream of mortal fear, unless a gentler dream preceded his awaking, and allowed his calmer mind to welcome, not to fear, the Voice that calls with love to waken him; a gentler dream, in which his suffering was healed and where his brother was his friend. God willed he waken gently and with joy, and gave him means to waken without fear." (A Course in Miracles, T-27.VII.13)


Listen to "The Dreamer of the dream Perspective IS Forgiveness" on Spreaker.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Seek first the Kingdom...

"Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven, and all else will be added onto you." (Matthew 6:33)

I never cared much for this statement from the Bible, as it never felt practical to me. But then when my career started feeling empty and lifeless back in 2009, I discovered another statement in "A Course in Miracles" that was saying something similar:

"Once you accept His plan as the one function that you would fulfill, there will be nothing else the Holy Spirit will not arrange for you without your effort. He will go before you making straight your path, and leaving in your way no stones to trip on, and no obstacles to bar your way. Nothing you need will be denied you. Not one seeming difficulty but will melt away before you reach it. You need take thought for nothing, careless of everything except the only purpose that you would fulfill." (ACIM - T-20.IV.8.4-8)

It was then I began to feel some hope! Could it truly be that all I need to focus on is the Holy Spirit within and asking to be given His Plan for me? And if I do this, everything I seem to need in terms of money, relationships, etc. will come to me without effort?

In the past 10 years of giving my full heart over to this principle, I've discovered it to be absolutely true, and oh so practical. And it is all about Giving in the true sense. Not trying to be a good person, but about Giving my life over to the Spirit of Love and letting it be in charge of me. In this state of humbleness, I am then not the "master of my own destiny", but more like the puppet being controlled by the true Master of Destiny... the One Who Knows exactly what will be most joyful and productive and loving in each and every moment for everyone. Being aligned with this true Master within is the secret to a truly happy life, and I've discovered that is all that God truly wants for us to have: a Happy Life. 🙂

Learn more about the upcoming "The Gift of Giving" online retreat.