Greetings All –
Today marks the completion of the first stage of
your preparation. Review – Step 182 (MP3)
[Open in Drive or copy to your Drive – Download folder or play from Drive –
Step PDF also.]
TODAY
MARKS AN IMPORTANT TURNING POINT in your preparation. Today marks the
completion of the first stage of your preparation and the beginning of a new
stage. Review the past week in one long practice period and then take time to
think how far you have come and how far you need to go. Recognize your growing
power and strength. Think of your outer life and recognize how much needs to be
accomplished there, both on your own behalf and for the well-being of others.
Recognize how little you know and how much is available to you. Do not let any
self-doubt dissuade you in your undertaking, for you need only participate to
receive the greatest gift that life can give.
REVIEW
THE PAST WEEK AND THINK NOW of what has transpired in your preparation thus
far. Observe the development that has occurred within you these past few
months—the growing sense of presence, the growing sense of inner certainty, the
growing sense of inner power. Allow for the fact that your outer life has begun
to open. Certain things that were fixed before have now been loosened so that
they may be rearranged on your behalf. Allow your outer life to be rearranged,
now that you are not seeking to dominate it for your personal protection. As a
greater certainty arises within you, outer circumstances must be rearranged on
your own behalf. Thus, you become a source of change and not the recipient of
it only.
RECOGNIZE
HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME, but keep in mind that you are a beginning student of
Knowledge. Allow this to be your starting point so that you may assume little
and receive a great deal. From this great point of reference, you will be able
to see beyond the prejudice and the condemnation of humanity. You will be able
to see beyond a personal viewpoint and have a vision of the world that the world
is desperate to receive.
PRACTICE
182: One long practice period.
Plan B - If the MP3 doesn’t work, here’s the link
to the folder: New Message - Student Spoken Steps Recordings -
Steps to Knowledge - Working file
If this is your first time seeing one of the “Steps to Knowledge”,
then welcome. There are 365 Steps, daily spiritual practices if one seeks to
complete them in a year, but that is not necessary. They can be used by people
of any religious tradition or no religious tradition. They will help one to
become mindful in the world.
The Step today is from the book: Steps to Knowledge: The Book of Inner Knowing. The practices were
brought to the world through Marshall Vian Summers, The Messenger for The New
Message From God. Important background for the Steps is in: “Greater Community Spirituality” and the “Wisdom Books - I and II”.
Hard copies are available from the New Knowledge Library Store. The
Society for the New Message from God also has a Free Book Project. If you need
the books now, PDF files can be found here: http://goo.gl/RJuuGP
Keeping a journal is recommended. If you have a Steps book,
write your reactions and comments, highlight or underline points that strike
you, and date the note. In this way, your Steps book can be a partial journal.
Using the PDF, you can print out pages as you need them, or use
the software to maintain a digital copy where you can enter notes and highlight
text that stands out.
Other modern methods of keeping a journal include having a
document on your PC or phone to keep notes. You could send yourself an email or
use the voice recorder function. It is important to capture insights and
reactions because it is by this means that you can understand change. Sometimes
it may just be a word or short phrase, an image or a scene.
To end this post I again offer the blessing: "May the
presence of the Teachers be with you." In the invocative language of
Knowledge this blessing is: "Nasi Novare Coram" (pronounced NAH-see
no-VAHR-ay co-RAHM)
The short form of Nasi Novare Coram used by students is NNC.
The short form of Nasi Novare Coram used by students is NNC.
NNC
P.S. 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 linked below 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.
Doing Steps with only the texts, messages and your life
experience, including what you may have studied and practiced is your journey.
I’m showing Step comments after the Step, so as not to influence anyone in
advance. It is a wilderness trek to be left to your own wits, but then you can
also listen more closely for guides, angels and teachers, always first saying:
“I surround and protect myself with the Love and the Grace of God.” Thankfully,
I was taught this practice in 1989.
