Changes

==Session==

==Session==

===Opening===

===Opening===

Dear Michael and Mother Spirit, welcome. I can’t wait to say that word every month: welcome--welcome to our happy group here. We do enjoy having such wonderful spiritual parents right as part of us. Michael, your Spirit of Truth is an unerring compass of orientation, a way to orient ourselves moment by moment, sometimes in spite of all the conflicting things about us and within us: what is the truth here?

Dear Michael and Mother Spirit, welcome. I can’t wait to say that word every month: welcome--welcome to our happy group here. We do enjoy having such wonderful spiritual parents right as part of us.  

Mother Spirit, you’re actually part of our mentality, part of our thinking and reasoning. You are in our perceptions and all the ways we can store these as knowledge, then associate them as understanding everything.

Mother Spirit, you’re actually part of our mentality, part of our thinking and reasoning. You are in our perceptions and all the ways we can store these as knowledge, then associate them as understanding everything.

Michael, tonight I have a request. Last time Mother Spirit gave us a wonderful lesson that, if I could summarize, was about our own freedom. It was not only our sense of freedom, but our actual freedom being so dependent upon our creativity. We are literally responsible for ourselves. It is up to us maintain a creative ability-to-respond. This applies not only to those about us and our physical situation, but even to the spiritual promptings right within us--hopefully from our presence of God, our Thought Adjuster. Everything depends on our ability to create an alternative in order to have something to choose, besides what reality itself is giving us moment by moment.

Michael, tonight I have a request. Last time Mother Spirit gave us a wonderful lesson that, if I could summarize, was about our own freedom. It was not only our sense of freedom, but our actual freedom being so dependent upon our creativity. We are literally responsible for ourselves. It is up to us maintain a creative ability-to-respond. This applies not only to those about us and our physical situation, but even to the spiritual promptings right within us--hopefully from our presence of God, our Thought Adjuster. Everything depends on our ability to create an alternative in order to have something to choose, besides what reality itself is giving us moment by moment.

This is our ability and our responsibility to be free, to be a creature with free-will dignity that is our possibility.  So, Michael, if you would, could you help us on a critical point? I know you spoke to us on this before, but if you would again: How do we turn things around if we feel we are going in a wrong direction, or are simply becoming overburdened with our own self-destructive ways? How do we turn things around? That is my request this evening. Thank you, and amen.

This is our ability and our responsibility to be free, to be a creature with free-will dignity that is our possibility.  So, Michael, if you would, could you help us on a critical point? I know you spoke to us on this before, but if you would again: How do we turn things around if we feel we are going in a wrong direction, or are simply becoming overburdened with our own self-destructive ways? How do we turn things around? That is my request this evening. Thank you, and amen.

===Lesson===

===Lesson===

We encourage you to be in touch with us. Make us part of your conscious life. Especially thank Mother Spirit from time to time for augmenting all your abilities to enjoy your life. So consider this kind of meditation of just being still. Take part out of your activities for this one very special one. Just sit down and be still for a while and let come up whatever wants to in your everyday life. These are those things you might have to think about a bit.

We encourage you to be in touch with us. Make us part of your conscious life. Especially thank Mother Spirit from time to time for augmenting all your abilities to enjoy your life. So consider this kind of meditation of just being still. Take part out of your activities for this one very special one. Just sit down and be still for a while and let come up whatever wants to in your everyday life. These are those things you might have to think about a bit.

It is always good to think: “Dear Father--dear God: What do you have for me this morning?” And then listen, for it could be the very next idea coming from his supreme ability to give you concrete thoughts. That is why we call his presence a Thought Adjuster. He can give you that bigger context in which you are living and have your meaning.

It is always good to think: “Dear Father--dear God: What do you have for me this morning?” And then listen, for it could be the very next idea coming from his supreme ability to give you concrete thoughts. That is why we call his presence a Thought Adjuster. He can give you that bigger context in which you are living and have your meaning.

This is a good kind of meditation, just being open-minded. It’s a good practice. When you get up from your meditation, keep the feeling for a while as you look around and take your steps out into your new day. Greet and welcome those with whom you share your life. Keep this open-minded wonder to them, to your whole situation. Look around and marvel that this whole universe is being created not only for everyone else, but for you too.

This is a good kind of meditation, just being open-minded. It’s a good practice. When you get up from your meditation, keep the feeling for a while as you look around and take your steps out into your new day. Greet and welcome those with whom you share your life. Keep this open-minded wonder to them, to your whole situation. Look around and marvel that this whole universe is being created not only for everyone else, but for you too.

Now: your request this evening for how to turn things around pre-supposes a desire to do that very thing, a desire that arrives--part and parcel--as contrast. Even this desire, my dear ones, comes from your own creative spirit, and the spiritual influences within you. Your own creative spirit has introduced some contrast between how things are--how things are going--and yet too some other way that is—hopefully--a better way, a happier way, a more fulfilling creative way to live. And yet, how do you do this?

Now: your request this evening for how to turn things around pre-supposes a desire to do that very thing, a desire that arrives--part and parcel--as contrast. Even this desire, my dear ones, comes from your own creative spirit, and the spiritual influences within you. Your own creative spirit has introduced some contrast between how things are--how things are going--and yet too some other way that is—hopefully--a better way, a happier way, a more fulfilling creative way to live. And yet, how do you do this?

Yes, this stretch can be very uncomfortable when your day to day life is constantly throwing up to you: “This isn’t right,” or--more profoundly sometimes: “Is this all there is? This isn’t enough. Where do I go from here? I’ve got this terrible thing happening not only in my whole situation and the folks around me, but right within me--some weakness, some indecision. How do I turn this around? How do I head off in another direction?”

Yes, this stretch can be very uncomfortable when your day to day life is constantly throwing up to you: “This isn’t right,” or--more profoundly sometimes: “Is this all there is? This isn’t enough. Where do I go from here? I’ve got this terrible thing happening not only in my whole situation and the folks around me, but right within me--some weakness, some indecision. How do I turn this around? How do I head off in another direction?”

This awareness is partly Mother Spirit’s Adjutant of Courage, just to entertain these ideas and feelings. Let them express themselves. Let the very presence of God within you give you ideas. Then entertain those ideas however uncomfortable they might be at first, however much you might feel a painful stretching and disquiet with your present situation.

This awareness is partly Mother Spirit’s Adjutant of Courage, just to entertain these ideas and feelings. Let them express themselves. Let the very presence of God within you give you ideas. Then entertain those ideas however uncomfortable they might be at first, however much you might feel a painful stretching and disquiet with your present situation.

 

The alternative course is what you psychologically call denial. It is to expend an enormous amount of energy and your own creative imagination to create what we call a “bubble of familiarity” around you, and do your best to deny the need for change.

The alternative course is what you psychologically call denial. It is to expend an enormous amount of energy and your own creative imagination to create what we call a “bubble of familiarity” around you, and do your best to deny the need for change.

You are your own best company with this attitude within yourself of being open-minded, even welcoming, to challenges. These include your social and political notions. How much you are open to their counter-parts and all these loved ones around you? How welcome are you to being right-up-front with them when they let you know your slip is showing, or your fly is open—figuratively? Think of all the wonderful loving feedback your dearest ones can give you. This is partly--and a good part--what friends can do for each other to help turn things around. They give you that more objective outside viewpoint on who you are and what you are doing.

You are your own best company with this attitude within yourself of being open-minded, even welcoming, to challenges. These include your social and political notions. How much you are open to their counter-parts and all these loved ones around you? How welcome are you to being right-up-front with them when they let you know your slip is showing, or your fly is open—figuratively? Think of all the wonderful loving feedback your dearest ones can give you. This is partly--and a good part--what friends can do for each other to help turn things around. They give you that more objective outside viewpoint on who you are and what you are doing.

Let me suggest that by turning things around you are literally creating a new you. Isn’t this what this implies? You are going to be a different person. You are going to be heading off into a new direction. You are going to be taking care of things that have been put on hold for a while. How do you do this?

Let me suggest that by turning things around you are literally creating a new you. Isn’t this what this implies? You are going to be a different person. You are going to be heading off into a new direction. You are going to be taking care of things that have been put on hold for a while. How do you do this? Who is this “you” that you have to help create to have the power to change? This again comes back to what Mother Spirit and I have offered so often: a kind of meditation of not continuing in the same-old—same-old routine, but literally taking time out of that just to be open-minded. We offer this knowing it is the most difficult thing for folks who are being driven along by what they feel is just circumstances, some terrible fate of theirs. How to convince them to exercise their freedom?

 

Who is this “you” that you have to help create to have the power to change? This again comes back to what Mother Spirit and I have offered so often: a kind of meditation of not continuing in the same-old—same-old routine, but literally taking time out of that just to be open-minded. We offer this knowing it is the most difficult thing for folks who are being driven along by what they feel is just circumstances, some terrible fate of theirs. How to convince them to exercise their freedom?

 

You have to be somebody there. Your personality has to have some continuity so that what you decide today is going to be at least somewhat you tomorrow. This is where you need to set aside part of your life and meditate--just to be with yourself again, and again, and again. You are literally using your creative power to recreate yourself, a self who can make this decision day after day after day to turn things around. It’s how to change things in your daily life where it all counts.

You have to be somebody there. Your personality has to have some continuity so that what you decide today is going to be at least somewhat you tomorrow. This is where you need to set aside part of your life and meditate--just to be with yourself again, and again, and again. You are literally using your creative power to recreate yourself, a self who can make this decision day after day after day to turn things around. It’s how to change things in your daily life where it all counts.

So all this, my dears, is a way of encouraging you to take part out of your morning no matter how busy you are, or especially if you are super-busy and don’t seem to have a minute for yourself. Find those ten minutes to begin with, for you. This is your time. This is your time with us and with our Father.

So all this, my dears, is a way of encouraging you to take part out of your morning no matter how busy you are, or especially if you are super-busy and don’t seem to have a minute for yourself. Find those ten minutes to begin with, for you. This is your time. This is your time with us and with our Father.

If you will: this is what we ask of you. This is what the whole spiritual community asks of you. This is what your Father, your Creator asks of you. Give us yourself. In doing so you are giving you to yourself. You are creating a new “yourself” that has the power and ability to choose every morning for that day.

If you will: this is what we ask of you. This is what the whole spiritual community asks of you. This is what your Father, your Creator asks of you. Give us yourself. In doing so you are giving you to yourself. You are creating a new “yourself” that has the power and ability to choose every morning for that day. Abandon the idea of some enormous choice that is then going to carry you along all by itself; that you are going to make some big decision and that is going to do it. No! That is not freedom, my dear.  

Abandon the idea of some enormous choice that is then going to carry you along all by itself; that you are going to make some big decision and that is going to do it. No! That is not freedom, my dear. Freedom is to choose, and to choose again, and to choose again; to exercise each moment’s choice.

Freedom is to choose, and to choose again, and to choose again; to exercise each moment’s choice. And so: enough. Think about it. Meditate on this. Take those ten minutes out. Hopefully they grow into twenty minutes, or maybe a whole half-hour every morning just being with yourself, and with us--recommitting yourself to that new, better way.

 

And so: enough. Think about it. Meditate on this. Take those ten minutes out. Hopefully they grow into twenty minutes, or maybe a whole half-hour every morning just being with yourself, and with us--recommitting yourself to that new, better way.

Now if you have any questions or comments, let’s do those.

Now if you have any questions or comments, let’s do those.

===Dialogue===

===Dialogue===

Student: Jesus--Christ Michael, here is my question. When you return, how will the whole world see you? Will it be on TV or from the sky?

Student: Jesus--Christ Michael, here is my question. When you return, how will the whole world see you? Will it be on TV or from the sky?

 

Michael: Oh yes, my dear. That is something that is going to occur in everybody’s heart first. Just as before when I was challenged--as a human being--to perform miracles for the doubters, I replied: That is not the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is by your power, not mine. That is why I say the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.

Michael: Oh yes, my dear. That is something that is going to occur in everybody’s heart first. Just as before when I was challenged--as a human being--to perform miracles for the doubters, I replied: That is not the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is by your power, not mine. That is why I say the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.

Student: Yes

Student: Yes

There is not going to be any celestial stepping-in to just wipe all this out. That is not what this whole spiritual realm is about. I had the power myself, and I was requested. There were so many disappointed followers of mine because I didn’t use the powers I had when I was here among you as a human being.

There is not going to be any celestial stepping-in to just wipe all this out. That is not what this whole spiritual realm is about. I had the power myself, and I was requested. There were so many disappointed followers of mine because I didn’t use the powers I had when I was here among you as a human being.

Michael: Excuse me. I thought I answered you by saying this is going to be an individual thing, in each individual’s heart, not some huge manifestation in the sky, or going on television.

Michael: Excuse me. I thought I answered you by saying this is going to be an individual thing, in each individual’s heart, not some huge manifestation in the sky, or going on television.

My dear, I mentioned this one time before. It has often been asked: Why, in our whole Local Universe of planets that are so enormously advanced beyond where Urantia is now--or the other planets that went into rebellion: why didn’t I wait, since things were so chaotic then? Why didn’t I wait and come to earth when there was television. I could go on television and suddenly walk out on the air—like I refused to do in front of the temple in Jerusalem--but show up at the United Nations and walk out on the air? This is why I answered you that this is in people’s hearts.

My dear, I mentioned this one time before. It has often been asked: Why, in our whole Local Universe of planets that are so enormously advanced beyond where Urantia is now--or the other planets that went into rebellion: why didn’t I wait, since things were so chaotic then? Why didn’t I wait and come to earth when there was television. I could go on television and suddenly walk out on the air—like I refused to do in front of the temple in Jerusalem--but show up at the United Nations and walk out on the air? This is why I answered you that this is in people’s hearts.

Obviously those whom you call the tyrannical folks among you are not voluntarily giving up any power whatsoever. They are doing the most obscene things to claim and hold it. So it is up to each individual to claim this authority for themselves, and take responsibility as broadly as they can for all aspects of their life.

Obviously those whom you call the tyrannical folks among you are not voluntarily giving up any power whatsoever. They are doing the most obscene things to claim and hold it. So it is up to each individual to claim this authority for themselves, and take responsibility as broadly as they can for all aspects of their life.

Student: OK, I believe that is true. Yes, I know… I just going to say, I know there are many good things going on in the world, and there are many good people. There are many great organizations and charities. I also know that the world is in a lot of trouble. Yet I understand that you process it the same way. Yeah, yeah--of course, OK. Thank you.

Student: OK, I believe that is true. Yes, I know… I just going to say, I know there are many good things going on in the world, and there are many good people. There are many great organizations and charities. I also know that the world is in a lot of trouble. Yet I understand that you process it the same way. Yeah, yeah--of course, OK. Thank you.

Student: Which is so good to see.

Student: Which is so good to see.

 

Michael: Right, evolving, even though this world is without spiritual authorities—a Planetary Prince and Material Adam and Eve--as exist on 99.9999% of all the other planets in our Local Universe. Here on Urantia it is a person-to-person kind of evolution, but that evolution is inexorable because everybody does have the presence of God within them. Everybody does have a Thought Adjuster. And so we give our lessons on how to tune in, and hear, and follow those promptings which often require you to turn things around. So thank you, my daughter.

Michael: Right, evolving, even though this world is without spiritual authorities—a Planetary Prince and Material Adam and Eve--as exist on 99.9999% of all the other planets in our Local Universe. Here on Urantia it is a person-to-person kind of evolution, but that evolution is inexorable because everybody does have the presence of God within them. Everybody does have a Thought Adjuster. And so we give our lessons on how to tune in, and hear, and follow those promptings which often require you to turn things around. So thank you, my daughter.

Michael: Be in my Peace. If there are no more questions or comments, I hope I have made it clear that a good life is in each of your hearts, your feelings, your ideas, even your assumptions and your attitudes--your relationship to all that you are, all that you have been, all that you can be--all those around you.--all this overwhelming, enormous drama, this true drama you find yourselves in--even the terrible melodramas you get caught up in.

Michael: Be in my Peace. If there are no more questions or comments, I hope I have made it clear that a good life is in each of your hearts, your feelings, your ideas, even your assumptions and your attitudes--your relationship to all that you are, all that you have been, all that you can be--all those around you.--all this overwhelming, enormous drama, this true drama you find yourselves in--even the terrible melodramas you get caught up in.

What is true?

The price you pay is: you have to pay attention! Welcome that, even as overwhelming as your life can be from time to time. Stay open to it. Keep reaching for what is real and what is true, especially in the social and political things you get caught up in concerning the different ideas and programs that are presented to you. Your first concern is: What is true?

Then, and only then, can you start to get some notion of what might be better. Where do you want things to go? How do you assert your own individuality right from God? How much are you dependent upon others? And is that good? It can be. Think of the thousand and one little formal and informal contracts between peoples, just in getting out on a busy highway to go to work each morning. All these understandings and agreements constitute culture.

Then, and only then, can you start to get some notion of what might be better. Where do you want things to go? How do you assert your own individuality right from God? How much are you dependent upon others? And is that good? It can be. Think of the thousand and one little formal and informal contracts between peoples, just in getting out on a busy highway to go to work each morning. All these understandings and agreements constitute culture.

How do you evolve that? It is all up to you, each one of you individually, my dears. That is why it is so scary at times. Everything is dependent upon you, and yet this is the greatest gift that Mother Spirit, and I, and God can give you. This is your freedom, your ability-to-respond.  

How do you evolve that? It is all up to you, each one of you individually, my dears. That is why it is so scary at times. Everything is dependent upon you, and yet this is the greatest gift that Mother Spirit, and I, and God can give you. This is your freedom, your ability-to-respond.  

===Closing===

===Closing===

The growth of freedom is the true evolution. This is where your whole world has to go. It is how to recognize and encourage everybody to be themselves. How do you transform societies and cultures to encourage this and find some way for letting this all happen? Everybody has to find greater and greater freedom without impinging on others.

The growth of freedom is the true evolution. This is where your whole world has to go. It is how to recognize and encourage everybody to be themselves. How do you transform societies and cultures to encourage this and find some way for letting this all happen? Everybody has to find greater and greater freedom without impinging on others.