RESPONSIBILITY 13

Thank you, Kim for leading the group last Sun.

P. 83-87

I do not have recording for last week, so I will include some of that material in this discussion.

A thought: 

Although Paul's books do not focus on the idea of Illusion as much as A Course in Miracles does, the concept is still quite  present. What I am becoming aware of is that the illusions that are spoken of are much more illusions of the mind rather than simply ones of the material world.

So I look around me and I could say, This chair is an illusion, this body is an illusion, and on and on.” That kind of focus can really make me crazy at times and what it does is, it truly distracts me from the illusion that I need to be working on in the first place. My illusions are reflected in my perception of things and oftentimes my perception of myself, my qualities, and those of other people are distorted or limited by my judgment, and judgment as it is spoken of is simply another reflection  of fear.

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The major focus of this section is about being of service. I realize that each one of us can create all sorts of images of what that might be like-being a doctor or a lawyer or any one of what we call the “helping professions.” Now that might be true for some and yet that limited restriction leaves many people out of the picture.

The simplest and most profound way I have heard this spoken of is when Ram Dass said, “The only thing I have to give another human being is who I am at this particular moment.” I interpret that as saying, “The only thing I have to give another human being is my perception of myself at this particular moment.”

I can perceive myself as not having anything to give you, as being a victim; I could also know myself as a Divine Child of God and in that awareness I can give to you from the depths of my  being. 

“Now how each of you serves in this manifestation of your life is predicated on many things. You all have gifts. You all have ways of knowing yourself through what you choose in your worth. The gifts you have been given have been meant to be presented to your fellows in compassion, in worth, in sharing, so that others may benefit from your presence. As you all give your gifts forward as your expression, you align to each other in your worth, and your compassion for your fellows, your realization of gifts forward as your expression, you align to each other in your worth, and your compassion for your fellows, your realization of their divine inherent worth, is amplified and the world that you live in plays its music in song in perfect ways.”

There were a few questions that were asked that might serve as a jumping off point for each one of us to become more in touch with the unique expression of the Divine that we are. That is the ultimate service that we offer to ourselves and all other beings and that is living out of the highest truth of Who We Are. 

“How am I to be responsible for what I don’t know?” 

Where is your love? 

Where is your passion? 

Where is your joy? 

They will always teach you what your worth is, and how you claim your worth will show you how you serve. If you like to paint, go paint; if you like to cook, go cook; if you like to speak, go speak. But you will be in service as yourself as you align to your worth in whatever way is expressed as you in the highest way possible.”

I was mentioning in class the question it seemed so meaningful to me at this point in my life was “Where is your joy?

One of my biggest learnings is the realization that, for whatever reasons, whether having to do with this lifetime or others, I have a tendency to be drawn into negativity. In a strange way fear, shame, guilt, worry all seem to have a rather seductive effect on me. 

*Now you might notice, as I just did In this moment, that this partial description of me is not the truth, but a perception that is a very limited piece of awareness. I was defining myself in terms of a perception rather than the truth. Do you get a sense of how this is continually happening to us and that the spiritual work we are doing is freeing us from these outdated perceptions that never were the truth?

This is why we keep repeating this Mantra of Truth, “I know who I am I know what I am I know how I serve.” We are not saying that to create something new we are affirming it as being the truth.

A classmate mentioned a passage from The Holy Spirit’s Interpretation of the New Testament. I think it is especially important tor realize our “stuff” does not just disappear, but its hold on us becomes less as we work.

From NTI Book of Acts Chapter 19

(v 8 – 10)1The beginning of your path may seem to be a time of study, reflection and questioning, but more is happening within your mind than that. 2You are beginning to let Me loosen thoughts you have held firmly to until now. 3It is important that these false beliefs be loosened, so you can take the next step to let them go. 4Therefore, do not be disheartened if this stage seems to take time. 5It is important to the whole. 6You can help in this process by having faith in Me and the guidance that comes from within. 7Follow internal prompts to read certain books or go to certain teachers, but do not feel you need to go to them all. 8Do not feel that they have an answer they can give to you. 9The answer is always within. 10But the books and teachers that seem to come before you can seem to help you, as you give willingness to let old thoughts be loosened within your mind. 11It is their role to help, and they are grateful to help, but do not expect more from them than they can give to you.

We were also reminded of the choices we have, and how by habit or attachment we can be practicing that old definition of insanity, “Doing the same things expecting different results.”

Bringing to mind this wonderful little poem

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson

“There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk”

Chapter One

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in.

I am lost . . . I am helpless.

It isn’t my fault . . .

It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I am in this same place. But it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it there.

I still fall . . . it’s a habit . . . but,

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter Four

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

Chapter Five

I walk down another street.

The guide's then begin to speak of us doing some work together. I am reminded that the guides are not limited by time and space, that even though these words were dictated in 2013, the energy and the learning and working together exist right here right now. 

“Now the song has begun. As we work on you each in frequency, you must allow this. We cannot do anything without your permission, nor would we want to. You have been gifted with free will, and that includes the ability to keep your stuff even when it makes you suffer. So many of you believe that you will not know yourselves without your pain because you have self-identified as pain. The self-identification as pain perpetuates pain, and pain wants to know itself as you.(what Eckhart Tolle calls the pain body) Fear creates itself. The need of fear is to replicate itself as you. When you claim pain “as your identity, that aspect of yourself that aligns to pain only knows himself through his creations as pain. So as we move you upward, we must ask your permission:

“Am I now willing to be released from a structure of pain that I have used to self-identify myself as? Am I willing now to release myself from the cycle of fear that I have perpetuated because I believed I must? Am I willing now to be received by my Creator in accordance with my true worth, my Christ-born worth, the divine worth that is instilled in me and in all men?

“As I say yes, I receive. As I say yes, I allow, and as I say yes, I accept my gift from the Source of All That Is: I know who I am, I know what I am, I know how I serve.”

If You say “Yes” to this (and by the way you say “yes” to this by choosing to be present to this material) as you say “yes”  following blessing becomes yours.

“Receive, each of you, the love of God through and as your being. You are allowed this, you know, there is no one on this plane who is denied this. There is no one on this plane who is not worthy of the love of God. So let yourself be blessed, let yourself be gifted, and let us receive you as loved.

We know who you are, we are your friends, we are your teachers, and we align to you as you move into your great potential. You are in authority now of your own creations. You have decided this. And as the one who can choose, you choose yourselves, you choose your freedom, you choose your well-being, you choose your worth and you sing your song.

We will end this chapter shortly. We have much to teach you still. The end of this chapter will be a benediction to each of you who wishes to receive it. And we are going to sing your song for you now in allowance of your willingness to serve:

As I lift my light to be seen by my fellows,

As I lift my worth to be received by myself,

“I align myself to service so that my gifts may be realized,

So that my gifts may be shared, so that my gifts may be seen,

And I may accept myself in my divine plan:

A manifestation of the Creator in form, here to sing my song for the benefit of all,

I know who I am, I know what I am, I know how I serve.

I am Word, I am Word, I am Word.”

In love and gratitude for your continuing support of this work. Your presence, your financial support, and most of all your love and willingness to grow.