Greetings All –
My Spiritual Family exists in all places. Step 189 (MP3)
[Open in Drive or copy to your Drive – Download folder or play from Drive –
Step PDF also.]
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| My Spiritual Family exists in all places. Step 189 |
YOUR
PHYSICAL NEED IS FOR HEALTH, but your health is to serve a greater purpose. You
need right utilization for your personal mind, which will give it meaning and
value, for it only seeks to be included in that which is meaningful. What
enables your personal mind and your physical body to find their rightful place
in your life is Knowledge, which provides purpose, meaning and direction for
you.
THIS
IS TRUE IN ALL WORLDS. This is true throughout the physical universe of which
you are a citizen. Expand your view of yourself so that you may learn to be
objective about your world. Do not merely cast human values, assumptions and
goals upon your world, for this blinds you to the world’s purpose and evolution
and makes it far more difficult for you to appreciate that you are a citizen of
a greater life.
TODAY,
IN YOUR TWO LONGER PRACTICES, engage your mind in active investigation of this
idea. Spend the first fifteen minutes engaged in this investigation in both of
your two longer practice periods. Try to seriously investigate the meaning of
today’s idea. Then, when your investigation is complete, allow your mind to
re-enter stillness. Realize the contrast between active mental engagement and
mental stillness. Understand that both are important and complement one
another. Upon the hour repeat the idea and consider it as you view the world
around you.
PRACTICE
189: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly practice.
No review this seventh day.
Another week of Steps before we review again.
Picture: “My
Spiritual Family exists in all places,” is the Step. All places means, of course: “all places”! I could have
picked any number of “place” pictures, and each would have been applicable, but
this one of an American suburb from the air seemed most challenging. One might
need to go door to door to find Spiritual Family members in this territory, but
we also know there are educated people in such homes that should be of a mind
to respond.
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.
