Here we are. The last lesson. Lesson 365. This concludes one year.

We did it!!!!!!!

Congratulations!

It is accomplished. The human idea of time and space is to continue to sequence: to start fresh in the new year 2010, to make changes, to make resolutions, to try to get it right this time, to do things better, to make improvements.

But it’s accomplished! You did it. We did it. Jesus did it for us.

It’s finished. There are no more need for lessons now.

This world was over a long time ago.

Gurdjieff says an interesting thing (in the 1920s). Someone was questioning him why some people seem to have no problem manifesting and with abundance while others continue to struggle. Sounds like the question people raise with “The Secret.” How come some people have miracles happening all the time while others can’t seem to make it anything at all happen.

For very simple reasons:

a. they don’t really want it
b. if they don’t use the power that it is given to them, then it is wasted and those that do want that power can now take it for themselves since it is not being used.

It’s like if you walk into a room and you see everyone slouched in a chair, confused, tired, bored, lonely … there is a lot of wasted energy in that room!! You can take it for yourself. When you do this you will become instantly vibrant and energized. I am sure you have been in situations like this where there are 1-2 individuals in a room that are filled with light and joy and happiness, overflowing with enthusiasm and energy while everyone else seems depressed. That’s because they know the secret! They are using all that wasted energy.

What energy you don’t use, others who want it are free to take it and use it for themselves. This is the reason there seems like there is only a handful of elite individuals who seem tapped into “The Secret”.

Being able to awaken and work consciously on oneself requires energy.

The best “resolution” is God Dependency – to become consciously happy, to become aware from now on that every single moment you have the power to choose the way you feel. It’s no secret.

A lot of people are “waiting” for something to happen, waiting for new energy to energize them, waiting for new things to occur, waiting to be happy, waiting for a miracle …. which is hilarious when know the truth because that love & energy is available for you to use right in this very second. You can just grab it and use it.

When you start bringing in new energies it disrupts old habits and this can be very fearful. Most people have a tendency to contract when this begins to occur and this will result in you feeling tired, angry, or frustrated. It’s energies being mixed up.

The awakened state stimulates energy, and starts shaking out old energy. This typically causes anxiety and discomfort and the tendency is always to try to restore balance by going back to the old habits, and familiar comfort zone.

But this is just delay. The energy then settles back down – like dust that settles when you stop kicking it around – and you will find yourself even more uncomfortable than before the whole process started.

But that’s old boring business – I cannot imagine delay interests anyone anymore. We know that cycle. It’s old and worn and boring and leads no where. There is work to do and we have been long delayed. This year shall begin in freedom and joy.

Here’s Jesus of Nazareth talking to you:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

I love you.

I read something from Deepak Chopra’s book “The Third Jesus” that I would like to share with you:

“It’s impossible to quantify if you are on the spiritual path or how far along it you may be. But progress is always marked by transformation. The path isn’t about feeling better. It’s not about knowing who you are, or ending your suffering, or finding peace, or healing your deepest wounds. It’s about a transformation so profound that illusion is traded for reality. Jesus survives to this day as a force in the world because he embodied that truth completely. As we are headed for God-consciousness, our own transformation cannot stop halfway; we can’t settle for a better life or even the best life, for a glimpse of God, or even for God as a daily companion. The state of God-consciousness represents a leap in human development that you and I must be prepared to make personally. The middle of the path brings us to the leaping-off point. The end of the journey will look nothing like the world we took the leap from.”

“What will it feel like to finally arrive in God-consciousness? Anyone traveling the spiritual path will naturally ask this question. The middle of the journey isn’t the same as the destination.”

I repeat:

“The middle of the journey isn’t the same as the destination.”

“The mixture of old and new self must eventually resolve into a completely new self. Sin will no longer exist. God’s grace will be abundant, and his presence will guide our every action.”

That’s Deepak Chopra. Amazing, right?

So, if you feel that you are in the middle of the journey, still not quite there yet, all I can say is: Increase your efforts. Give more of yourself. Keep Going. Don’t give up. The middle of the journey is NOT the same as the destination. In one stroke of brilliant light, you will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. You will not get a continuation of small miracles and minor transformation (which is what the middle of the journey offers), but in one sudden motion, you will be entirely brand new. That’s the destination.

I love this little exchange with Don Juan & Carlos Castaneda:

“You have never taken responsibility for being in this unfathomable world,” Don Juan said in an indicting tone. “Therefore, you were never an artist, and perhaps you’ll never be a hunter,” he said.
“This is my best, don Juan.”
“No. You don’t know what your best is.”
“I’m doing all I can.”
“You’re wrong again. You can do better. There is one simple thing wrong with you – you think you have plenty of time.”
He paused and looked at me as if he was waiting for my reaction.
“You think you have plenty of time,” he repeated.
“Plenty of time for what, don Juan?”
“You think your life is going to last forever.”
“No, I don’t”

“Then, if you don’t think your life is going to last forever, what are you waiting for? Why the hesitation to change?” Don Juan asked.

It is no accident that I am supposed to practice this lesson for 5 straight days in a row. It was designed this way – not because of laziness in the final stretch – but rather because this lesson needs to be reinforced so I learn it. Amazing.

Total God Dependency from this moment on.

THY WILL BE DONE.

I forget all my little plans for safety, and now I follow His Plan for all the rest of the days of my life, forever and forever. Certain this His direction gives me peace.

I belong to God. I have no life but His.

BE YOU IN CHARGE. FOR I WOULD FOLLOW YOU.
CERTAIN THAT YOUR DIRECTION GIVES ME PEACE.

yes, yes, yes!

These are the final lessons. We are in our final days.

“Our final lessons will be left as free of words as possible. We use them but at the beginning of our practicing, and only to remind us that we seek to go beyond them. Let us turn to Him Who leads the way, and makes our footsteps sure.”

I love this:

“For we would not return again to the belief in sin that made the world seem ugly and unsafe, attacking and destroying, dangerous in all ways, and treacherous beyond the hope of trust and the escape from pain.”

I love it.

Yes.

Following God’s Plan is the ONLY THING that will give you consistent peace. It is the ONLY THING. Nothing else will give you peace. Nothing. You can try as many things as you like – new relationship, new job, more money, moving to a new location, changing your body, losing weight, changing your hair color, redecorating your house, taking a vacation – do as many things as you like. I’m telling you. Following Jesus will make you CONSISTENTLY happy.

It’s quite amazing.

If you are not consistently happy, then you must be following your own will.

Because when you follow God’s Will, you will be happy all the time.

Guaranteed.

No exceptions.

Don’t believe me?????? Try it. See for yourself.

I love you, my friend.

God’s Will for you is perfect happiness.

Oh my God. We did it. There’s the finish line. One whole year. Ha!

This holy instant would I give to You.
Be You in charge. For I would follow You,
Certain that Your direction gives me peace.

There is nothing left to do but share in the celebration.

From A Course in Miracles:

We are forgiven now. We are restored to sanity, in which we understand that anger is insane, attack is mad, and vengeance merely foolish fantasy.

His is the only way to find the peace that God has given us. It is His way that everyone must travel in the end, because it is this ending God Himself appointed. In the dream of time it seems to be a far off. And yet, in truth, it is already here; already serving us as gracious guidance in the way to go.

Let us together follow in the way that truth points out to us.

And let us be the leaders of our many brothers who are seeking the way, but find it not.

And to this purpose we dedicate our minds, directing all our thoughts to serve the function of salvation. Unto us the aim is given to forgive the world. It is the goal God has given us.

It is the goal God has given us.

God has given me a goal. To forgive the world.

It is His ending to the dream we seek, and not our own. For all that we forgive we will not fail to recognize as part of God Himself. And thus His memory is given back, completely and complete.

Father, it is Your peace that I would give, receiving it of You. I am Your Son, forever just as You created me, for the Great Rays remain forever still and undisturbed within me.

I read something interesting in Carlos Castaneda’s book “Journey’s to Ixtlan” that I would like to share with you.

Don Juan says that this moment may very well be your last moment. Your death is stalking you. He, your death, is standing behind you on your left side, within arm’s reach and you never know when he is going to tap you on the shoulder and take you. This is not to be feared because in truth there is no death. But here in time & space, no form lasts and death is your wisest companion and you should become best friends with him.

When you know your death is stalking you, then you will change.

Here is an exchange between Carlos Castaneda and Don Juan:

“You have never taken responsibility for being in this unfathomable world,” he said in an indicting tone. “Therefore, you were never an artist, and perhaps you’ll never be a hunter,” said Don Juan.
“This is my best, don Juan.”
“No. You don’t know what your best is.”
“I’m doing all I can.”
“You’re wrong again. You can do better. There is one simple thing wrong with you – you think you have plenty of time.”
He paused and looked at me as if he was waiting for my reaction.
“You think you have plenty of time,” he repeated.
“Plenty of time for what, don Juan?”
“You think your life is going to last forever.”
“No, I don’t”

“Then, if you don’t think your life is going to last forever, what are you waiting for? Why the hesitation to change?” Don Juan asked.
“Has it ever occurred to you, don Juan, that I may not want to change?”
“Yes, it has occurred to me. I did not want to change either, just like you. However, I didn’t like my life; I was tired of it, just like you. Now I don’t have enough of it.”
I vehemently asserted that his insistence about changing my life was frightening and arbitrary. I said that I really agreed with him at a certain level, but the mere fact that he was always the master that called the shots made the situation untenable for me.
“You don’t have time for this display, you fool,” he said in a severe tone. “This, whatever you’re doing now, may be just your last battle on earth. It may very well be your last battle. There is no power which could guarantee that you are going to live one more minute.”
“I know that,” I said with contained anger.
“No. You don’t. If you knew that you would be a hunter.”
I contended that I was aware of my impending death but it was useless to talk or think about it, since I could not do anything to avoid it. Don Juan laughed and said I was like a comedian going mechanically through a routine.
“If this were your last battle on earth, I would say that you are an idiot,” he said calmly. “You are wasting your last act on earth in some stupid mood.”
We were quiet for a moment. My thoughts ran rampant. He was right, of course.
“You have no time, my friend, no time. None of us have time,” he said.
“I agree, don Juan, but -”
“Don’t just agree with me,” he snapped. “You must instead of agreeing so easily, act upon it. Take the challenge. Change.”
“Just like that??”
“That’s right. The change I’m talking about never takes place by degrees: it happens suddenly. And you are not preparing yourself for that sudden act that will bring about a total change.”
I believed he was expressing a contradiction. I explained to him that if I were preparing myself to change I was certainly changing by degrees.”
“You haven’t changed at all,” he said. “That is why you believe you’re changing little by little. Yet, perhaps you will surprise yourself someday by changing suddenly and without a single warning. I know this is so, and thus I don’t lose sight of my interest in convincing you.”

And how is this like A Course in Miracles?

Because you cannot change in degrees to be the holy Son of God. You cannot change little by little. It either happens entirely OR not at all.

It happens suddenly and swiftly and in one moment. Because I know this is true, I don’t lose sight of my interest in convincing you.

I always thought I was changing bit by bit, until one day I changed entirely. BUT I WAS WRONG!! It didn’t happen in degrees. It happened suddenly, in one holy instant when I LET GOD BE GOD and all my old habits fell away and from that single moment on, I thought differently about everyone and everything.

TOTAL TRANSFER.

Brand new. Born again.

The change that is being offered by Jesus is not self-help. It is not gradual. You will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, absolutely, and forever. You will not be changed a little. You will be changed entirely or not at all.

If this complete reversal has not yet occurred for you, I ask you to please stop trying to change yourself a little, and “prepare yourself for the sudden act that will bring a total change.”

Either you will be changed entirely or you are not changing at all.

How do you allow this change to occur? Let this be your very last moment. Know that your death is stalking you. This moment, this one right now, may very well be your last act on earth.

“There is no guarantee that you are going to live one more minute.”

I don’t know about you, but this makes me very happy. It makes me alive. With my death standing behind me at all times, I don’t waste my life in stupid emotions.

My impending death has brought me to life!

]]> http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/lesson-360/feed/ 0 lisanatoli http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/lesson-359/ http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/lesson-359/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:55:09 +0000 Lisa Natoli http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/lesson-359/ ]]> God’s answer is some form of peace.
All pain is healed; all misery replaced with joy.
All prison doors are opened. And all sin
Is understood as merely a mistake.

This says it all. God’s answer is some form of peace.

Now we can begin to see why “miracles” don’t take any time at all. Now you can begin to understand the simplicity and immediacy. Peace is immediate if you allow yourself to let down your defenses and to let down your idea of what the form of the miracle is supposed to look like.

If you can let go of your resistance, you will see that whatever you want has already been given to you, and miracle of all miracles: has always been with you.

God’s answer is some form of peace.

All pain is healed.
All misery replaced with joy.
All prison doors are opened.
And all sin is understood as merely a mistake.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joy and Freedom are Jesus’ gifts to you.

I love you.

]]> http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/lesson-359/feed/ 0 lisanatoli http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/lesson-358/ http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/lesson-358/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:42:02 +0000 Lisa Natoli http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/?p=878 ]]> No call to God can be unheard nor left unanswered.
And of this I can be sure;
His answer is the one I really want.

There is a saying that says God answers all prayers:

Sometimes He says Yes!
Sometimes He says No!
And sometimes He says YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!

And that’s today’s lesson: HIS ANSWER is the one I really want.

I’m not interested anymore in praying to live a more comfortable life on earth

His answer is the one I really want.

He knows what is needed for the whole plan of salvation. He knows the whole Plan and He knows my part in it. So it makes sense if I let go of my agenda and let Him lead, and I follow.

I will not stall and delay His Plan with my meaningless requests for a nicer time in a dream.
God knows what is needed. He knows the whole plan! And I trust Him.

I trust God. His answer is the one I really want.

“My Father, all I want is what You offer me, in just the form You choose that it be mine. Let me remember all that I do not know, and let my voice be still, remembering.”

Ha!

Let me remember all that I do not know, and let my voice be still, remembering.

In other words, let me not continue to pray/beg/plead in different words so I can get my way.

Let me surrender entirely to God’s Plan. His way is spectacular, magnificent and results in joy and freedom.

The choice is between MY WAY vs. GOD’S WAY.

I choose God’s Way.

One prayer is sufficient. He answered it already.

God answers all prayers.

“Father, let me not forget Your Love and care, keeping Your promise to Your Son in my awareness always. Let me not forget myself is nothing, but my Self is all.”

]]> http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/lesson-358/feed/ 0 lisanatoli http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/lesson-357/ http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/lesson-357/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:09:59 +0000 Lisa Natoli http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/?p=873 ]]> Truth answers every call we make to God,
Responding first with miracles, and then
Returning unto us to be itself

I didn’t sleep at all last night or the night before because of an overload of energy. It’s awesome. It’s like being on high voltages of happiness and electricity.

I finally must have fallen asleep around 4am and when I woke up this morning I had no link of memory to the past. It’s one thing to read this as a sentence in A Course in Miracles … it’s a whole other show to actually have it happen. HAHA. I love it. I completely forgot my usual routine.

I got up, didn’t take a shower, didn’t make coffee, forgot about blogging, didn’t even think about my computer, cellphone, or facebook. THANK YOU JESUS!!!! I came down the stairs, and there is my dad’s dog which is an American dingo. If you don’t know American dingo, they are wild dogs – like pack dogs. We are talking ROCK THE HOUSE. THANK YOU FATHER!!! These dogs are awesome. My dad has one. They are BORN TO BE WILD, BORN TO BE FREE.

I fall madly in love with people and animals who demonstrate freedom. Anything that is too calm or domestic does not interest me at all. HAHA. I like wild. I like unpredictable.

This dog – Sophia – loves me. She loses her mind a little when I’m around. So we went for a long walk out in the deep snow. Talk about a priceless Christmas gift!!

Today’s lesson, if you haven’t noticed already, is a repeat of yesterday’s lesson. The miracle IS the call to God and this is the reason why truth answers EVERY call we make to God with miracles.

Truth answers every call we make to God,
Responding first with miracles, and then
Returning unto us to be itself

The miracle is noticing the total perfection of God in everything. That’s the miracle!!!!!

The miracle is not something that comes to you in the future. The miracle is seeing everything with new eyes, with Christ vision, and seeing the perfection of everyone and everything … just as it is now! That’s the miracle.

The miracle is the turning your attention toward God. It is about being with God, communing with him, being in that space, forgetting about your problems, and seeing the splendor in everything.

The miracle is being present in the now …. with … yes … no link of memory to the past. The miracle is what this moment is. Nothing needs to change.

In God consciousness, miracles happen naturally.

AND THEN … truth returns unto us to be itself.

See that? Part two. You call God up by turning to Him and truth answers every call you make by first responding with miracles (admit it, when you get quiet to talk with God you immediately feel relaxed and better, that’s a miracle) and then truth returns itself into your mind to be itself.

The whole thing is accomplished!

Don’t worry about anything. Be happy.

I love you.

]]> http://acimworkbook.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/lesson-357/feed/ 0 lisanatoli