I have no problem with the other thread about ACIM, except that it's not being explored with the idea of discovering something good in it, but rather from the pov of that it's got no value in it.

so I jotted down a few thoughts, so we can be more in balance.
I had read all my life, self help books, I was in effect a seminar junkie and fed up to the 9th degree. None of my books was helping.
this was back in the 80's, mid 80's.  I smoked and had a spot of something on my lungs and figured this was my chance to exit planet Earth. but first I decided to pray.
I had one of those god conversations, where you pretend somebody is actually listening.

you get all your feelings out then you be quiet for a minute to see if any solution has arrived. I'd already made up my mind I was going to let my disease take me out, even though the kids were only around 14, I figured they'd be ok, as it would take a few years to die, then they'd be 16, yada, yada...

so in the god conversation I told god how it was gonna be. I was leaving unless...unless..well the still small voice said, what kind of miracle are u looking for?

I said I don't know. maybe theres a book out there could help me want to change my mind and show me why I feel so bad about myself that I don't want to live.

the voice said, ok, be patient. I'll see what I can come up with, meanwhile, relax and be patient. we can do this together.
so I felt better after that talk, because the voice didn't say I couldn't die, which I wanted to I thought, it just gave me the thought to put my plans on suspension for awhile. see what the universe could fork over for me.

so then I wandered into church of religious science and was introduced to a
ACIM by a very humble and kind gentleman who explained it as best he could which was good enough for me, as my own intuition was telling me this was my path.

to make a long story a little shorter my lung was healed and spirit said quit smoking as well and helped me thru that. to read the book is to do one lesson plan a day, like an affirmation a day to repeat to yourself, such as very easy, "I and my brothers are one"
or "I could see this differently."
this opens the mind a bit so you can see things differently automatically after some training, you do open up to spirit intuition, and then along with the lesson plans of 365, one a day, for a year, you don't let yourself get bogged down into it, you read a paragraph of the text when you have time, which is right brained stuff, not intellectual.

you read it and it tells you how JC feels about you, why he loves you, how you can change your mind to see the truth that love is real, that there is no reason to be afraid of anything when you know you are loved just as you are, with all your head trips and what not. it will teach you how to tell when you are coming from ego and when you are coming from love.

it tells you what the ego is, and it can be a very nasty critter indeed. unfortunately, we all have this beast inside of us, but we can teach the beast to perceive correctly, which is basically to realize we are one with god, and we should indeed love our enemies as our brothers, these are some of the same things JC said when he walked here, so it's nothing new, nothing intellectual, but it is paramount to realize your ego will lie to you about most anything, so you have to keep asking to see things differently of the Holy spirit and you will indeed see theres a better way and the way gets smoother with practice, to see life more positive, and to express PUL more and more.

ACIM says we miss many an opportunity to gladden ourselves. why is this?
why can't you go outside today and sniff the air, breath deeply and gladden yourself that you live, you are alive and it feels good?
if its hard to feel good, you have some belief system to look at and find out why you don't feel happy, you don't feel loved. its nothing out there, its not a books fault, it's not JC's fault, it's not god's fault, it's not a demon's fault, it's not a neg's fault, it's not bushes fault u are not happy or well and do not feel loved and appreciated.

u can get the picture, right? it's nobodys fault your own troubles and you will never change the world by yourself. you can change your self, you can ask for assistance, but you can never force people to accept that you are right, and so they are wrong.

thats not spiritual principle to be competive, stubborn and overbearing, and so it boils down to cultivating the garden of your own character, every day, you offer to be of service to life. then you listen for what you must do to help someone, not to be forcing your viewpoint at all. you listen for guidance how to bring good cheer to another.

if you are sincere, aid will be given to you and your way will be smooth if you love other people. if it sounds too simple, I'm sorry, thats how it works for me.

People are a whole lot smarter than you think they are, they have guides, intuition and most people are compassionate and understanding of others, is what I found out, so as we've been saying here, live and let live, pray unceasing that we can all get along here, and also out in the world and make it a good place for children to come live.

hi! I think theres good stuff there, but it's said that there are many paths to the same destination so I don't need to hawk it or anything. I too wondered if it could be JC speaking in the book at first as his spirit. I came to believe it was either Him or like his twin brother. after awhile it didn't matter, because it was  the word that was being spoken, and I slipped into the spirit of love, instead of worrying where it came from and whether it was channelled or not, it didn't matter. sometimes a book just flys into your hands, if it does, maybe it's your guide that made the book fall on your head or in your hands. many mansions, many paths, we all get home sooner or later where we can relate and be ourselves.