Happy Sunday!

Ahhhhhh!

I’m taking a moment to breath and get centered. Motivation to blog is coming back and I’ve had some really great insights and synchronicities happening lately. I’m here so let’s get on with it.

Tech stuff.

First, just an update on where I am within myself and with this blog. The website provider had technical issues for more than six months and lost a few of my posts from February 2021 so there are a few recently restored. This is why some posts have dates that are out is of sync with their title dates.

For me, the technical difficulties seem reflective of where I was in 2021 – poorly functioning (basically unmotivated to write and a bit depressed.). Therefore, the timing seems perfect that the improved technology functionality is in line with my energies.

Also happy about my blog URL uses my author name of triciabatessmith.com.

ACIM

I feel proud that I got through a difficult period and managed to keep my focus on growing in Love and connection to spirit. To assist myself with having some weekly structure, I took 2 online courses with Caroline Myss and Robert Holden. One was on the enneagram and the other for Advent. I loved Robert’s perspective on things as well as his use of art, music, and literature to support the lessons. When he announced the year-long course that he and his wife offer following the Workbook from A Course in Miracles, I felt good about going back to study ACIM. Having a community to share the learning with was a big motivation to sign up. Everyday Miracles is the name of the course; it got underway on January 1^st.

The Everyday Miracles Facebook community has been wonderful to follow and share with. Each day is a new lesson and some ACIM lessons can be difficult to understand so seeing what others are thinking helps me. Mostly I find Hollie Holden’s real-life anecdotes and daily notes so helpful in understanding the lessons and the key asset of this group.

I began a journal at the start of the course and would just write down major insights I gained from the lessons or during the live webinars. In early March, I was not spending the time on each lesson that I should, so I began journaling every morning on what came to mind as I read the lesson for the day. Today was lesson 114, I find that I have put down some pretty great insights into my little ACIM journal.

So, this is some background if I begin posting some ACIM lesson insights.

Whole Brain Living.

Back in January I read Jill Bolte Taylor’s recent book ‘Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life. This was an impactful book that I learned a lot from. Jill explained that her first book (and famous TED talk) ‘Stroke of Insight’, described the experience she had from her stroke. (It’s not your typical description of stroke as it is from the perspective of a neuroscientist). In this book Jill tells what she learned from living for a period of time with the left hemisphere of her brain offline.

Jill is on a mission to teach us that because of the functions that four parts of our brain tackle, we have within our minds four different personalities – she uses the term ‘characters’. There are two on the left side and two on the right side of our brains. Our left side of our brain in analytical and evaluates experiences based on the past. Our right side is more conceptual and experiences everything in the current moment. Here is my description of the characters: 1. Left thinking brain that is analytical and problem solving; 2. Left emotional is our fight, flight, freeze reactionary part; 3. Right emotional is our daredevil wanting to experience feeling of life right now; 4. Right thinking brain is our connection to the higher timeless self who knows things outside of this paradigm.

Reading this book has changed how I view circumstances and how others may be reacting. I think it may be a reference point for me in the future, so I am laying a foundation here.

Six-petal-rose.

Summer 2021, I read fiction books as I was working on a book proposal for the first book of my trilogy. This required that I read similar type books to gain comparisons and to familiarize myself with styles and contents. Amazon made a recommendation to me for the first book of a trilogy by author Kathleen McGowan. The books were a captivating read; I enjoyed the researched information about historical characters and how they might be related to the heresy of holy bloodlines of Mary Magdalene and Jesus.

In one of the books, McGowan takes the reader to Chartes Cathedral. On the floor of the cathedral, the story tells of the pavement stones laid to form a labyrinth that has a six petal rose (6PR) design in the center. McGowan tells the reader that the 6PR represents ‘the Lord’s Prayer’ (Our Father) given by Christ Jesus. The six petals of the symbol represent six stages of spiritual development that lead to transformation.

When I read this, I was very inspired by it and spent a couple weeks saying the Lord’s prayer with the six stages in mind. Life got complicated last autumn, and I forgot about 6PR. About two weeks ago the Lord’s Prayer returned to my mind but I found I could not remember the meanings of the six petals.

Fun Synchronicities.

It was only about a day after my realization of having forgotten about the six-petal-rose that I got a nudge. It came within my new favorite TV show, “Escape to the Chateau, DIY”, all about British people who buy and fix up Chateaus (French castles and mansions). One episode was in southwest France (legendary home of Mary Magdalene after the crucifixion). An engaged couple was visiting a chateau and the host told them that before entering there was a tradition to follow. The camera pointed down and there was a six petal rose laid in the stone of the courtyard. The host told the couple to say the ‘Our Father’ as they stepped around the petals of the flower symbol.

Thank you guides!

This was enough to tell me I needed to research to know more about the lessons of this symbol. I want to better understand ‘the Lord’s Prayer’. To my surprise, the searches showed me that Kathleen McGowan authored a book on understanding the symbol and prayer. (The Kindle version was on sale – another synchronicity in my book).

A few nights later I wanted some inspiring media to lift me up before falling to sleep. I remembered the book on my Kindle app. I read for a while, not at all disappointed with the introduction providing information about ‘the Lord’s Prayer and Chartes Cathedral. As I shut off the light to go to sleep, I looked at the clock – 11:11 it said. My heart filled with glee to receive a sign I was on the right path. Loving the support of my guides! 😊

The book will take me some time to go through as I found it has exercises to journal about. McGowan asks her readers questions to help better understand the lines of the prayer and release resistance we may hold to some words and ideas (such as God as Father). I think this is another great source for insights, so I wanted to provide some background to ease my way into sharing on this blog.

Update 12-21-22: with regards to my mentioning the six months of technical issues with no posts, during 2022 I typed up my journal entries during this period and posted them. I edited the post date so that they fall in the chronology of this blog in the correct time period that I was reflection of the ideas of the post. This include ACIM lesson notes.