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Marin TM Group—Mill Valley, California—U.S.A.

 

 

Dear Michael and Mother Spirit, We thank You for initiating and enabling these conversations, these living exchanges with You, our Divine Parents. We feel truly blessed--considering all the generations of men and women who’ve lived under the planetary spiritual quarantine, for now we have the Teaching Mission and Your living voices coming to us. You renew our spirits and remind us of that great creation all about us that we are headed for, both in space and eternity. For this and all of God’s good gifts, we are truly thankful. Amen.

Dear Michael and Mother Spirit, We thank You for initiating and enabling these conversations, these living exchanges with You, our Divine Parents. We feel truly blessed--considering all the generations of men and women who’ve lived under the planetary spiritual quarantine, for now we have the Teaching Mission and Your living voices coming to us. You renew our spirits and remind us of that great creation all about us that we are headed for, both in space and eternity. For this and all of God’s good gifts, we are truly thankful. Amen.

MICHAEL: Good evening, My sons, this is Michael. How I do enjoy your conversations, for they let Me know you are experiencing a rebirth of wonder. This is that great enthusiasm for reality that is a reward in itself, that not only maintains you moment to moment, but also points you the way to thriving, and growing--as was once said--that you might have life, and have it more abundantly. This is Mother’s and My purpose in these lessons--to enable you to perceive and experience deeply more of what is all too often either disregarded, or simply at your level of civilization so far, has remained realms of human spirituality that have not yet been introduced.

MICHAEL: Good evening, My sons, this is Michael. How I do enjoy your conversations, for they let Me know you are experiencing a rebirth of wonder. This is that great enthusiasm for reality that is a reward in itself, that not only maintains you moment to moment, but also points you the way to thriving, and growing--as was once said--that you might have life, and have it more abundantly. This is Mother’s and My purpose in these lessons--to enable you to perceive and experience deeply more of what is all too often either disregarded, or simply at your level of civilization so far, has remained realms of human spirituality that have not yet been introduced.

 

 

This is obviously also the purpose of the Urantia book and why it is called an epochal revelation, for were it more widely known and understood, Urantia would indeed witness a new epoch of human fulfillment, individually and collectively. But you know from reading parts of the book how inevitable this progress is. This is not to say that it does not require your own active effort and hard work and participation, but it is nice to know that there is a cosmos-wide evolution taking place that is inexorable.

This is obviously also the purpose of the Urantia book and why it is called an epochal revelation, for were it more widely known and understood, Urantia would indeed witness a new epoch of human fulfillment, individually and collectively. But you know from reading parts of the book how inevitable this progress is. This is not to say that it does not require your own active effort and hard work and participation, but it is nice to know that there is a cosmos-wide evolution taking place that is inexorable.

There is a kind of wisdom, My children, bound up in acceptance of who and what you are, and what you have at any moment. We have pointed out this is fully half the picture. These are those moments in time when you can rest with what you have accomplished and feel glad about it. Celebrate your own creativity and what it has brought you. It would be foolish to deny the wisdom in this, because it is so necessary to rest. But it is still only half the picture. The other half is the good work, the real striving and effort to open your hearts and your minds and your very soul to pure potential, real possibility. You can be more.

There is a kind of wisdom, My children, bound up in acceptance of who and what you are, and what you have at any moment. We have pointed out this is fully half the picture. These are those moments in time when you can rest with what you have accomplished and feel glad about it. Celebrate your own creativity and what it has brought you. It would be foolish to deny the wisdom in this, because it is so necessary to rest. But it is still only half the picture. The other half is the good work, the real striving and effort to open your hearts and your minds and your very soul to pure potential, real possibility. You can be more.

This is the hunger for perfection. Embracing this hunger, this desire, does cast a relative light of imperfection over all you can see. It takes courage not to be dismayed by this, but to realize that you, and all the folks about you, are at a particular stage of an evolution that is relentless. It’s so easy to see this with reference to the past, and be glad that the society and culture you live in has advanced to where it is now. But can you accept the humility in realizing that in a hundred years from now, on Urantia, they will look back and see you the same way?

This is the hunger for perfection. Embracing this hunger, this desire, does cast a relative light of imperfection over all you can see. It takes courage not to be dismayed by this, but to realize that you, and all the folks about you, are at a particular stage of an evolution that is relentless. It’s so easy to see this with reference to the past, and be glad that the society and culture you live in has advanced to where it is now. But can you accept the humility in realizing that in a hundred years from now, on Urantia, they will look back and see you the same way?

This is that humility that welcomes seeing the bigger picture. These are those alternating phases of acceptance and rest, then opening to work for, to strive for more. This is the ability to see imperfection and use it to understand all the better what perfection itself might be. As Mother pointed out last week, this is the ability to see how you and all your fellows are bound up in conditions of happenstance beyond the control of even the whole human race, yet understand how this gives particular meaning to your moment in time. And so you find, and live in, and operate from a spiritual home base of positively realizing how all this enormous panorama of time and space and personal beings actually exists.

This is that humility that welcomes seeing the bigger picture. These are those alternating phases of acceptance and rest, then opening to work for, to strive for more. This is the ability to see imperfection and use it to understand all the better what perfection itself might be. As Mother pointed out last week, this is the ability to see how you and all your fellows are bound up in conditions of happenstance beyond the control of even the whole human race, yet understand how this gives particular meaning to your moment in time. And so you find, and live in, and operate from a spiritual home base of positively realizing how all this enormous panorama of time and space and personal beings actually exists.

This is to feel deep in your heart that all this ungraspable, unfathomable complexity is your true home. The more deeply you consider it, and credit that it is God’s plan, the more you know that you could not, would not have it any other way. This is where worship and wisdom become one.

This is to feel deep in your heart that all this ungraspable, unfathomable complexity is your true home. The more deeply you consider it, and credit that it is God’s plan, the more you know that you could not, would not have it any other way. This is where worship and wisdom become one.

If you have any questions or comments this evening, My sons, let’s see if we can shed some light on our wisdom, and be thankful for it.

If you have any questions or comments this evening, My sons, let’s see if we can shed some light on our wisdom, and be thankful for it.

 

Student: Father Michael, I was wondering about what is effective prayer? Can I pray for some else’s well being, and can I pray for my own well being, and it’s actually a real event? I don’t know even the right question to ask… Just what is effective prayer--is the best way to put it?

Student: Father Michael, I was wondering about what is effective prayer? Can I pray for some else’s well being, and can I pray for my own well being, and it’s actually a real event? I don’t know even the right question to ask… Just what is effective prayer--is the best way to put it?

MICHAEL: Yes C, for clarification We’ve made a distinction between worship and prayer. Worship is the thankfulness for your life and all that it holds; prayer is a sincere request for help. So think of when you have asked for help in your life, either from another person, or from your spiritual parents--Myself or Mother Nebadonia, or God. It helps greatly if you have already done all you can do with your own self-power, the power of your own heart and mind and spirit. For besides insuring that you’re not just being self-indulgent or lazy, this has already given you some feedback as to what it is that you want, and what is possible, so that you are not, in a sense, asking for the moon.

MICHAEL: Yes C, for clarification We’ve made a distinction between worship and prayer. Worship is the thankfulness for your life and all that it holds; prayer is a sincere request for help. So think of when you have asked for help in your life, either from another person, or from your spiritual parents--Myself or Mother Nebadonia, or God. It helps greatly if you have already done all you can do with your own self-power, the power of your own heart and mind and spirit. For besides insuring that you’re not just being self-indulgent or lazy, this has already given you some feedback as to what it is that you want, and what is possible, so that you are not, in a sense, asking for the moon.

Student: Yes, Father, about two hundred questions, but I’ll limit it to one more. I see a direct correlation, a direct connection between asking, and receiving, to know what’s fueling my desire to overeat, and certain instances which have popped into my mind from time to time. But what I’m not sure of is: what to do with these instances? Offer them up to You, the Heavenly Father? Is that an effective way of dealing with these past incidents? Or is there another way to effectively deal with these things, with these instances?

Student: Yes, Father, about two hundred questions, but I’ll limit it to one more. I see a direct correlation, a direct connection between asking, and receiving, to know what’s fueling my desire to overeat, and certain instances which have popped into my mind from time to time. But what I’m not sure of is: what to do with these instances? Offer them up to You, the Heavenly Father? Is that an effective way of dealing with these past incidents? Or is there another way to effectively deal with these things, with these instances?

MICHAEL: I think what helps best with respect to any past event is just to re-experience it, in your stillness, as purely as you can as it happened originally. For in this way you are most truly accessing your own soul’s wealth of experience. The main reason for this is that you have to get over your own former interpretations and reactions to a past event. Look upon this past event as a discovery, for you really exist—now, and who you once were is another person. (Yes) Approach this other person with genuine curiosity and wonder, and try to set aside as much as you can your previous evaluations and judgments of this person. In this way you most truly re-experience why you did things--as you did. You escape the simple-mindedness of judgmental reaction.

MICHAEL: I think what helps best with respect to any past event is just to re-experience it, in your stillness, as purely as you can as it happened originally. For in this way you are most truly accessing your own soul’s wealth of experience. The main reason for this is that you have to get over your own former interpretations and reactions to a past event. Look upon this past event as a discovery, for you really exist—now, and who you once were is another person. (Yes) Approach this other person with genuine curiosity and wonder, and try to set aside as much as you can your previous evaluations and judgments of this person. In this way you most truly re-experience why you did things--as you did. You escape the simple-mindedness of judgmental reaction.

Student: I’m just so thankful.. I think Mother mentioned… I think I’m being affirmed and rewarded for my efforts. (heavy sigh)

Student: I’m just so thankful.. I think Mother mentioned… I think I’m being affirmed and rewarded for my efforts. (heavy sigh)

MICHAEL: This is the reward of faith, because life has within it those moments when you are hanging on for deal life with nothing but faith. This is that pain you find a times within even the best effort, the most spiritual effort . There is a reluctance, a holding back that is very understandable--that somehow you shouldn’t have to be making so much effort. But there you are. It would be shortsighted not to realize that life does hold these moments of crisis and supreme trial you will just naturally encounter.

MICHAEL: This is the reward of faith, because life has within it those moments when you are hanging on for deal life with nothing but faith. This is that pain you find a times within even the best effort, the most spiritual effort . There is a reluctance, a holding back that is very understandable--that somehow you shouldn’t have to be making so much effort. But there you are. It would be shortsighted not to realize that life does hold these moments of crisis and supreme trial you will just naturally encounter.

Student (laughing): Yes—my life! And I do thank You and Mother for telling us that God is just a thought away. I’ve been having that come to my mind more and more, especially if I’m going through a negative stream of consciousness, or I’m in an environment I’m not comfortable in, because it seems to cut through all that. And rights my course: God is just a thought away. For the moment one thinks that—how can you be negative?

Student (laughing): Yes—my life! And I do thank You and Mother for telling us that God is just a thought away. I’ve been having that come to my mind more and more, especially if I’m going through a negative stream of consciousness, or I’m in an environment I’m not comfortable in, because it seems to cut through all that. And rights my course: God is just a thought away. For the moment one thinks that—how can you be negative?

MICHAEL: It’s not always so easy. There are those times, as I experienced in My own human life, you are truly just hanging on with everything you have, moment to moment. It is all you can do--to try to accept all that is happening. Human beings do experience that which overwhelms them. This is the meaning of being overwhelmed—by fear, or pain, worry, anxiety, meaninglessness, insanity. These are also real potentials, and so they too are deserving of our attention, to deepen out understanding, for these too make up that awesome happenstance which happens to folks. These must be included in our view of life. They really challenge our faith. They demand we not turn a blind eye to all that is possible. But faith helps keep us steadfast in our worship and our wisdom, in our generosity and our love for those so afflicted. You are right, My son, God is here. It is we who must persist in seeking Him. Be in My peace.

MICHAEL: It’s not always so easy. There are those times, as I experienced in My own human life, you are truly just hanging on with everything you have, moment to moment. It is all you can do--to try to accept all that is happening. Human beings do experience that which overwhelms them. This is the meaning of being overwhelmed—by fear, or pain, worry, anxiety, meaninglessness, insanity. These are also real potentials, and so they too are deserving of our attention, to deepen out understanding, for these too make up that awesome happenstance which happens to folks. These must be included in our view of life. They really challenge our faith. They demand we not turn a blind eye to all that is possible. But faith helps keep us steadfast in our worship and our wisdom, in our generosity and our love for those so afflicted. You are right, My son, God is here. It is we who must persist in seeking Him. Be in My peace.

What an awesome thing this reality is we find ourselves in. It would seem we have no choice but to trust in God and His love and His wisdom that created the whole thing. But then we would be in error, for that is our choice—to trust in Him; or not. No being reaches maturity without rather thoroughly trying both alternatives. So when you look back at those people you have been, be forgiving of their immaturity in choosing not to trust in either God or their fellows. That was an experiential possibility you all owed it to yourselves to try. Hopefully you have learned your lessons well. It is by striving to re-experience and understand those trying moments in your past that you can get the real flavor of just what it was you were trying to do. And so one of God’s greatest gifts to us is this ability of free will, even to deny or ignore Him.  

 

What an awesome thing this reality is we find ourselves in. It would seem we have no choice but to trust in God and His love and His wisdom that created the whole thing. But then we would be in error, for that is our choice—to trust in Him; or not. No being reaches maturity without rather thoroughly trying both alternatives. So when you look back at those people you have been, be forgiving of their immaturity in choosing not to trust in either God or their fellows. That was an experiential possibility you all owed it to yourselves to try. Hopefully you have learned your lessons well. It is by striving to re-experience and understand those trying moments in your past that you can get the real flavor of just what it was you were trying to do. And so one of God’s greatest gifts to us is this ability of free will, even to deny or ignore Him. For this most awesome freedom, Father, we humbly thank You, and pray You help us be worthy of it. Be in My peace, My sons. Good evening.

For this most awesome freedom, Father, we humbly thank You, and pray You help us be worthy of it. Be in My peace, My sons. Good evening.