2000-09-24. Art of Living
Nashville #94
Topic: Art of Living
Group: Nashville TeaM
Teacher: Ham
TR: Rebecca
Opening
Ham: Greetings, children, I am Ham and I greet you each one this evening. Tonight, we shall speak about art and celestial help.
Lesson
When I speak of art, I mean many things. Art essentially is an expression of self which alludes to a higher reality. One can see art in every human endeavor. Where there is grace and sensitivity to the spirit, then there is art being expressed.
Each of you — as you work through your self-realization, through what it is that makes you human — are artists. Art can be found in the creation of home life. Art can be found in gardening. Whenever you express a higher impulse, an impulse that makes you want to express what is good, you are creating art. Art can be found in athletics. Art can be found in the impulse to be creatively kind.
Many of you here have taken on the roll of an artist in a commercial way, in a way that brings your individual expression into a larger public arena. My son Jarad, you have done this with integrity and a loyalty to representing life as you perceive it, an honesty which is rare in today’s commercialization of art. It is well and good that you should be honored for this and it is well and good that you should continue in this way, to always be true to your deepest self in that which you create.
The creation of art is not such a mysterious process as it seems to you. What you are doing when you create is you are releasing the bonds of the conscious mind and allowing the morontia mind to be more fully expressed. Yes, at times there is help from artisans, from angels, from teachers, and even from the spirit of God himself. And when you take that leap into the unknown in your work, do not expect to find perfection, expect to find yourselves more perfectly.
The greatest honor is to be able to be a part of the creative process that begins in your higher mind. Rarely is lasting art created through opening the subconscious mind, rather it is the higher impulses, the higher morality, the greater good that yearns to be expressed through the lowly human consciousness.
True art is never created from the mountain tops of giddy self-exaltation. When the artist exalts himself, he has already fallen. Scientists, of course, are artists as well. There is art in taking the facts of observation and seeing within those facts a higher pattern. There is art in this expression when the pattern is revealed to others. The principle that allows the artist to surrender to a higher mind is the same for a scientist. Flashes of insight come to those who open themselves to receiving flashes of insight.
All artists perceive reality then recreate that reality in ways that are their own. Don’t be afraid of your own uniqueness, embrace it. Artists, especially scientists, often feel pressure to conform to the style of the day or the prevailing thought. The true artist takes that style or that thought a step further, makes it different. Even architects and landscapers feel a pressure to do what others are doings and, yet, those who are remembered are those who do things differently. Doing things differently can mean that what you do is not in style for a time period and you pay a price for it. But, if you are true to yourselves, you will find a place for what you do.
Do not despise the new, nor should you despise the old. Do not venerate the new, neither should you venerate the old. Find, rather, you own place in your own time in your own manner of self-expression.
The athlete’s art does not end when he ages past his prime as an athlete. That is when his true art really begins. Can you find grace, can you find a style of self-expression, which embraces that which was but also looks forward to that which will be.
Life is very short, my dears. Be true to your expression. Find your own voices, your own manner of being and be loyal to this. Allow yourselves to experience God’s satisfaction with that which you do and do not be overly concerned with the critical opinions of others. Persevere.
Brodan, you must now find much humility, even as you accept this great honor. You must know that relieving the suffering of humankind is the highest calling given to man and as you persevere in this effort, do not become disheartened or discouraged by the many trials and pitfalls awaiting you.
Jarad, accept this honor with poise and gratitude. Be gracious in victory and in defeat. Find it in your heart to have love for all and envy nor malice toward none. Keep the goal of understanding others foremost in your mind and know that your greatest work is still ahead as are your greatest triumphs.
Amalain, understand that you can achieve integrity in your work and also find contentment in the rigors of team efforts and in the suffering of the death from a thousand cuts that sometimes occurs over the long haul in your line of work. Always seek to understand others and to extend your sympathy towards them, to understand their petty hurt feelings and envious attitudes with a great love in your heart, even for their flaws and mistakes. Yours is probably the most difficult road because your creation rarely survives onto the final product.
Ricaldo, bring the grace, the poise, the dignity from your life as an athlete to bear on your life now. As you teach your children, remember that they see you as their hero and that you give them more through example than through anything you can say. Bring your innate sense of fairness and team effort to everything that you do, for truly that which is done in this way is preliminary training for the future in the mansion worlds. Be thankful, both of you, that you are receiving this training now.
David, my son, though you often work in solitude, be aware always that you are working with the life force of the planet, that you are cooperating with the Mother Spirit as you nurture the beauty of a garden and create that which is beautiful and esthetically pleasing for everyone who shall see it. Be humble in your role as mother’s helper and love as you do that which grows.
My son John, you also are challenged in the role of peace maker. You are one who’s often first impulse is to be a little disruptive, to express yourself in a way that can ruffle others, but you suppress this so well that you become a peace maker instead. You have great talents and a great gift, that which you do. Take satisfaction and pride in that and yet find humility and a way to pray and even worship through your work so that you bring your divine connection into that which you do. Think of your work as service to the Father as well as service to your brethren. It is a path that calls for humility, but one in which humility is rarely found. Cultivate this in yourself, you do very well.
Rebecca, your work is just beginning. You have a long way to go before you. Remember to listen and to observe, even as you nurture your work along as it is in its infancy. You will find a new life in this and a great feeling of release and of being found at the same time. Don’t think too hard, don’t rush. This is something which requires development, not the rush to finish, or the rush to succeed. Think of this as development.
Now I will entertain some questions for others, if there are any.
Dialogue
Q: Ham, Dawn is out of town and she asks for a message please.Ham: Yes of course. My dear, you are gaining great maturity and a poise at a very young age. You are finding great challenges in your work and are sometimes willing to sacrifice yourself in order to throw yourself into this, to forget yourself in a way. But, remember that life is for finding yourself and the more you come to understand who you are, the more joy you will know.
Q: Derrick, I have noticed on occasion, a celestial teacher will offer advice on health. I have had a condition since I was 6. I suffer from fainting spells. I have had many tests and have ruled out epilepsy. When I was young, it was thought that I suffered from hypoglycemia. There is little evidence for that now. The latest theory is that they are from stress. Just before I faint everything gets dark and I feel nausea and when I wake up I have nausea and my whole body is buzzing. I feel bad for the next few days. Do you have any idea what might be wrong with me and how I might prevent these spells.
Ham: Son, this condition appears to be a form of epilepsy which is rarely seen and goes undiagnosed because it is so infrequent. Basically, it is a central nervous system convulsion or when all the nerve bundles in your spinal cord are in electrical sync and they all fire and stop at once, and even though this is only brief, it tends to short-circuit the brain for a moment and send a signal for everything to shut down so you faint. It is mostly a fear reaction afterwards which causes the nausea and kind of an extreme surge of adrenaline trying to react to that happening causes you to feel very weak and sick for several days.
I cannot give you a magic cure for this, but only to tell you that it is not life threatening or serious in itself and it may over time continue to decrease in regularity. As your body ages it is likely to be able to gradually not fix this, but not be running so fast that this is likely to happen so often, if that makes sense. Be sure to get enough rest, to eat a balanced diet, drink a lot of water, all those things which help your body in many areas will also help this. Red vegetables and fruits contain a chemical which is known to calm the nervous system. Also, St. John’s Wort and things of that nature that are calming and good for the nervous system should be helpful.
Q: A message for Norbert.
Ham: Son, you do well. You are continuing to broaden your horizons and open yourself up to new experiences and new understandings. You are a person who enjoys life and enjoys exploring new things. This will serve you well all your days. Continue to open yourself in this way and receive the happiness that the Father intends for you to have.
Q: For Marija?Ham: Certainly, daughter you are doing well. You are a person who takes things to heart and is very emotionally centered. This serves you well in many ways, but also leaves you open to being really hurt by the unthinking remarks of others. As you mature, you will be able to feel so secure that these kinds of things will not bother you. But for now, be careful not to be too hurt because your heart is so much on your sleeve at times. You are too sensitive and are hurt much too easily. You are doing very well. Continue to love others as you do and be at peace, for you do well.
Q: Charlie B.
Ham: Yes, son, of course. You are also finding your way forward through a world that seems to be very callous and unforgiving. Remember that your children must learn from their own mistakes, that you cannot transplant your experience into them. They have to find things out for themselves and a good parent allows this as much as possible. You are doing very well.
Q: Esmirleda?
Ham: Yes, of course, daughter your life is running very smoothly, perhaps too much so. Challenge yourself. Continue to be open to new experiences. Make yourself be a active part in what you care about. Great rewards are found in so doing.
Q: Elena?
Ham: Daughter, you continue to bloom and to grow in ways that you never thought were possible. Continue to find more and more love in your heart and to be more free in its expression.
Closing
My children, go in peace. Know that my love and my prayers are with you. Cherish today and look forward to tomorrow.
