 Joyful, joyful days, we're diving deep, deep down, going to the root, going to the core of the ego belief system and following Jesus to go through the darkness to the light. The kingdom of heaven is within. And the kingdom of heaven is in hand, it's very close. So we're going down to the closeness to the light, deep, deep within, that has been buried by all kinds of unconscious ego beliefs in time, space, death, sickness, and all kinds of pursuits in form. All kinds of ego ambitions that are related to an ego self-concept, a persona, a mask, covering over our Christ identity, our awareness that we are a creation of God, a perfect creation, the Christ of a perfectly loving God. And that's our identity and everything else, the concepts of the world that overlay that beautiful Christ's presence, that I am presence. The concepts and the constructs of time and space are being dismantled, being loosened in the mind by the Holy Spirit and by Jesus. And today we're going to take another deep dive. A lot of times in this world it seems like every day presents a whole series of ego problems. And every day it seems like whether it's survival or it's emotional needs, financial needs, whether it seems to be physical needs, whatever it seems to be, there seems to be a litany of things that have to be faced, a to-do list of things that are part of survival on planet Earth, in the ego's perspective. But once we learn to tune into the Holy Spirit, we start to feel the grace of God, we feel the inner guidance, we feel our intuition glowing and nudging and leading us, then it actually turns into a beautiful ride. As they say back in the 1960s, go with the flow, I would say, go with the flow of the Holy Spirit, go with the flow of Jesus' voice inside you when you pray and pray and pray and make contact and then that voice leads you and guides you in the most lovely and wonderful ways, wondrous, miracle, miracle ways. To be right-minded, to be miraculous is natural in following God. So today we are going to look at lesson 79. With all the problems there seem to be in the world, Jesus is basically coming in with lesson 79 to tell us that you need to be able to accurately define the problem before you can let it go. You have to admit it, you have to find it, you have to define it accurately, and then you can let it go. And this is our first step. Just like in 12-step programs, they say if you have a denial of the problem when you're coming in and you're suffering and you're coming into the meeting and you start off with, I don't have any problems, then you have to get in touch with what you feel and what you believe and what you're thinking. And that's part of what the mind training of a Course in Miracles, it does take us into the dismantling of the false belief system, the false self-concept, and it does take us then into a very direct approach to the light of God, the light of heaven, the vision of Christ, the Holy Spirit's happy dream. It takes us right in that direction. So very profound. Lesson 79. Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved. A problem cannot be solved if you do not know what it is. Even if it is really solved already, you will still have the problem because you will not recognize that it has been solved. This is the situation of the world. The problem of separation, which is really the only problem, has already been solved. Yet the solution is not recognized because the problem is not recognized. Everyone in this world seems to have his own special problems. Yet they are all the same and must be recognized as one if the solution that solves them all is to be accepted. Who can see that a problem has been solved if he thinks the problem is something else? Even if he is given the answer, he cannot see its relevance. That is the position in which you find yourself now. You have the answer, but you are still uncertain about what the problem is. A long series of different problems seems to confront you and as one is settled, the next one and the next arise. There seems to be no end to them. There is no time in which you feel completely free of problems and at peace. The temptation to regard problems as many is the temptation to keep the problem of separation unsolved. The world seems to present you with a vast number of problems, each requiring a different answer. This perception places you in a position in which your problem solving must be inadequate and failure is inevitable. No one could solve all the problems the world appears to hold. They seem to be on so many levels in such varying forms and with such very content that they confront you with an impossible situation. Dismay and depression are inevitable as you regard them. Some spring up unexpectedly just as you think you have resolved the previous ones. Others remain unsolved under a cloud of denial and rise to haunt you from time to time only to be hidden again but still unresolved. All this complexity is but a desperate attempt not to recognize the problem and therefore not to let it be resolved. If you could recognize that your only problem is separation no matter what form it takes you could accept the answer because you would see its relevance. Perceiving the underlying constancy in all the problems that seem to confront you you would understand that you have the means to solve them all and you would use the means because you recognize the problem. In our longer practice periods today we will ask what the problem is and what is the answer to it. We will not assume that we already know. We will try to free our minds of all the many different kinds of problems we think we have. We will try to realize that we have only one problem which we have failed to recognize. We will ask what it is and wait for the answer. We will be told. Then we will ask for the solution to it and we will be told. The exercises for today will be successful to the extent to which you do not insist on defining the problem. Perhaps you will not succeed in letting go all your perceived notions but that is not necessary. All that is necessary is to entertain some doubt about the reality of your version of what your problems are. You are trying to recognize that you have been given the answer by recognizing the problem so that the problem and the answer can be brought together and you can be at peace. The shorter practice periods for today will not be set by time but by need. You will see many problems today each one calling for an answer. Our efforts will be directed toward recognizing that there is only one problem and one answer. In this recognition are all problems resolved. In this recognition there is peace. Be not deceived by the form of problems today. Whenever any difficulty seems to rise, tell yourself quickly let me recognize this problem so it can be solved. Then try to suspend all judgment about what the problem is. If possible close your eyes for a moment and ask what it is. You will be heard and you will be answered. Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved. So this is a day of surrender. It's letting go of the seeming I know mind of the world and coming into the trust and the surrender of I don't know. I do not know what anything is for and then letting the problem the one problem be shown be defined so that the solution can be brought together with the problem and in the mind and the problem can disappear. It does remind me of the Bibles saying perfect love cast out fear. Let's bring the problem the one problem of separation together with the the answer with the love the perfect love and feel the bliss feel the bliss is the one problem of separation is dissolved it dissipates it disappears in the light no problem can stand in the light of God's love God's truth. So for backup support for our idea today I I typed in a couple words to the search program and I have maybe four references here that I'm going to read from the text to support us. The first one is from chapter four section five pre-occupations with problems set up to be incapable of solution our favorite ego devices for impeding learning progress. I'll read that one again preoccupations with problems set up to be incapable of solution our favorite ego devices for impeding learning progress. We're here to learn to forgive the world. We're here to learn to view the world with the Holy Spirit in Jesus and all of these problems of form are all meant to cover over the problem of separation the belief in separation from God. So there's so many there's financial problems there's relationship problems there's problems with the environment or with the government or law enforcement there's problems with neighbors no preoccupations with problems set up projected to be incapable of solution can't change the screen can't fix it on the level of form our favorite ego devices for impeding learning progress and that learning progress is to forgive where Jesus said in Sermon on the Mount judge not lest you be judged so we're not going to give our mind over to false ego problems that are meant to hide the one problem of separation or grievances or judgments and we want to recognize the problem today let me recognize the problem so it can be solved chapter 17 section 7 there is no shift in any aspect of the problem but it will make solution impossible this is a world of shifting changing images and the mind is so used to breaking situations up into pieces and parts and then trying to solve aspects of the situation while leaving other aspects of the situation unresolved but he's telling us here in chapter 17 section there is no shift in any aspect of the problem but will make solution impossible you can't get down to the one problem and one solution if you keep believing in multiple problems and can keep trying to shift and change various aspects of various problems whether it's with people or places things the environment the workspace the community the government it doesn't matter this is a fundamental awakening lesson for us today let me recognize the problem so it can be solved also from chapter 17 section 7 is it not possible that all your problems have been solved but you have removed yourself from the solution that's it that's what the projected world of time and space is to try to remove yourself from the solution remove yourself from the mind remove yourself from the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit's instructions and directions get all caught up with the persona even though the Bible tells us God is no respecter of persons ah the ego says it's all about the personal it's all about the persons it's all about the persons having to change the persons having to be fixed the persons having to do something different it's a sneaky sneaky clever defense this projected world and Jesus is telling us the kingdom of heaven is within come inside to the light within through prayer and meditation and pull your mind away from these projections because when your tension is on the projections ah it doesn't feel good there's no joy in that so that's like that is the ultimate teaching here for us our workbook lesson of the day again let me recognize the problem so it can be solved and we just read is it not possible that all your problems have been solved but you have removed yourself from the solution forgiveness is the solution and projection blame grievances, opinions, judgments mmm those are avoiding the correction the atonement the correction that's just playing with the ego in its game of time and space fighting off, resisting bestill resisting the I am resisting the bliss of now that is prior to time and space okay beautiful beautiful we also have a little time I think I will dip down into some music today just to carry us on this beautiful lesson let's start off with Oman and Shanti singing eternal love as we accept his calamity for us today another song called blessings to you you sing the song it's precious thank you to Oman and Shanti for lifting us up to recognize the problem so it can be solved thank you Jesus for inspiring us thank you Holy Spirit for leading us and guiding us have a beautiful beautiful day Amen