Since our last posting Betty Lou and I went on a brief
honeymoon into the Smokies and a couple months later took a trip to Waverly, NY
for a Urantia Book mini conference. These
journeys were restful and interesting as we report below. One reason this posting has been a bit
delayed is that I am writing a book. At
first I thought it would be another short booklet but it kept growing and
growing until it is currently well over 90 pages and I doubt very much that I
am anywhere near half way through it.
There is a brief excerpt at the end of this posting. I plan to include more snippets of it in future
blog postings.
The title of the book is “Light of Truth” so this is
the subject of our quotation.
[M]aterial-minded
sons in darkness will never know of your spiritual light of truth unless you
draw very near them with that unselfish social service which is the natural
outgrowth of the bearing of the fruits of the spirit in the life experience of
each individual believer. The Urantia Book 1930.1
Hilltop bubbling up in
the background, Pipestem Resort, WV
Just before our trip north for the mini conference I got
a new camera, the old one having deceased unexpectedly. All photos in this posting are from that
journey.
For our honeymoon we went to Newport TN, which is on
the other side of the Smokies from our home.
We both love this part of our great land so it was a natural decision to
explore a bit more of this region. We
stayed there a few days and drove to various areas of interest on day trips. One day we drove to the Greenbrier entrance
to the Park and then went several miles on a narrow unpaved road deep into the
woods. There was a picnic area at the
end of the road and nearby was a peaceful rock filled stream. The best part was the slow drive through the
peaceful woods, just enjoying being in that place.
Sunset in the
Appalachians
Another day we drove to Cade’s Cove. From there we took the Rich Mountain road
toward Townsend. This is a narrow one
way path over Rich Mountain gap that is 1959 feet, nearby is Cerulean Knob that
is 3686 feet high. We were about halfway
up to the gap and had parked to look around when a trio of bear cubs came down
the hill toward us followed by momma bear.
We naturally stayed in the car and the bears went behind us. When momma came around the car and started
walking toward the front of the car it was definitely time to move along. She was not the least but threatening, just
curious.
When we are at our home in Poplar Cove there always
seems to be something that needs doing. We
have not explored many sights of interest near our home for this reason. Therefore we stay in the Smokies when we have
a chance to get away, far enough to be free of home duties but near enough so
that we remain in our ever glorious Smokies.
Morning Fog in the
Valley
For our journey to Waverly, NY, which is a bit west of
Binghamton, we stayed in the Appalachians the entire time. Our first night was in Pipestem Resort State
Park in West Virginia. This park is not
far from the New River Gorge Bridge on US 19, which is the bridge where idiots
bungie jump into the gorge.
Our room had a small balcony overlooking the countryside;
the first three photos were taken from it.
The next morning right below our balcony was a doe, two fauns, a yearling
and a buck. The deer family stayed for
some time and soon people started throwing pieces of apple from their rooms out
to the deer. The doe chased the buck and
yearling away so she and the young ones could eat in peace. Her ribs were showing and she looked hungry.
There was also time to take a leisurely walk in the
woods before we headed northward again. In
the photo below I was somehow intrigued by this large stone with lichen growing
on it. Is there anything better than a
quiet stroll amongst the trees, rocks and creatures of these hills?
Just a Walk in the
Woods, WV
The theme of the mini conference in Waverly was
“Angels, Our Living Ladder from Chaos to Glory.” It was based on the Urantia Book
International School (UBIS) course of the same name. Since we will have many types of angels
helping us along the way, starting here and going with us all the way to
Paradise, this is a vital and fascinating topic.
The conference (and the UBIS course) was divided into
four parts. The first part dealt with angels
of the central universe, which included Paper 26: “Ministering spirits of the
central universe” and parts of Paper 27 “Ministry of Primary Supernaphim.” These are the angels who will guide us through
our final preparations to travel to Paradise and personally meet the God of all
creation. One of the concepts we learned
in this section is that God has commanded us to become perfect as God is
perfect. He would not ask to do
something that is impossible. Therefore
this means that it is possible for each of us to become perfect by means of
each decision we make. At each step
along the way we can chose to move toward perfection and become more like God,
becoming eternal beings, or we can chose to become less and cease to exist.
The second part studied Paper 28, “Ministering spirits
of the superuniverses.” These are the
angles who guide and teach us as we come near the close of our period in the
superuniverses of time and prepare for the central universe of eternity. One of the truths we learned in this period
was the sequence that must be followed for mercy to have any validity. The first step is that we must be just, do
what is right. Mercy without justice is
cheapened and is without substance. Next
comes fairness, if we are not fair then mercy will be tainted with
favoritism. Then comes kindness, mercy
is all about kindness, expressing our love for our sisters and brothers. We must first be just, then fair and then kind
before we can display mercy. Only after
this is mercy sincere without being condescending.
Hidden Valley Camping
Area
(This is the campground where I spent seven summers. It is nestled in a valley in southwestern New
York State not far from where I grew up.
This time we stayed in a charming camper that was built like a little
cabin instead of my fifth wheel, which we traded in last year. The small white sign says that the speed
limit in 6 3/8 mph; since my power walks are only about four mph I stay well within
the limit. While we were there I was
able to do a couple of power walks in the countryside and over the hills. This is familiar territory.)
The third part of the mini conference covered Paper 38
“Ministering spirits of the Local Universe” and Paper 39 “The Seraphic
Hosts.” An interesting insight in this
period was that these angels were created as equal beings but upon testing they
were found to have different abilities.
Even though they were initially assigned duties in line with these abilities,
many studied so that they could perform other tasks. They work hard to become better, more
proficient and more useful. So should
we.
The final part dealt with Paper 113, “Seraphic
guardians of destiny.” These are the
angels who are always with us, starting now during our life in the flesh and
continuing with us all the way to Paradise.
They truly are our best friends forever.
This is certainly a true forever as in throughout all future eternity,
not just a single lifetime on Earth. We
learn here that everyone has a guardian angel.
Individuals who are not well advanced spiritually will be in groups
having from a thousand down to only five individuals. Each group has its own guardian (they work in
pairs, so this will actually be a pair of angels) while more advanced individuals
will have personal guardian angels. We
are certainly not alone in the universe. At all times we have unseen friends assisting
us.
Flatwoods, WV
This was the view out the window of our room in Flatwoods,
WV on our southward journey. It was
interesting how the cellphone tower kept peeking in and out of the morning fog.
The title of the book I am working on is “Light of
Truth” and it is an examination of the consequences of actions by those who
were entrusted with bringing truth to our planet beginning in the distant past
and continuing to the present day. The following
passage is from the book’s Prolog.
A dark place. Shadows with darker shadows behind and
shadows darker still behind those.
Shapes are moving in the dim light like arms reaching out toward us,
grasping. What is this place? Is this a dream? A nightmare? Could this be reality? What is this place?
A dim, pale yellow
light appears in the distance, subtly growing in intensity. Soon we can perceive our surroundings more
clearly. We see healthy trees with
branches and leaves moving in the gentle breeze. We see lush green grass growing beneath the
trees and a curving path of small white stones winding amongst the trees, going
toward the distant light. This light
enables us to have the proper perspective to better understand our
surroundings.
From whence comes
this light? Who has brought this light
to us? How can each of us move into this
light and obtain increased clarity?
The light
represents the Light of Truth, which helps us learn about both the material and
the spiritual environment in which we live.
Truth expands while we mature as individuals and as a society. Truth evolves as we evolve, for example ancient
magic gave birth to modern science.
Primitive minds were filled with ignorant superstition until science
gradually grew. Today, Urantia is in the twilight zone of this
intellectual evolution. One half the world is grasping eagerly for the light of
truth and the facts of scientific discovery, while the other half languishes in
the arms of ancient superstition and but thinly disguised magic. The
Urantia Book 973.1
Stay tuned for more quotations from the upcoming book.
All photos by Doug
Cable
