Greetings All –
I must learn to give with discernment. Step 261 (MP3) [Open
in Drive or copy to your Drive – Download folder or play from Drive – Step PDF
also.]
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| I must learn to give with discernment. Step 261 |
LIFE
DOES NOTHING AIMLESSLY. Everything fulfills a purpose. Therefore, your giving
must be done with discernment, and your discernment is something you must learn
step by step, day by day. This is Wisdom functioning in the world. With
Knowledge you must learn this Wisdom; otherwise, you will not be able to give
your true gifts effectively and will misinterpret their results. Knowledge will
give you that which must be given truly and will direct you to give truly. If
you do not interfere with this or place an extra burden upon your giving, your
giving will be totally effective and will acknowledge both the giver and the
receiver.
REMEMBER
THIS UPON THE HOUR. Exercise discernment. There are people you should not give to
in a direct way. There are people you should give to in a direct way. There are
situations you should not enter. There are situations you must enter. There are
problems you should not involve yourself with. There are problems you should
involve yourself with. How can you personally discern where your gifts must be
placed? Only Knowledge can discern this, and you can only discern it with
Knowledge. Therefore, trust your deepest inclinations today. Do not let
compulsions born of guilt or fear guide you or motivate you in your desire to
give. Practice this day to learn discernment. Practice this day to align
yourself with Knowledge.
IN
YOUR LONGER PRACTICE PERIODS engage yourself once again with attempting to
comprehend today’s lesson. Do not be happy with false assumptions. Consider all
thoughts and feelings in favor of or against today’s idea. Begin to observe
your own ambitions. Begin to observe how they are born of your fears. Begin to
discern how simple it is to follow Knowledge. With simplicity comes power. You
must learn discernment. Learning this will take time. In this, you learn to
utilize all experiences for good, for no experience should be condemned. It
should always be used for learning and preparation. In this way, you will not
justify error, but use it for your own development and for the advancement of
the world.
PRACTICE
261: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly practice.
Picture: A
beggar on the street in Prague.
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.
