A Course in Miracles Journal (Day 7)

Background: Welcome to my year-long exploration of "A Course in Miracles," where each day unfolds a new layer of understanding and healing using this unique and vibrant text. This blog chronicles my personal exploration through daily text readings and workbook exercises, offering insights into the profound teachings of forgiveness, love, and perception shifts. The day’s text reading and exercise numbers are in the title of the entry. Join me as we uncover the miracles behind healing and transformation into the spiritually powerful beings we were created to be. 

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Today’s ACIM Journal Entry:

Text.

"All real pleasure comes from doing God’s will. This is because not doing it is denial of Self."
"Child of God, you were created to create the good, the beautiful, and the holy. Do not forget this."

I’ve always known this deep down, but needed to hear it to fully heed it. It aligns perfectly with my morning meditation, where I focused on reframing the mindset that has kept me in a state of inaction on certain matters.

"Vision is still so dim"—I wondered if this referred to perceiving God’s energies through the eyes. This was later affirmed in today’s reading.

The first half of the text was kind, direct, and exactly what I needed to read at this moment. It made absolute sense and came at perfect timing.

The second half felt like a gentle warning or reminder to ensure I’ve fully studied all of Chapter 1 before proceeding. Rereading all of Chapter 1 now that it has concluded feels excessive. However, I recall a few sections where my understanding wasn’t perfectly clear.

I’m considering consulting the Teacher’s Manual for guidance on what takeaways I need from Chapter 1.

Teacher’s Manual.

I read the introduction and the initial sections of the first few chapters. It resonated deeply and supplemented today’s text reading well, especially as my recent inaction ties directly to my sense of “teaching” and readiness.

My excuse for delaying the work my soul knows it’s called to do is often tied to needing to know the full landscape or having a solid plan for execution—but only in my mind.

My heart and soul now understand better. They didn’t when I was more broken.

I smile now at my use of the words "need" and "fear" earlier. Combining them doubles the challenge unnecessarily.

I also sense the limited capacity these thoughts hold. They reside in my mind—specifically, the part of my brain that feels like the last battlefield of my soul.

Similar doubts and fears once existed in my chest and gut, but they no longer dwell there. Now, they are confined to my mental faculties, and I’m weary of them.

This realization brings me back to my morning meditation, where I confronted the attack on my mind. A part of me fights to undermine the rest. It lies. It’s angry—at itself.

I prayed for a miracle to shift it, to liberate it. I felt resistance in my head, particularly in the frontal brain behind my mid-forehead. It was both slipping and resisting.

Side note on the Teacher’s Manual:

It didn’t connect to the Text in the way I expected. It speaks more to teaching miracles in general than to teaching A Course in Miracles specifically. While I anticipated this, I had hoped for workbook-style guidance to ensure I’m ready to move forward without incurring the "punishment of trauma" the text warns about when progressing too soon.

In response, I’m considering dedicating Day 8 to reviewing Chapter 1 with this intent.

Workbook.

I looked at Lesson 7 during my morning meditation. My inner guide prompted me to revisit the main lines from Lessons 4–6 before glancing at Lesson 7. This approach felt cohesive and helped navigate some persistent detrimental thoughts.

These thoughts have lingered all week, resisting the final shift, but they weaken with each passing day. For that, I am grateful. I’ll continue my mission to change my mind through this Course.

"I see only the past."

This statement struck a chord. Can I truly see something as it is, in this moment, if all my awareness about it is rooted in past experiences?

The past shapes the present as it is perceived.

For example, as I look across the room:

• The textures I perceive are informed by my past experiences with similar materials.

• My understanding of my dog’s breathing is rooted in past knowledge—that belly movement signifies life, and the pace of breathing indicates comfort or mood.

• Even the chair in the room holds ties to the past. I ordered it online after seeing an inspiring image on Pinterest. The materials of the chair—the wood, fabric, and frame—were once parts of trees, seeds, and other sources, each with their own history.

It becomes clear that everything I see and understand is tied to the past.

But this raises a deeper question: What, then, is the present? Why does it now frustrate me that reality, truth, and present-time existence feel neither tangible nor valuable to understand?

If the present isn’t “real,” what purpose does the illusion serve? The Text tells us our purpose is Oneness and absolute love. Our disconnection created needs, lies, and fears. And we believe in what we create.

This leads me to reflect further: Outside of myself, what of the things I perceive is part of the Oneness?

I know I still hold doubts and fears, which distort my view. I see only a fragmented picture, though light continues to creep in.

Perhaps I understand Chapter 1 more than I realized. While I’m not typing every insight here to avoid redundancy, the themes feel deeply familiar, even circular, as they’ve emerged throughout the week’s readings.

Love, Acacia

“All quotes are from A Course in Miracles, copyright ©1992, 1999, 2007 by the Foundation for Inner Peace, 448 Ignacio Blvd., #306, Novato, CA 94949, www.acim.org, used with permission.”