My dear and beloved God,

It seems appropriate as I begin anew to edit our book that I start by conversing with you.

My dear and glorious son,

Let me repeat that, my dear and glorious son,

How are you? I love you so and am thrilled that you chose to speak to me at this moment, as you once again attack the great project before you. Thank you for doing so. Now, tell me, how are you doing?

That seems like a strange question coming you—for you are God and know everything.

Knowing everything is not the same thing as you sharing everything.

There is much going on in my life.

No kidding. (Sardonic with a smile.)

You are teasing me.

No. I am rejoicing in you. Glory to you!

I think the expression is: “Glory to God in the Highest!”

Yes, that is the oft used—and abused—phrase. So much so that it has become almost meaningless and said by rote. Not much emotion in that, now is there?

Uhmmm.

You need not comment. Let me reiterate: Glory to you! Glory to You in the Highest! Glory to You!

Do not do that! (God was about to have the Heavenly Choir sing the Hallelujah Chorus.)

(Demurring.) A bit too much?

Indeed. It is enough that you are singing my praises. The choir would have been too much.

But I AM so proud of you. I do want to sing Glory to You. It is in my heart.

I will grant that I have changed over the last month.

Dramatically so. I mean, with the exception of the choir bit, you ARE allowing me to sing your praises. That is a change.

Far be it for me to tell God what to say or not say.

It never stopped you in the past.

And as I remember it, my complaining never stopped you for issuing your praise.

Let’s say it was curtailed a bit.

So noted.

Yet today, you allow me not only to sing your praises but for me to Glorify You. In the past, this would have freaked you out. Instead you are calmingly sitting there with a great affection for me.

That is due to the great joy you are expressing.

I AM filled with great joy.

And with great love as well.

I have always expressed my great love for you.

You have. But I have not always allowed you to love me.

You have finally learned that lesson? You now know it is easier to let the love in than to resist it.

I am less inclined to resist. I am a bit abashed that I did not allow even God to love me to the extent that He desired. That was pretty arrogant of me.

You allowed in the amount that you could accept. There is nothing wrong in that. Let’s just say that you are now capable of receiving more.

And of giving more.

Indeed. There are many who feel the intensity of your heart.

I think it is time to move on to the subject at hand.

The subject at hand is you and your evolution. Our book is but a different aspect of the same story. I am not yet ready to discuss our book.

(With great affection.) Give an old man a break—I haven’t been able to talk to you or about you for a long time.

As you wish. I am very pleased with the changes within me.

As well you should. As am I—very pleased. Your evolution has been monumental.

My dear God, I am very aware of the great changes within myself but find it very difficult to articulate them.

Some changes need not be articulated. It is enough that you made them.

But as you said, they are monumental; as such I feel I should share them.

You are sharing them. But the greatest articulation of them is for you to simple BE who you are.

I am being me, the evolved me, the greater me. I am this new and improved version of myself, yet I feel the same. Or at least I have the same life, the same body. When I think of the changes within myself, my heart quickens and my breath is bated—as if, I am in expectation of some great and awesome spectacle.

The vision of you has always been great and awesome in my eyes. Always. It pleases me greatly that you too see this within yourself.

Tell me, do you also notice that you are clearer of mind and thought?

On some matters, yes. And others not so much. As I said, I can’t seem to articulate these changes.

It is difficult to articulate changes that are still in process.

With that comment, I will speak to your book.

After your weekend with Jean Houston—a workshop that you have been perfectly guided to—you felt you know who you were and what you were about. As you phrased it: you stopped seeing the small you and owned the big you.

Yet you got caught up in the small you.

How so?

Not as you might suspect. Your beloved friend is not about the small you. Nor has your divine student been a distraction for you.

When you worry about if you are or are not working on the revision of your book, you are caught up in the small you.

My son, have you, not just told me that the changes within you where monumental?

I was quoting you, but yes, I did say that.

Please check the calendar.

It has been ten days since the workshop.

Just ten daze.

Daze?

Good. Good. You do get it. You cannot expect that you can make such monumental changes and then be focused enough to work on your book.

Oh, I don’t know—I think I was quite capable of such expecting too much of myself. From old habit.

Again: good, good. You recognize the old habit of expecting too much of yourself.

I was not seeing it as an unreasonable expectation but as taking myself more seriously.

Richard. You ARE talking yourself seriously enough. It takes a serious mind to know when not to work on the book as it does to do so.

I feel I have been slothful.

Because you lay about? Appearing to do nothing?

Well . . . yes.

And how many pages of emails and letters have you written?

Exactly my point. I have used my prime time (when my mind is most focused) to write them. I have been distracted by them. I should have spent the prime time on editing.

Well at least you see it as editing and not writing. But again I tell you: it is small you thinking.

Explain—please.

You already know this but only need to remind yourself that you know it.

Help me please.

My dear, beloved—and might I add—glorious son, you are a many faceted person.

I know that.

You are not just a writer with a book to revise. You ARE a spiritual leader. Many come to you for guidance, understanding and love.

I know that.

What you don’t seem to know or acknowledge is that work is equal—if not greater than—importance to your work as a writer. Even more important is the work on self.

My dear son, I did not bring you to California to edit your book but to work on yourself.

I am doing that.

Yes, I know you are and you are doing a superb job of it. But you would be better off if you allowed the book to unfold and quit thinking you are being lazy about it.

Why do I feel I am? (being lazy)

Because you, in your habit of self-judgment, are comparing yourself unfairly against other in your household.

They are much more disciplined in their work.

Yes they are. So what? That is not your approach to writing.

Except when it is.

Yes, my son, you have been very disciplined when I have called you to be. I am NOT calling you to be so at this moment. In fact, what I AM calling you to do is to be gentle upon yourself.

You are called to guide others. Even our book is but guidance. You cannot do this but with a well rested body.

Still feels like I’m being lazy.

Lazy is a judgment. Let me suggest you use efficient.

Semantics.

Perhaps to you. But you would acknowledge you have gone through monumental changes?

Yes.

And you would acknowledge those changes are still unfolding? I will remind you of your present work on love and body image.

Okay, yes, I get that.

And you realize that your recent contemplation of love and sorrow are the thoughts of your new evolved self?

I guess so.

You guess so?

It was not until yesterday that I realized to the degree I was contemplating.

Not until your housemate asked, “What’s going on with Richard?”

Exactly.

This question triggered a belching of information out of your being. Notice, my dear son, I said out of your being—not out of your doing.

His question did bring me to clarity.

No. It was the use of Richard that triggered your knowing. In that instant of knowing and clarity you knew exactly what you had been doing over the last few days.

You were right and just in making a name change as an indication of the new evolved you. Yes, it is time that you took yourself seriously.

But doing so does not mean working on your/our book because your think you should be. Don’t should on yourself.

But . . .

I repeat: don’t should on yourself. I would suggest that you “know” on yourself. When it’s time to work on the book, you will know it. And by simply being with it—you will be both efficient and forthright.

May I make a suggestion or two?

Please.

Before I do, my dear and glorious son, I want you to know that I am extremely proud of you. It is not easy to make monumental changes in oneself, and you have done so courageously.

I have felt guided.

Even the fact that you have felt so guided is an indication of the glory that is you. I say, “Hallelujah! For Richard has found his true self! Hallelujah!”

Glory be to God!

Yes! Yes! And Yes! You life has been a glorification of me. Praise be! Your current life, your current life changes are a further glorification of me.

You cannot glorify me greater than by being who you are, right now, in this glorious moment of now.

Glory be to God!

And glory be to you in the highest!

And now to my suggestions.

(A bit overwhelmed from God’s praises.) Yes. Thank you. Let’s do that.

First, I would suggest it is sufficient for today that you have written this communication. Do not work. . .no . . .this is not a commandment . . .let me suggest that you ALLOW yourself not to work further than this writing. Allow yourself to rest and contemplate all that has been shared here.

I can do that.

Thank you. Now as to my next suggestion.

I have guided you perfectly to the man you refer to as “The Muse.” And as you know he is perfectly guided in assisting you in finding the vision of our book.

I have been very moved by his guidance.

Let me help clarify. The vision of your book is not about doing but about being. Be with your book. You have all ready started this process.

Re-read your communication with your book. Then place the manuscript upon your abdomen as you meditate using Mark David’s meditation CD.

Simple be with your book. Love your book and allow it to love you. And from this state of being then edit.

Do this repeatedly. Chapter by chapter. Be with each. Love it, allow it to love you. Do this and the revision will come effortlessly, efficiently and perfectly. And this thus the book will be. It will be about your beingness. A beingness that even now is evolving, it is ever evolving.

As are we.

As am I. Through your evolution, I so too evolve.

Blessed be God.

Blessed be Richard.

(Unison) Blessed Be us both.