8/6/14

Step 218 - I will hold Knowledge within myself today. Entry for Step 217 - I give myself to Knowledge today.


Greetings All –


ALONG WITH KNOWLEDGE COMES THE WISDOM of how to use Knowledge in the world. Thus, Knowledge is the source of your understanding and Wisdom is learning how to apply it meaningfully and constructively in the world. You are not yet wise, so keep Knowledge within yourself today. Allow it to strengthen itself. Allow it to grow. It will give itself naturally, without your attempting to force its expression. In time, you will learn to become wise, both through the demonstration of Knowledge and through your own errors. You have already committed a sufficient number of errors to demonstrate all that we are telling you.


KEEP KNOWLEDGE WITHIN YOURSELF TODAY so that it may grow strong within you. Allow yourself to extend its presence to only one or two individuals whom you recognize can appreciate it, for your awareness of Knowledge is still a tender shoot within you and cannot yet withstand the vicissitudes of this world. It has not grown strong enough in your own understanding to counteract the raging fear and hatred that sweep across the world. Knowledge can withstand this without difficulty, but you who are learning to become a recipient and a vehicle for Knowledge are not yet strong enough.


ALLOW KNOWLEDGE TO BE KEPT WITHIN YOU TODAY so that it may grow. Remind yourself of this upon the hour as you carry this jewel within your heart. In your deeper practice periods, which are times of freedom from limitation for you, allow yourself to return to your great love so that you may enter into true relationship with Knowledge. In time, all limitations to the expression of Knowledge will be lifted as you learn to wisely apply its communication in the world. But for now, keep Knowledge within your heart so that it may grow stronger and stronger.


PRACTICE 218: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly practice.

Note: “…Knowledge is the source of your understanding and Wisdom is learning how to apply it meaningfully and constructively in the world.”

Yesterday:  Step 217 - I give myself to Knowledge today.



How do you give yourself to Knowledge? This is what we are working on. Here is what I drew on the Steps page:
 


From the Journal:

5:09 a.m. Friday, February 18, 2000 – Up early. I was to go to Richmond. It is sleeting. No way – I’ll get a day of work in.

11:15 p.m. A long day. I did go to Richmond – after checking the weather – and it was necessary to do so – for the Air Quality meeting at VDOT – and to present the MIF – at the GA to the Aides for Senator Stosch and Senator Chichester –
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The Steps page had phrases underlined notes and the drawing shown above. This day in 2000 was busy. Did I practice? On such trips there was an Interstate wayside that I’ve often stop at for the stillness practice. The journal doesn’t capture everything. I was alive enough this day to record something. At death, in the life review, it is said that everything is remembered and reviewed. Much of it will be boring. Thanks for fast forward. Still, as we live it, seconds can take a very long time.

The song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot is about the loss of an iron ore ship in a storm on Lake Superior. The cause was not known, no one survived. The song lyrics speculate about the events preceding the sinking. Within them is the questioning:

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

If your are not familiar with the song, consider a listen.   

NNC




P.S. At Step 217, we are into Part Two of Steps, so if you’ve found this and find some appeal in this or other Steps, you should really go to the beginning blog post. From here you learn about Steps to Knowledge and can begin it on the day that makes sense and then progress as needed. You can use the posts on this blog as a companion if it helps. They will remain in order in the archives - one per Step.

Often it takes 18 months to get through the Steps once. For this blog, the pace is one-a-day, but it really makes no difference how fast you do it, only that you begin, persist and repeat. Posts here provide a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well through the Free School of the New Message