Together, We Light the Way

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Lesson 12 2026

My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world.
1. This is the first idea we have had that is related to a major phase of the correction process; the reversal of the thinking of the world. ²It seems as if the world determines what you perceive. ³Today’s idea introduces the concept that your thoughts determine the world you see. ⁴Be glad indeed to practice the idea in its initial form, for in this idea is your release made sure. ⁵The key to forgiveness lies in it.
2. The practice periods for today’s idea are to be undertaken somewhat differently from the previous ones. ²Begin with your eyes closed, and repeat the idea slowly to yourself. ³Then open your eyes and look about, near and far, up and down,—anywhere. ⁴During the minute or so to be spent in using the idea merely repeat it to yourself, being sure to do so without haste, and with no sense of urgency or effort.
3. To do these exercises for maximum benefit, the eyes should move from one thing to another fairly rapidly, since they should not linger on anything in particular. ²The words, however, should be used in an unhurried, even leisurely fashion. ³The introduction to this idea, in particular, should be practiced as casually as possible. ⁴It contains the foundation for the peace, relaxation and freedom from worry that we are trying to achieve. ⁵On concluding the exercises, close your eyes and repeat the idea once more slowly to yourself.
4. Three practice periods today will probably be sufficient. ²However, if there is little or no uneasiness and an inclination to do more, as many as five may be undertaken. ³More than this is not recommended. (ACIM, W-11.1:1–4:3)
First, I want to look at the emphasis that Jesus puts on this Lesson.
• a major phase of the correction process
• the reversal of the thinking of the world
• in this idea is your release made sure
• The key to forgiveness lies in it.
• contains the foundation for the peace, relaxation and freedom from worry that we are trying to achieve
The idea, when first considered, seems to be quite simple. It seems like the world you see determines your thoughts. But actually, it is your thoughts that determine the world. Simple to understand, but perhaps not so simple to accept. If, like me, you have been studying the Course for a good while, this is hardly a new idea. But if you are like me, you may often forget this simple but essential truth.
I find it takes a lot of practice to fix this idea in my mind, and even then, I feel the temptation to return to the belief that the world affects me. It shows up in many ways, some quite subtle. The other day, I was expecting a package to arrive. I kept checking for it all day, but it never came. Finally, I got an email that it would be here the next day. By that time, I was annoyed about the whole thing. This annoyance indicated that I thought the late arrival of the package was the cause of my lack of peace. In other words, I believed that the world determined what I thought and by extension, what I felt.
Here in Louisiana, we are in the Mardi Gras season. I smile each time I see a picture or video of one of the many parades and the purple, gold, and blue decorations on everything from clothes to bridges. It makes me happy. Or does it? The world doesn’t cause anything in me; it is my thoughts about this season that bring joy. My son lived in New Orleans for many years and the endless parades and crowds were an annoyance to him. They blocked traffic, making getting to work an ordeal. Same situation, two interpretations on what it means. We give everything we see all the meaning it has for us.
But even deeper than that, I am learning that everything I see comes from my thoughts. I see happy Mardi Gras colors, music, and dancing because my thoughts identify it as such. Toby sees annoyance in the same thing because his thoughts identify it as such. In this situation, my son and I live in two separate universes. Actually, we all live in our own solitary little universes made of our private thoughts. This is why we believe we are separate and alone, even in the crowded streets of New Orleans on Mardi Gras.
What is the practical use of this lesson? Well, last night I woke up at midnight and couldn’t go back to sleep because I felt restless. At first, I thought it was the house’s temperature, so I adjusted it. Then I thought it was my cat making noise and keeping me awake, so I took care of her needs. I tried listening to a meditation I usually enjoy, but it just made me feel more uneasy. Finally, I stopped trying to fix the world and looked at my thoughts. That’s where I found my problem and my solution.
I am learning that the problem begins with me, and examining my thoughts will change the world as I see it, while attempts to change the world give only temporary relief, if any at all. The source of the world is my thoughts, so that is what must change. I’m grateful this is so because I have power over my mind and very little, if any, power over the world.
https://youtu.be/qpxd8qT4dbM

© 2026, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Lesson 11 2026

My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world.
1. This is the first idea we have had that is related to a major phase of the correction process; the reversal of the thinking of the world. ²It seems as if the world determines what you perceive. ³Today’s idea introduces the concept that your thoughts determine the world you see. ⁴Be glad indeed to practice the idea in its initial form, for in this idea is your release made sure. ⁵The key to forgiveness lies in it.
2. The practice periods for today’s idea are to be undertaken somewhat differently from the previous ones. ²Begin with your eyes closed, and repeat the idea slowly to yourself. ³Then open your eyes and look about, near and far, up and down,—anywhere. ⁴During the minute or so to be spent in using the idea merely repeat it to yourself, being sure to do so without haste, and with no sense of urgency or effort.
3. To do these exercises for maximum benefit, the eyes should move from one thing to another fairly rapidly, since they should not linger on anything in particular. ²The words, however, should be used in an unhurried, even leisurely fashion. ³The introduction to this idea, in particular, should be practiced as casually as possible. ⁴It contains the foundation for the peace, relaxation and freedom from worry that we are trying to achieve. ⁵On concluding the exercises, close your eyes and repeat the idea once more slowly to yourself.
4. Three practice periods today will probably be sufficient. ²However, if there is little or no uneasiness and an inclination to do more, as many as five may be undertaken. ³More than this is not recommended. (ACIM, W-11.1:1–4:3)
First, I want to look at the emphasis that Jesus puts on this Lesson.
• a major phase of the correction process
• the reversal of the thinking of the world
• in this idea is your release made sure
• The key to forgiveness lies in it.
• contains the foundation for the peace, relaxation and freedom from worry that we are trying to achieve
The idea, when first considered, seems to be quite simple. It seems like the world you see determines your thoughts. But actually, it is your thoughts that determine the world. Simple to understand, but perhaps not so simple to accept. If, like me, you have been studying the Course for a good while, this is hardly a new idea. But if you are like me, you may often forget this simple but essential truth.
I find it takes a lot of practice to fix this idea in my mind, and even then, I feel the temptation to return to the belief that the world affects me. It shows up in many ways, some quite subtle. The other day, I was expecting a package to arrive. I kept checking for it all day, but it never came. Finally, I got an email that it would be here the next day. By that time, I was annoyed about the whole thing. This annoyance indicated that I thought the late arrival of the package was the cause of my lack of peace. In other words, I believed that the world determined what I thought and by extension, what I felt.
Here in Louisiana, we are in the Mardi Gras season. I smile each time I see a picture or video of one of the many parades and the purple, gold, and blue decorations on everything from clothes to bridges. It makes me happy. Or does it? The world doesn’t cause anything in me; it is my thoughts about this season that bring joy. My son lived in New Orleans for many years and the endless parades and crowds were an annoyance to him. They blocked traffic, making getting to work an ordeal. Same situation, two interpretations on what it means. We give everything we see all the meaning it has for us.
But even deeper than that, I am learning that everything I see comes from my thoughts. I see happy Mardi Gras colors, music, and dancing because my thoughts identify it as such. Toby sees annoyance in the same thing because his thoughts identify it as such. In this situation, my son and I live in two separate universes. Actually, we all live in our own solitary little universes made of our private thoughts. This is why we believe we are separate and alone, even in the crowded streets of New Orleans on Mardi Gras.
What is the practical use of this lesson? Well, last night I woke up at midnight and couldn’t go back to sleep because I felt restless. At first, I thought it was the house’s temperature, so I adjusted it. Then I thought it was my cat making noise and keeping me awake, so I took care of her needs. I tried listening to a meditation I usually enjoy, but it just made me feel more uneasy. Finally, I stopped trying to fix the world and looked at my thoughts. That’s where I found my problem and my solution.
I am learning that the problem begins with me, and examining my thoughts will change the world as I see it, while attempts to change the world give only temporary relief, if any at all. The source of the world is my thoughts, so that is what must change. I’m grateful this is so because I have power over my mind and very little, if any, power over the world.
https://youtu.be/qpxd8qT4dbM

© 2026, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this post.

Printable Page

Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Lesson 10 2026

I see nothing as it is now.
1. This idea obviously follows from the two preceding ones. ²But while you may be able to accept it intellectually, it is unlikely that it will mean anything to you as yet. ³However, understanding is not necessary at this point. ⁴In fact, the recognition that you do not understand is a prerequisite for undoing your false ideas. ⁵These exercises are concerned with practice, not with understanding. ⁶You do not need to practice what you already understand. ⁷It would indeed be circular to aim at understanding, and assume that you have it already.
2. It is difficult for the untrained mind to believe that what it seems to picture is not there. ²This idea can be quite disturbing, and may meet with active resistance in any number of forms. ³Yet that does not preclude applying it. ⁴No more than that is required for these or any other exercises. ⁵Each small step will clear a little of the darkness away, and understanding will finally come to lighten every corner of the mind that has been cleared of the debris that darkens it.
3. These exercises, for which three or four practice periods are sufficient, involve looking about you and applying the idea for the day to whatever you see, remembering the need for its indiscriminate application, and the essential rule of excluding nothing. ²For example:
³I do not see this typewriter as it is now.
⁴I do not see this telephone as it is now.
⁵I do not see this arm as it is now.
4. Begin with things that are nearest you, and then extend the range outward:
²I do not see that coat rack as it is now.
³I do not see that door as it is now.
⁴I do not see that face as it is now.
5. It is emphasized again that while complete inclusion should not be attempted, specific exclusion must be avoided. ²Be sure you are honest with yourself in making this distinction. ³You may be tempted to obscure it. (ACIM, W-9.1:1–5:3)
Contemplation for 2025
When I first did these lessons all those years ago, I absolutely did not believe the statement that I see nothing as it is now. I did the lesson anyway. Later, I was confused, but I accepted that I just didn’t understand it. And I did it anyway. Now, I do understand it, and I do the lesson. My mind still wants to object to it, and I will have a moment of confusion, but my desire for the truth clears the confusion quickly. I love the truth even as I sometimes resist it. My desire for truth wins out each time.
Contemplation for 2026
If you don’t understand or believe this lesson, that’s okay. As Jesus told us in the Introduction and again in this lesson, you don’t need to understand or even like these lessons. Just do them, and they will work for you despite any resistance. This has been my experience.
There is no world, only images of our thoughts projected from our minds. This acceptance helps me navigate the illusion without losing sight of the truth. It gives me the space to look at my fear with the Holy Spirit because I know that ultimately, I am safe in God. I don’t deny that I am having an experience of the world, just that it is not real. So when I do get caught up in the story, it is easier to find my way back to the truth.
That happened yesterday. A thought showed up in my mind about the state of affairs in the world. The story my mind was telling me was that there is so much violence right now—people hurting each other, killing, hating, and even showing simple disregard for one another. It appears in homes, schools, cities, and countries. I know this is a projection of conflicted minds, yet in my perception it seems worse than usual. As I followed this story and imagined where it might lead, fear quietly began to grow in my mind.
I’m talking about this now because it relates to the lesson for the day. I see nothing as it is now, and just because I think about an idea and dwell on it until it feels very real and present, this doesn’t make it real. Jesus is so clear about this. In this lesson he says: It is difficult for the untrained mind to believe that what it seems to picture is not there. Even in the trained mind, it can be difficult to remember that while this is a real experience, it is not reality, and who we are, our true self, is perfectly safe even as the experience shows us something different.
I never deny my experience, even as the spiritual ego wants to claim what is not true but ought to be. That kind of thinking doesn’t bring me closer to awakening. So, when I get caught up in a story, I look at that error with the Holy Spirit until my mind clears of the confusion, and peace is restored. That is true forgiveness, and it is an excellent way to move ever closer to the Truth. So that is what I did yesterday.
The story may grab me again. After all, though what we do with the power of God in us is not true creation in this dream world, what we make here feels very real. I used to worry when I felt the relief that comes with forgiveness, only for the error to come back. I took this as proof that either the Course doesn’t work or, more likely, it was just me who couldn’t succeed. I understand now that none of that is true. I am here to forgive untrue beliefs, and so I do. I don’t care how often I need to do it.
I am content today to remind myself of the simple truth: I see nothing as it is now. This no longer confuses me; it comforts me. I trust in the truth to be true even when my mind is lost in a scary story. Illusions can obscure the truth, but they cannot change it. I am safe in the Love of God.
Video: https://youtu.be/znJKbWiJheQ

© 2026, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this post.

Printable Page

Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Lesson 9 2026

I see nothing as it is now.
1. This idea obviously follows from the two preceding ones. ²But while you may be able to accept it intellectually, it is unlikely that it will mean anything to you as yet. ³However, understanding is not necessary at this point. ⁴In fact, the recognition that you do not understand is a prerequisite for undoing your false ideas. ⁵These exercises are concerned with practice, not with understanding. ⁶You do not need to practice what you already understand. ⁷It would indeed be circular to aim at understanding, and assume that you have it already.
2. It is difficult for the untrained mind to believe that what it seems to picture is not there. ²This idea can be quite disturbing, and may meet with active resistance in any number of forms. ³Yet that does not preclude applying it. ⁴No more than that is required for these or any other exercises. ⁵Each small step will clear a little of the darkness away, and understanding will finally come to lighten every corner of the mind that has been cleared of the debris that darkens it.
3. These exercises, for which three or four practice periods are sufficient, involve looking about you and applying the idea for the day to whatever you see, remembering the need for its indiscriminate application, and the essential rule of excluding nothing. ²For example:
³I do not see this typewriter as it is now.
⁴I do not see this telephone as it is now.
⁵I do not see this arm as it is now.
4. Begin with things that are nearest you, and then extend the range outward:
²I do not see that coat rack as it is now.
³I do not see that door as it is now.
⁴I do not see that face as it is now.
5. It is emphasized again that while complete inclusion should not be attempted, specific exclusion must be avoided. ²Be sure you are honest with yourself in making this distinction. ³You may be tempted to obscure it. (ACIM, W-9.1:1–5:3)
Contemplation for 2025
When I first did these lessons all those years ago, I absolutely did not believe the statement that I see nothing as it is now. I did the lesson anyway. Later, I was confused, but I accepted that I just didn’t understand it. And I did it anyway. Now, I do understand it, and I do the lesson. My mind still wants to object to it, and I will have a moment of confusion, but my desire for the truth clears the confusion quickly. I love the truth even as I sometimes resist it. My desire for truth wins out each time.
Contemplation for 2026
If you don’t understand or believe this lesson, that’s okay. As Jesus told us in the Introduction and again in this lesson, you don’t need to understand or even like these lessons. Just do them, and they will work for you despite any resistance. This has been my experience.
There is no world, only images of our thoughts projected from our minds. This acceptance helps me navigate the illusion without losing sight of the truth. It gives me the space to look at my fear with the Holy Spirit because I know that ultimately, I am safe in God. I don’t deny that I am having an experience of the world, just that it is not real. So when I do get caught up in the story, it is easier to find my way back to the truth.
That happened yesterday. A thought showed up in my mind about the state of affairs in the world. The story my mind was telling me was that there is so much violence right now—people hurting each other, killing, hating, and even showing simple disregard for one another. It appears in homes, schools, cities, and countries. I know this is a projection of conflicted minds, yet in my perception it seems worse than usual. As I followed this story and imagined where it might lead, fear quietly began to grow in my mind.
I’m talking about this now because it relates to the lesson for the day. I see nothing as it is now, and just because I think about an idea and dwell on it until it feels very real and present, this doesn’t make it real. Jesus is so clear about this. In this lesson he says: It is difficult for the untrained mind to believe that what it seems to picture is not there. Even in the trained mind, it can be difficult to remember that while this is a real experience, it is not reality, and who we are, our true self, is perfectly safe even as the experience shows us something different.
I never deny my experience, even as the spiritual ego wants to claim what is not true but ought to be. That kind of thinking doesn’t bring me closer to awakening. So, when I get caught up in a story, I look at that error with the Holy Spirit until my mind clears of the confusion, and peace is restored. That is true forgiveness, and it is an excellent way to move ever closer to the Truth. So that is what I did yesterday.
The story may grab me again. After all, though what we do with the power of God in us is not true creation in this dream world, what we make here feels very real. I used to worry when I felt the relief that comes with forgiveness, only for the error to come back. I took this as proof that either the Course doesn’t work or, more likely, it was just me who couldn’t succeed. I understand now that none of that is true. I am here to forgive untrue beliefs, and so I do. I don’t care how often I need to do it.
I am content today to remind myself of the simple truth: I see nothing as it is now. This no longer confuses me; it comforts me. I trust in the truth to be true even when my mind is lost in a scary story. Illusions can obscure the truth, but they cannot change it. I am safe in the Love of God.
Video: https://youtu.be/znJKbWiJheQ

© 2026, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this post.

Printable Page

Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

Lesson 8

My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.
1. This idea is, of course, the reason why you see only the past. ²No one really sees anything. ³He sees only his thoughts projected outward. ⁴The mind’s preoccupation with the past is the cause of the misconception about time from which your seeing suffers. ⁵Your mind cannot grasp the present, which is the only time there is. ⁶It therefore cannot understand time, and cannot, in fact, understand anything.
2. The one wholly true thought one can hold about the past is that it is not here. ²To think about it at all is therefore to think about illusions. ³Very few have realized what is actually entailed in picturing the past or in anticipating the future. ⁴The mind is actually blank when it does this, because it is not really thinking about anything.
3. The purpose of the exercises for today is to begin to train your mind to recognize when it is not really thinking at all. ²While thoughtless ideas preoccupy your mind, the truth is blocked. ³Recognizing that your mind has been merely blank, rather than believing that it is filled with real ideas, is the first step to opening the way to vision.
4. The exercises for today should be done with eyes closed. ²This is because you actually cannot see anything, and it is easier to recognize that no matter how vividly you may picture a thought, you are not seeing anything. ³With as little investment as possible, search your mind for the usual minute or so, merely noting the thoughts you find there. ⁴Name each one by the central figure or theme it contains, and pass on to the next. ⁵Introduce the practice period by saying:
⁶I seem to be thinking about _________.
5. Then name each of your thoughts specifically, for example:
²I seem to be thinking about [name of a person], about [name of an object], about [name of an emotion],
and so on, concluding at the end of the mind-searching period with:
³But my mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.
6. This can be done four or five times during the day, unless you find it irritates you. ²If you find it trying, three or four times is sufficient. ³You might find it helpful, however, to include your irritation, or any emotion that the idea for today may induce, in the mind searching itself. (ACIM, W-8.1:1–6:3)

Contemplation from 2025
I seem to be thinking about hearing from a friend this morning, the discomfort of getting out in the freezing weather this morning, and a precious video of my granddaughter I watched last night. Wondering if I will have time to write some more about Chapter 14 today. But my mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.
I notice how much my mind wants to weave a story around these thoughts, but I resist. I am aware of the reason we do this. It keeps us from becoming aware of the real world. What the ego mind doesn’t want to examine too closely is that this preoccupation with the past is meant to protect us from our memory of God. If that happens, we will throw ourselves into Him because we love God so much, and He loves us so much. Then the ego will dissolve. I guess there is still a desire for separation and specialness, and it is this desire that makes defending against God seem sane.
Contemplation for 2026
What stands out to me this morning is that I don’t really see anything—only my thoughts projected outward. I experience these as forms. I think I see a tree in my front yard, but what I am actually seeing is a thought in the form of a tree. This makes me more careful about the thoughts I choose to entertain, remembering Jesus’ reminder that there are no idle thoughts and that every thought produces form at some level.
Yesterday’s Lesson told us that we only see the past because everything we see is a projection of a thought that we once had. Today’s lesson continues this idea as it tells us that our minds are preoccupied with these past thoughts. As I examined my mind this morning, I realized I was preoccupied with thoughts about the future.
These thoughts happened to be disturbing ones, but they could have been happy thoughts, and it would still be true that my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the future. While wondering whether there was a difference between thoughts of the future and those of the past, I realized that everything I was thinking about the future was based on what I knew of the past.
The second thing that stood out to me in the lesson was that this preoccupation with the past prevents me from grasping the present, which is the only time there really is. Which means I don’t understand time. If I cannot grasp the only time that exists, I see why Jesus says I cannot understand anything.
So this morning, when I woke up wondering about a future event in my life, I seemed to be having real thoughts. If this happens, then that will happen, and what will I do about it? What if it all happens in a way that impacts me negatively?
The ego says I need to pursue this further so I can be prepared for whatever outcome occurs. It has no real answers, just pointless speculation. But here’s the thing. I was thinking about a non-existent past and future, so I wasn’t thinking about anything. Jesus says that my mind was actually blank. I see the logic but, gee whiz, it sure feels like I was thinking about things.
And that’s the point. I believe I am having real thoughts, but they are not real. They are producing form, however, and that unreal form is the illusion I call my world and my life in it. Holy, moley! I am not unaware of this, but seeing it all laid out like this, I realize that continuing in the same vein is taking me nowhere. Literally.
What is the point of doing this? From the ego’s point of view, it is salvation. It keeps the illusion going and so keeps the ego relevant. From my point of view, it is keeping me from knowing my Self and my Creator. I am grateful for this information. Now I can learn to recognize when my mind is not actually thinking so that I can stop blocking the truth from my awareness.
Since this has been going on for my entire life, this task feels daunting. Where do I even begin? I think of it as a journey, and a journey, no matter how long, begins where I am. From there, I take the first step and then the next. Jesus has given me the map and is accompanying me so that I will have a ready guide to redirect me if I lose my way.
This morning, all I need to do is the simple practice from this lesson as I have done the previous ones, and to remember that the Holy Spirit will do the actual work of healing my mind. In not looking behind me at what has happened in the past and not looking forward at how the past will affect the future, I can rest easy in this present moment, which is, after all, the only moment I have.
Video: https://youtu.be/vaPDcnK9Txs

© 2026, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this post.

Printable Page

Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

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