“Come with me,” I say. “I’ve got enough love for the both of us.” She looks up at me, blinks, and then nods. It’s a start.
Sometimes, I have to go back to her. Sometimes, she needs my embrace. It’s been a while since I’ve embodied her fully, but I remember. I remember the basketweave of anxiety that went on inside our heads. I remember the lies we told ourselves, and how the bad stuff was just easier to believe.
So I reach out to her because she is me. They’re all me. And we need each other. She needs this latest version of us to show her the light existing just beyond that last hurtful thought. And I need her to remind me where I came from.
“We will be just fine,” I say. “It gets better.” And she wants to believe me. After all, as it says in A Course in Miracles, “Angels light the way so that all darkness vanishes, and you are standing in a light so bright and clear that you can understand all things you see.” (ACIM, W-131.13:2) And who doesn’t want this kind of clarity? Who doesn’t want to be held and hushed and loved in this way?
It’s okay to admit we get lost sometimes. It’s alright to acknowledge out loud that we need help. A turn inward is a divine call for assistance. And we do need help. One could argue it’s this whole business of going it alone that has led us so astray.
In the meantime, whenever my thoughts get mean and judgy, I try my best to breathe. I try to recall: “No one can fail who seeks to reach the truth” (ACIM, W-131). I go within, trusting angels. I turn inward, knowing all is well.
I know the above is different than what I usually share. It’s a tiny glimpse of what I try my best to practice throughout the day. Since 2010, I’ve been reading and practicing A Course in Miracles as part of my spiritual practice. Through this practice, I’ve met one of my best friends in the world: Corinne Zupko. Next month, I’ll be helping her host a retreat in St. Louis called Exploring the EDGES of A Course in Miracles.
Here is more about the retreat in Corinne’s words:
I would love to meet you IN PERSON this summer! On June 21st-23rd, 2024, I’ll be facilitating the ACIM St. Louis Weekend Retreat where we will be “Exploring the Edges of A Course in Miracles.”
Over the past few years some intense experiences have led to some intense spiritual openings. It has literally taken me a few years to get used to talking about what I’ve been learning, let alone teach about it.
I’m thrilled that I finally feel ready to share all that I’ve been learning about the “edges” of A Course in Miracles.
What are the “edges” of A Course in Miracles, you ask? Let me explain.
The “edges” are topics that the Course mentions but doesn’t fully explore. I’ve found these topics to be potent and powerful ways that we can enhance our study and practice of the Course and learn that we truly do not walk alone.
Here are a few of the areas we’ll be exploring during the retreat:
– PSYCHIC ABILITIES: There is a brief section on “psychic abilities” in the Manual for Teachers. We will explore “the clairs” in depth – clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience and claircognizance. These are channels of guidance (that we ALL have) through which the Holy Spirit speaks to us.
– ANGELS: A Course in Miracles clearly acknowledges the presence of angels. During our guided healings, we’ll work with angels and you’ll learn how to deepen your relationship with them.
– THE SOUL: We’ll explore references to the soul in A Course in Miracles. We will engage in practices so you can get to know your own soul, and you will learn how to maintain identification with your soul even while walking around in your day-to-day life.
– PAST LIVES: Past dream lives are another teaching on the “edge” of the Course and we’ll learn how past life work can assist us in changing our minds. And yes, we’ll do a guided healing in this area!
– SEEING THE BODY DIFFERENTLY: While the body is a topic in the Course, I’m bringing some body-related topics into the retreat that are outside of A Course in Miracles, with the intention of supporting and deepening our awareness that the body is not who we are. Rather than intellectually jumping to teachings like, “the body isn’t real,” we’re going to incorporate the body into our work in order to help us experientially come to know it is not who we are. Topics that will help us repurpose the body include grounding, the chakras, and the body’s energetic system.
– GUIDED HEALINGS: We will be engaging in A LOT of experiential practices. You won’t just be listening to me talk for 3 days. Instead, you’ll have many opportunities throughout the retreat to clear old energy from the body (because the body is in the mind), which includes releasing old imprints, old fears, and blocks to love.
You’ll leave this retreat feeling inspired, infused with light, and with actionable tools that you can use in your journey as a spiritual student.
This retreat is going to be unique, fun, and filled with opportunities to heal.
I SIMPLY CAN’T WAIT!
