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Review I

Introduction

1. Beginning with today we will have a series of review periods. ²Each of them will cover five of the ideas already presented, starting with the first and ending with the fiftieth. ³There will be a few short comments after each of the ideas, which you should consider in your review. ⁴In the practice periods, the exercises should be done as follows:

2. Begin the day by reading the five ideas, with the comments included. ²Thereafter, it is not necessary to follow any particular order in considering them, though each one should be practiced at least once. ³Devote two minutes or more to each practice period, thinking about the idea and the related comments after reading them over. ⁴Do this as often as possible during the day. ⁵If any one of the five ideas appeals to you more than the others, concentrate on that one. ⁶At the end of the day, however, be sure to review all of them once more.

3. It is not necessary to cover the comments that follow each idea either literally or thoroughly in the practice periods. ²Try, rather, to emphasize the central point, and think about it as part of your review of the idea to which it relates. ³After you have read the idea and the related comments, the exercises should be done with your eyes closed and when you are alone in a quiet place, if possible.

4. This is emphasized for practice periods at your stage of learning. ²It will be necessary, however, that you learn to require no special settings in which to apply what you have learned. ³You will need your learning most in situations that appear to be upsetting, rather than in those that already seem to be calm and quiet. ⁴The purpose of your learning is to enable you to bring the quiet with you, and to heal distress and turmoil. ⁵This is not done by avoiding them and seeking a haven of isolation for yourself.

5. You will yet learn that peace is part of you, and requires only that you be there to embrace any situation in which you are. ²And finally you will learn that there is no limit to where you are, so that your peace is everywhere, as you are.

6. You will note that, for review purposes, some of the ideas are not given in quite their original form. ²Use them as they are given here. ³It is not necessary to return to the original statements, nor to apply the ideas as was suggested then. ⁴We are now emphasizing the relationships among the first fifty of the ideas we have covered, and the cohesiveness of the thought system to which they are leading you.

Lesson 50 - I am sustained by the Love of God.

1. Here is the answer to every problem that will confront you, today and tomorrow and throughout time. ²In this world, you believe you are sustained by everything but God. ³Your faith is placed in the most trivial and insane symbols; pills, money, “protective” clothing, influence, prestige, being liked, knowing the “right” people, and an endless list of forms of nothingness that you endow with magical powers.

3. Only the Love of God will protect you in all circumstances. ²It will lift you out of every trial, and raise you high above all the perceived dangers of this world into a climate of perfect peace and safety. ³It will transport you into a state of mind that nothing can threaten, nothing can disturb, and where nothing can intrude upon the eternal calm of the Son of God.

3. Net die Liefde van God sal jou in alle omstandighede beskerm. ²Dit sal jou uit elke beproewing lig, jou hoog bo al die gewaande gevare van hierdie wêreld verhef tot ’n sfeer van volmaakte vrede en veiligheid. ³Dit sal jou na ’n toestand van die geestesdenke voer wat deur niks bedreig en ontstel kan word nie, en waar niks die ewige kalmte van die Seun van God kan verbreek nie.

4. Put not your faith in illusions. ²They will fail you. ³Put all your faith in the Love of God within you; eternal, changeless and forever unfailing. ⁴This is the answer to whatever confronts you today. ⁵Through the Love of God within you, you can resolve all seeming difficulties without effort and in sure confidence. ⁶Tell yourself this often today. ⁷It is a declaration of release from the belief in idols. ⁸It is your acknowledgment of the truth about yourself.

5. For ten minutes, twice today, morning and evening, let the idea for today sink deep into your consciousness. ²Repeat it, think about it, let related thoughts come to help you recognize its truth, and allow peace to flow over you like a blanket of protection and surety. ³Let no idle and foolish thoughts enter to disturb the holy mind of the Son of God. ⁴Such is the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁵Such is the resting place where your Father has placed you forever.

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This lesson comes from (A Course in Miracles). Hemelbewus presents it in Afrikaans as part of a path of inner healing and forgiveness. The translation was done with great care and dedication over several years by Henri Theron, and brings the deep spiritual teachings of the Course to Afrikaans-speaking readers.

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Lesson 50: I am sustained by the Love of God. (ACIM, W-50)

Lesson 49 - God’s Voice speaks to me all through the day.

1. It is quite possible to listen to God’s Voice all through the day without interrupting your regular activities in any way. ²The part of your mind in which truth abides is in constant communication with God, whether you are aware of it or not. ³It is the other part of your mind that functions in the world and obeys the world’s laws. ⁴It is this part that is constantly distracted, disorganized and highly uncertain.

2. The part that is listening to the Voice for God is calm, always at rest and wholly certain. ²It is really the only part there is. ³The other part is a wild illusion, frantic and distraught, but without reality of any kind. ⁴Try today not to listen to it. ⁵Try to identify with the part of your mind where stillness and peace reign forever. ⁶Try to hear God’s Voice call to you lovingly, reminding you that your Creator has not forgotten His Son.

3. We will need at least four five-minute practice periods today, and more if possible. ²We will try actually to hear God’s Voice reminding you of Him and of your Self. ³We will approach this happiest and holiest of thoughts with confidence, knowing that in doing so we are joining our will with the Will of God. ⁴He wants you to hear His Voice. ⁵He gave It to you to be heard.

4. Listen in deep silence. ²Be very still and open your mind. ³Go past all the raucous shrieks and sick imaginings that cover your real thoughts and obscure your eternal link with God. ⁴Sink deep into the peace that waits for you beyond the frantic, riotous thoughts and sights and sounds of this insane world. ⁵You do not live here. ⁶We are trying to reach your real home. ⁷We are trying to reach the place where you are truly welcome. ⁸We are trying to reach God.

5. Do not forget to repeat today’s idea very frequently. ²Do so with your eyes open when necessary, but closed when possible. ³And be sure to sit quietly and repeat the idea for today whenever you can, closing your eyes on the world, and realizing that you are inviting God’s Voice to speak to you.

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Lesson 49: God’s Voice speaks to me all through the day. (ACIM, W-49)

Lesson 48 - There is nothing to fear.

1. The idea for today simply states a fact. ²It is not a fact to those who believe in illusions, but illusions are not facts. ³In truth there is nothing to fear. ⁴It is very easy to recognize this. ⁵But it is very difficult to recognize it for those who want illusions to be true.

2. Today’s practice periods will be very short, very simple and very frequent. ²Merely repeat the idea as often as possible. ³You can use it with your eyes open at any time and in any situation. ⁴It is strongly recommended, however, that you take a minute or so whenever possible to close your eyes and repeat the idea slowly to yourself several times. ⁵It is particularly important that you use the idea immediately, should anything disturb your peace of mind.

3. The presence of fear is a sure sign that you are trusting in your own strength. ²The awareness that there is nothing to fear shows that somewhere in your mind, though not necessarily in a place you recognize as yet, you have remembered God, and let His strength take the place of your weakness. ³The instant you are willing to do this there is indeed nothing to fear.

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Lesson 48: There is nothing to fear. (ACIM, W-48)

Lesson 47 - God is the strength in which I trust.

1. If you are trusting in your own strength, you have every reason to be apprehensive, anxious and fearful. ²What can you predict or control? ³What is there in you that can be counted on? ⁴What would give you the ability to be aware of all the facets of any problem, and to resolve them in such a way that only good can come of it? ⁵What is there in you that gives you the recognition of the right solution, and the guarantee that it will be accomplished?

2. Of yourself you can do none of these things. ²To believe that you can is to put your trust where trust is unwarranted, and to justify fear, anxiety, depression, anger and sorrow. ³Who can put his faith in weakness and feel safe? ⁴Yet who can put his faith in strength and feel weak?

3. God is your safety in every circumstance. ²His Voice speaks for Him in all situations and in every aspect of all situations, telling you exactly what to do to call upon His strength and His protection. ³There are no exceptions because God has no exceptions. ⁴And the Voice which speaks for Him thinks as He does.

4. Today we will try to reach past your own weakness to the Source of real strength. ²Four five-minute practice periods are necessary today, and longer and more frequent ones are urged. ³Close your eyes and begin, as usual, by repeating the idea for the day. ⁴Then spend a minute or two in searching for situations in your life which you have invested with fear, dismissing each one by telling yourself:

⁵God is the strength in which I trust.

5. Now try to slip past all concerns related to your own sense of inadequacy. ²It is obvious that any situation that causes you concern is associated with feelings of inadequacy, for otherwise you would believe that you could deal with the situation successfully. ³It is not by trusting yourself that you will gain confidence. ⁴But the strength of God in you is successful in all things.

6. The recognition of your own frailty is a necessary step in the correction of your errors, but it is hardly a sufficient one in giving you the confidence which you need, and to which you are entitled. ²You must also gain an awareness that confidence in your real strength is fully justified in every respect and in all circumstances.

7. In the latter phase of the practice period, try to reach down into your mind to a place of real safety. ²You will recognize that you have reached it if you feel a sense of deep peace, however briefly. ³Let go all the trivial things that churn and bubble on the surface of your mind, and reach down and below them to the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁴There is a place in you where there is perfect peace. ⁵There is a place in you where nothing is impossible. ⁶There is a place in you where the strength of God abides.

8. During the day, repeat the idea often. ²Use it as your answer to any disturbance. ³Remember that peace is your right, because you are giving your trust to the strength of God.

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Lesson 47: God is the strength in which I trust. (ACIM, W-47)

Lesson 46 - God is the Love in which I forgive.

1. God does not forgive because He has never condemned. ²And there must be condemnation before forgiveness is necessary. ³Forgiveness is the great need of this world, but that is because it is a world of illusions. ⁴Those who forgive are thus releasing themselves from illusions, while those who withhold forgiveness are binding themselves to them. ⁵As you condemn only yourself, so do you forgive only yourself.

2. Yet although God does not forgive, His Love is nevertheless the basis of forgiveness. ²Fear condemns and love forgives. ³Forgiveness thus undoes what fear has produced, returning the mind to the awareness of God. ⁴For this reason, forgiveness can truly be called salvation. ⁵It is the means by which illusions disappear.

3. Today’s exercises require at least three full five-minute practice periods, and as many shorter ones as possible. ²Begin the longer practice periods by repeating today’s idea to yourself, as usual. ³Close your eyes as you do so, and spend a minute or two in searching your mind for those whom you have not forgiven. ⁴It does not matter “how much” you have not forgiven them. ⁵You have forgiven them entirely or not at all.

4. If you are doing the exercises well you should have no difficulty in finding a number of people you have not forgiven. ²It is a safe rule that anyone you do not like is a suitable subject. ³Mention each one by name, and say:

⁴God is the Love in which I forgive you, [name].

5. The purpose of the first phase of today’s practice periods is to put you in a position to forgive yourself. ²After you have applied the idea to all those who have come to mind, tell yourself:

³God is the Love in which I forgive myself.

⁴Then devote the remainder of the practice period to adding related ideas such as:

⁵God is the Love with which I love myself.

⁶God is the Love in which I am blessed.

6. The form of the application may vary considerably, but the central idea should not be lost sight of. ²You might say, for example:

³I cannot be guilty because I am a Son of God.

⁴I have already been forgiven.

⁵No fear is possible in a mind beloved of God.

⁶There is no need to attack because love has forgiven me.

⁷The practice period should end, however, with a repetition of today’s idea as originally stated.

7. The shorter practice periods may consist either of a repetition of the idea for today in the original or in a related form, as you prefer. ²Be sure, however, to make more specific applications if they are needed. ³They will be needed at any time during the day when you become aware of any kind of negative reaction to anyone, present or not. ⁴In that event, tell him silently:

⁵God is the Love in which I forgive you.

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Lesson 46: God is the Love in which I forgive. (ACIM, W-46)

Lesson 45 - God is the Mind with which I think.

1. Today’s idea holds the key to what your real thoughts are. ²They are nothing that you think you think, just as nothing that you think you see is related to vision in any way. ³There is no relationship between what is real and what you think is real. ⁴Nothing that you think are your real thoughts resemble your real thoughts in any respect. ⁵Nothing that you think you see bears any resemblance to what vision will show you.

2. You think with the Mind of God. ²Therefore you share your thoughts with Him, as He shares His with you. ³They are the same thoughts, because they are thought by the same Mind. ⁴To share is to make alike, or to make one. ⁵Nor do the thoughts you think with the Mind of God leave your mind, because thoughts do not leave their source. ⁶Therefore, your thoughts are in the Mind of God, as you are. ⁷They are in your mind as well, where He is. ⁸As you are part of His Mind, so are your thoughts part of His Mind.

3. Where, then, are your real thoughts? ²Today we will attempt to reach them. ³We will have to look for them in your mind, because that is where they are. ⁴They must still be there, because they cannot have left their source. ⁵What is thought by the Mind of God is eternal, being part of creation.

4. Our three five-minute practice periods for today will take the same general form that we used in applying yesterday’s idea. ²We will attempt to leave the unreal and seek for the real. ³We will deny the world in favor of truth. ⁴We will not let the thoughts of the world hold us back. ⁵We will not let the beliefs of the world tell us that what God would have us do is impossible. ⁶Instead, we will try to recognize that only what God would have us do is possible.

5. We will also try to understand that only what God would have us do is what we want to do. ²And we will also try to remember that we cannot fail in doing what He would have us do. ³There is every reason to feel confident that we will succeed today. ⁴It is the Will of God.

6. Begin the exercises for today by repeating the idea to yourself, closing your eyes as you do so. ²Then spend a fairly short period in thinking a few relevant thoughts of your own, keeping the idea in mind. ³After you have added some four or five thoughts of your own to the idea, repeat it again and tell yourself gently:

⁴My real thoughts are in my mind. ⁵I would like to find them.

⁶Then try to go past all the unreal thoughts that cover the truth in your mind, and reach to the eternal.

7. Under all the senseless thoughts and mad ideas with which you have cluttered up your mind are the thoughts that you thought with God in the beginning. ²They are there in your mind now, completely unchanged. ³They will always be in your mind, exactly as they always were. ⁴Everything you have thought since then will change, but the Foundation on which it rests is wholly changeless.

8. It is this Foundation toward which the exercises for today are directed. ²Here is your mind joined with the Mind of God. ³Here are your thoughts one with His. ⁴For this kind of practice only one thing is necessary; approach it as you would an altar dedicated in Heaven to God the Father and to God the Son. ⁵For such is the place you are trying to reach. ⁶You will probably be unable as yet to realize how high you are trying to go. ⁷Yet even with the little understanding you have already gained, you should be able to remind yourself that this is no idle game, but an exercise in holiness and an attempt to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.

9. In the shorter exercise periods for today, try to remember how important it is to you to understand the holiness of the mind that thinks with God. ²Take a minute or two, as you repeat the idea throughout the day, to appreciate your mind’s holiness. ³Stand aside, however briefly, from all thoughts that are unworthy of Him Whose host you are. ⁴And thank Him for the Thoughts He is thinking with you.

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Lesson 45: God is the Mind with which I think. (ACIM, W-45)

Lesson 44 - God is the light in which I see.

1. Today we are continuing the idea for yesterday, adding another dimension to it. ²You cannot see in darkness, and you cannot make light. ³You can make darkness and then think you see in it, but light reflects life, and is therefore an aspect of creation. ⁴Creation and darkness cannot coexist, but light and life must go together, being but different aspects of creation.

2. In order to see, you must recognize that light is within, not without. ²You do not see outside yourself, nor is the equipment for seeing outside you. ³An essential part of this equipment is the light that makes seeing possible. ⁴It is with you always, making vision possible in every circumstance.

3. Today we are going to attempt to reach that light. ²For this purpose, we will use a form of exercise which has been suggested before, and which we will utilize increasingly. ³It is a particularly difficult form for the undisciplined mind, and represents a major goal of mind training. ⁴It requires precisely what the untrained mind lacks. ⁵Yet this training must be accomplished if you are to see.

4. Have at least three practice periods today, each lasting three to five minutes. ²A longer time is highly recommended, but only if you find the time slipping by with little or no sense of strain. ³The form of practice we will use today is the most natural and easy one in the world for the trained mind, just as it seems to be the most unnatural and difficult for the untrained mind.

5. Your mind is no longer wholly untrained. ²You are quite ready to learn the form of exercise we will use today, but you may find that you will encounter strong resistance. ³The reason is very simple. ⁴While you practice in this way, you leave behind everything that you now believe, and all the thoughts that you have made up. ⁵Properly speaking, this is the release from hell. ⁶Yet perceived through the ego’s eyes, it is loss of identity and a descent into hell.

6. If you can stand aside from the ego by ever so little, you will have no difficulty in recognizing that its opposition and its fears are meaningless. ²You might find it helpful to remind yourself, from time to time, that to reach light is to escape from darkness, whatever you may believe to the contrary. ³God is the light in which you see. ⁴You are attempting to reach Him.

7. Begin the practice period by repeating today’s idea with your eyes open, and close them slowly, repeating the idea several times more. ²Then try to sink into your mind, letting go every kind of interference and intrusion by quietly sinking past them. ³Your mind cannot be stopped in this unless you choose to stop it. ⁴It is merely taking its natural course. ⁵Try to observe your passing thoughts without involvement, and slip quietly by them.

8. While no particular approach is advocated for this form of exercise, what is needful is a sense of the importance of what you are doing; its inestimable value to you, and an awareness that you are attempting something very holy. ²Salvation is your happiest accomplishment. ³It is also the only one that has any meaning, because it is the only one that has any real use to you at all.

9. If resistance rises in any form, pause long enough to repeat today’s idea, keeping your eyes closed unless you are aware of fear. ²In that case, you will probably find it more reassuring to open your eyes briefly. ³Try, however, to return to the exercises with eyes closed as soon as possible.

10. If you are doing the exercises correctly, you should experience some sense of relaxation, and even a feeling that you are approaching, if not actually entering into light. ²Try to think of light, formless and without limit, as you pass by the thoughts of this world. ³And do not forget that they cannot hold you to the world unless you give them the power to do so.

11. Throughout the day repeat the idea often, with eyes open or closed as seems better to you at the time. ²But do not forget. ³Above all, be determined not to forget today.

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Lesson 44: God is the light in which I see. (ACIM, W-44)

Lesson 43 - God is my Source. I cannot see apart from Him.

1. Perception is not an attribute of God. ²His is the realm of knowledge. ³Yet He has created the Holy Spirit as the Mediator between perception and knowledge. ⁴Without this link with God, perception would have replaced knowledge forever in your mind. ⁵With this link with God, perception will become so changed and purified that it will lead to knowledge. ⁶That is its function as the Holy Spirit sees it. ⁷Therefore, that is its function in truth.

2. In God you cannot see. ²Perception has no function in God, and does not exist. ³Yet in salvation, which is the undoing of what never was, perception has a mighty purpose. ⁴Made by the Son of God for an unholy purpose, it must become the means for the restoration of his holiness to his awareness. ⁵Perception has no meaning. ⁶Yet does the Holy Spirit give it a meaning very close to God’s. ⁷Healed perception becomes the means by which the Son of God forgives his brother, and thus forgives himself.

3. You cannot see apart from God because you cannot be apart from God. ²Whatever you do you do in Him, because whatever you think, you think with His Mind. ³If vision is real, and it is real to the extent to which it shares the Holy Spirit’s purpose, then you cannot see apart from God.

4. Three five-minute practice periods are required today, one as early and one as late as possible in the day. ²The third may be undertaken at the most convenient and suitable time that circumstances and readiness permit. ³At the beginning of these practice periods, repeat the idea for today to yourself with eyes open. ⁴Then glance around you for a short time, applying the idea specifically to what you see. ⁵Four or five subjects for this phase of the practice period are sufficient. ⁶You might say, for example:

⁷God is my Source. ⁸I cannot see this desk apart from Him.

⁹God is my Source. ¹⁰I cannot see that picture apart from Him.

5. Although this part of the exercise period should be relatively short, be sure that you select the subjects for this phase of practice indiscriminately, without self-directed inclusion or exclusion. ²For the second and longer phase, close your eyes, repeat today’s idea again, and then let whatever relevant thoughts occur to you add to the idea in your own personal way. ³Thoughts such as:

⁴I see through the eyes of forgiveness.

⁵I see the world as blessed.

⁶The world can show me myself.

⁷I see my own thoughts, which are like God’s.

⁸Any thought related more or less directly to today’s idea is suitable. ⁹The thoughts need not bear any obvious relationship to the idea, but they should not be in opposition to it.

6. If you find your mind wandering; if you begin to be aware of thoughts which are clearly out of accord with today’s idea, or if you seem to be unable to think of anything, open your eyes, repeat the first phase of the exercise period, and then attempt the second phase again. ²Do not allow any protracted period to occur in which you become preoccupied with irrelevant thoughts. ³Return to the first phase of the exercises as often as necessary to prevent this.

7. In applying today’s idea in the shorter practice periods, the form may vary according to the circumstances and situations in which you find yourself during the day. ²When you are with someone else, for example, try to remember to tell him silently:

³God is my Source. ⁴I cannot see you apart from Him.

⁵This form is equally applicable to strangers as it is to those you think are closer to you. ⁶In fact, try not to make distinctions of this kind at all.

8. Today’s idea should also be applied throughout the day to various situations and events that may occur, particularly to those which seem to distress you in any way. ²For this purpose, apply the idea in this form:

³God is my Source. ⁴I cannot see this apart from Him.

9. If no particular subject presents itself to your awareness at the time, merely repeat the idea in its original form. ²Try today not to allow any long periods of time to slip by without remembering today’s idea, and thus remembering your function.

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Lesson 43: God is my Source. I cannot see apart from Him. (ACIM, W-43)

Lesson 42 - God is my strength. Vision is His gift.

1. The idea for today combines two very powerful thoughts, both of major importance. ²It also sets forth a cause and effect relationship that explains why you cannot fail in your efforts to achieve the goal of the course. ³You will see because it is the Will of God. ⁴It is His strength, not your own, that gives you power. ⁵And it is His gift, rather than your own, that offers vision to you.

2. God is indeed your strength, and what He gives is truly given. ²This means that you can receive it any time and anywhere, wherever you are, and in whatever circumstance you find yourself. ³Your passage through time and space is not at random. ⁴You cannot but be in the right place at the right time. ⁵Such is the strength of God. ⁶Such are His gifts.

3. We will have two three-to-five-minute practice periods today, one as soon as possible after you wake, and another as close as possible to the time you go to sleep. ²It is better, however, to wait until you can sit quietly by yourself, at a time when you feel ready, than it is to be concerned with the time as such.

4. Begin these practice periods by repeating the idea for today slowly, with your eyes open, looking about you. ²Then close your eyes and repeat the idea again, even slower than before. ³After this, try to think of nothing except thoughts that occur to you in relation to the idea for the day. ⁴You might think, for example:

⁵Vision must be possible. ⁶God gives truly,

or:

⁷God’s gifts to me must be mine, because He gave them to me.

5. Any thought that is clearly related to the idea for today is suitable. ²You may, in fact, be astonished at the amount of course-related understanding some of your thoughts contain. ³Let them come without censoring unless you find your mind is merely wandering, and you have let obviously irrelevant thoughts intrude. ⁴You may also reach a point where no thoughts at all seem to come to mind. ⁵If such interferences occur, open your eyes and repeat the thought once more while looking slowly about; close your eyes, repeat the idea once more, and then continue to look for related thoughts in your mind.

6. Remember, however, that active searching for relevant thoughts is not appropriate for today’s exercises. ²Try merely to step back and let the thoughts come. ³If you find this difficult, it is better to spend the practice period alternating between slow repetitions of the idea with eyes open, then with eyes closed, than it is to strain to find suitable thoughts.

7. There is no limit on the number of short practice periods that would be beneficial today. ²The idea for the day is a beginning step in bringing thoughts together, and teaching you that you are studying a unified thought system in which nothing is lacking that is needed, and nothing is included that is contradictory or irrelevant.

8. The more often you repeat the idea during the day, the more often you will be reminding yourself that the goal of the course is important to you, and that you have not forgotten it.