Forgiveness - Lesson 4

1. Explain how you agree or disagree with the Course's view of true forgiveness. Give examples that support your thoughts.

I agree with the course point of view on forgiveness, that true forgiveness has been a gift of the highest degree ordained to us by God and that true forgiveness is something that is done for us as individuals, but by the mercy of God. Forgiveness is done through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. It has been misunderstood by people what forgiveness truly is and there are approaches that people take towards forgiveness which truly is more of an expression of arrogance or as said in the study "Self condemnation" being that it is "no different than condemnation of another ''. True forgiveness changes us, not the person in focus as true forgiveness is always self forgiveness. For example, a divorce occurs due to serious reasons such as abuse. Forgiving the abuser does not mean we take away from the act of harm or the danger of the person. It means we forgive the past actions taken so that we are no longer bonded by trauma, held by fear or in a vicious cycle of self-hatred which frequently occurs in such circumstances. 

2. Re-write one of your own prayers for forgiveness in light of the true forgiveness taught by the Course. Show the before and after examples here:
Dear Lord, Please help me feel peace in my heart. 

Allow me to see from a higher perspective my challenges.
Please heal my perception of the moment

Please let me feel I have found myself again.

Holy Spirit please speak to me, direct me, let me feel your guidance.

Help me to recalibrate from my consequences of the wrong decisions.

Dear Lord, please help me feel peace in my heart.

Allow me to see from a high perspective my challenge with Luke.

Please heal my perception of our argument.

Please let me feel I have found myself again as our fights have hurt me.

Holy Spirit, please speak to me, direct me, let me know what I should do.

Help me to recalibrate from our situation, the consequences of his hurtful words.

Dr. of Spirituality - Miracle of Prayer - Lesson 2

Prayer Exercise:

Dear God, creator of life and the essence of love. I pray for the restoration of My Mother's body to how you allowed her physical presentation in form to be created. With your healing love and ability to create, I thank you for resorting her body to health in form, with your love.

Dear God, beyond my physical senses I pray you have already started working on my comprehension of your love. This comprehension is now my comfort allowing me to know you more, to express my gratefulness and to extend the love that you have in me and for me. My world will change with this comprehension as all my perceptions will be opened with full view. No longer will my vision be of tunnel vision but an open view to illuminate what is dark. Your love through my eyes will be like a light beaming out. I will see what I couldn't see before, and with any shadows I will be able to cast light on that was an illusion of darkness. I pray to feel your work of love within me beginning now. I know it has already begun. Thank you God for hearing my prayer.

Dr. of Spirituality - Miracle of Prayer - Lesson 1

Prayer Exercise:

1. Describe the obstacles that are preventing you from recognizing Love's presence within you. 
2. Write an essay explaining how the concept that nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists might change what you ask for in prayer?
   
   - Open your eyes and write a one page description of what happened to you during this visualization. 
   
   
   

I personally find the obstacles to be words, tone of voice or actions in events that at times prevent me from seeing the love presence within me, not so much my expression of love to others but their expression of love towards me. That in turn often will influence my mood, perspective and frame of mind. For example, when and if I am bullied by a family member who will in action or other events show 'love' in a duty material form, is also hard to comprehend when you are insulted by words or behavior of the same person. Then this is my obstacle, as just one simple yet complex example of how obstacles may prevent me from recognizing the love presence within me. I do strongly believe that as we exist in form, we are challenged by what we do not see and also influenced by the immediate of what we do see, hear or feel. These types of influences can be extreme on either side of the spectrum of what is love or an obstacle towards recognizing it.

Nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists in the context of prayer, requires perspective. In our physical perception and spiritual knowing, we learn by some form of exposure. This exposure can come from the physical world or the spiritual. They are both real, in their existence and both are real because both have been experienced. They make their way into our perception and therefore we can take this a step further to perceive second hand experiences as reported by others. These continue the chain of perception to what is existing and real. What is real cannot be threatened as threat is fear and based on fear a threat is used to dominate and control. What is real cannot  be controlled for it simply exists and therefore the attempt to control through fear is the opposite of love, the opposite of God, the opposite of existence. Take this perspective into account, if something is unreal, it doesn't exist. That is not to say that being negative

 doesn't exist for it is the opposite of positive, which is seen as love vs. fear. Contrary it is a tool of manipulation used in the spiritual world and the skilled minds of the physical to, again, attempt to control, through fear, which is often mentioned to be seen as 'false evidence appearing real'. When we think about that, fear is unreal, and what is unreal cannot exist. We cannot pray for fear, we pray AGAINST fear. When we pray, we pray for something that is seen as love. 

During the visualization and taking myself to a place of past fear I could see clearly the guidance I did listen to as for removing me from danger. Was the danger real, yes, for it does exist. How can I see this form of love, perhaps, it is the love of a selfish nature of one being who can pose a danger towards the obsessive love or needs of another. Is love the correct word to describe this negative trait? No, it is not the correct word as the manifestation of this was is a twisted way. However, the clean and pure Godsent love was there, guiding me out of an escalating dangerous situation. What I saw when returning to this vision was the guidance, and that I knew how to listen and respond in my physical body at the time even though it was not in a physical word format. The love of God, my guardians and the love that surrounds me was protecting me. I listened and acted thow the sense of knowing. The love is always around me. This visualization provided evidence, we are never alone. Even when physically alone in this form. We are always with the love of God and spirit. Prayer strengthens how we communicate with god and spirt, though not the only way, it is an open door for directing a focused message and receiving one back.

Dr. of Spirituality - Miracle of Prayer - Introduction

Introduction commentary. I'm excited to embark on this journey in the Doctorate of spirituality, a miracle in prayer. I have felt through all my life, guided. When I have ignored the guidance I have had misfortune, even trauma. Through my fault of not listening. I found, prayer allows me to 'know' clearer, to 'hear' clearer in the spiritual sense and to just understand. I want to feel stronger in my prayer life, I want to 'know' the guided messages with more clarity and to be able to pass on this skill to my clients as their life coach. In my practice I am focused on health, fitness, wellness and spirituality (through Christian metaphysics). Yet, I feel this need and desire to strengthen my spiritual practice for myself first, in order to provide this for my coaching practice.

Lesson 2 God ,His Son, and You Assessment Answers

1.    Think about something for which you have been praying. Now write a prayer that prays from the perspective of your new understanding of what God, His Son and you really are

 

Father,

I have been under the illusion of reality of this world. I have not shown love toward others as you would have me.

I ask that everyday you place someone in my path that I can show kindness to and in showing kindness extend your love to them.

Help me to sow gentleness and in this gentleness, healing.

Help me to sow reconciliation and in this reconciliation, wholeness.

Help me to see that I am truly your son and in being your son, I can help others to be loved and made whole.

In Jesus Name

Amen

 

2.    Imagine the comfort you would feel if you were able to fully accept the fact that you are loved beyond measure. Think of the miracles that will occur in your life when you are able to accept the fullness of your complete worthiness. Write a prayer that asks for these conditions and a few paragraphs describing the way your world will change when receive that for which you have asked.

Robert Wade

Father,

I ask that you help my unbelief, help me to truly see myself as You see me. In seeing myself as you see me, help me to recognize that I am loved beyond measure.

 

I know that once I am able to accept this my world will change. I will be able to show love toward others in ways that I have not as yet been able to. I will truly be accepting and as my pledge to be open and affirming, I will be able to embody the ideal of open and affirming.

Others will be able to be reconciled to their God and the level of peace in the world will increase. As other achieve this level of love and peace they will share it with other as well. More and more will come to the love of God and realize that they are capable of being God's sons. We will be able to sit down and talk out differences as these differences will no longer be meaningful. 

--

Robert Wade, MM, LMSW

Founder, Therapist, Mindful Transformations Therapy Center

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Describe the obstacles that are preventing you from recognizing Love’s presence within you.

The obstacles that are impeding me from recognizing Love's presence are my own feelings of being unlovable. 

In my past I have experienced times of abuse, especially in the church. This has caused me to feel unlovable. 

I have to constantly remind myself that I am lovable and am loved. Through the use of affirmations and prayer I will open myself to Love's presence. 

Write an essay explaining how the concept that nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists might change what you ask for in prayer?

The concept of nothing real can be threatened or unreal exists is difficult for me to wrap my mind around. Especially in light of my feelings of being unlovable. In this essay I will explain how my past is affecting my present, how I am using my spiritual practices to open myself to Love's presence, and how since nothing is unreal, I can ask for anything in prayer and truly expect to receive it.

In my past I have experienced what can only be described as abuse from the people who I thought loved me as a friend and a family. When my deployments to Iraq ended, I discovered that my wife at that time had been allowing others to enter her life and she said she didn't love me anymore. 

After we decided to end the marriage, the pastor of the church I was working for pulled me aside after a chapel service and told me someone told him (he did not tell me who, they would never tell me who was my accusers were) that I needed to be careful because my Facebook page was hurting my testimony. I asked how but he would not tell me all he would say is to watch my testimony. This would be the pattern of their behavior. They would tell me that I was hurting by testimony and then had nothing to back it up. Instead of attempting to help me spiritually, the pastor attacked me every chance he got. I do not think he had a vendetta; he wanted to force me to quit so he would not have a divorced person on his staff. 

He also stated that my first wife had said that I had cheated on her in Iraq and that was the reason for the divorce. I called her right there while he was standing there to confront her, and she denied saying it. Looking back, I would say he was lying to get me to "confess." 

I decided that if they were not going to be helpful in my time of need, I would leave the church and hopefully find another, more loving church. During this time, the pastor and school principal left. The one is who took over responsibility for the church and school also did nothing to reach out to see if I needed any help. It was also during this time that I realized that they did not reach out to my first wife to help while I was gone. I felt let down in all areas. 

To add insult to injury, the ones who hurt me just moved on to other churches. They were getting to continue in the ministry, and I was left by the wayside. This added to my suffering and feelings of being unlovable. 

I have fought these feelings for many years and after finding someone who supports me no matter what happens. I find I have a difficult time with love. 

After completing the first lesson, I know there is a path to feel Love's presence. That love is a presence and not a feeling. My current spiritual practices of meditative prayer, reading spiritual books, and Solitude I am opening myself to Love's presence. 

If nothing is unreal then, I feel, these practices can allow me to be open to feeling Love's presence in my life daily. And love is the expression of the spiritual freedom. This freedom will allow me to ask for anything and know that God, and The Universe will grant my desires. It opens me to truly help those that are in need.

Love's presence within and without is what binds us all together. We are all one thing expressing itself in an infinite variety of ways. By feeling Love's presence, I am able to truly help those in need.

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