"Once upon a time" are nice words to begin a story about make-believe things. Sometimes some stories sound so real that it is hard to tell the difference between what is make-believe and what is really real.

No where does this confusion come into play more than with religion. So many people just want to believe, yet many do not really bother to examine just what it really is that they believe. Many have come to confuse the make-believe with the true rendition. When one loses focus and can no longer differentiate between the true story and the make-believe story, we have the beginnings of disaster.

Long ago, in a place and in a mind-set far far away, the connection was made that bonded those of us here on Earth with those who came down from Heaven. Upon a mountain top a tear was made through the fabric of space and time and the great Author spoke directly into the minds of each human being then present. The message was clear and the path was sure.

No one then misunderstood, no one then complained or rebelled. All knew; all saw; all experienced directly and personally. There was then no doubt and no question. This was then and still is now the truth.

And then time rolled on, those who saw passed on what they saw; yet not seeing for themselves, those who received the message and the path did not receive it in the same way as those who saw it firsthand. Thus the reception began to blur and the path became more and more unclear.

Later along came others who seeing the deterioration tried to do something about it. They embellished the transmission adding to its details and wonders. They knew all they were doing was trying to make the original story interesting again to many of those who had lost interest. What they did worked for the many and thus the transmission and the reception was saved.

Much time has passed since then and the transmission has continued, yet over the years there again has occurred a blurring of vision and now the embellished additions made by those who saw and cared is often no longer discernable from the original experience. This is not so bad; unfortunately, there are those who use this and everything else to create bad.

Those who seek to create bad say that the embellishments are not the original story and therefore should be discarded. Yet, those who say this know not how to tell the difference between the one and the other. Their ulterior plan is to stop the transmission all together and to disconnect the people from that which they all saw and experienced. This would lead to horror upon horror.

The way of good stands against this bad. With true and sincere caring called mercy, those who receive today pass on the truth. They know the original story and they know what was added later for embellishments. They know how to tell the difference between the one and the other, even though such a difference really no longer matters.

By telling the truth and reaching out to those confused, those who receive today pass on and give to others. In this passage all mistakes become evident and all problems can be seen for what they are. With these great insights comes the equally great ability to solve the problems and to correct all mistakes

Atonement is no magical act of forgiveness granted by Heaven merely for the asking. Atonement is something that one must do. It is in one's actions. When one makes a mistake, one must correct one's mistake. It is not the job of Heaven to clean up the messes that we make here on Earth.

Every good parent tells their child, "clean up your room, or there will be consequences." Many good children listen and clean, many good children listen and do not clean, many good children then receive some sort of punishment that motivates them to clean. They have learned their lesson and all is well with the world.

The original story tells us just this; that we must clean up our messes, wherever they are to be found, be they in the thoughts in our minds, or in the feelings in our hearts or in the actions and behaviors that we perform regularly. We must clean up our own messes and only then will all be well with the world.

Let no embellishment tell you that all Heaven wants from you is your heart. For without your body, your heart cannot live and without your head, your body cannot survive. Thus we must serve Heaven in our entirety, in body, heart and mind.

Pay attention to all the subtleties I have included here. Many lessons can be learned from them.