CONSCIOUSNESS HAS BECOME ME since the break that occurred in my life. Over the past six months, in my aloneness, I made a decision to be alert and aware of my thoughts and feelings and the effect they were having on my life. I now know without a shadow of a doubt that I have within me all I desire to make manifest. So, with this in mind, I decided to bring forth this article for me to ascertain what it is I desire to live.

What we teach Is what we learn.
- A Course in Miracles

The holiday season is over and I feel a relief within my being for I feel the sense of renewal as I move past what was and into what is now. I'm not certain of what I will allow to come through me in the New Year but I know - whatever I do make occur - that it will be New.

Joyous, Conscious New Year Wishes to you, PlanetLightworker readers! I bring you this months Quantum Miracles Article #8: The Kingdom of Heaven is Within.

We are told in Mark 1:14-15,

The kingdom is at hand [now].

In A Course in Miracles it states,

Heaven is now.

Jesus, when asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Lo, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

In A Course in Miracles we are told,

To inhabit The Kingdom of Heaven, purification is necessary.

The Bible says:

Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
- Matthew 5:48

Perfect is not a condition of excellence or one of being greater than most; it is far more than this. It is a state of living a life without flaws of any kind - a condition of spotlessness. In this state of being, the world itself must also be perfect since what we are within is what we see reflected out into our world.

This author calls this perfected state of being Heaven on Earth.

If all in our perceptual realities is an out-picturing of what resides in our minds... then the only purification needed is in the mind. Loving thoughts empower Love to be self evident in our body, our body of work and our world. As we are IS as our world is. All is a clear reflection of what we think and we feel within.

If the Kingdom of Heaven is within and if all is within then where is the hell we hear so much about? Where is fear, sorrow, poverty?

If Heaven is here, now, our experience of life should be free of every condition that is not Heavenly. Yet we look into our world and see chaos and suffering at every turn. How can Heaven be now?

The answer lies in this principle as written in the Bible:

Seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and his Right-Consciousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
- Matthew 6:33

How do we do this?

Wholeness or Right-Consciousness is the Will of God. The opposite is the law of the ego, which is the state of mind in which chaos reigns. The ego keeps us mildly miserable and - if we allow ourselves to be led by it - it takes us away from our true inheritance: living Heaven now.

As Creators of our reality, what we put our attention on expands. If we accept a world of imperfection, then imperfection is what we will see.

The Course calls the state of Oneness with Perfection or God The Atonement. Atonement is the effect of the decision and, then, purification of the mind and heart that returns to God... God's Son... to the state of mind in which he was created. This state is the consciousness of Heaven.

In order to live in a state of heaven consciousness, we must break free of our complacency and accept nothing less than a world that is perfect. But how do we accomplish what seems to be such a difficult task? This begins with a change of perception; we must cease judging appearances and place our attention on the inherent perfection that already lies within us.

Focusing our attention on heavenly expressions moves us immediately into a heavenly consciousness. The errors of the world that we have known - though still residing in the outer bands of our mind - disappear from our perspective.

Patience, compassion, kindness, gentleness - these are heavenly expressions. These expressions may flow into our mind through the five senses but they are experienced through our spirit. Whenever we express these virtues, we are - in that moment - living in the consciousness of Heaven. This is the meaning of being in the world but not of it. By making heavenly thoughts a habit, we gradually train our mind to be heaven-conscious. This leads eventually to a state of mind inspired completely by a Higher Authority, an authority that exists within all of us.

The world we now accept - of deprivation, limitation and suffering - is only a dream, a dream from which we can and will all one day awaken. We can reclaim our true inheritance, our heavenly consciousness by constantly directing our thoughts toward heavenly thoughts and feelings. Inevitably, our words and deeds will express a heavenly world where our dreams live.

Heaven is now.

It is my belief that all I see is a reflection of what I am in every moment.

The 'Kingdom of Heaven'' is a condition of the heart -
not something that comes 'upon the earth' or 'after death.'
- Friedrich Nietzsche

The Kingdom of Heaven is a condition of The Heart? What does this mean?

The Truth of my being - of all beings - is LOVE. Pure Love. In every moment I choose to exhibit this Love... or not. If I don't, it is because I put my mind on something not of Love and this is why I see not love in this moment.

Love felt and expressed is Pure Expression.

For Love hinders not. Love is free and ever flowing. Love in it's purest unconditional state is the essence of The Kingdom of Heaven. No blocks nor resistance... Love gives birth to itself, and as it does, it becomes Heir to Its Kingdom.

The great peace of the Kingdom shines in your mind forever,
but it must shine OUTWARD to make YOU aware of it.
- A Course in Miracles

It is impossible to find God outside of ourselves. Our own souls contribute all of the divinity that is outside of us. We are the greatest temple. The objectification is only a faint imitation of what we see within ourselves.
- Swami Vivekananda

In this moment I choose only Love and as I do I see only Love...

The world is in our very own mind?! Yes! The world is in you... The Kingdom of Heaven is within you... Wealth is within you... Your Soul mate is within you...

In A Course in Miracles it says,

Do you not see that all your misery
comes from the strange belief that you are powerless?

It goes on to tell us to repeat to ourselves when ever we feel we are unfairly treated:

I AM responsible for what I see. I CHOSE the feelings I experience, and I DECIDED ON the goal I would achieve. And everything that SEEMS to happen TO me, I ASKED FOR and received as I had asked.

I am the Heir to the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of hell. It matters not which one I choose... Free will is simply given for the experience of validating the power we have to see what we desire to see as a reality in our perceptual world.

Be what it is you desire to see in your world. Or, choose Love and let Love decide for you.

This author wishes all who read this article a New Year living a Conscious Heaven while living here on Earth.

© Ananda of Love, 2009

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ananda of Love is an All-Faith minister, author, and teacher of A Course in Miracles. Her Spiritual dedication opened the intuitive healer within her which has inspired the spiritual counselor assisting others to reach for their full potential, this is one of her primary passions. She is also a spiritual channel for beautiful prose and art. She is a natural photographer and graphic designer. She feels that creating is the way to keep her focus on the Love within.

She possesses a variety of skills associated with bringing One to their highest potential. Ananda is always creating, she feels Art is the natural expression to her Life Line with Spirit.

Visit Ananda at:
www.QuantumMiraclesForum.com,
www.CourseinMiraclesForum.com,
www.TheAttunementProject.com.

Write Ananda at: AnandaofLove@aol.com.