The Story of Everyone
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011The Story of Everyone
| Notes From Neale
Hello, Everyone… Then I spoke about how my search began…in the Roman Catholic school of my childhood. Until my parents sent me to that school I never had any doubt that all I had to do if I wanted God near me as to call out to Him. He would always be there, my Mom told me, and I believed her. When I got to St. Ignatius and the nuns told me that, well, it wasn’t exactly like that. God wants to come to me whenever I call to Him, they assured me, but God cannot be received by an impure soul. Who has an impure soul? I asked. All of us, I was told. We all have impure souls. None of us are worthy of receiving God into our lives. How can we become worthy? I desperately wanted to know. I’d thought that God would come to us always. In fact, I’d been taught by my Mom that God was with us always, and that all we had to do to receive God’s help and blessing in any moment was to call out to the God who was Always There, and that help would be ours. Now I was being told, “well, not exactly…” I had to be worthy of receiving God under my roof. And the problem was, I was born unworthy. It was at St. Ignatius that I learned about Original Sin, and about how I was a sinner every day, and about how God could not come into my soul if I was a sinner, but not to be dismayed, because God could forgive me my sins, and then come into my soul–but first, I had to confess them. God could not forgive sins that were not confessed. Hence, the Sacrament of Confession was created by the Most Holy Roman Catholic Church as a road to forgiveness, and, ultimately, Salvation. If we confessed our sins, God would forgive them, rendering our souls pure again, wiping the slate clean. We could then go to Communion. We could receive the living God into our lives through the consuming of the flesh and blood of Christ (literally, not figuratively), who was God’s son and who died for our sins. I was taught that ordinary bread and wine was turned into Christ’s body and blood at the moment of Consecration (a ritual and the highlight of every Roman Catholic Mass), when occurred the miracle of Transubstantiation, the first stage in the sacrament of Holy Communion. Confession, as you might now be able to see, suddenly became very important to me. I went as often as I could, the better to make sure that I had no sins on my soul should death come knocking at my door. As a child I was nervous about this. You may think that I am kidding here, or exaggerating a little, but I’m not. I clearly remember being afraid to go to sleep at night, especially if I knew that I had been a particularly bad boy that day. If I had talked back to Mom, quarreled with my brother, or in some other way had behaved inappropriately, I earnestly prayed as I squeezed shut my frightened eyes..not. Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. I hoped that my earnestness would earn me what my behavior had not. I am sharing this personal story for a reason. The search for God, the seeking of a Holy Experience, has been going on for centuries all over this planet. It is remarkable the many paths on which our elders and our teachers have placed us. I want you to know mine, so that you can get just one example of how hard we’ve made it on ourselves–all of us humans here on earth–to get to God, to find God, to have a Friendship with God, and to enter into Communion with God. Next week, my story continues. Eventually, it melds into The Story of Everyone. One day I will write a book by that title. The Story of Everyone will chronicle the journey of All Of Us as we seek to find and experience what we know in our hearts to be true: that God exists and that God would never leave us or condemn us to everlasting torture or, indeed, desire to hurt us in any way. But for now, join us here next week as this story, The Holy Experience, continues. Love and Hugs, P.S. The Holy Experience is a full length book that you may download for free at www.nealedonaldwalsch.com. Simply click on the Free Resources icon. If you would like to ask me about this experience, or discuss any aspect of the messages I have received in my Conversations with God–or, for that matter, if you would simply like to discuss a personal challenge or problem you are now facing and would like some spiritual coaching–please join me this week at our subscription-based (50-cents a day) Internet videocasting service, CWG.tv for Talk to Neale, this Sunday and every Sunday at 1 pm Pacific Times. For more information or to subscribe to this wonderful new CWG video service now, simply go to www.CWG.tv |
Letters to the Editor
Hi Neale…I’m new to this newsletter, but am wondering what to do with my feelings toward pan handling. I give generously to a few of my favorite charities, including those that serve the homeless. I generally don’t give to those who ask for a couple of reasons: opening my purse increases my chances of being robbed, and I can’t afford to give every time I’m asked. I much prefer to give to someone who “seems” like they could use a few extra bucks without being asked (but this requires some judgment on my part).
I find myself becoming angry at those who tell me a long story only to learn later that it’s part of their shtick of working the streets. I don’t want to be “worked” by professionals. Incidentally, the longer the stories some of these people tell, the more they don’t make any sense. How do I handle this?
Thank you, DF Springfield, IL
| Neale Responds
Dear DF: If somebody wants your purse, they are simply going to snatch it from you and run. They’re not going to wait for you to reach into it to give them something they can get without robbing you. But if you are really so worried that you don’t want to “open your purse,” the good news is that you don’t have to. Just carry two or three small bills in a nearby pocket and always have them “handy for handing out.” All you have to do then is reach in, grab a single or a five, and hand it to those who ask. I give money to anybody on the street who asks for it–and to many who do not. If I’m walking by somebody who is clearly and obviously in need of help, I simply reach into my pocket and share some of what I have with them. I don’t judge people, and I certainly don’t “become angry” if they tell me their long story. In fact, I don’t even let them. If they start in on what sounds like it’s going to be a long story I simply say, “Hold it. Look, my friend, you don’t need to tell me your story. Here’s some money, simply because I’ve got some. Have some. Enjoy it.” Everybody has some, by the way. If you only give a quarter or a half-dollar, most of us have some we can give. And if we really do not, then simply say so. Just say, “Man, I’m in the same spot you are. I ain’t got a dime.” But if you have a dime, give a dime. Why? Because life if offering you a chance to demonstrate who you really are. You are not doing something for someone else (such a thing is, by the way, impossible), you are doing it for yourself, in order that you may have a direct experience of who you really are. That is why everything happens to you in your life, do you know that? Not just the panhandler who walks up to you on the street. Every event in your life. It is all designed to give you an opportunity to decide and to declare, to express and to experience, to become and to fulfill Who You Really Are. Did you not know this? Love…Neale. |
Note: If you would like to write a Letter to the Editor of this Bulletin, simply send an e-mail to Neale@NealeDonaldWalsch.com, with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line.
Change your conversation, change your life
Findhorn Foundation, Scotland, UK
A 3-day retreat, 27 – 29 August 2011
Neale Donald Walsch (by videolink) and Sarah Rozenthuler
With faculty from the Findhorn Foundation
During these times of upheaval, unrest and turbulence, we need some creative, challenging conversations about what is happening in our lives and in our world. Conversations about who we are, why we are here and how we can evolve to the next level – personally, politically and globally.
In this 3-day retreat, we will explore how to harness the surge of new energy now entering the planet, for the betterment of humanity. By joining together in conversation, we will have the opportunity to speak our truth, listen to the field, agree or disagree, and spiral out into new possibilities.
Using the technology of psychology and the wisdom of spirituality, there will be a flow of different actitivities including whole group dialogue*, small group discussion, chair-work, experiential exercises, meditation and movement. We will equip ourselves to have life-changing conversations, both whilst we’re together and in our worlds beyond the retreat. Themes include:
• Calling up our courage
• Creating a “container”
• Using the power of intention
• Connecting with respect
• Starting a new chapter
There will be two live interactive sessions of around 1.5 hours each with Neale Donald Walsch via internet broadcast. Neale will share his leading edge thinking about how we can better navigate planetary and personal change.
You are warmly invited to join us for this retreat where you will be inspired, energised and equipped to contribute to Life as you have never contributed before.
Sarah Rozenthuler is a dialogue consultant, with 10 years’ experience working with large organisations such as the World Bank, the BBC and the UK Civil Service. A chartered psychologist, she is author of the forthcoming book, Life-Changing Conversations (Duncan-Baird, March 2012). Her website is: http://anewyouworkshop.com/
Income related price: £ 395 / £ 495 / £ 595 includes 3 nights accommodation and all meals. To register and for more information:
http://www.findhorn.org/programmes/465/
You can telephone the bookings office on +44 (01309) 691653 (please call between 9am-12.30pm or 2-5pm UK time on Monday to Friday) or send an email to
Short Takes…
Your Soul has come here on a mission. You have made Soul Agreements with others. Until you know and understand what your Soul Mission and your Soul Agreements are, you may forever be wandering through your life, trying to figure out what in the world is going on, and why things are happening the way they are happening.
This November Neale Donald Walsch will facilitate a 7-day excursion of the soul called The Purpose. Created in response to repeated requests from CwG readers around the world, the program offers you an opportunity to explore every issue, to heal every hurt, to close every wound, to erase every doubt, and to remove every obstacle that has stood in the way of you expressing and experiencing your grandest self. The Purpose seeks to assist you in revealing to yourself the very reason you are here. It all begins on 11-11-11. For information, simply go to…
http://www.nealedonaldwalsch.com/index.php?p=Doc&c=purpose
The Annual Holiday Retreat 2011
Yes, I know you have been waiting for this, and here is all the information about the favorite retreat every year. The ReCreating Yourself Annual Holiday Retreat.
What better way could there be to usher out the old year and welcome in the New Year than to spend it with Neale Donald Walsch and a group of like minded new friends? You will have ample time to share your stories with others, to ask Neale those questions you have always wanted to ask, and to ReCreate Yourself anew, in the next grandest version of the greatest vision ever you have held about Who You Are.
Come on! Join us! You already know you want to be here!
We have payment plans to fit all pockets…. Full pay, 2 payments, 4 payments and even a 6 payment plan. So quit making excuses and click here for all the details and to sign up now.