Richard Greenwood

I came home to a Course in Miracles through the back door. When I first picked up the Course book itself, it was so different from anything I had experienced before that it didn't register. I was quite a bit lost in the world to begin to comprehend what it said, so I set it aside. One spring day in a bookstore, I was just leaving when I encountered a man who scared me a bit. This was back in the day when I judged people by their cover, so to speak. He looked like a big, rough biker, and I gave him a wide berth as I left. However, "something" told me to pause and listen for a moment. I couldn't see inside the store, but the screen door was all that was in the way and I could hear the conversation with the store clerk. What I remember was as clear as I am now, which was the clerk saying to the man, "...and here is a book which tells how A Course in Miracles came to earth." Well, that got my interest, and I eventually got back in there and bought Journey without Distance by the husband of the publisher of the Course. What really reeled me in was Maryanne Williamson's A Return to Love. Both of these explained what I needed to be convinced of its authenticity, and to know what that "something" was that made me pause. That was probably almost 30 years ago, and the Course has been my guide since then. I have studied the text through at least 6 readings, and the lessons at least 5 times, and each time I read a section I read it at a different level than before. One of the favorite lines of my friends in our study group is, "I have it highlighted, but I don't remember ever reading it before." because each time it is new. I am a scientist with a Ph.D in geology, working on a Ph.D in Spirituality, and the Course is my course curriculum.