Lauren to God:

Dear God, when I am reading Heavenletters, I sometimes feel as though I should be able to be all alone, with no money or friends and still be happy because I have You.

I've sort of asked this question before. I feel like love and material things are more important to me than You, although I intellectually understand that You are the foundation of it all. Do I lack faith? I want it all!

God to Lauren:

You voice everyone's question.

You love Me, and you want everything else in addition to Me. You want ease and wealth and human love and everything in your life to be the way you like. You want the material very much, even though you know it's only a figment of the Real. I do not ask you to give up your material desires and wishes. I do not ask you to deny what you want and choose Me regardless. I do not ask you to forgo the physical. I do not ask you to pretend you do. I do not even say you should want Me more than everything else. I say I am more.

You want Ginger back in her physical sweetness even though you know she is with Me.

This is the story of the human heart.

You want events in your life to go according to your dreams.

Lauren, I would not deny you happiness in the relative. I would not deny you your search for it. I would not deny you physical plenty and fulfillment of all your desires.

I am the Fulfiller.

When you were a child, you had to have a Barbie Doll. Once you had it, it wasn't so much as you thought. And now you know it is nothing at all. How much happiness can a Barbie give you after all?

Human life is your relationship to the relative. Your relationships to people and the material change as you grow. More of truth is revealed to you. Even in your hurts, more of truth is revealed to you. Your tour on earth is to learn about life on earth. And there is much to learn from it.

And My children learn again and again, that what they hinge their life on isn't enough. It can't hold them up. All the money on earth, a new car, a wonderful husband, beautiful children — none of it stays the same. Money is, after all, only money. A new car grows old. A wonderful husband and beautiful children may stay true but they will not stay the same. Unless you have your awareness of Our Oneness, Lauren, you are alone.

We can say that you and I have a relationship, but that is not quite accurate. If We are One, how can We relate to one another, and yet We can say that Our relationship is to discover the truth that We are One.

Until you know We are One, you do not know We are One, even though We already are.

I am the Foundation. I am the Foundation of you, My love.

You cannot rely on the shifting sands of relative life, no matter how good it is.

However the sands shift under you, when you have awareness of Our Oneness, you do not fear. Things are in place. Money can be lost or stolen. But what you and I are to each other cannot. In the final analysis, dear Lauren, all you have is God. I am all you have. I am all there is. I promise you I am here, and I will never fail you.

That promise does not mean that the relative will be as you like and permanent. The relative is temporary.

When the temporary departs, it is good to know you have Me. I am your Security. Nothing else in the world is.

Love the relative. Enjoy. But rely on Me. Know you have Me. Take Me with you. Enjoy the relative with Me along. You will enjoy the relative more.

The relative is a manifestation of Me. But it is a slippery manifestation of Me. But I am beyond the manifestation. I am not slippery.

Make room for Me in your heart, dear Lauren. I am not your enemy. I am not an opposer of your dreams. I am the Reality of them, that's all.

There are no should's with Me. But you can have the blessing of Me as you enjoy whatever else you enjoy. You do not have to make Me be first. I am first.

Yes, you lack faith. That is why all in the relative is so desperately important to you. Without faith in Me, acceptance of Me, realization of Me, you depend on what is not dependable. Time and time again, that is what My children do.

And you are a master of that, Lauren. But you are learning. Slowly you are learning. Fast enough, you are learning. You are learning Me, dear Lauren. That is all you need to learn. And all of life teaches you Me. You teach yourself Me.

Let Me take a minute to assure you of My love. Would I love others and not you? Would I prefer one of My children to another? If you had an inkling of the richness and depth of My love, you would sail through life like a skiff on the main, for you would know that I sail with you.

You can know that now if you choose.

Knowing Me doesn't mean that you stop sailing to new shores. Have all of life, and that includes Me.

Does this answer work for you? Please respond.

* * *

Diane to Abby:

Dear Abby. I am Diane from Heaven (haha). I am so impressed with your focus, your questions, your willingness to explore. I have a son, Benjamin, living in Brooklyn. He is in his junior year at Pratt majoring in graphic design.

Since you are both young people living in the big city, and I like you both, I thought there might be a connection. Also because you are exploring the arts. Let me know if anything clicks.

Thanks for all the gifts you add to Heaven.