2024-04-25-You Are the One Who Decides

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Facilitators

Session

Opening

Dear Michael and Mother Spirit, Welcome. Greetings on a beautiful springtime evening after a long and wonderful spring day. The blossoms have given way to beautiful green leaves on the trees. I noticed a lot of bushes now have little green tips on their branches. Michael, I have a question for you. In a recent meeting of a new group called Mission Urantia--seeking to organize and combine all the Urantia study groups--a question arose as to how we can distinguish the presence of God--our Thought Adjuster. How can we distinguish that input?

As I recall, our Urantia Book says that however difficult it may be to isolate God’s ideas, this is not strictly necessary. We can take it as a matter of faith our Thought Adjuster is an integral part of our thought processes. There is no need to distinguish it. So tonight, Michael, if you could give us any insight into this, we would definitely appreciate it. Thank you.

Lesson

Michael: Good evening, this is Michael, and I would be delighted to give you a few pointers--maybe even tease you a bit about this marvelous companion you have. As your Urantia Book correctly points out, in one way you are the envy of the whole spiritual community because you have such a presence of our Father right within you as an integral part of you. He is the co-author of your human souls you carry on into eternity--the great wealth of experience you are living to acquire. 

First of all--and most importantly!--let me emphasize, dear ones, what you are. You are a living being with a unique personality right from our Father. In essence you are his created personality. Being spiritually creative yourself, you are a free-will being. You have the ultimate power of choice among alternatives you can create. You can make decisions for yourself among all the thoughts that occur to you, whatever their source. (With all thoughts, you are the one who decides)

When get into the presence of God within you--called a Thought Adjuster--it is most fundamental and important that you realize you are the one who makes the decisions. It is you who chooses what to honor and remember and carry into your activities.  Just like our Father is to his creation, you too can be true to your own full self as the highly conscious center and decider. Recall that the presence of God within you is a personalized/individualized presence as distinct from his omnipresence throughout creation.

Since we call his presence a “Thought Adjuster”, many of you take umbrage at this designation. From your desire to be a free-will being—at least somewhat autonomous in the midst of this swirling reality all around you—you take umbrage at being “adjusted”. As greater understanding takes some clarification, I will get into the melee of thoughts that are swirling within you.

(God’s presence only offers, never demands)

God’s thought adjustment just means his offering ideas to all the other ones occurring to you. They affect the balance--if you will. Keep in mind they are only offered. It is never demanded you register and act on them. In fact, the whole spiritual community, whose members have infinite power compared to your limited human one, will not impose their thoughts or will upon you.

This is the most precious aspect of God’s thoughts. They are offered. He does not demand you acknowledge and follow them. Always keep in mind they are the insertion of great truth, beauty, and goodness. This is the way his adjustment occurs. As I pointed out at the very beginning, the most important thing to remember is that no matter the source of an idea, you are the ultimate decider to not only acknowledge and honor, but even obey--turning words into action.

As to the various sources of thought, you yourself are a spiritual being along with this physical body you have that does influence your mind. You are a creative being endowed with spirit.

(Many things influence your thoughts) 

A great amount of your thoughts come from your own personality, influenced by the particular culture in which you were raised and educated. There are hundreds on your planet, some of them going back thousands of years in their development. They provide the very language in which your thoughts are expressed, with certain qualities and limitations. Of course this is all in the immediate face of whatever activity you find yourself—working, playing, relaxing, enjoying company, watching TV or your PC.

Some thoughts come from those memories you can easily access and remember--the way events influenced and created you. Beyond them is an encompassing of meaning and value--your soul, enormous because God’s co-authoring presence is enormous. Your soul carries everything of spiritual significance so far in your life. It’s your true transcendent spiritual growth up to that day you can become one with this presence of God within you. You will have grown your personal abilities enough to consciously become one with him and your own soul.

(Your soul determines great meaning and value)

But even now your soul’s wealth is influential in determining the value of your moment- to-moment life. You decide what to do next based on your own interpretation and evaluation of what has and is happening to you. You can recognize this dimension of human reality. When you meet someone with enormous life experience, you can see them as “a very soulful person.”

So, my dears, keep in mind that you are always thinking, even if you wake up in the middle of the night, or early morning; but especially when you’re engaged in some activity. This is why Mother Spirit and I recommend a kind of open-minded “stillness” meditation to start your day with your Thought Adjuster. While sitting still you occupy yourself only with some little task to keep from falling asleep or drifting away. Your body is constantly real, so stay in tough with it. Be aware of your breathing, counting your breaths up to ten, over and over again, just to keep awake. Use this wonderful meditating time to pay proper respect and thanks for your physical self and health.

Practicing open-mindedness, rather than judgmental programs or prayers, allows thoughts to occur to you after—initially—usually some about your recent life concerns. Let them come; let everything come; avoid nothing. Be curious. What does God have for you—this morning?

(Stillness meditation gives your Thought Adjuster an opportunity) This meditation allows you to just be still. You’re paying the supreme price in life: you’re paying attention. This is one of the most wonderful ways of temporarily pausing any necessary business to keep alive. Let that come to a gentle stop so you can register and consider your Thought Adjuster’s contribution. As I said, the whole spiritual community- -especially God’s presence--do not demand anything of you. These are their most wonderful and viable suggestions.

True spirit input is rarely a loud voice in your mind, which is why hearing voices is usually a sign of some mental disease or difficulty. Although true enough, in some critical situations people have heard a rather clear voice that saved the day. But mostly the input from God’s presence are thoughts you can accept or ignore. Recognize them

by their very purity and goodness. Especially in times of critical necessity they can be most clearly recognized by being supremely appropriate and comprehensive.

(You yourself are a spiritually creative individual)

If you will, they can answer your questions. Thoughts from your Adjuster can miraculously encompass and address your whole situation. Obviously, coming from God, goodness and idealism are their very signature. The main difficulty is determining their origin is that you too are capable of coming up with wonderfully good ideas that pertain to your present situation, whether at work or at play. By contrast, you can be absolutely positive that any negative, harmful, cruel, or mean ideas are not coming from your Thought Adjuster. 

So this, my dears, is the great curiosity to have in your prayers, your worship, and your thankfulness not only for God’s creation in which you have your life, but also gratitude for the super-appropriate ideas he can give you. Stillness can be a wonderful worship, a wonderful way of expressing your thankfulness by purely paying attention.

So for this, above all, you can credit our Father. This idealism can lead you forward. It can provide that critical next step to keep growing, to keep adding wonderful things to your soul. This is God’s intention, just as it is mine and Mother Spirit’s: That you have life!--and have it more abundantly. Now if you have any questions or comments this evening, let them come forth. It is always fun to engage your ideas.

Dialogue

Student: Well, I don’t really have a question, but my comment is: Thank you for a wonderful lesson and delineation of some things.

(Ask often, “Dear Father, what do I do next?)

Michael: As I said, the main difficulty in distinguishing your Thought Adjuster’s input is because you yourself are a creative spiritual being. You are endowed with a creative spirit. But every now and then, especially when you really need it, you can recognize the source of his wonderful, all-encompassing ideas that seems to capture and wrap up your whole situation, and provide that critical next step. You can ask in your meditation, or anytime really, in your life, “Dear Father, what do I do next?” Then pay attention, because the very next thought can be his.

Student: Yes. That is a process that I take part in.

Michael: This is why your literature and your news is full of people who, in very terrible situations, are pretty sure it was God who pulled them through. It was his next thing to do which literally saved their lives. It is also true that God’s generosity can lead to your own generosity of spirit toward your fellows. You can be their thought adjuster and give

them the ideas they need, to take their next step into the unknown. So enjoy playing your part in this enormous drama of human life.

Student: I will, and I do. Thank you.

(It is God’s adventure set before you)

Closing

Michael: Good!--and you are welcome, my dear. Keep in mind it is a deliberate adventure God has set out before you. You may not always appreciate it, or wish it were easier, but as your wonderful Urantia Book says, even your Guardian Angels would prefer you to have a somewhat difficult life--in order to call forth your need to decide. A big part of your soul is the decisions you are constantly making as you go through your days.

Let this awareness be part of your gratitude to God and your Angels: your difficulties have demanded the decisions that enabled you to keep growing. This worship is the key to eternity.

I bid you a good night, my dear ones. Mother Spirit sends you her love. She wraps you and envelops you in her love, and I bid you Be in my peace. Good evening. Students: Good evening.