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Growing Spiritually

Posted by Roberta Grimes • April 06, 2024 • 19 Comments
The Teachings of Jesus

Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.
Let There Be Peace on Earth,
The peace that was meant to be.

With God as our Father,
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

 Let peace begin with me.
Let this be the moment, now.
With ev’ry step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow!

– Jill Jackson Miller (1913-1995), from “Let There be Peace on Earth” (1955)

Thirteen years ago, Thomas put it into my mind that I should begin to try to grow spiritually. After all, there I was telling everyone else that using the teaching of Jesus to grow spiritually can work very well. I had just written and published The Fun of Dying, and I was speaking about the book in bookstores and in Unity churches. Then someone in a bookstore in California asked me during a question period following one of those speeches whether the teachings of Jesus actually can be used to help us to grow spiritually. And I said that, yes, of course they can, and very well indeed! But then as I thought about it afterward, I realized that this was all still just a theory, for heaven’s sake. I knew how it was supposed to work. But it was high time that I tried it all out on myself.

 What I didn’t understand at the time, because Thomas had not yet come out to me in person, was that this whole spiritual growth project was actually all my Thomas’s idea. I did not yet even know back then how reality is constructed. I was only just beginning to become aware of all of that. I had only recently read Craig Hogan’s wonderful, seminal book, Your Eternal Self, but I was still in what I think of now as my own spiritual infancy. Nevertheless, I had been so taken with Craig’s book that I had invited him to Austin to speak in my home Unity church. That was when I first actually met him! And when you have read the Bible repeatedly, dozens of times and for most of your life, you develop the conviction that Jesus really ought to be taken seriously. So in the summer of 2011, and with the prodding of the spirit guide that I had not yet met, I decided that I would put the teachings of Jesus into practice. And with Thomas’s behind-the-scenes prompting as to methods and protocols, I developed my first serious gratitude-forgiveness-and-love program. And I was my own first test-subject.

To give you a bit of background, I was in fact a pretty good candidate to be our guinea pig for this spiritual-growth developmental project. For my entire life before 2011, you would not have liked me very much. I was well-meaning, but I was a spoiled prima donna with a hair-trigger temper. You probably know the type. And I was a lethally combative driver! If you ever cut me off in traffic, you had an immediate war on your hands. The worst thing I can now recall doing, and I blush to think of it even four decades later, was when someone cut right in front of me on a highway at speed, and he nearly killed us both just because he needed to make his exit. He made me so angry that I followed him off, and I rode his bumper until, to get rid of me, he had to pull into a police station parking lot that he had already driven past once. That was incredibly stupid of me! If he had been a different sort of man, he could already have pulled a gun and killed me on the spot. But you can see that I really needed to do this spiritual work, and pretty badly! So then for five weeks or so in the summer of 2011, I worked very hard at growing spiritually, using just the Gospel teachings of Jesus and my guide’s lesson-plan.

Then one day later that summer, I had a lunch date with a unity minister, and while I was driving there, someone cut me off at speed so he could make his exit. And… nothing. This time, it didn’t bother me at all. As I waited for my lunch date in our restaurant, I thought about what just had happened to me, and with considerable increasing wonder. All I could think was that it was as if for my whole previous life, I had had levers on the outside of me that people could easily fiddle with, and that would make me crazy. And now suddenly, all those levers had been disconnected on the inside, somehow. People still could fiddle with them, and I was aware of their doing that. But I was in control now. I didn’t care. It was amazing! I had not been paying attention, but I think in retrospect that it had taken only at most maybe six weeks of my spiritual work with Jesus to make this amazing change in me. And that was thirteen years ago. The change has been permanent and complete. And so fast! I cannot recall in the past thirteen years actually ever once being angry, fearful, or  anything but peaceful and happy. I have never once since the spring of 2011 been the selfish, unspiritual and out of control prima donna that I was for my whole previous life before 2011. And I didn’t like that person, either.   

Of course, I should have thought about teaching this amazing and magical spiritual process to others much sooner than this. But I didn’t realize that it would be permanent! And it just seems so natural to me now. But of course, it really is natural. It is who you and I were meant to be, who we are, and what our whole lives on earth are designed to be about. Our problem is that the world around us now is in every way so abnormal! So in order for us to adopt the kind of spiritual life that will empower us to make this our last necessary earth-lifetime, we do have to adopt a lifestyle that is altogether wrenchingly different from the kind of life that most of us are in fact now living. I fell into this more spiritual way of living just naturally, by the fall of 2011. Doing this felt right. It felt necessary. And frankly, I realize as I look back now that all of it was happening by Thomas’s careful guidance. Even before he actually came out to me in February of 2015, he had altogether taken over my life.

So, better late than not at all. When I came across a course last fall in how to design and then deliver an online course, I enrolled eagerly, and then from January of 2024 through the end of last week, what we have been calling “Wednesday with Jesus” has been meeting on the past twelve Wednesday evenings.Thirty beautiful people living all over the world have been gathering around a very large Zoom table to learn from Jesus how to lift their personal vibrations enough to make this their last necessary earth-lifetime.

And, oh my god, I cannot tell you how amazingly well this has worked in just twelve weeks! The people participating in Wednesday with Jesus are all subscribers to my blog post who simply responded by email when I said in a blog post shortly before Christmas, “My dear ones, who would like to try taking a course on making this your last necessary earth-lifetime?” They are dear and wonderful friends already, which has probably tainted the sample. But, nevertheless.

All of this felt as if it was landing on us from out of nowhere, to be frank. I still didn’t really know all that much about how to deliver a course! But Thomas did. When I set out rather stumblingly to design twelve weeks of classes, he drew out those twelve classes for us in one smooth shot. I looked at it and thought, wow, did I do that? Well, no, I quickly realized. He did. And he has been having a lot of fun with this. My Thomas seldom plays at all, so to see my grave friend kicking up his heels with this, even just a little bit, makes me happy.  

Thomas quickly let me know that he had my back with this course, so I could relax. All of it was coming from him as Jesus’s servant. And he was really having fun with it! He likes the people taking the course, and he channeled the whole twelve-step lesson plan to me as quickly as my fingers could fly, and then every Monday for the whole twelve weeks of Wednesdays to follow, he let me know how he wanted me to flesh out every one of those Wednesday lessons with Jesus’s Gospel words, and with spoken lessons. No stress on me, no worries at all, and Thomas’s help arrived so dependably. And as I began to see the striking spiritual improvements almost weekly in so many of our class members’ lives, I relaxed.   

To begin our course, Thomas first talked about what spiritual growth actually is, and how our limited earth-minds are designed for rapid spiritual learning. My goodness, I never would have thought of doing that! But he thought of it all. And it was Thomas who insisted that we must begin each lesson with a prayer to invoke Jesus, which then of course made Jesus smile, standing there to my right since Thomas is always to my left, and sometimes Jesus even laughed a little at my formal stuffiness. Of course, I already knew that Jesus would be right here with us! He tells us that whenever a few of us are gathered in His name, He is with them. So then I would blush and get a little silly, and everyone would relax. I began to get private emails from students between weekly classes as they shared their breakthroughs with me, and I was thrilled for them. Omigosh, this was working for them, just as almost a decade and a half ago it had worked so well for me!

But three months and twelve meetings is not much time in which to solidify a whole new approach to life. Many of those participating in this class began to ask for a “Wednesday with Jesus Level #2”, and now that is about to begin. So far, about two-thirds of the members of the first-level class are choosing to continue to the second level together. They have already learned how to begin to control their own minds to such a remarkable degree!   

Why is this so important? It is important not only because we each really do have the power to make this our last necessary earth-lifetime, and we can do it pretty easily. But also because we now understand that each of us is part of the one great Consciousness which is the only reality. And our personal power to influence that reality for good or for ill is extraordinary:

  • Each one of us who definitively begins the process of raising our own spiritual vibration begins a benign process that can be permanent for us. Think of it as a kind of ratcheting upward. If we never then allow ourself to fall back into any of our old habits, which is what our second phase of Wednesday with Jesus will primarily be about, this simple reinforcement of our spiritual spiral so it continues ever upward becomes permanent. For me, about eighteen months after I began my own process, I felt altogether transformed. It was a miracle. And when I met Thomas in 2015, I asked him if I had elevated myself enough to make this my last necessary earth-lifetime (which would mean that I had reached the upper fifth level). He told me that, yes indeed I had. But I already knew by then that was probably true.
  • Not only can we easily elevate ourselves to the point where we will never need to incarnate again, but since we are all part of the same Consciousness, we also can minutely raise the consciousness of every other person on earth! Do you want to bring permanent peace to the Middle East, to the Ukraine, and to every other place on earth? Then first bring peace to yourself! Each person who raises his or her personal vibration using the spiritual teachings of Jesus as this first class has just done so successfully in only three months’ time, and who then maintains his or her spiritual growth, can not only make this your last necessary earth-lifetime. You also can minutely raise the spiritual vibration of everyone else on earth. And if enough of us do this, we in fact do have the power to raise the spiritual vibrations of all of humankind.

Now peace on earth really can begin with you! “Thursday with Jesus” first-level classes are planned to begin early in May, and to run for one hour per week for twelve weeks. If that timing is inconvenient for you, the lessons will be recorded, and there will be make-up times and individual counseling. When I tell you that you can easily make this your last necessary earth-lifetime, I mean that. It doesn’t take years of hard work and slogging. It takes only gratitude, forgiveness and love, and it takes just weeks to begin it. And when I tell you that this is the only way that you and I ever can turn this world around, in fact, this is the only way that you and I can play that kind of role in history. But isn’t it wonderful that there is something that you and I really can begin to do that matters? If you want to learn more, please send me an email at info@robertagrimes.com.  

My beloved friends, now is when it begins.  

Let peace begin with me.
Let this be the moment, now.
With ev’ry step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow!

To take each moment and live
Each moment in peace eternally!
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me!

– Jill Jackson Miller (1913-1995), from “Let There be Peace on Earth” (1955)

Roberta Grimes
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19 thoughts on “Growing Spiritually

  1. Thank you Roberta! I really needed a message like this today! I sent an email and look forward to Thursdays with Jesus!

    1. Hello my darling Fran! We have sent the invitations to people who have requested them from this website, and also from teachingsbyjesus.com. I hope that you have received one!

  2. “Let here be peace on earth and let it begin with me….” is like JFK’s “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”, but it is far more unviversal.

    When I was pianist/organist for Unity Church in Washington DC, we always closed with this wonderful song; still one of my favorites and whose lines I often quote in my monthly spiritual articles for RYL magazine (“Refresh Your Life”).

    Indeed, let’s keep growing spiritually = increase our unconditional love, forgiveness and gratitude; towards self and others!

    1. Oh my dear yes, my much-beloved Adrian! When I attended a Unity church, this song was a high point for me there as well. And do notice, my dear one, that the time when you posted your comment was three fours, which some believe is a sacred number 🙂

    1. Oh my sweet Lois, you do make me smile. And you know just what I mean! It’s funny that I can still remember feeling that way, and being that way. But it seems so very long ago now….

    1. My dear Chris B, the invitations went yesterday to people who had asked to receive them on this website, and also on teachingsbyjesus.com. You should have received that email. Our wonderful, beautiful Gina, who commented just below, was one who took the Wednesday with Jesus Course, and she was very good to come here and say how she felt about that course. I don’t think that it is my place to talk about it, but what Gina says below seems to be a pretty universal feeling among the participants. The churches simply don’t teach the genuine Jesus! And we have just spent the past three months living with Him and learning from Him and growing together. Most of those who took that course found the experience to be transformational, as did Gina. And Gina, my darling, thank you so much for coming here and saying so!

  3. Roberta, I am so delighted that I went through your wonderful course and very happy to be continuing on with you! What a difference you’ve made in my life!! Bless you and thank you and Thomas and, of course Jesus, for bringing these teachings to us now. Love you!!

    1. My dear beautiful Gina, thank you so much for saying this here! It really is Jesus and Thomas, as you point out, who have made that course so wonderful – I just kind of serve as their hands and voice. But it has been wonderful fun, and I look forward so happily to what comes next!

  4. I’m new to you, your life, but not your beliefs. I also would like to be in your Thursday class, please.

    1. My dear Louise, the email was set yesterday, but I am going to try to send another one shortly!

  5. Hi Roberta, I am a student of a Course in Miracles. I have read through the book and am currently doing the lessons. I understand it intellectually but my ego is still very much alive and kicking. I think you have also read the book but I’m not sure if you did the lessons. How does this compare to that? A close friend has been practicing the Course for over 20 years and although she hears the Holy Spirit and has made progress she has to struggle with her mind everyday. You have piqued my interest in your Thursday class. I too would like to go home when the time comes and stay there. Thank you for all that you do, Roberta.

    1. My dear Sharon, we have added you to the list, so you should be getting emails within a day or two. The thing is that, yes, I have done the course through the undoing of the ego, and this method is simpler, much quicker, and permanent. You’ll see.

  6. I would like to join eventually the list if possible I am in France so not sure how I could be on a live course.
    Thank you for any information
    Rita

  7. Hello Roberta. I woukd be interested in being added to the list if
    Possible. I do live in France not sure I’m the hours would work with the time difference. Thank you

  8. May 2, 2024. 4:16 am

    Good Morning Roberta,
    I was raised Catholic until I was old enough to come to my own decision and leave that religion it didn’t feel right, 3sp hudgingjudging. It was very confusing. I’m just really starting my own soul journey and from what I’ve already learned this feels right for me. Some of it is mind-blowing because I was conditioned for many many years that organized Religion is not the way to go, not the truth. Your work Roberta is the most fascinating. I’ve always known thdg there is more out there. I would love to take your course,Thursday.with Jesus. I really want this to be my last earthly life.. This was a tough one!! Now I understand why. Thank you for your beautiful work, and your eloquent presentation.

    Thank you,
    Delia Nord-Whitley

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