[tmtranscripts] Ham on hope and illusion

[David G. Schlundt, Ph.D.]

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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