[tmtranscripts] Ham on hope and illusion

David G. Schlundt, Ph.D. david.schlundt at vanderbilt.edu
Mon Sep 13 06:49:31 PDT 2004


09-12-2004

Ham: Greetings, friends, I am Ham and I am grateful to have this time
with you this evening. Let us discuss the difference between hope and
illusion. Hope is instilled in the human soul by the human act of faith.
Faith reaches toward the unknown and hope is instilled in the human
heart in reciprocal measure by the spirit. Hope then becomes an
increasingly permanent attitude of the soul toward life in general. Hope
does not necessarily attach itself to any one particular hoped for
outcome. Hope is rather that attitude of faith which believes in the
Father's goodness and trusts in his guidance. Hope is believing the
future will turn out for the best, however that may be.

Illusions come about when hope is attached to a specific future outcome.
Illusion can then dominate hope and cause a person to do whatever it
takes to create that illusion in reality. In this way, the ends begin to
justify the means, so much so that the greater the utopian nature of the
illusion, the more worth it increasingly desperate and even immoral
measures become justified by that illusion.

This is a universal human trait. But faith, true faith, does not hold on
to any specific illusion of the future. Human faith must be child-like
trust and in that trust the individual human must forgo their own
illusions about what should or should not be. Sublime faith is made ever
more pure by the constant relinquishing of your own investment in the
outcome. The Master said constantly at the end of his prayers,
"Nevertheless, not my will but your will be done Father". This is the
epitome of human wisdom.

Human beings must learn how to trust in God without requiring any
specific proof for themselves of his over care. Many human beings, in
fact most human beings at this point in your history, are still in the
business of requiring proof of God's care in some specific instance. But
as you mature in the spirit, you come to see evidence of God's over care
constantly around you. No longer is this a matter of praying and
receiving some gift. No, it is the process of seeing all of your life as
a gift. All of existence is a miracle.

As you come to deepen your personal faith you must recognize that the
illusions of faith must be shattered in your fellows and in yourselves
for you cannot truly walk with God if you are constantly moving in your
own direction. Move instead in the direction of increasing appreciation
for the Father's constant help. Appreciation, yes, but imposing a
direction, no.

Those who are youngest among you must come to trust the Father to help
cultivate their gifts and as you go through life, you will be always
amazed at the Father's ability to cultivate your gifts more and more.
Each of you has come to this world complete with the Father's plan for
your lives. The spirit who lives within you wants to give you more and
more the ability to recognize your own abilities. In doing this, he will
help you recognize your limitations as well and this is also part of the
maturing process for the Father must work simultaneously to cultivate
your inner spiritual fruits while paring off the old illusions of what
you once were or what you once wanted to be. Your assignment in this
life is to grow in increasing self-discovery and self-understanding. You
are each of you continually undergoing this process, accepting what you
are not and accepting what you are.

You are all doing very well and you are all patiently submitting
yourselves to the process of spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is not
pain free. In fact, it can be very painful to undergo the process of
shattering old illusions. Such, however, is the way of Michael. Those
who follow him must submit themselves to pain as well as joy, to sorrow
as well as love. Each of you is finding your way and as you do you must
also find your own way to grasp the Father's hand and to submit to his
own gentle leading.

Q: Do you have anything for me tonight Ham?

Ham: Of course my dear. You are doing just fine. Take things one step at
a time. Like I said before, take your time and don't be in a hurry to
rush here or there. You need to digest the things you are learning so be
at peace with yourself. Other parts of your life will begin to come
together and you will have all you need as time goes on.



Q: Do you have anything for Rebecca?

Ham: Daughter, you are doing very well. Your efforts are already bearing
fruit and the way before you will open step by step.

Q: Jarad?

Ham: My son Jarad, you are also doing very well. You have before you
many new and wonderful opportunities. Recognize that you can relax and
enjoy everything that will be coming to you. Have optimism and courage
for as you open new doors, new blessings will be bestowed upon you.
Relax then, and be at peace for you are doing well.

Q: Do you have any counsel for me tonight Ham?

Ham: Certainly my son. You are doing very well and you are also growing
in inner confidence and inner strength. We are very happy to see the
progress you have made over the last year or so. This progress will
continue and you will find ever increasing levels of calm, joy, and
balanced peace. You are doing very well.

Q: I have two questions, is there anything for me tonight and can I
schedule a private session with you in the near future?

Ham: Yes my son, you are doing well. You are finding a way to bring your
faith ever forward without moving into the area of possible destructive
illusions of life. You have the ability to move forward with a calm,
assured balance and this is coming upon you in ever greater measure.
Yes, you may certainly have a private session. Rebecca requests Friday
Afternoon 2:00 PM. We will discuss in more detail at that time.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Wendaring?

Ham: Yes my dear, you are doing well. Have peace in your heart and trust
in your divine spirit. Know my dear that the Father sends a portion of
himself to live within the heart and mind of each one of his children.
He is constantly with you and knows your every thought. Do not be afraid
then to open yourself to him and to trust in his good guidance.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Bob B?

Ham: Certainly, my son. You are doing just fine. You have certainly been
under some pressure, but this is beginning to lift and you are coming to
grasp the true freedom resulting from spiritual growth. Too long have
you been enslaved to irrational fears and unprovoked anxieties. As you
come to trust more and more in the spirit, you will find yourself
required to increasingly release such fears and to embrace faith in
their place. Faith in the goodness, protection, and mercy of God is the
only thing strong enough to vanquish fears. Trust as a child trusts and
you will be surprised at how well things seem to manage.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Marije and anything about her
little daughter?

Ham: Certainly my dear, you are doing very well. For a child the most
important thing is to grow up in a stable situation with both mother and
father. She is already surrounded by love and this loving environment is
all that she requires to grow into a stable and secure healthy human
being. Most of the troubles in life are really small things. Be careful
to keep a long range view so that these small things do not become
magnified in your mind. Love is the most important thing this little
child requires. Provide her with that and trust in the Father to provide
the rest.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Charlie B?

Ham: Certainly my son, you are doing just fine. Be completely at ease
with yourself my son. Grow in your willingness to extend self-acceptance
to your self. In other words, begin to see yourself as the Master sees
you. Release your old concepts of yourself and let the Father expand them.

Q: This is Jarrett is there any other personal messages you would like
to say to me tonight?

Ham: Certainly my son. You are doing very well. You have accepted the
responsibility of a man and you have conducted yourself very well
through the trials you have experienced lately. As you grow in your
budding self-awareness, you will find that this lesson serves you well
in the future. Self-discipline is hardly emphasized in the youth culture
of society and yet a young person's capacity for self-discipline is a
good measure of character and a good guide post portending well for the
future. Obeying someone is one thing, but obeying your higher self for
the purposes of your higher calling is something else. Continue then to
cultivate a healthy self-discipline so that you have the tools available
in your character to deal with the challenges and difficulties lying
ahead. Also, you have a strong intellectual bent. This is good, but it
must continually be tempered by the loving spirit within you for
intellectual achievement can quickly sour into intellectual pride and
arrogance. Reach into your heart often. Do not be afraid of your inner
feelings. Rather, understand them, embrace them, and release them. The
wisest of men are those who know themselves best. You are doing just
fine. Is this helping your understanding?

Yes, thank you.

Q: How do we avoid illusions about the future while not becoming passive
toward things that matter, especially given that some people are willing
to do very evil things in order to make their illusions a reality? I
just don't now how to separate trust and faith from passivity of action.
Can you help me understand that?

Ham: It is helpful to remember that man proposes while God disposes. You
may work toward a specific goal and this goal may be noble and worthy,
but at the end of your efforts you must accept what has occurred in
reality over what you wished to have occurred. And in that sense you
must trust that the reality you are confronted with is not an orphan
from the Father's plan but rather part of it. Yes, sometimes it may seem
as though those who are willing to go to any lengths in order to make
their illusions reality will win. But this is not so. For the evil which
men do, for supposedly noble purposes, always wind up enveloping those
purposes and thus become at one with the purpose. Never fear the designs
of evil men. Rather counter them with beauty, truth, and goodness. For
these three are arrows in the quiver of every God knowing man. Never
underestimate the power of love and truth in this world and you will
have all of both that your require.

Q: It is not that we should not be interested in the future or
interested in the world, it is just that we should not be invested in a
particular vision of the future.

Ham: Exactly.

Q: Do you have feedback for me this week?

Ham: Of course my son. You are doing very well and are finding every
greater peace, even in the midst of the storm. Others can rant and rave
and you can remain composed and at peace. This gives you the greater
freedom for this gives you the greater self-control. In this life,
personal freedom is directly proportional to personal self-control.

Q: I still feel like I have a long way to go in that department.

Ham: All human beings do, you would not be human otherwise.



Be at peace my children. Have gentleness with each other. Pray for each
other and all is well.

--
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
David G. Schlundt, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Department of Psychology
Vanderbilt University
301 Wilson Hall
Nashville, TN 37203

Phone: (615)322-7800
Fax: (615) 343-8449
Email: David.Schlundt at Vanderbilt.edu
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
To science God is a possibility, to psychology
a desirability, to philosopy a probability, to
religion a certainty, an actuality of religious
experience

The Urantia Book, page 1125
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