Changes

GROUP:        Oh! Hello, Merium. Great!

GROUP:        Oh! Hello, Merium. Great!

MERIUM:      I am being ushered in to engage you in a moment of focused attention so that we can assign you a lesson and in order for this lesson to fall upon fertile soil, that you will be receptive and that we may be effective, I would like to take my babies in hand, hold your hands, hold you on my lap, hold you to my breast, nurture you with the love of the Divine Minister, as we approach our Father/Brother Michael, Blessed be these children. Blessed be our offspring, Father, who have come to you for guidance and instruction, who look to you for wisdom and administrative abilities, who seek your council in all these affairs of their developing young lives. They come to you, Michael, in hopes of understanding their purpose, in appreciating their design, so that they may work and play in accordance with the will of our divine Father and that they may be pleasing to your eyes and to the eyes of our Divine Minister.

MERIUM:      I am being ushered in to [[engage]] you in a moment of [[focused]] [[attention]] so that we can assign you a lesson and in order for this lesson to fall upon [[fertile]] [[soil]], that you will be [[receptive]] and that we may be effective, I would like to take my babies in hand, hold your hands, hold you on my lap, hold you to my [[breast]], nurture you with the [[love]] of the [[Divine Minister]], as we approach our Father/Brother [[Michael]], Blessed be these children. Blessed be our offspring, Father, who have come to you for [[guidance]] and instruction, who look to you for [[wisdom]] and administrative abilities, who seek your [[counsel]] in all these affairs of their developing young lives. They come to you, Michael, in [[hopes]] of understanding their [[purpose]], in appreciating their [[design]], so that they may work and play in accordance with the will of our divine Father and that they may be pleasing to your eyes and to the eyes of our Divine Minister.

I am always in awe of you, Michael and Nebadonia, for your wonders and for the opportunity to serve in your kingdom and to work with, play with and form with these children of Urantia. Lead us now, Father/Brother Michael, into the presence of our Father in heaven that we may know a moment of blessing and His sanction in this day in the life. Amen.

I am always in awe of you, [[Michael]] and [[Nebadonia]], for your [[wonders]] and for the [[opportunity]] to serve in your kingdom and to [[work]] with, [[play]] with and form with these children of [[Urantia]]. Lead us now, Father/Brother Michael, into the [[presence]] of [[our Father]] in heaven that we may know a moment of [[blessing]] and His sanction in this day in the life. [[Amen]].

GROUP:        Amen. (A long moment)

GROUP:        Amen. (A long moment)

GROUP:        Good evening, Tomas.

GROUP:        Good evening, Tomas.

TOMAS:        It is good to be here and I am very glad for the association of each of you. I and we have very much appreciated your in depth and sincere sharing this evening, even though it extends your schedule, perhaps, beyond your desired constraints, it nonetheless gives us a look into your hearts and souls which reflects to you also a facet of your reality which you have been thus willing to share with your friends, giving yourself then permission to assimilate greater understanding of your experience. Thus we all gain wisdom! You, for the experience itself; the ones you love and share with, because of their empathetic appreciation of your experience; and we also benefit by knowing how it is that you respond to the vicissitudes of human life. Were there no difficulties to overcome and no experiences to trip over, wisdom would not be forthcoming and you would not deepen in your ability to know God and be like him.

TOMAS:        It is good to be here and I am very glad for the [[association]] of each of you. I and we have very much [[appreciated]] your in depth and [[sincere]] [[sharing]] this evening, even though it extends your schedule, perhaps, beyond your desired constraints, it nonetheless gives us a look into your [[hearts]] and [[souls]] which reflects to you also a [[facet]] of your [[reality]] which you have been thus willing to share with your friends, giving yourself then permission to [[assimilate]] greater understanding of your experience. Thus we all gain [[wisdom]]! You, for the experience itself; the ones you love and share with, because of their [[empathetic]] appreciation of your experience; and we also benefit by knowing how it is that you respond to the [[vicissitudes]] of human life. Were there no difficulties to overcome and no experiences to trip over, [[wisdom]] would not be forthcoming and you would not deepen in your [[ability]] to know God and be like him.

===Lesson===

===Lesson===

In your lesson this evening, my friends, you read about a transport -- the transport initially between this life and the morontia realms, and later, again, you will be engaged in a long sleep between the local universe and the superuniverse, most particularly the final sleep from the superuniverse into Havona. These passages are in a way graduations, and I would like to introduce you to the emotion, the sense of accomplishment in your passages that will enable you to understand your experiences and your wisdom now, having had those experiences.

In your lesson this evening, my friends, you read about [[Paper 39|a transport]] -- the transport initially between this life and the [[morontia]] realms, and later, again, you will be engaged in a long sleep between the [[local universe]] and the [[superuniverse]], most particularly the final sleep from the superuniverse into [[Havona]]. These passages are in a way [[graduations]], and I would like to introduce you to the [[emotion]], the sense of accomplishment in your passages that will enable you to [[understand]] your [[experiences]] and your [[wisdom]] now, having had those experiences.

We have spoken to you before; it is in your text -- you are encouraged to stop every now and again and look back upon your journey to see how far you have come in order to gain perspective on where you are today and where you hope to be in the future. It is encouraged also that when you are having a "dark night of the soul" or a "hard day's night" you look back upon moments of a precious friendship with a heartfelt appreciation of the value of the love that you once shared in order to give you strength.

We have spoken to you before; it is in [[your text]] -- you are [[encouraged]] to stop every now and again and look back upon your [[journey]] to see how far you have come in order to gain [[perspective]] on where you are today and where you [[hope]] to be in the [[future]]. It is [[encouraged]] also that when you are having a "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_night_of_the_soul dark night of the soul]" or a "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Hard_Day%27s_Night_%28song%29 hard day's night]" you look back upon moments of a precious [[friendship]] with a heartfelt appreciation of the [[value]] of the love that you once [[shared]] in order to give you [[strength]].

Now, flock, this evening in your sharing, it could be understood, your sharing. It could be construed that when you look back -- at this point in your growth -- you do not find the reflection to bring about in you a sense of joy and satisfaction. The duly honored sense of nostalgia that can be known from looking back is not there in many cases. Instead what we find are regrets and recriminations, bitterness, sadness, a sense of defeat or a sense of futility that your ideals cannot be met and so why try to attain them. These attitudes are toxic to your spirit. They are humanly understandable. They are emotionally resultant from the mental approach to your life experience, but from a backward vantage point.

Now, flock, this evening in your [[sharing]], it could be [[understood]], your sharing. It could be construed that when you look back -- at this point in your [[growth]] -- you do not find the [[reflection]] to bring about in you a sense of [[joy]] and [[satisfaction]]. The duly honored sense of [[nostalgia]] that can be known from looking back is not there in many cases. Instead what we find are [[regrets]] and recriminations, [[bitterness]], sadness, a sense of [[defeat]] or a sense of futility that your [[ideals]] cannot be met and so why try to [[attain]] them. These [[attitudes]] are [[toxic]] to your spirit. They are humanly understandable. They are emotionally resultant from the mental approach to your life [[experience]], but from a backward [[vantage point]].

We would introduce to you this evening the concept of a different vantage point, one which will allow you to look back upon your experiences in the sunlight of the spirit rather than in the shadow. I will remind you, too, that it is in adversity that you gain wisdom, and so, rather than complain that you have known adversity, appreciate the adversity that you have known. Assign to yourself an understanding of the strength that you have garnered from that experience. This is not an easy assignment. You are asked to look at your experiential history, or segments thereof, and allow the dark cloud to have a silver lining.

We would introduce to you this evening the [[concept]] of a [[different]] vantage point, one which will allow you to look back upon your experiences in the [[sunlight]] of the [[spirit]] rather than in the [[shadow]]. I will remind you, too, that it is in [[adversity]] that you gain [[wisdom]], and so, rather than [[complain]] that you have known adversity, appreciate the adversity that you have known. Assign to yourself an [[understanding]] of the [[strength]] that you have garnered from that experience. This is not an easy [[assignment]]. You are asked to look at your experiential [[history]], or segments thereof, and allow the dark [[cloud]] to have a silver lining.

In most of your lives, as a built in defense mechanism and a survival technique, you do this automatically. You are very defensive of your tender emotions and so you will stick out there your armor of justification and defense of your tender feelings. "Oh, no!" you say, "I'm not tender about that!" But in truth you are. It is not to say that you are wounded; it is to say that you have experienced something FEELINGLY and it is necessary in your spiritual development that you know these things FEELINGLY.

In most of your lives, as a built in [[defense]] [[mechanism]] and a [[survival]] technique, you do this [[automatically]]. You are very defensive of your tender [[emotions]] and so you will stick out there your [[armor]] of justification and defense of your tender [[feelings]]. "Oh, no!" you say, "I'm not tender about that!" But in [[truth]] you are. It is not to say that you are wounded; it is to say that you have experienced something FEELINGLY and it is [[necessary]] in your [[spiritual development]] that you know these things FEELINGLY.

Therefore, the fact that you have seen dissolution of matrimony, you have seen children suffering the effects of broken homes, that you have seen the death of a loved one or the loss of an institution that you have known, career failures or severe culture shock -- all of these traumas that flesh is heir to are not for naught. They are in the ideal sense, opportunities to learn great strength in order then to sustain yourself in life's experiences, to assist others in their growth through their transitions into wisdom, and to provide you with a true chapter book of true heartfelt journeys into which you can happily go in full appreciation of the entire experience -- the potential and the actual; the happy and the sad; the good and the seeming bad; for in the end, our Divine Mother will align these experiences in order that they be a part of your greater reality and in your aligning yourself with the Father who will use these to the greater good.

Therefore, the [[fact]] that you have seen [[dissolution]] of [[matrimony]], you have seen children suffering the effects of broken [[homes]], that you have seen the [[death]] of a loved one or the loss of an [[institution]] that you have known, career [[failures]] or severe culture [[shock]] -- all of these [[traumas]] that flesh is heir to are not for naught. They are in the [[ideal]] sense, opportunities to learn great strength in order then to sustain yourself in life's experiences, to assist others in their growth through their transitions into wisdom, and to provide you with a true chapter book of true heartfelt journeys into which you can happily go in full appreciation of the entire experience -- the potential and the actual; the happy and the sad; the good and the seeming bad; for in the end, our Divine Mother will align these experiences in order that they be a part of your greater reality and in your aligning yourself with the Father who will use these to the greater good.

As you have mentioned in your mota: the act is ours; the consequences God's" and so, do not regret your human experiences, but willingly offer them up as a sacrifice to the Father and say, "Father, I offer these experiences to you on the alter of learning, that I may be a more joyous child and servant in your kingdom."

As you have mentioned in your mota: the act is ours; the consequences God's" and so, do not regret your human experiences, but willingly offer them up as a sacrifice to the Father and say, "Father, I offer these experiences to you on the alter of learning, that I may be a more joyous child and servant in your kingdom."