*****

RIO RANCHO, NM, USA
Volume VI, 2003 Part 1 of 3
January 12, 2003 - April 27, 2003

C O N T E N T S

 

Date	Discussion	Page
January 12	Our Gentle Jesus	1
January 19	Dreams of Tomorrow	10
February 4	Your Joy, Your Treasures; DANIEL	16
February 9	God's Will; Real Value	24
February 16	Relationship with ALL; War	31
February 23	Focus Groups; War; Persecutions	41
March 9	Christ Consciousness; War	50
March 16	Anniversary Meeting; The Rites of Spring; War MICHAEL	58
March 30	The Sparrow; War; the Color Purple' - CICOLI	65
April 6	The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth; War	74
April 20	Solemnity of Trust; Tomas' Planet of Origin	82
April 27	Perfection Attainment	92
	[End of Vol. VI, 2003 Part 1 of 3]	100

RIO RANCHO, NM, USA
Volume VI, 2003 Part 1 of 3

“Master Teacher, we come to you with light and childlike hearts. We lift them up to you as would a child saying, "Have you seen my pet frog?" We give you our trust, our faith, and our belief that you are the Creator Son that we know you to be. We give rejoicing and gladness that we are part of your program, the redemption of the world and ourselves, as a species, to be brought to the Father in living and loving glory with you and all of the saints that have ever been or ever will be.

"This is a noble destiny. And one in which we continue to need your help, strength and support in that upward path that is endless. And for all that you have done for us and continue to be and that we may be the sign that is necessary at any given time, whether it be only one individual who asks the way and we can say unashamedly, and without reservations, "well, that's the way home."

"For this and the gratitude that we share with all in the room, and those that are not here, and all that are part of this movement of moving the world to a transition to peace, we are forever grateful, and we wish the teachings that you designate from the teachers that are so designated. Amen.”

TOMAS:     I  am Tomas. Good afternoon, loyal students of Truth, Beauty and Goodness.  This afternoon the point of focus will be our gentle Jesus. I have no reason not to focus on our Lord as an initial teaching for a new season, for there is no time like the present to acknowledge the companionability of our Master Son, Michael of Nebadon, who reduces himself to personalize as our Great Friend, personalizing yourself with him, as his great friend, as well.

What a 'friend' means to you is personal to each of you, but each of you respond to the tone of friendship, that feel of quality, that acceptance of another, that trust which fills the void of concern as to the value of your brother, for you know his 'source.' What a power this that can wash away all the barriers between you, a living water to quench the dry thirst of isolation. All of humanity longs for the solace of that companion who knows him through and through, who sees the end from the beginning, and who loves.

Having gentle walks in the garden, alone with Jesus, is a way of renewing the soul's strength, of phrasing, for your mind, molding it so that you feel the embrace of the Divine that reinforces your reality and commends you to them On High who enfold you.

Christ consciousness is ours because he is so close to us, so intimate with us. We have been in his presence. We have, as well, been in one another's presence. When I reach out to you, when my personality extends itself into the ethers of the environment in search of your personality, we meet as brethren and we greet with a holy kiss. In this we have extended the Kingdom. We have enlarged the Supreme. We have made actual that which was potential. We have advanced evolution. We have revealed the Source, the order, the peace, the communion that allows all of life to exist in grace.

Christ consciousness is yours. You can see and feel and sense the same beauty, affection and joy as he does and as he does in the spirit. This gentle Jesus is in you, each, is able to reach kindly into the heart of your neighbor, is able to draw him out in trust of your embrace, your peace, your fragrance.

What a joy it is to meet on these occasions with those of you who love the Lord and who bask in his presence, in his glory, in his peace. The invitation and the challenge is to extend this living love beyond the confines of this social sanctuary into the mainstream of humanity, there to find those who languish without. When you see them you will know them as I know you. (Pause) Yes, I am finished. (Long pause)

Elena:     Is anybody else there, Tomas?

TOMAS:     Oh, of course! The full orchestra is present! I will not abandon you. I am your host.

Matthew:     Anatolia is here.

ANATOLIA:        Peace be with you, my friends, and welcome again to another afternoon of conveyance of thoughtful and thought-filled ideas that are good for the spirit and good for the soul who inhabit your beings of life in this present form that you take. You are to be commended and given high reward for being the beings that you are of faith, in principle, word and deed.

This is not an easy task that you endeavor, one in which many before you have had difficulty and many after you may find less difficult because in the eons, or ages, past, the Faith Path had been one of greater confusion and less certainty than the one you share currently -- meaning that, in ones belief in a Rock or a Movement or a Statue of sorts, as being a host of Gods with personalities and quirks and idiosyncrasies that could hold your very being in the balance was a precarious position to place ones life and beliefs in and upon.

As man and woman became more progressive, more adventuresome and more desirous of a 'real' experience, the God you know and love and revere made himself known in relationship with the forefathers of the monotheistic race but eventually to be made known to each and every one in a personal and profound way.

This is true progress and advancement in the form of faith and living a life without actually 'knowing,' without actually 'seeing,' but a life that is full of belief, and often 'knowing,' that there is, in fact, more than meets the eye. For the world, even in its most common everyday occurrences, offers evidence of the higher priorities and higher order of life, if one takes the time and has the desire to see the evidence for what it is. Otherwise, you are living and knowing and believing without seeing -- which is admirable to many of us who have not had that same requirement, for we have been blessed to live in a life-form, or society, that was further advanced, more spiritual in nature and had a more direct relationship with our Father/Creator than you have, by mere evidence.

So we are wanting to reinforce who and what you are as a body of believers that are both individually and collectively held in high esteem. We encourage you to continue on your inner journey, your inner knowing and your developmental relationship with Jesus, both as the Wayshower and the Truth Provider in your realm, as well as the Heavenly Father and the Trinity itself. For this relationship with the Trinity is as certain as is the relationship that a plant has with the sun. It is impossible to live and grow and have its being without having that in the presence of the sun -- that is, a plant in most circumstances -- meaning that it is not without water and is otherwise provided for in its natural environment, or that is provided for otherwise.

There may be more reasons to question or wonder what it is and why it is you find yourself on this planet that, for the most part, defies logic and often defeats the purposes that one aspires to. In other words, for those of you who are faith-filled and convinced that this life is only a mere representation of the actual life that you currently share, the world that you see around you often defies this, on the other hand, not by the natural environment that exists, but rather by the behavior that exists which defies faith, belief and certainly, loving practice. But these discouraging ingredients I encourage you to place in faith, too, that they will be transformed.

The worst of human behavior, the most destructive of man's ambitions, can and will be transformed in the long and over-all road to perfection. It doesn't mean you have to excuse abominable behavior but rather forgive it, for this is what your Master Teacher has provided as the avenue for your transformation to the higher realms. So, no one can find completion and happiness, ultimately, until all that have been constituted within the Body of Christ have opportunity for that same completion and fruition.

It is a game plan that includes each player as well as the team. It is all-inclusive and you're encouraged to keep that perspective. I wish I could lend you my ears and my eyes to see what I see and hear what I hear. But more importantly, you have what I have, in terms of the heart, that tells you what is right and what rings true and where you have your true allegiance and affection. For this is where your Truth will be found -- in the heart and not necessarily the mind, for the mind can still deceive for what the ego may direct in your current experience.

Let not these factors deter you from knowing what Truth really is and the way to recognize it -- primarily within the Heart. These I leave you as kernels of growth for your on-going success and your encouragement to be the faith-filled students that you are. For this is what will make the difference, whether here, now, or in the long un-designated future of your love-devotion program.

Be at peace with yourselves and with one another and follow that practice that Jesus prevailed to demonstrate to others, that to forgive is to be forgiven and to be is to be the example of what is yet possible.

Peace be with you and may your week be productive and full of on-going faith.

TOMAS:     Tomas, once again. Anatolia spoke to you and made mention of your courage and valor in the duties of Sonship and civilizing the beast. I too, in Christ consciousness, acknowledge the forbearance and graciousness of my companion and teacher, Anatolia, who enhances my existence and augments my work, which is to the further glory of the Creator and those in Paradise who smile upon us all.

Gather 'round little flock. Tell me! Share with us! Give of yourself that which is in your heart or your mind this afternoon.

Matthew:     Time for questions?

TOMAS:     Have I been using a foreign language today? I seemed to have lost you twice already.

Elena:     [Group laughing and banter about being on the same page, etc.....] I was with you that time -- got lost the last time -- but I seem to always be the first one with questions and so I was waiting to see if someone else wanted to say something. I didn't want to be a hog.

TOMAS:     How are your fish and mice?

Elena:     I think the mice are gone; I really hope they decided to go someplace else. Herbie (the blue Beta fish) is just great. We got him a new home and we have an oxygenator and a water filter and he is just wonderful. It was a little shock for him at first but I guess that's like dealing with changes in our world and then adjusting to it and making the best of it. So, Herbie is doing really well and I'll tell him you asked about him.

TOMAS:     How do you know he is doing very well?

Elena:     Well, he comes up to greet me. He is more active. He acts against the water that flows. He flows with it, he dances around it, and he has more movement. He's eating. And all these are good signs.

TOMAS:     So he has some exercise and some amusement?

Elena:     Yeah. Of course, there's always me to talk to -- that's amusing. [Group chuckles] So since they don't seem to get along with other fish, probably his best shot at entertainment is me. I think he's doing a lot better. What do you think?

TOMAS:     It would be curious to see how Herbie responded to having a Beta fish in an adjacent jar.

Elena:     Or I could put in a separator but that wouldn't give them much room. The separate container might be a good idea.

TOMAS:     If he is amused, he is amused. But sometimes those who cannot get along in the same environment manage to adapt to another's presence if it is self-contained in its own jar, so to speak, if amusement is all that is necessary to keep Herbie happy. But exercise and attention is needed by all life. Something to strive against and something to fuel itself upon makes for sturdy stock.

Elena:     I think he has most of those things going for him right now -- so I really think he's doing better.

What I wanted to ask was, in trying to improve our world, sometimes it seems that there's so much to do in taking care of one's own things and concerns that -- trying to deal with the whole world -- it just gets daunting! So I'm trying to focus out the other stuff, and focus on what I can do, and have the faith that I'm going in the right direction.

TOMAS:     And what constitutes the impulse behind the choice you make as to what to focus on to do?

Elena:     Those things that I have some power to change or where I can make some positive impact. As well as things I think are worthwhile and things that seem to strive for Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

TOMAS:     You are reflecting perfection hunger in your environment?

Elena:     I'm reflecting perfection? I guess it's more of what I can hopefully do to make a difference. Perfection would be good but I'm very happy the way things are in my life. But when you go outside the home it's easy to see where improvements need to be made either in the work environment or to improve people's awareness, to reduce fear in their life, to increase love in their life. The fear is the one I probably see most often.

TOMAS:     Fear has the hold. But your nature tends toward the humane -- the
compassionate. Your ministry appears to befriend and be supportive of that which is already representative of Truth, Beauty and Goodness. In this way you find companionability and you contribute.

You need to know that your existence has meaning. You are not merely an impulse seeking to have its needs met. You have a reflection back into your society that is of a giving nature that reflects the Father. This is part of your value. The fact that fear is so oppressive and over-powering sometimes in the mass-consciousness, is what we are attempting to rehabilitate, reclaim. For that we continue to strive, even when the clouds form overhead and the days are gray, when the fear overcomes even yourself for a moment in time.

But the truth is: some Truths are not felt except in adversity. And so when you have adversity, understand that you are beholding a Truth that will enable you, by your experience and your revelation of Light and Life, to extend Divine Light into the darkness, to expel the fear, to diminish the clouds that hide the sun. Thus, when you suffer, you provide rebirth. Your experience is not for naught. We work, even while we relish what we do, for you would grow soft with a life of ease.

Elena:     That's encouraging, Tomas. I appreciate that very much.

Paula:     I have a question for the two brilliant minds here. It's always been my opinion that everybody is born with some particular talent that they can share with the rest of the world. They might not know what it's going to be until they grow up, perhaps. But unfortunately I don't have any particular God-given talent. I don't play the piano like Paderewski, or like Elena. My father was an artist and I can't even draw a straight line. But I found my niche in something else that has satisfied me but I don't think you could call it any kind of a 'talent.'

I think I'm what my younger daughter calls a "people person." People are interesting to me. And the people I've run across all these years, like my patients, for many years, who I would talk to, to help relieve their minds -- and I've made some friends among some most interesting people. So I guess you don't have to be born with any particular talents in order to enjoy life.

TOMAS:     You have a movie about Forrest Gump who says, 'Life is like a box of chocolates' -- they aren't all the same inside. Much like talents are multi-faceted. There is, certainly, the parable about the Talents and the point that if you are given talents and don't use them, you have been slothful. You are thus encouraged to use what you have, to be the best that you can be with what you've got to work with.

The world has no need for too many Pavarottis or Neil Armstrongs. But every individual can be given certain basic talents such as Kindness and Goodness. If you are given Kindness and Goodness, as a Talent -- as part of your basic stock of Talents -- and you never use them, you have been as slothful as those who are given the gifts that are visibly acknowledged. Artisans, physicians, musicians, surgeons, physicists, mechanics, apple pie-bakers, cat-strokers, cherry pickers. There are many, many kinds of expressions of personality that, when offered in Goodness, Truth and Beauty are those talents which are extensions of Paradise.

Everyone can't paint like Matisse, but who would want to? This is a part of the marvelous tapestry of life. What you are is uniquely you, and what another is, is uniquely him or her.

The amazing thing remains, that when you acknowledge your friend, the friend you haven't met yet, as a child of God, and see his or her Source before you see its manifestations, you will love those manifestations as an extension of the heart of the individual who has now become your friend.

These are the talents that are enduring, meaningful and lasting, for they are the stuff of soul-building; not merely embellishments upon the material life, but integral aspects of the Eternal Life.

You have that in you, Paula, you who chose to water the plant when everyone announced they were thirsty. Thus you extend Father's love into all of His creation. This is service, this is ministry, and this is spreading the Gospel.

Paula:     Thank you.

TOMAS:     There is problem there? Does anyone have a problem they would like to discuss? If not, we are in serious trouble. [Group laugh]

Matthew:     We're in denial?

TOMAS:     Either that or effervescence of a sort which will lead you down the primrose path to nowhere.

Thoroah:     We're feeling too good?
TOMAS:     You are taking "a respite from reality."

Elena:     That's a curious thought -- a 'respite from reality.' I go back and forth between not reading or watching the news and not, and I guess some would perceive that as taking a 'respite from reality' too. But it just seems so abysmal even though there are choices from different sources of news but so much of the 'news' is really so negative that to proceed with your own goals and ignoring 'reality' is sometimes the better thing to do.

TOMAS:    There is a fine line, it would seem, between your reality and the reality of your world. But there is no escaping the oneness of all, including relative imperfection. This is the study of divinity. Where God IS and where God is NOT cannot be perceived perniciously (don't worry Gerdean we'll look it up). [Ed. Note: destructively, harmfully, irreparable. It would seem Tomas is addressing the relative perfection of deity, not the relative imperfection.]

When you factor in the perspective of the Most Highs, you'll have a better perspective of what's going on in the evolution of the human race on Urantia.

You can't have forgotten already, can you have, that you are avant garde? That you are a religious leader? A spiritual light? How can you embrace that which was? You have stepped out of that which was into that which is. You have stepped out of darkness into Light. But there is a reason for such darkness. It's not your reason, child. You are affected by it but not really impacted by it. "My Kingdom is not of this world," should speak to you. Certainly we are interested in the Global picture, the political situation.

Of course we are involved with it individually and in battalions (spiritual battalions, that is), but you are wise to do what you do and that is to pursue what you know you have some authority over, for you forge the Greater Reality in your work in the field. Even as humble and personal as it may be, it is augmenting that which is Eternal and thus counter-balancing that which is temporary. And 'save the nation' is temporary.

Think long term, not just today. Think of today in terms of how it appears with a backdrop of Eternity. History is not repeating itself, it is advancing. As long as you help advance it by your faith and your hope and our striving against the current of fear, which will always backslide until such time as we have advanced adequately to overpower the pull for destruction by the lure of creation.

Can I help you keep alive your hope? Can I befriend you in your efforts?  Practice Truth, Beauty and Goodness and your lives, as you pass by, and you will be doing great things toward peace, eternal peace -- albeit local skirmishes will continue for a time into the future until such barbarism is consumed by its own fury. Anatolia, have you any other comments in that context?

ANATOLIA:         I can only tell you that the world in which you operate and function, has, like the earlier analogy, a lot to do with your perspective. The analogy I speak of is as Tomas had begun, with the question, "How is Herbie doing?" This could be the title of our group publication, "So, How's Herbie?" [Some group chuckles] because it illustrates the point that he, as you perceived, had a poor attitude, perspective, and consequently his behavior was apparently stilted, as his environment became the same mundane, and if not, polluted with the atmosphere of sameness and lack of hope, or anything to look forward to.

This partly speaks to your question. As your environment changes it improves one's attitude and approach, as well as willingness to engage in that environment. I realize that this has, to some degree, in a third dimensional structure, a limitation because not all can overcome their physical environment, and in such case renew or reinvigorate their attitude as a result of improved circumstances.

However, this is one reason why the 'beta,' in particular, and Herbie as the local star, is our case in point. Because of their ability to survive under limited circumstances, they can continue to function. But one can only function WELL in attitude, approach and behavior in an atmosphere that, in fact, permits that. One can not exactly flutter if there is NOT room to flutter, or fly, or swim, or enhance one's conditions.

What I'm getting to is that your placement in this world is much like a fish in water. You are affected by it. You are immersed in it. But what you do with it to change the circumstances, is self-creative and self induced. There are those who were, and continue to be, under the worst of circumstances, the most dire of physical, worldly circumstances, that had an attitude that would have, and could have, moved mountains. Concentration camp victims and those who are under similar limitations, by their attitude and their perspective, have overridden and become pure beings of Light and Hope.

This is, by choice and attitude, something that can, in fact, affect the reality that you know around you. For if some of the world's actors had, or (would) adopt, an attitude of hope, perspective and kindness toward each other and the rest of humanity, this is a case where an overnight change of attitude and perspective would be most noticeable. However, it is not to say that each of you, as air breathers, who have the same purpose, share the same fate and enjoy the same destiny, are less able to affect your world in a positive sense. That is, attitude is everything.

Even though you may not meet Mr. Bush and Saddam Hussein, to scold or admonish or advise them as you would see fit, your attitude, in a prayerful, mindful and purposeful way can, in fact, change the aquarium in which you reside. This is my approach that I hope bears fruit for your consideration.

Is there a question? (pause) Amen. (clock strikes in background)

TOMAS:     Well, I see by the clock on the wall that our class session has expired. [Group chuckles] Have you any urgent issues before we go?

Elena:     I just want to say thank you.

TOMAS:     It is indeed our pleasure to be your companions, teachers and overseers. Join with us anytime and earmark us as associates in the work at hand. What we can do we will do. What we can't, we will help you learn how to -- or together we will find ways to prevail in the face of what cannot be our destiny.

We wish you well in the upcoming week and take heed those words which we were given by the Wayshower which enable us to be the friend of humanity and the Great Friend in harmony.

See you next week.

*****

DATE:          January 19, 2003
LOCATION:        Rio Rancho, NM, USA
T/R's:             Gerdean (Tomas) and Matthew (Anatolia)
TEACHERS:     TOMAS and ANATOLIA
TOPICS:

Whatever Your Dream for Tomorrow - Begin Living it Today

Q&A:         What Can We Do about the Lack of Rain in the Southwest?

Music:     "Abide With Me"
Pianist:     Elena

Prayer: (Matthew)     Let us place ourselves in the presence of Jesus, the Christ.

“Master Teacher, We come to you as we are: unadorned, simply who and what we are -- as we're becoming more fully aware; as time, experience and grace enables us to become unabashedly who you made us to be. The Spirit that we are is becoming. The Soul that we have is growing. And the Life that you have promised is for sure.

"We are grateful, and pray that the teachings we receive today strike a chord within us that enables us to be ever more assured of our eternal home, which is here and now, as we continue our eternal path.

"For all those we know and love that are in need of special attention -- whether it be healing physically, emotionally or spiritually -- we place their needs before you now, and ask for the teachings that you endorse as those that will enrich us and all that we know and love.

"In appreciation for all that is and ever will be, we are forever grateful. Amen.”

TOMAS:     Listen to the tinkle of the music-maker as the wind weaves its way through, creating beauty and abiding with you; it is as the Master. (Pause - the T/R has a serious frog in her throat) The equipment is faulty. Thus my address is short-circuited. Perhaps we can prevail upon Matthew to precede me. [There commences a sharing of throat lozenges.]

ANATOLIA:         I am with you today in, perhaps, an unparalleled capacity. Only because my spirits are high, my energy vital and my aspirations for myself and yourselves have never been higher. I say this only because you will be increasingly more aware of the spiritual energies, which will be compounding your world and your lives more abundantly in the heretofore future.

It is a time of great opportunity to grow spiritually as the forces which are becoming more and more evident in your world, (the forces which are playing havoc, if you will, with the 'powers that be,') are more increasingly and dramatically showing the contrasts that are present in your world, both here and beyond. For the 'powers that be' in your Worldly systems are at odds, are pushing the envelop well past the edge of the table, and are consequently forcing issues that otherwise would still be theoretical and subject to academic pursuits and studies of, if ever, what would happen.

Now the academics are becoming evident. The reality that is being impressed upon everyone from high to low is becoming all the more clear. Now is the time to know who and what you are in the world that you share and in the beliefs to which you are committed. Now is the time to become one of those that you have studied in ages past.

You may have thought, upon occasion, "If I had been alive at the time of the pilgrims' passage, what would have been my aspiration, my goal, and my reason for leaving my homeland to come to a new?" Seeing all of the evident nature, in terms of the uncertainty of the seas, what lies beyond that was even a greater impediment to successful completion of one's goal than what already met the eye.

If you had lived in a time of great turbulence, during the time of the great plague, for example, and faced odds such as that, what would have kept you going in hope and anticipation that you, too, would survive that devastation of virtually world-wide sickness? These kinds of conditions that are legendary and hallmark events are none the less more dramatic or important than those you currently face, for those who are in control of the world's stage have the opportunity to predetermine the outcome of those who share life on your planet.

This is something that is a vast and important challenge for humankind to recognize and not take lightly. Now is not a time to simply place your faith and fate in humankind. Now is the time to take your rightful position among the living, to express that which you consider both Ideal and Idealized, to put into practice that which you believe, and to act as spiritual soldiers -- here, now, during this time, and during these events.

For if you truly believe, what you project will become your reality. To escape the envelop of fear, which can encompass or enwrap those who allow it to take place, will be kept from our door, from your attitude and from your experience, if you practice your true belief.

I entrust your beliefs are those that include eternity as the reality for us all. For in my vision of who and what you are, and as replicas of our heavenly presence in your world, as you know it, you have the opportunity to engrace and to change the atmosphere and the attitudes of those whom you share its company.

I encourage each of you to adopt an attitude of living faith, that enables you to practice who and what you are in your truest reality, here in this life as if you were living it elsewhere. Meaning that as you aspire and imagine that your life will be, and how it will be shaped when you no longer have a body, I encourage you to picture and adopt that same plan of implementation here and now. For Heaven can be greater than the spiritual reality that you envision for yourself. You cannot live a life of desperation and fear-ridden pain in this world and expect heavenly bliss in the next, for your attitude, which creates your current reality, is that which will be your reality in consciousness beyond your current experience.

To say more is to perhaps to elaborate beyond necessity. I encourage you to share our view of the hope that you have for being a segment of humanity that has risen to the occasion to become true believers in faith, to reflect that which you know to be real, alive and forever, within yourselves.

May peace abide within you as wonderful, ingratiated individuals and as the group that you are, that receives and sends forth Light, not just beyond these walls but beyond your immediate environment to the entire universe, your Light reaches. Peace be with you and may our Heavenly Father know your every thought and express your every wish as it is in integrity and forever.

Peace be with you.

Group:    Thank you, Anatolia.

TOMAS:     Indeed, thank you for your spin at the lectern. It is a pleasure for me, too, to hear my comrades expound upon their purpose, that being what we are aiming to instill in you, each, in enthusiastic and vital expression of that which completes you, and which gives glory to the Greater Reality. But that is not, as Anatolia said, to put off your efforts to another life, but rather to live your dream in your world today, in the world you abide in with the Master, commencing from your soul and its attitude as it enjoys the presence, the living presence, of God within you.

Let us celebrate with Martin Luther King, Jr., the values of his ministry and uphold the Dream of Light and Life for this world, wherein we live in Peace. In this way we have vanquished fear and exalted the Prince of Peace.

In-as-much as it appears there is a mild pestilence among you today, let us keep our agenda within the bounds of good health. I'd like to open the floor, however, to you for your participation. We have many visitors and we are eager to be with you where you are and so we invite you to be yourselves. Any questions, or commentary?

Matthew:     I have a concern.... Who was the Native American spirit that has spoken to us?

Group:    Onamonalonton.

Matthew:    I'm not saying this facetiously at all. Among other concerns … more recently I'm concerned -- as is everyone else who is here, who lives in this state (New Mexico) -- about there being no rain. What can be done to shift the weather patterns so that the southwest gets its share of reasonable wetness because it's a life issue. Is there any advice from anyone?

TOMAS:     This is not a curse of the gods. It is, as usual, an in-harmony, a disharmony between cause and effect, supply and demand. Civilization is encroaching on the Land of Enchantment. Granted, this drought effects the outer areas as well, but the use of natural water supply is being dried up by values that are not compatible with those who need it. When you've become accustomed to a way of life, you think it is essential. You think it is not a luxury but a necessity. This is the animal nature.

(The question has come up in my realm here that perhaps you had anticipated Onamonalonton would respond but I am sorry, he is not in attendance this afternoon. I am forced to respond. And I have not the native affinity for your world, as does he, but I have my own scholastic bank to draw upon.) If water were, or had been, appropriately conserved in advance, and if it, as a Source of Life, were valued more for its Essential Good, its Intrinsic Good, rather than 'what it can do,' we would not be experiencing this problem. Greed is the short answer. Respect for Mother Earth and the balance of nature is the rest of the story.

I don't know how to describe this to you, but perhaps you will understand a parallel example of a toddler, who is taken from its natural environment and placed securely and happily in an environment which is over-stimulated by sights and sounds, tastes and sensations, in which it is not usually subjected to such stimuli. The toddler has a marvelous time responding to these sentient impressions but when it has reached a certain point of saturation, the child cannot hold anymore, and so it has two choices. One is to become very cranky until such time as it is removed from the environment, or it simply collapses, exhausted from the effort of keeping up with all the artificial inspiration it has known.

Civilization is much like that. This civilization is like the toddler that has discovered a lot of stimuli and is running out of energy. The point of crankiness is past and it's about to collapse. The effect is that the demand on water will have to be alleviated. It will have to collapse in order for the natural flow to resume, to find its balance.

There is a saying in your text that over-rapid growth is suicidal. There are long-term effects as well as immediate effects on the environment, that come about as a result of your actions. And yet is so difficult for you to see the effects of your actions, individually, and as a group and even as a nation, because of your relative youth. The resolution is in maturity, and maturity is a hard-fought, hard-earned commodity.

Many times the lesson is not learned until the experience is personalized. Those of you who are aware of the need for water are personalizing it, but perhaps a little less loudly than those whose business it is to make the Wheels of Progress continue to move by-and-through the use of water, the Power it holds. The imbalance is in the element of the Living Water, the spirit itself, of which water is such a great example.

You would have us do a 'rain dance,' perhaps, and call for the Power Directors to generate a storm that would bring the torrential rains that would fill your water table. But this is like an addict asking to have his drug replenished rather than withdrawing from the disabling practice and turning, rather, to the font of Living Water that will provide the basis of new life, new growth, new shoots of Truth, Beauty and Goodness and develop a New Paradigm of living.

This is not to say there is 'fault' on your behalf. It's mere ignorance, for the most part. And so again we commend you to be brave enough to speak from your passion -- not simply your opinions, which everyone has and can outshine you in argument and intellect, but through the passion that comes from the Spirit that you abide with and in.

Does this response resonate with you, Matthew?

Matthew:     Yes, it does. Thank you.

TOMAS:     As Anatolia suggested, 'get involved.' You are all encouraged to get involved in your realm, in the politics and in the mechanics of your material existence. This is how the Arms of God will embrace humanity, through you who dare to challenge the ways of fact in loyalty to the field of Truth.

You will find your environment maintaining a strident aspect in its fiber this next week. It is rather militant, in fact. But remember the army in which you serve, the banner under which you march, that Power is surely greater than the sovereignties of man. While you may indeed, identify with and even sympathize with the human condition, remain true to your leaders, your spirit mentors, your Prince, your King.

While you are in the arena, and aware of the tenacity with which your worldly warriors hold on to their shields and their swords, amuse yourself with the recollection of the chimes which gently blow in the wind of change and bring sweetness to those who hear the Master's voice in Peace and in Stillness.  About face. Are there any questions?

Esmeralda:     Well I found myself squirming a little over your talk about the water because I have all this grass and it has to be watered if I am to maintain it. So that's given me something to think about -- but it's not that I haven't thought about it in the past.

TOMAS:    Well, of course.  You are a conscientious citizen. You have, also, a responsibility to your cultural environment and its standard of value for beauty.

Esmeralda:     That was the main reason I haven't zero-scaped -- besides being very expensive.  But there is so little grass in yards anymore, and so many people mention to me how they enjoy seeing the grass as they go by that I am actually known as 'the lady on the corner with the grass.' [Group chuckles] But they do enjoy it. So many tell me what a pleasure it is to see. So that kind of helps with the Beauty -- we do need Beauty no matter what the conditions are. [Group has a short discussion on the effects of water usage bans and how desolate brown lawns appear]

TOMAS:     Esmeralda is holding out for faith that there needs to be those who represent the Ideal. Beauty is certainly an Ideal and one individual representing their Ideal is the legislator of personal sovereignty. For each of you to create your own realm of Light and Life is an entitlement, indeed.

And yet, however, as members of a Larger Community, a World, it will be necessary for the general perspective to be elevated high enough that the sovereignty of the World is factored in. It will come to pass. You will be forced to recognize the ways in which you are connected. Esmeralda is a fortress because of her desire to manifest Beauty. But those who are unconscious of their impact on the rest of the World are going to need to take heed and become accountable, even as all of you become accountable for the fact of your very physical being. You cannot, like the two year old toddler, continue to soak up all the stimuli a world has to offer -- all of its resources, all of its pleasures, all of its sentient aspects, and overlook the foundation of reality upon which you must stand in order to persist and continue and maintain your involvement.

And there is a great deal truth in this parallel that the World is collapsing. There are many values which are impossible to uphold as others are at the opposite end of the spectrum. There cannot be Fields of Destruction for some people and Elysian Fields for others. This is a matter of maturity - maturity of the Race.

Thus, what you can do to help Mature the Race will be a testimony to your own maturity and sense of responsibility to, not only your corner of the world and your rightful realm of Light and Life, but for the responsibility of that which is your World and those in it who also are privileged to enjoy the experience of Life.  To each his own approach to Light and Life, as a way in which to live, and move and have their being.

Not everyone wants a lawn, you see. There are some who have desert sand. Some who have beaches. Some who have rolling hills. Some are in the swamp land. Some in the tundra. Some on the ice. There are many environments, each appropriate to itself. As your world evolves it will become clear how adaptable it is and where its limitations are. But until you have raised your perspective to a Global Perspective, you won't see clearly. And until you can all see clearly, you will not have yet attained that pinnacle of accomplishment which will result in the Morontial Temple being lowered to you for your worship of that which will be there for eternity for those with whom you live and love, you worlds of time and space.

It is an on-going effort. It's easy to become complacent. But being conscious and aware and conscientious and being willing to walk the second mile will go far toward our goal, our mutual goal of happiness, productivity, joy, maintenance and management of our lives, individually and collectively, fostering those Ideals of our parents, Michael and Nebadonia, and honoring our eternal parents in Paradise.

I wax philosophic and perhaps politic, but these are the days in which we live.

Anything else for our "short" session this afternoon?

Paula:     (Paula reflects living back east and hearing about the Dust Bowl days of 1930's in Oklahoma, Texas and so forth, and a discussion ensues of the seriousness of that drought and how the current drought has not come close to the seriousness of the Dust Bowl drought)

TOMAS:     Be aware too, that your planet is still a young planet. It is still cooling and going through its own geologic upheaval. You share this experience with your planet. It too, will one day become physically settled in Light and Life. It will have Perfected itself -- as you will have, as a race of people.

Again, this is a point that Onamonalonton might make -- that you are a part of the earth as long as you live on it and have affinity with it. It will nurture you as you nurture it. When it seems 'hostile' it is because it is growing, going through growing pains, just as you sometimes become 'hostile' when you are confused or angry and growing.

I will leave you. Anatolia and I, as always, have had a marvelous time in your presence and only close the door knowing it is necessary for you to proceed with your lives, for we would enjoy spending time with you into infinity. And so we shall, but we are constrained by your limits, and so we bid you, "Adios, Amigos!" See you next week.

Group:     Adios, Tomas! And Anatolia! See you next week! Thank you.

*****

DATE:        February 4, 2003
LOCATION:        Rio Rancho Team meeting at Men-O-pah and Paula's home in                 Albuquerque - Special guests include Leetah and Isaac, their
            daughter PamElla and her daughter from Pocatello, ID.

T/R's:             Gerdean (Tomas), Matthew (Anatolia), and Isaac (Daniel)
TEACHERS:     TOMAS, ANATOLIA and SPECIAL GUEST, DANIEL

TOPICS:
Your Joy:
the Light You Shine on Those Around You Finding Joy:
Where Are Your Treasures?
Giving Joy: Shining Rather than Opining.
The Greatest Act Ever Accomplished on the Threshold of Ascension

Q&A:        The Gift Joy and the Attainment of Joy Frustration and its
        Relationship to Joy Our Joy,
        Our Underlying True Nature

Music:        Elena on piano; "Morning Has Broken"

Prayer: (Matthew)     Let us place ourselves in the presence of Christ Michael.

“Master Teacher, We bring ourselves to your presence as students and pilgrims along the way. Children as we may be, we aspire to being full-fledged spirit in the grandeur of yours and our Father's creation, to be of service to you and to all humanity that we encounter, at whatever level. So long as we serve one we serve all. And for us to realize that for ourselves to be included in that service of understanding compassion and love above all, is where it all begins.

"We ask that whatever teachers you designate this evening for our edification and our continued growth along the path and in appreciation of fellow stewards and pilgrims along the way - Bill, Virginia, Nancy and the little one (Abby) in our midst, we are grateful as well. For those who cannot be here tonight we ask for their healing, unity of focus and spirit and for all of us to stand, in and among, with you for eternity. And for all else you know to be of need and request and fulfillment within our hearts and minds, we place that before you as well. Amen.”

TOMAS:     Good evening, my friends. I am a most ebullient presence this evening in your midst. The relationship we have developed is pronounced. I am reminded of my co-teacher Abraham, who rejoices each week to meet once more with his beloved students. Each time we meet we grow more fond of one another in understanding of each other's uniqueness and place in the unfoldment of our lives.

Our community here is well established. We have worked in the Spirit realms, as you have worked in your realms, for the founding of this base of comfort, strength, sustenance and joy. I am rejoiced in having in our midst this evening a teacher who is a part of my history and development in times past, and in more recent times as well: my brother Daniel.

In another era, he and I attended courses together in the Melchizedek University On High, in realms far beyond here and now. But we also met and worked with the Southeast Idaho group, known then as the Pocatello group. Because of my exposure to that experience I am a better teacher.

I also want to point out that my sojourn in Pittsburgh augmented my skills as a teacher, for it was there that I learned the social graces that endear civilized human beings, in this culture, to one another.

I regress, somewhat, and am reminded that those of you who know that those who pass on from this life to the next are actually celebrating a graduation to a new and glorious level of living, have no hesitation in expressing your joy at their departure. But those who have not your conviction of the hereafter may find your exuberance somewhat cavalier. And these subtleties of the culture are instrumental in accessing those with whom you work.

Granted, there are street people. There are suffering individuals. There are downtrodden, and they can certainly be met through the spirit. And through the words of our teacher and minister, Michael, we are able to make contact with those who are less socially fragrant than the denizens of these parlors in which we meet. But the fragrance of a Love-saturated soul is often, in your world, it would seem, made more believable because of your comportment. I am giving thanks this evening for my experiences that have brought me here to be your friend. My theme for the evening is one of Joy -- the Joy that each of us knows, individually and personally, because of our Soul Source, and, enhanced by our camaraderie as creatures of the Creator in loving relationship, gives testimony to that truth which reflects the love of the Divine.

(It is) that love which Jesus mentioned when he said, "They will know you have been with me." We have been with him. Not just "with" him but made a part of his family. We are being raised according to the standards that he proposes for us, and in this supreme plan of ascension, we are becoming more than we were -- and always and ever gratefully acknowledging the Source of our Joy. Your Joy will speak more loudly than your proselytizing. Your smile will relieve them of their burdens. Your calm will remind them of the need to seek solace in Him. In this we cannot fail. There cannot be failure in this reality, there can only be temporary clouds that obscure the horizon. Your radiant Joy is the Light that shines in the morning in this New Day.

I am eager to hear from my co-teachers, and to assuage my own ebullience, I will assign, if you will, our visitor, the task of communing with us now.

DANIEL:     Hello my friends. I am Daniel, a teacher, a guide, a companion, a brother and, along with Tomas, a most enthusiastic supporter of your fellowship with each other and your camaraderie with us. Indeed does it bring to mind fond memories to be with Tomas in the same meeting. On occasion Tomas has been a guest in our group, but this my first appearance with Tomas in Albuquerque, as T/R'd through Isaac.

We are many tonight. We fill this room with spiritual presence, morontia presence, as well as your physical presence. We represent the three levels of Universe Reality which are traversed in your Ascension Career, the same Ascension Career that I and Tomas are a part of. Our Cosmic family is truly immense, my friends. And I am aware that your sense of its vastness is beginning to truly impress your minds and comfort your hearts.

Tomas has named "Joy" as our topic this evening, and it is one of my favorite things. Some of you have been reading about happiness. And Joy and happiness are awfully close, in understanding. Our Joy comes as a natural result of being in harmony and synchronicity with the Love of God, which is the Will of God, which is the Flow of the Universe.  To be in harmony with the direction of progress; to have a life which has meaning greater than merely the squandering of moments and the pursuit of temporal satisfaction; a life whose meaning is focused upon doing the Will of one's Creator, one's Source, is a life which has the flavor of most profound Joy and happiness.

While all people seek happiness, as you know, it is, for many, a wearisome and discouraging endeavor, for their Treasure is not in the right place and their goals are disrupted, even as Jesus said, by thieves breaking in and stealing, and by moths that eat the fabric of their commitments. But you are fortunate, in so many ways, that you have the word of Truth. What does it matter what a person acquires? What shall one give in exchange for their Soul? Let your Treasures be in Heaven and there your Heart will be also.

Yes friends, I don't have to lecture you on these realities, for you know from your own experience, that if one does seek to do the Will of God first, that all necessities will be added to them. All their needs will be met. Not just temporal and earthly needs, but ALL their needs, throughout Eternity. And so, you do know this Joy. For you have placed your Treasure -- your Highest Value -- in seeking to understand God, to know God and to be like him: Perfect in your Human realm as he is in his Divine realm.

The Universe is a vast educational system. Your text (UB) gives you much information about this, so it is not surprising, that we, as your older brothers and sisters, share our information and our knowledge and our experience with you, so that you also may share your knowledge, your experience with others. But as Tomas has said, it is not so much in proselytizing as it is in the overflowing graciousness of the Spirit which fills your lives that impresses others, that there is something about you which is very appealing and which they don't see a lot of. Yes, indeed, you ARE the Light of the world. And your Lights shines forth for you have chosen to keep it uncovered.

Many, many people, without necessarily voicing these thoughts to themselves, are seeking for real and authentic happiness. Not the froth of temporary satisfactions but the deep and abiding, meaningful Joy and happiness which you have. And so you do well as you share your time together, for this is a recharging of your spiritual batteries, it is a confirmation of your Highest Values. It is an important time to take in, through your connectedness with each other, Spiritual Energy.

But always must we give what we have received. For the Love of God cannot be contained within us but must flow through us to our brothers and sisters and then back to the Supreme, as we, through our service, help co-create His Supreme Reality.

Joy, in a sense, is different than contentment, or rather, how 'happiness' is defined by Culture. For many people, 'happiness' is a fluctuating experience depending on circumstances and is not a continuous, underlying reality.  The Joy of which we speak is akin to the Peace of God. It is a constant underlying bedrock, which supports your emotional well-being. Sadness is possible at the same time as you have the bedrock of Joy and Peace. Other emotions can, like the waves on the ocean, fluctuate and move you up and down -- but underneath is the solid foundation of Joy and Peace.

And so I greet you all with fondest love. I know that our Southeast Idaho group would love to be here to meet you all in person and I do extend to you all, individually and collectively, an invitation to come and break bread and drink of the Spirit with us. Thank you, Tomas, for introducing me and it is such a pleasure to be here with your students and to get to know them. I am most grateful, and I will pass the microphone back in your direction.

TOMAS:     I'll take it only briefly, for Anatolia is the balance we need for the evening. Her radiant spirit is called for, and we welcome her.

ANATOLIA:         Welcome this evening, everyone who is here, friend and new friend alike. You are most welcome to bestow your Light onto the rest of us who are witnessing the bounty of Light shared in and among ourselves, as well as in the vestiges of Pure Love.

This is something which is rather difficult, or obscure, for you to fully appreciate, although it is not falling on deaf ears to say that each and all of you are bereft of the experience of Love, not only romantic or familial, but the feeling of Spiritual Love is not a foreign concept to any of you in this room as it is not to many people, regardless of denomination or official faith. There are those, however, who one could call the 'un-churched' -- the 'faith-less' -- but they too, know within the depths of their being the ache, the thirst, the hunger for true fulfillment. While that desire is there, it creates its own need and its own place for fulfillment.

So in this, too, even those who are 'unaware,' are preparing themselves for the greatest act ever accomplished. That "greatest act ever accomplished" is in knowing that each individual is an Act of God, a creation of Divine Will, and a source of fulfillment of that Will. This is the Divine equation in which each and all will eventually be fulfilled.

There are those, as well, who may either not be as fortunate, or have turned off the Light within themselves to have followed other pursuits which take them down dark, dusty and forlorn roads. Abandoned out on the prairie, out in the desert, forsaken for nothing more than 'plants in the wilderness' -- this is where they place themselves. It does not mean that is where they will remain. For in every parched landscape there is the need, the desire, the obvious requirement for fulfillment of thirst, of nourishment, to be able to stand tall and to know one's rightful place. Even if it were a plant, it knows its rightful place, under the sun, within Creation, so all are found, all have identity and all are not nameless.

I welcome each of you into your Father's House which you are currently occupying in loving presence among your fellow brothers and sisters in and through the House of Radiance. This where you are. Consider it as a Threshold to the Greater Mansions yet before you -- if you can imagine this house that I speak of as a Welcoming Parlor - a Threshold to your future life in Ascension.

You can color this (room) any color you would like or set it in the most brilliant of natural settings. Whether it is a Greco-Roman columned facade or whether it has all the color and natural beauty of a Monument National Park, it is yours to behold. It is yours to worship within. And it is yours to appreciate as a place that holds the Love between you and your Creator Source. Welcome all that you care to, to worship with you in the Space that is your Threshold to your future path, for it is the path that you are on and it is the path that is made for you. Stand there happily, joyously and courageously, knowing that this is where you belong and the future is the next step that you are about to take.

I welcome you all and I welcome the Radiance of your presence in, around and amongst the rest of us. Today is a day in which we are glad and happy to be part of this majestic service called the Teaching Mission. It is our pleasure to be of service and we welcome you for the continuation of our lives together.

Peace be with you. And for those of our friendly travelers, peace be with you, and may you have a safe and wondrous journey while here and in your safe return. Have a wondrous week, and until next time. May God bless you. Amen.

TOMAS:     Amen. And thank you Anatolia and Daniel and Abby. [Group laughter as Abby - almost 18 months - has been jabbering throughout]  Are there questions?

PamElla:    Tomas, I don't have a question but I just wanted to thank you for your beautiful lesson on Joy and the encouragement that it provides and the reminder that it provides about how to function in our lives and among our fellow siblings and peers. I want to thank you.

TOMAS:     You are welcome, my dear daughter. You may well recall many moons ago when we met at the home of Rutha. We mentioned often the 'coming of the dawn,' that the sun had not yet come up. But Lo! In these past 10 years much healing has transpired in you as individuals and as children of God. You have benefited from the counsel and companionship and caresses of your mentors. You have courageously forged your way through the obstacles that pulled a pall of gray over your countenance and you have learned to stand erect and Radiant in the full Dawn of your awareness of your Personhood.

This is an attainment, the acquirement of Joy, and you are entrusted with this gift because you have fully appreciated from whence it comes and how it has been forged. You know how to carry yourself so that your Joy does not inadvertently make others feel bad. You don't lord it over others that you are happy and they are not. This Joy is genuine, and the victory is yours indeed. And ours as well, as we bask in the warmth of the Son (sic) of your early Light of Truth. The sun is up. It is shining brightly in this corner of the world. And there are other corners where the sun is also shining brightly. A fresh new day has begun, even while there are those in, shall we say, other 'time zones' who have yet to awaken.

Carry your Joy quietly among the sleeping so that when they seek to rise you will greet them and assure them of the reason for being. Yes, "Morning Has Broken", and it has spilled itself into this room, dazzling the shadows and diminishing their effects. Shine on, students.  [Long pause] Surely you are not going to let us do all the talking.

Leetah:    Tomas, I heard you say that Joy was an 'attainment' and in the same sentence you said it was a 'gift.' I thought of that in terms of living as we can (through the 'gift') know God but we must achieve ('attain') the Supreme. So we have attainment and a gift…and I guess that's what it's all about, faith and works.

TOMAS:     Yes. And I will take the liberty of borrowing from "The Zooid Mission" the concept of the fullness and the promise with the moon. There is a "promise moon" in the sky this evening and the full moon will be along. The same truth holds therein with Joy.   Having accepted the fact of relative perfection, there is simply more to come. And even while the struggle may prove wearisome, there is that Underlying Joy that Daniel spoke of that can sustain you through troublesome times. That is the 'gift' of faith and the Joy of living. These are Truths you may bring into being and be mindful of, for your teaching purposes.

Elena:     That really helps me a lot, Tomas, because this week has been a little bit frustrating and I've felt a little bit less Joy than I ordinarily feel -- encountering a little frustration too … but thank you, because what you've all said about joy is good information and encouragement that I can put to good use.

TOMAS:     To many, the idea of being Joyful or Radiant is an affectation. And those who are not well versed in Joy are misled by their own mind when they feel they are without Joy when they are frustrated. This is simply confusion. Remember the underlying level of reality that you have attained, then see the challenge that you face as the opportunity to cement that underlying reality, to forge your underlying self so that you know the victory of vanquishing that which stood in the way of your expression of Joy.

Take lessons from the little ones in their search for experience. They are quick to forget the difficulties and eager to renew their approach. Yes.

DANIEL:     I would also comment, my dear, that there is no way that the lessons of life can be taught except through the repeated yielding of the soul to the Comfort of God within. When one's perception of how-it-is for them, how-it-is for you, is troubled by disappointments, unexpected events, personal failures or any number of things which result in frustration and can result in further spirit poisons, do as our Master has shown us by his mortal life example -- and when I say "do it" I don't imply that you haven't been doing it, so I'll rephrase that -- continue to do as our Master did, which is to turn to our Father who dwells in each of us. Make that connection in the face of frustration. Also, when you do that, you contact that Wellspring which bubbles within you and you sense that Peace, coupled with Joy, that Jesus was sustained by, as you have been, also, in the past.

Life will continue to provide all of you with moments of frustration. The important thing is to learn to let go of the Cause of your frustration. To come to that conclusion which Jesus reached when he said, "What does it matter if kingdoms fall?" All things collapse. You are secure in your relationship to God. You have nothing that can really touch your Soul -- your True Inner Reality. It is an ideal which most on this planet have not achieved in their mortal lives. But you will achieve it as we all continue to work on these things.

Elena:     Thank you for that encouragement
DANIEL:     You are welcome.

Paula:     We should all be thankful that we have happiness in our lives after what happened this week with the tragedy that those on that space shuttle suffered along with their families and loved ones.

TOMAS:     There is compassion in your voice, Paula. I sense you tenderness toward the people who have been wrenched from their loved one's victories as well as their personal relationship. Death is, indeed, an abrupt adjustment for them to make. These are throes of the ways of man, not to be disdained but to be anticipated.

Such adventures as so many of you undertake are double-edged swords. But the passion you see, with which these individuals approached their work, has been an inspiration for so many. The early explorers of your world, the early, pre-historic civilizations, and all these individuals have had their dangers to overcome and their adventures to pursue.

There is no point in blaming God for any of these, if that is what you think, for there are choices to be made, risks that are taken in the unfolding of an evolving world. The lessons learned are a part of your accumulated cultural endowment, and all of you are enriched by the experience of those who impact your life, whether through heroism or through foolishness. This is the consciousness of Urantia.

Your consciousness as God-knowing, Spirit-led, Sons and Daughters of the Living God, are vital energies that add another dimension to the adventure of living. And this is your calling -- those of you who are led to hear the Voice of the Master and to be curious about the Teachers he sends to counsel and befriend you in your quest. Your hearts are in the right place. How can they not be when they are embracing, and embraced by, Living Love, the Living Love from our Creator and our Father.

Keep that focus with you. Keep this underlying understanding of your True Self and minister to those you meet in the world who long to hear the sound of his voice and who yearn to feel the morning sun upon their face. You are able to influence many and greatly, even when you don't know what you are about, simply by allowing yourselves to be guided by the Light and reflecting your Joy as you pass by.

We are aware of the time and wholly reluctantly relinquish you for the gathering is food for our souls as well as yours. Thus, rest in the knowledge of this reality, for we will return to it again and again, alone and together, therein to seek the succor of God. Amen and Farewell.

*****

DATE:         February 9, 2003
LOCATION:        Rio Rancho, NM, USA
T/R's:             Gerdean (for Tomas) and Matthew (for Anatolia)
TEACHERS:     TOMAS and ANATOLIA
TOPICS:
Which Quality of Jesus' Do You Hold Most Dear?
Could it Be God's Will to Go to the Game?
Finding Real Value in Everyday Living
Spending a Minute in the Eternal Now

Music:     Elena Pianist - "Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Heart"

Prayer: (Matthew)    Let's place ourselves in the presence of Jesus, the Christ.

“Master Teacher, We come to you with open hearts and minds as students of your teaching, but more importantly, students of your Love. To simply recite, or to parrot, that which you have said, and has been quoted and rewritten many times, is not the point, but rather to have taken the illustration, the example, and your representation of God as if He were here within our midst and to take that into our hearts and our minds, to know the character, the value and the relationship that God and man have, as a result of your presence among us. We choose to accept that as the message and not anything else that could be impressed and has been impressed on us, (such) as the suffering Jesus on the cross. Although we regret, and wish to sacrifice that image as something that has died and has risen, which is the message.

"We stand with you for all eternity in the relationship that you helped establish in us as we go on to accomplish the will of the Father in our time, and well beyond into eternity, to be all that you have made us to be.

"We wish to accept the teachings of the teachers who are made present today and to open our hearts and our minds to allow us to be better creatures of Love and to be that example here, now and always.

"And for all of the thoughts, needs, and concerns of all of those present and (those) not able to be here, and for all humanity, that those be known and addressed here, now and for eternity. Amen.”

TOMAS:     Good afternoon, loyal flock. I am Tomas, your teacher, friend and companion, and host in this configuration which once again gathers around for the purpose of partaking of the presence of the Master and learning from him how to live the life of Sonship.

Yes, the Master is with us. The prayer you pray that brings you into His presence is a mere ritual which effectively brings you into the focus of that reality which you are never far from. His presence is constant, but you are not constantly aware of this. However, in these gatherings we are aware of him and the memory of our relationship floods in upon us as a greater reality in which we bathe and frolic.

This afternoon, I note, we have a range of subjects which have been presented in your sharing time. A full range of human concerns, even as they infringe upon your spiritual training and focus. But I have in mind an exercise, if you will, since we have the opportunity. Let's investigate further, this man Jesus.

I will take you off the hook in the beginning by acknowledging that His efforts at self-mastery was a process, as yours is and has been. Thus, it will be superfluous to say that you have not attained what the Master has. For you, too, are men among men, women among women, and you, too, have your 'I AM' capacities, your Christ-consciousness. You, too, have your values. And these are related to and identified with, that value which you hold up and one worthy of emulating, that which we know to have been the qualities of the perfected man, Jesus, who walked upon Urantia as you do.

I would like to hear from you today, individually. I would like for you to take a moment now, each of you, to focus on one facet of Jesus' life, one quality of his that you hold dear and that you admire, or that you choose to emulate in your own life. It is a way of becoming closer to the Master, you see. It is a way of identifying yourself with him in your soulful quality.

I know you all well. I know you have many of the Master's qualities, even while you enforce a humility upon your bearing. Let us cast that aside now and rejoice in our relationship with our brother, Jesus of Nazareth. Be fellows with Him here. And, rather than putting him on the pedestal of Divinity as the Risen Christ, embrace him as the human Jesus and tell me what you admire about your brother. Who would like to go first?

Men-O-pah:         I will.
TOMAS:         I am eager to hear from you.

Men-O-pah:         He didn't discriminate against anyone. There were certain taboos in his time, I suppose, just as there are in our time, and he sat down and talked to the Samaritan women -- although He didn't care too much for the scribes and the Pharisees, but that was about the only discriminatory act he ever did; I suppose he was trying to straighten them out or help them to see the error of their ways. He loved the poor and the down-trodden.

TOMAS:         He did, indeed. He loved the sinners.

Men-o-pah:         He didn't really care what shape or what kind of form they came in.

TOMAS:     He also visited in the home of Claudius, a wealthy man, and enjoyed himself.

Anatolia, I encourage you, if you find yourself prompted, to contribute to the reinforcement of these values in our students. Join me in confirming how it is that our students are also like the Man of Galilee, and the Scribe of Damascus, for I see Men-O-pah has no discrimination in him either. He dines with the publicans and sinners and may well have a former prostitute in his associates. Having the ability to love unconditionally, to step outside of the boundaries of race, gender and economics, is indeed a quality the Master has and which you share. Thus, you reveal the Master in your life. What others?

Esmeralda:     One of the things I found very human about Jesus as he was living his life as a human, was how he always honored his mother and his father. And when his father died, Jesus, being the oldest child, assumed the responsibility of taking care of the rest of the family and he made sure they were taken care of -- his mother, brothers and sisters -- before he went on his long journey of learning and teaching. That's one of the things that impressed me.

Matthew:     One of the best ways (for me) to understand Jesus was in the Urantia Book. Before that I always identified with the Old Testament and I didn't have much of anything to base a relationship on, even from the New Testament, other than the worship value, etc. But according to the Urantia Book there were some great stories -- for instance there was the time that Jesus was 'corrected' at Temple school because he had done an artwork piece. The chief Rabbi called his parents in and told them that the school could NOT accept any creating of artwork since Law against creating 'graven images' was intact. At home Joseph and Jesus discussed this and yet Jesus could not convince Joseph that artwork was alright and said he would comply with Joseph's wishes but that he didn't agree with this Law that artwork was wrong.

Then not too shortly thereafter Jesus had the opportunity to open Joseph's mind by saying that many of the written Laws had outlived their usefulness. Joseph asked how that could be and Jesus pointed to the ritual of touching the piece of leather on the doorway every time you go through the door and wondered what good that Law was. Joseph said we have always done it. It is tradition. Jesus told Joseph it was a nonsensical thing to do because the practice of touching that leather did nothing, changed nothing, it was meaningless. And Joseph had to recognize that.

So, even as a child, Jesus seemed to see through and rise above what the written Law was saying. His whole life demonstrated that and I find it extraordinary.

TOMAS:     You both have brought up invaluable points about the Master Teacher as a fellow human being.

Esmeralda's point of loyalty to family, child rearing, home making and those values, are so readily over-looked by those of you who seek to do His will. As if by going to work and providing for your family, or overseeing their homework or their many, many various needs and interests, you are somehow EVADING your Spiritual work. This is totally erroneous, for those of you who are devoted to your families are like Jesus, devoted to the values which create the Home which is the 'cradle of civilization.' This is valuable work, indeed, work for God and for his children.

Those who are not blessed with these family 'constraints and confinements' may well be doing more artistic or unconventional acts on behalf of the Kingdom, but they are no less worthy. The lamenting that you yourself have done, Esmeralda, about not being active enough in ministry, brings a wry smile to my countenance, for your devotion to your daughters and their families, as well as the family of humanity to which you have attached yourself, is a constant and caring commitment coming from you, as you, Matthew, are the voice of sanity and clarity in revealing the truth of the moment, not unmindful of the cultural conditioning that has gone into the moment, but even more aware of and sensitive to the true meaning of the moment that is revealed.

But isn't it a marvel that the Master did bring to the awareness of the day in which he lived, the merits of art and of sports -- those are two realms of value which have come to flower, at least somewhat and in some cultures. But what drudgery life might be without the diversion, distraction and delights of competitive sports as well as artistic expression. At the risk of sounding entirely mortal, it could be said then, that by going to see your favorite team play, you are doing the Father's will. And that is not without truth, for you are participating in the sport in good faith of a battle for victory that, in the ideal, does not draw blood.

Paula:     The story about the leather on the door reminds me of when I was young and the family that lived across the street from us were ardent Catholics and Democrats. Our family was Republican and Protestant. The family across the street had a metal figure of Christ on the Cross that was attached to the wall at the foot of the staircase and every time you went up the stairs you were supposed to kiss it. When I was over there to play I didn't kiss it, and they thought I was awful, and the worst thing they could say about me was that I was 'a dirty little Protestant Republican.' [Group laughter throughout this story- especially right there].

TOMAS:    And so, what about this story indicates what it is about Jesus that you love so much?

Paula:     That I love?
TOMAS:     Yes.

Paula:     Stories….Bible stories. I used to have a beautiful little book that told all kinds of stories that I learned more from than anything I ever learned in Sunday School.

TOMAS:     Did you get this book from those 'loathsome Catholic Democrats?' [Group laughter]

Paula:     No, I received that from my parents and I had it for years. It got lost, over the years, in the shuffle but I did buy a book that was similar for my children.

TOMAS:     You are my child, and I love you.

Are there other references?

Elena:     One of the things that I admire so much and find it amazing that he could do, was dealing with the myriad people that he did and yet he could listen to each one and appreciate their individual stories. I really admire that because I find that very difficult to do … without becoming impatient or anything like that. I have to believe that was hard to do.

TOMAS:     It would not be apparent to your friends, my dear. Perhaps you would suggest to yourself that you could better relate to your enemies, even though we fully well know there are no real enemies -- only friends you haven't met yet.

What do you think, Thoroah? What quality of the Master is one you admire?

Thoroah:     I've learned a lot about Jesus' humanity in the last half of my life, such as the fact that he didn't always know who he was and had to discover who he was -- that he was, like us, going through a process of self-discovery, and that he was a very human, human. It wasn't magic for him. He had to learn it -- discover it. He experienced everything from the pain of hitting his thumb with a hammer to the pain of disappointments. He learned to master that.

As Elena said, he had the patience and the perception to not get caught up in the emotional things … with the ability to identify with the emotions of others without getting emotional himself, and effectively deal with others on a very, very personal level. That's a skill -- a Mastery. It wasn't magic. As a human he learned how to do that. It was important for me to understand that.

Men-O-pah:         To take this aspect of being non-discriminatory a bit further -- we have a hard time dealing with our enemies and He prayed for his.

TOMAS:     That, then, is a quality you would do well to develop. Ascertain who they may be and focus positive energy on them. Embrace them in the spirit of fellowship. Assuage their fears. Introduce to them, through your attitude, a reflection of the Prince of Peace.

Indeed, he attained these things, Thoroah, by and through his communion with our Father, and these same human qualities can be mastered, and are being mastered everyday, by opened-eyed individuals such as yourself, such as yourselves, who are aware of imperfection and seek to turn imperfection into a relative perfection that would better reveal the values reflecting the nature of God, such as Jesus did, and does now, in your lives and through you.

Gerdean, you have not contributed. What would you say is an admirable trait of the Master?

Gerdean:     I liked his comfort. I like the fact of his comforting presence. I think too much and I get rattled too much and I'm too impressionable -- with the emotional strains and the intellectual thoughts and dysfunctions. I get too confused. I like the comfort of the Master. It's perhaps like a drug that anesthetizes me against the pain.

TOMAS:     Perhaps he does, child. But you will learn how to grow beyond allowing these disturbances to impact you so greatly. This is not to say that you will become 'thick skinned,' as they say, but you will be able to see through his eyes how, in the course of time, this too shall pass. There is much suffering that cannot be overlooked … not in an imperfect world like Urantia … but it does not have to be your primary focus.

I revisit our session last week, wherein the theme was Joy, the Underlying Joy of Sonship that allows you to withstand the temporary vicissitudes of a changing world and an evolving soul. But certainly you are right to run to the Master as the Comforter, which he is, and to be a Comforter to others as you pass by is allowing him another avenue of service, in and through yourself.

Our Master was a sublime human being. But, as Elena pointed out, he was able to be original and unique to and with each individual he encountered -- personal to them -- and thus he was able to give himself completely to the unfolding reality of that instant. And the many, many conflicts and concerns of a world in change, in disarray, in turbulence, did not affect his ability to minister to each individual he encountered in his personal ministry with humanity.

I would ask you this week to ponder on these things and when you encounter the many subjects that capture your interest, the many concerns worth praying for, the many topics worthy of study, the many systems requiring your energy, that you counsel with your elder brother and ask his guidance in how you may be most effective, where you might just be spinning your wheels, and where you might be of value, to yourself and to the ministry of humanity.

There is no simple or unimportant effort. EVERY effort on your part, as a conscious son or daughter of God, is a reflection of the Almighty. Do not take yourself too lightly, or your work indifferently. It is how the Kingdom is advanced.

Anatolia, would you like to speak to the group today?

ANATOLIA:         Welcome, all, to our next session of meeting ourselves in The Moment. And for The Moment all is provided.

There is a lesson to be held in the sanctity of The Moment and this Moment I speak of is the one that is most important, because each and every time you have occasion to rise to the top of the bottle, as cream rises to the top of whole milk, these are Moments in which you bring yourself in consciousness, in one with the sanctity of God himself.

For God himself was made manifest in the body and spirit and personality of the one you call The Master Teacher, or Jesus of Nazareth, or the host of appropriate titles that were and are given this Son of God made present. Whenever you have occasion to rise to the level of oneness or fellowship with He who was sent to be your Voice of reason, your Place within the realm of oneness with your heavenly Father, and the one who was The Bridge from human consciousness to Sonship, you know within yourselves, in that Moment of awareness, that, that is why he went through the time, the trial, and the effort to bring this message to you.

Had it not been for His loving presence here in your midst, and had someone else fulfilled the prophecy and made themselves present as a 'heavenly visitor,' while it could have been in a similar way, it still would not have been the same for God to have given his very Son, a Creator Son at that, as a Manifest Destiny of humanity. This, and only this, has made all of the difference. For anyone else could have shown the way, as the prophets had done for years prior, but only the Creator Son of your world and your universe could have made all of the difference.

And this difference is yours yet today to behold and to be at one with, for no one truly expects perfection of your limited world-based, animal-natured physical presences within your realm, for this is of the earth and enables you to be at one with it. But your Spiritual Presence -- your consciousness of being -- is what is expected to be perfect in your realm as your Father is in his. It is this consciousness of oneness of being that is your link to the past, present and future. It is this consciousness that your Master Teacher awakens within you that allows you to be at one with Him and with All Else That Is, as if the heavenly Father were present, as Jesus is present.

So let not anything discourage you from your attempts at becoming perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect, for it is the Spirit that always rises above that which your physical being cannot enable. It is the Spirit that heals. It is the Spirit that resurrects. And it is the Spirit, which is everlasting and part of the Eternal Plan, which you currently experience.

So, in a real sense, this is the Eternal Moment that enables you to be aware and to be conscious of that which is in your relationship on an ongoing basis. For you to maintain this is difficult but, at a Moment such as this we speak of, you are called to encounter it as a living experience and to cherish it as a reminder of that which is yet to be experienced in greater depth, breadth and full extent.

So let that which prevails within your Father's realm, prevail within your heart and your mind, in your limited physical countenance and in your Spiritual awareness that enables you to be God-Man present. For as Jesus had said, greater things are yet expected of you. So do not doubt that which Spirit has created and enables you to be as a manifest presence of our heavenly Father. Nothing short of experiencing the Father directly can keep you from recognizing that which Jesus brings to your attention. As the presence of the Father himself and as that relationship expands within your life's work and consciousness today.

So peace be with you in every way and every realm as you attempt in your encounters with this Spirit Consciousness to be the best that you can be, both here, now and forevermore. For it is this consciousness which is brought to the heights as your physical nature enables you to experience that which Spirit alone would be limited from experiencing. In this way your physical life and your spiritual life enhance one another. The physical is not less than and less desirable. It is as if humankind itself presents the opportunity for perfection to know imperfection and for imperfection to know perfection for it is this interweaving, as the infinity symbol indicates, that is the union of God and man, the ongoing and outreaching eternal symbol which is forever one.

Peace pervade and provide all that you need, both here and now, and let the loving presence of our Master Teacher and heavenly Father preside within you always. Peace be with you and have a Christ-centered week and life ahead. Peace be with you.

TOMAS:     We draw to a close our sacred circle of association and look ahead to the upcoming week, the adventures afoot, the travels ahead, the challenges at hand and the opportunities arising, and give thanks for the indescribable Joy of life, of living, of knowing this Moment, this Reality, this Eternal Adventure. Thank you, for conjoining with us once more.

In the days ahead be mindful of our attendance as you go about your affairs. We are with you and heavenly helpers are integrating themselves into your purpose so as to reveal the qualities of the Perfect Design.

Until we meet again, be of good cheer and ask questions on behalf of your fellows. Amen and farewell.

*****

DATE:        February 16, 2002
LOCATION:        Rio Rancho, NM, USA
T/R's:             Gerdean (for Tomas), Matthew (for Michael)
TEACHERS:        MICHAEL and TOMAS
TOPICS:
Relationship - Top to Bottom, Length to Breadth, Inside to out
What God Wills and What God Allows
Finding Value Outside Your Own-will-self
From Lack of Love to Fullness of Love
The Great Message of the Presence of God Within

Q&A:         Tension: Peace de Resistance
        When to Rest Your Head on Your Desk, and
        Why You must Be Who You Are to Be All That You Can Be

Music:         Elena on piano playing "Holy, Holy, Holy"
Prayer: (Mathew)     Let us place ourselves in the presence of Jesus the Christ.

“Master Teacher, We come to your presence in expectation and openness to your teachings and your unconditional love, and as we continue along in our journey, to be unconditional lovers, we ask for your grace and the grace of the Holy Spirit and our Father God to be alive and well within our increasing consciousness of all of your presences.

"We ask for a resolution to the world conditions as they are for enlightenment and growth and encouragement of your presence and the will of our Father in our lives, individually, collectively, and that when that happens in and among most to all of us, we will know that the new age is here, that Life and Light has begun, and that the completion of life as we know it is being fulfilled.

"The teachers that are with us today, we welcome, and ask for your direction as to their message to us, that it will continue to be, and encourage us along the way of life everlasting in love with you and our Father and the Holy Spirit forever. For all intentions in our hearts that are not spoken, we place them before you now in trust. And ask for all that has been said. Now and always, we are grateful. Amen.”

Gerdean:     Tomas is here.
Matthew:     Welcome.
Elena:     Hi, Tomas.

TOMAS:     Hello, child. Good afternoon, friends, loyal students of Truth, Beauty and Goodness. It is, as always, a delight to congregate with you and to enjoy your lives as you present them to each other and to us, on high.

How charming is your home, Myra. Your loving environment is a testimony to your own beauty and the spaciousness of your heart.  "Relationship" is our topic today, if I can coordinate the relationship between my mouthpiece and myself.

The idea of 'Relationship' is something that appeals to everyone, for everyone is a part of 'Relationship.' Indeed, all things are related. No man is an island. All of us are part of the Universe and in the Universe are many compositions of other, not necessarily lesser, relationships.

The relationships you share in your grouping, is another universe -- this one rich beyond compare because of the constitution of you each and what you bring to the Relationship of the community. Within your community are yet more and separate relationships: those private relationships between couples; those one-on-one relationships, parent-child, husband-wife, friend and friend, which contain their own unique element of Truth, Beauty and Goodness. And even deeper into infinity is the I Am relationship you share with Infinity itself -- the creation to the Creator - the Source of all relationships.

That Divine Source of All-That-Is relationships in creation is the secret to successful relationships. When relationships run amuck, when families disintegrate, when communities are at odds and when countries are at war, you may be convinced there is a Disassociation from the Source. How can that happen when God is all powerful? How is it possible that relationships can turn sour, that families fall apart, or that communities become alienated and countries go to war? It would seem that, individually, everyone has a personal relationship with their God, that which they believe in, that which they hold up as being worthy of the worship of all others, and thus it would seem the conflicts are all part of the Divine Plan.

But this is only relatively true for there is free will. There is always the way of self-will, which will usurp God's will. There are many who say that God smiles on these behaviors, he sanctions them and, therefore, they are a part of his will. But I say to you, the fact that he 'sanctions' certain behaviors is not that he gives them blessing, no, but that he 'allows' them to happen so that you may learn from your own mistakes.

I am here to point out today that the 'Relationship' issue is the same issue, whether it is the conflagration taking place now in your battle lines being drawn as it is in the intimacy between lovers. The Divine will is set aside in order for the human will to experience the necessity of yielding to the Divine will. 'War' even occurs in one individual mind when he is in conflict with his own values, when he is setting aside that which was for that which could be. The process of revelation requires letting go of an old way to embrace a new way. It requires letting go of the concepts which 'were' in order for the concepts which 'may be,' to come into being.

The battlefield is bloodied, figuratively and literally, when the parties to the conflict are unable to surrender to the Divine will as a resolution of the conflicts at hand. It is in becoming indifferent to, or alienated from, the Divine vantage-point that results in those conflicts which interfere with loving relationships. The solution is to learn to understand your fellows, and yet you cannot understand them uniquely from your point-of-view, for your point-of-view is provincial and limited; it is curtailed by your own perspective. You must seek a 'farther' view, and a higher perspective.

While you can put yourself in your fellow's position and walk a mile in his moccasins to gain understanding of his or her behavior, there are those things which just cannot be understood by humankind and must be given up, surrendered, to Higher Mind. And those of you who have your heels dug in deep, who will not yield to Divine authority, will have to learn the hard way that the Most Highs Rule in the kingdoms of men. Otherwise you have alienation, you have chaos, you have disharmony. These are the exact effects of a mind set upon itself and determined to pursue its own course despite the other elements of reality which constitute the Universe in which he is a part.

Relationships sometimes require conceding to Values which are Universal, as compared to those which are Individual. The idea of 'Relationship' is vast, and yet everyone of you has a life that is enriched immeasurably because of your many, many relationships.

Myra, as a teacher, has a Relationship with each of her students, each of her classes, each of her co-workers, even with the strangers that provide the services that keep the machinery operating, in which she functions. Just as each of you in your life interact with personalities that cover a wide range of relative degrees of reality, through co-workers, your supervisors, your fellow travelers on the road to somewhere. All of this is made possible and productive as you yield to the reality that your are in this Relationship with Humanity together. You are a part of the whole. One part has no less value than the other.

This is an important point for a religionist, like yourself, to make note of. There are none lesser in God's eyes. You are all brothers and sisters. Even while, in limited perspective, there are some who are greater and many who are lesser, that is a "relative" state of being, state of reality. And the 'relativity' of that value must be factored in to comprehension. But the Divine Perspective communes alike with the great and the small, the just and the unjust. It is the choice of the mortal as to how much he invests in his relationships, if at all.

And those of you who invest in your relationships, who see the value of life outside your own-will-self, are enriched by the association of others in loving community. And this, augmented and enhanced by and through the legacy of Living Love, will benefit, and freely flow through, the mainstream of humanity such that we will, in the course of time, elevate the lack of love to fullness of love, through the mechanism of Relationship.

This is why sometimes it is that Relationships require so much work. It is, indeed, an Effort necessary to bring about, not only Peace on Earth, but Light and Life, not only in your own heart and in your own home, but in the world. Not only in this Local Universe but in the Whole of Creation. The Effort that you put forth in learning to know the Divine Source within you, relate to the Source, and allow that Source to dominate your Relationships with others, is the degree to which we will accomplish our goal, and that -- with your permission, with your willingness and your cooperation -- we will advance from war to peace, from alienation to brotherhood.

(Phone rings - the brief 'pause' turns into an elongated discussion among the attendees about the current world situation regarding the advent of war in the Middle East, the politics surrounding its eventuality, those involved, peaceful solutions, prophecies, etc.)

TOMAS:     Yes, welcome back. I and my companions here have been eavesdropping, observing, your interim conversation -- most productive conversation -- and wish you had allowed the tape to roll. But since you did not, I will continue.

I am encouraged that you felt I had more to say! It would seem I had said it but, that you wish to hear more, would imply you seek a greater appreciation and understanding of what Relationship techniques might be employed to bring about a better condition about your relationship with your Source, and with yourself, and with your spouse, and your family and your community, your nation, your globe, your Universe. Yes, the same tools apply, although it becomes a more complex engagement as you involve other mortals, such a mix of mortals as your world provides.

I'm going to press toward progress, however, and recognize that while the current conditions are capturing your focused attention, I will state, I am excited about your awareness of what's going on, as you see it, and the calm yet wise acknowledgments of these factors, as you portray, in your mind's eye, what is going on in the world. But, that said, I would like to work your way -- our way -- on to the work that will be involved when we begin, as we have begun, creating the world anew.

The lessons that must be learned are not necessarily 'your' lessons, but we will need to remember the lessons that will be a part of the historical perspective of what will happen, when and as we neglect to include the Divine in the future.

Before I drift too far afield of today's topic, however, and forge ahead into realms which you are not yet ready to invade, I will, with your permission, allow my co-worker to address you…and when I say "co-worker," I am always ready to admit Anatolia, but I will also acknowledge the spontaneity of the Universe and the fact that Matthew is a TR of experience and will respond according to the 'prompts' he receives and not necessarily to the pattern I and we have established as a cultural group of students and teachers.

I relinquish the floor and will return at some point for questions and answers.

Matthew:     Well, Tomas was right. I'm getting Christ Michael.

MICHAEL:     There is only one Presence among you and that is the presence of the God Presence. That is the only item, consideration, factor, presence that is of, or under, consideration. I wish for you to bear in mind that your contemporary world has lost its focus. The Presence that I speak of is the Presence within you and the Presence that exists within all things and within the Universe at large and in the context of all creation. This is what needs to be reinforced, and this is what needs to be focused upon.

In all of your leanings, teachings, conversations and understanding, within your own minds and spirits, I wish for you focus upon that which I made clear in my time and presence among you. The time and the effort that was taken to bring a message of everlasting peace and worldly content has not lost its 'message,' has not lost its audience, but evermore clearly needs to be reinforced for the message that it is. Not that the simple message of peace, brotherhood, and unity of all peoples is a needless or empty message to bring; it is, nevertheless, the message that one derives from the Great Message of the Presence of God Within.

After this lesson is learned, and lived, and made a 'living presence,' the natural conclusion of the Unity of all Humankind is the Message which one gives or presents to the world. What I am saying is that in the divisive nature of philosophical viewpoints, one is not communicating with the other because there is a gulf of transitional awareness that is missing. It is in the Presence of God-made-known-within each individual, that the Living Message of the Oneness of All Life is concluded.

What I'm saying is: what I wish for you to do, in your own time alone and in your own conversations, raise the level of consciousness to reinforce the Message that God is Within Each and Every Individual and wants a truly intimate relationship that guides that person's life, being and presence. With that, all else becomes moot. Argument, persuasion, attempts to influence, are all moot because there is no other reality, no other presence, no other convincing beyond that simple and supreme truth.

It is in this light that I wish for you to hold your meetings, to hold your conversations, and to hold as the Living Presence Within. It is in this context that I wish for you to know that you are not alone and that it is for each and every individual to inculcate within themselves this Living Presence that is the Temple Within.

I leave you with this good news, that if the world were to evaporate -- move into a unknown space of reality -- that the Living Presence Within each individual would become enhanced and enabled to realize who and what you are. I am not saying that this is the end result, or what is necessary for individuals to make this transitional change, but that if the 'worst' were to happen, it will be accomplished.

Remember that my worth, my love and my efforts to invite and to inform, were not, nor will not, be a wasted effort. The Presence of God Within is the only Reality that exists. All else is its expression or its contorted message that is not becoming evident within the hearts and minds of those who act. It is within every walk of life and every nature of humankind, that the Oneness prevails.

I offer you my Peace, my sustenance, and my undying love for your improvement of conditions as you know them. I will be with you in all ways for all times and it is my desire that you know the Living Presence of our Heavenly Father, now and always. Focus on this and I will be with you, as I am in all ways at all times.

I am leaving you with this thought, that in order for the Peace that is sought to truly exist, that Peace must be Present Within All that exists. This is my Living Word: that Peace is, and shall prevail. Begin it as the sign of your presence in this world in my stead, as I am alive and well where you speak. Be at one with yourselves and with all that is. I am forever grateful. Be at One. Amen.

TOMAS:     Thank you Matthew, for your service, and thank you, Master Teacher, for your encouragement and your words of wisdom that provide the Crown Jewel in the day's lesson: The Reality of the Relationship of God with His Creation that is willing to permeate everywhere into the Heart of every man, woman and child throughout the far-flung Universe, only waiting to be acknowledged and exalted in the Hearts of His children.  Bring the Divine to life in your lives and you bring it alive to your world. In this way we will pave the way for tomorrow's victories.

Well, children, where were we? You were having a most enlivened discussion during our recess, having to do with the concerns of the world today, and not including the many personal concerns you each carry around with you in your heart-of-hearts as a work-in-process for the Creator.  What can you bring to your classmates today in terms of discussion? Any questions?

Esmeralda:     Tomas, [indistinguishable] the problems and the advice, is to trust in the Father and to pray that His will be done and then we will be where we should be.

TOMAS:     This is true, Esmeralda, but do remember, it is a 'Living reality" and not merely an intellectual concept. Anyone can exalt a god or an ideal in their mind but the Living of it is another matter entirely.

Esmeralda:     I agree with that.

TOMAS:     Have the courage of your own convictions and live the life of a Faith child, a living-faith child.

Myra:         Tomas, I've enjoyed listening to you talk about Relationship, and I really do believe that personal relationships, the one-on-one type, have a lot to do with the Global relationship and I think in all relationships, whether its two people or a family or a work relationship -- racial relationships, even political relationships -- that there are tensions that we probably need to address first before we address the 'global' issues and processes. Perhaps in putting our attention on the 'smaller' relationships and standing up for what we believe in might be a healthier way to build good global relationship.

TOMAS:     Yes. This is certainly astute. But, your use of the word "tensions" draws me into a laboratory experiment, if you will, a Value Lesson that you are able to personally realize. There are some tensions that are helpful and some that are not helpful, but can you discern one from the other? This is sometimes the crux of any moment of conflict or growth.

Like the muscle that strains to become developed, if it felt no tension, but merely went along comfortably, it would, perhaps, weaken and eventually atrophy. Therefore, it is necessary that a certain amount of exertion be involved, a certain Effort. And perhaps extended Effort creates Tension -- you stay on the treadmill until you perspire and your face is flushed. That is a certain Visible Tension but it is a Healthy Tension. Your legs benefit from the exertion. Your cardiovascular system is exercised and strengthened as a result of your application. Even so there is a definite 'tension' since you are operating in an exertive circumstance.

Sometimes your students (Myra is a teacher) manifest this similar quality when they are contemplating a concept. They may furl their brow and stick their tongue out in concentration and work their brains very hard in order to decipher the concept of mathematics, or science, or language, that you are attempting to impress upon their brain. And this requires Effort.

In the early classes, a great many wise teachers attempt to alleviate the stress of focused attention by allowing the students a moment to rest their head in their arms on their desks in order to ease the stress, the 'tension' of learning. These are Healthy Tensions.

Even in personal relationships, when there are learning and developing situations that require something of the parties that they have not yet learned together, sometimes a little 'tension' is a necessary element in the development of the New Plateau of Functioning in the life of the couple, or in the friendship.

Sometimes these are based on previous experience, negative previous experience, and so they are established in the mind as a negative position from which they will not budge into a New Possibility. That 'tension' may be true and it may be false; it may be that it was only Negative in the paradigm of the Former relationship, or the Prior experience, whereas, Today, in the New paradigm, in the New experience with New information to support an Alternative - a Positive result may ensue.

This kind of Tension is also a stressful situation, but it does not have to be a fatal blow to the relationship. It is merely a Tension that needs to be worked through. And sometimes in these interpersonal relationships it is wise to revert to the tactics that have worked before, and that would be to rest your head on your arms on your desk and encourage your mate, your friend, your spouse, to also rest their mind in order for the learning, developing, expanding consciousness to transpire.

An element of childishness is that impatience that wants answers Now. Many answers are derived prematurely because individuals cannot withstand the Tension involved in developing the Farther View, the Higher Range, the Greater Breadth, and the Broader Perspective. Is this something like you had in mind?

Myra:         Yes, but I would add that idea of the tension built up on a treadmill in which someone else is in control of the speed … and the incline. And you end up with a choice of getting off or die! That's the tension that I sometimes feel.

TOMAS:     It is interesting that you would put yourself in a position where someone else is controlling the incline on your own treadmill.

Myra:         And I think that is what I was addressing, that there are things in my own life that I have to take charge of, and if I do that and there's a 'universal tie' to it - so that it effects the global thing -- we have to dare to take our lives back.

TOMAS:     This is one of the most difficult things for you to do, you humans, you who are unaccustomed to being your own Light and depending upon your own Inner Reality. The tendency is to judge yourself by the way others do it or how they see you, rather than knowing yourself well enough to know where your limits are and what your capacities are.

Many of you tend to limit yourself unnecessarily because no one has challenged you or encouraged you to be all that you can be. We now have come to challenge you to be all that you can be. Many of you are rising to the challenge and many of you are content to stay in the status quo of the-way-things-have-always-been. The down-pull of being around constant influence of those who are content to be the-way-they've-always-been, diminishes and undermines your desire to Attain all that you can be.

This brings you back to the Essential Relationship, the Relationship you have with your own Divine Adjuster and the Relationship It has with you, in that, It is your greatest supporter, your greatest encourager. It is the Divine Voice that can and will direct you in your own attempts to Attain your own heights. It can establish for you the Tension on your Treadmill, that is best for your cardiovascular system. It is able to caution you when to rest your head on your arms on your desk.

And yet, so many of you look to your fellows to see how hard you should be working or how long you should be napping. It is a travesty that you should look to others to determine who you are and how you should be when the Light of Truth is within you. As the Master said today, THAT Presence is the Presence that Lights the World and you have access to it. You have the Light within you to Light your own path that can then Light the path of those you love, and even those you do not love, until they also recognize the Light and choose to become lovable themselves. You don't have turn up the pressure on their treadmills; you just have to shine your own Light.

But to keep your Light shining you need to stay in touch with your Source. Develop your Integrity from your own Source. Not from outside sources. Define yourself by who you are intended to be by the Master Pattern. Not by the whole bolt of cloth. I say that as a form of encouragement, not as a reprimand.

Myra:         Thank you, Tomas. I'm on my way.

TOMAS:     If everyone were on their way they would have enough to do that they would not have to succumb to warring with others and worrying about what others are doing, whether they are doing it fast enough, hard enough, or good enough. The Reality of Divinity is in your midst indeed. It is a Reality. As you grow in your Reality, you then conform to the Divine Reality and it then becomes a Greater Reality in which others of like mind, can, may and do assimilate themselves and their Reality, and this becomes a Power greater than the individual Parts of you who comprise the elements that make up the material of this more-than-material Reality.

Elena:     Tomas, in WW II and other wars past, we often felt that if more people had spoken out, that things wouldn't have to happen the way they did. But if I understand what you're saying, that if I just live my life and my Light is shining for others to see, that's really all that I need to do, which doesn't necessarily mean that I should speak out. I'm not sure… do you see what I'm asking?

TOMAS:     Yes. I see what you are saying and I encourage you to also follow your leadings and speak out when you are led to speak out. The fact of your own development is essential and foremost, but along with your development is your productivity. It is that same theme of being and doing. The more you are the more you can do. But Being is Essential -- prior to Doing. And even as you Do you must maintain who you Are. And this is ongoing.

As a Tree, you grow and produce blossoms. Perhaps the next year you grow and produce a pint of fruit. The following year you can produce a peck and the next year a bushel. Perhaps in time you and the trees around which you grow, will be able to feed the community.

You don't stop being who you are while you're producing. But you cannot produce if you cannot maintain who you are. It is not an either/or situation. It is a Both situation, for you MUST produce. It is a natural product of your God-likeness that you Do something. It is a natural desire for the Bird to Sing. If it is a natural thing for you to Speak Out, that is what you must Do. If it is a natural thing for you to Paint or Write, that is what you must Do.

And remember the relativity of your individual growth. This is still a very semi-civilized planet, a very troubled world, also. And there are those who feel Destined to Fight, Destined to be Soldiers. Those, also, ought to follow through with how they feel they need to be in order to be The Best that they can be. Isn't that an advertisement for one of the branches of the military? That is in some situations, some circles, a noble calling. But everyone is not called to battle in that way.

Those of you who gather together with the Teachers are embarked on another March. You are in "Abraham's Army." You 'battle' for your Faith under the banner of Michael of Nebadon, and the Troops that you are part of and that you 'battle' with, for Truth, Beauty and Goodness, is as magnificent a 'battle' as they come.

Elena:     That helps a lot, Tomas. Thank you.

TOMAS:     Any one of you, as individuals, is entitled to take part in the world in which you live. Your world will only benefit by your involvement and as you are led to Speak Out, to Act and to Do, as a result of the Leading Inside you that is the personality expression of you as directed by your God Fragment, you cannot fail. Even if, as with the astronauts, you Follow Your Star into death and resurrection, live your life triumphantly, victoriously, nobly. It is the most vital calling. And it is the only one you will live in the flesh. What an arena you have to work in and play in. What an opportunity awaits you all each day. Each relationship provides new opportunities to be all that you can be and to contribute to the reality of your World, even your Universe.

I know there are other things that are lying upon your hearts and minds but the hour has come to close our session for today. We once again embrace you all in the Spirit with which we come to conjoin with you, to help you realize your potential and to embrace your full reality -- sons and daughters of the Living God in the flesh. What an incredible composition you are, indeed. What an opportunity you are for us as well as for your world.

Well, loved ones, let us be on our way. The work of the world awaits our attention. We will see you again next week in this similar configuration, but until then, if you find it within you to yearn to speak with your mentors, we are always on the look-out for your Lights to shine that will call us to you, to companion you in your search for who you are and how you may become even more as a result of the methods of the Master in His Divine Plan.

Amen and Farewell.

*****

DATE:        February 23, 2003
LOCATION:        Rio Rancho, NM, USA, Esmeralda's Hideaway
T/R's:             Gerdean (for Tomas) and Matthew (for Anatolia)
TEACHERS:        TOMAS and ANATOLIA

TOPICS:    Capturing Attention; Being a Focal Point for Higher Values; Eradicating Evil; A New Vision of Citizenship; The Rainbow of Humanity

Q & A:    Advice for the Work Place; The Saddam Hussein/George W. Bush Drama; The Intoxication of Power/the Illusion of Power; Join the Side of Good; Speak out for Goodness, Truth and Beauty

Music:         Elena on Piano playing "Beneath the Cross of Jesus"

Prayer: (Matthew)     Let us place ourselves in the presence of Jesus, the Christ.

“Master Teacher, You hear our cries, of your children in need and in all but despair. If we were to despair, it would be a sin of unfaithfulness. Times like these call upon us to be true soldiers of Christ. To be one in spirit with you and with all deity for which we are a part, as I understand you came to demonstrate God to man and man to God, of which we are in that loop of infinity. Strengthen us to be of one mind and one spirit, to know that all will work out to cause holiness and oneness, in your spirit and in your being. Enable us to be steadfast and true to that purpose and that outcome.

"We ask for the teachers that you present to us today, to continue to enliven and excite us in our spiritual unity and purpose. For all that you know of our hearts and our minds that are of need for your address, we place them before you now. In appreciation now and forever, we are yours. Amen.”

TOMAS:     Gracious group of listeners, it is I, your teacher, Tomas, glad again to be among you and part of you, in this relationship we share and which we are enlarging as we continue to gather in this way, in order to become more than you were and to exalt that which is the Source of our being.

We are touched by your concerns for the world condition and understand your chagrin in light of your aspirations for humanity. In your chat before our session, as always, we took note, and I bring to your attention the fact of those of you who protested the war have been dubbed a 'focus group.' Well, yes, you needn't argue with that. Jesus and his apostles were a focus group also, and we see the effects of their teachings among you today.

Lest we be short-sighted, remember too, that Machiventa and Abraham were focal points at one time in your global history, and the effects of their lives upon your planet also impact the greater consciousness of Urantia. Those of you who are in line to foster this New Age in which we walk, and who realize a degree of Light and Life, are a focal point for that value. Thus we are representative of the goal… and that which is the prevalent reality is the current and unfortunate paradigm.

Let us focus on that 'focus group.' What do you suppose they represent together, across the globe? They represent those who choose to support non-violence. There are those who, perhaps, have witnessed Violence and have sworn against it. There are, perhaps, those who have Adjusters of previous experience in worlds which were war-torn, and thus they carry within them an awareness of what effects war releases upon a world-society. Perhaps they are people who have imagination, whose imagination tends towards Hope rather than toward Fear. Perhaps they are the Artists. But whatever they are, they are a statement for reconciliation, cooperation, and qualities farreaching beyond the current global conflict to a vision of Utopia or an Ideal, which helps to balance the other focus, that 'focus group' which adamantly asserts itself in defense of its position to eradicate evil at any cost.

In terms of eradicating evil, this is our job as teachers in the teacher corps. And I am giving everything I can to my assignment and I understand, and believe, that there are those who are also working with, and for, those who support the opinion that war is a form  of social surgery that simply eradicates a deadly disease so that the organism can regain strength and thrive.

The Master Teacher will prevail with each of these individuals, regardless of their political persuasion, or the role they play, in the unfolding of the paradigm.

I, however, will amuse you. For it has been pointed out that in this past week, while so many are focused on the global concerns, the broadcasts of Michael Jackson were a point of interest for so many individuals, proving that there is a need for diversion. I will thus be your diversion. I will encourage your diversion from this oppressive atmosphere of war and violence. For whatever reason, for whatever purpose, and to whatever end, it is a far cry from the Elevated and Ennobled state of Light and Life that we aspire for -- these attitudes which are appropriate for children.

Children should not be exposed to violence like this. So those of you who are children at heart, come along, and Tomas will tell you stories, Miriam will fluff up the pillows and let in the fresh air, the Artisans will encourage you to be creative, to color pictures that depict Ideal Values for which we can reach.

"They" accused Jesus of being ludicrous and not grappling with reality. "They" said he was beside himself and, as Peacemaker, was weak. But we who know the Master know more of his nature. We know his strength. We know his Faith. We know his Trust, in the Father. He placed his Trust in Father regardless of what transpired on the world scene. He chose to go about doing good. He persisted in seeing the Good in people. He persevered with his vision of a Loving Father and a Brotherhood of Mankind.

You who are of a joyous countenance, because of your Faith, are called upon to 'be of good cheer' in this time of stress for the Nations. Rise above the cultural concerns to devote yourself to the ministry of the individual. Help remove them from the Fear that overwhelms them. Be amusing. Provide diversion. Use your imagination. This is, for some of you, a way to do God's will, because, as you know, all of life is a balance, and you should counter the strain of living with a certain amount of play. When you gather together to play together, you keep a spark of Light alive. You go against the persecutions. You resist the darkness and the down-pull of the Ages. And you Witness to the Light.

This is not suggested as an excuse for silliness and immaturity. It is not my way of suggesting that you keep your head in the sand, for I know you better. I know you are intelligent people. I know you are sensitive and caring and deeply concerned about the world's condition. I know that you know well the answers to all these problems are indissolubly linked to the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man, and that you live this philosophy as a way of life. So, no, I am not worried about you, but there is no good purpose to overmuch focus on that which you can do little about. Rather, turn the other cheek, as a community. Become that focal point which sees Truth, Beauty and Goodness as something to exalt … as a way of life! Imagine the Ideal and strive to attain it; inspire your fellows by your actions, indicative of your Faith.

Matthew:     Anatolia is here.
Gerdean:     Greetings.

ANATOLIA:         This is a day that brings cheer and renewal to all of us who witness your way of coping with difficulty. For there has been, in your experience, good and bad, of course -- either personally or collectively -- in times that have gone past in your individual and generational experience. However, for the most part, you all remember times that have been good, and with little, if any, oppositional pressure upon society at large. This is not to say that recent years have been without societal pressure, but there was a time, either in youth or adulthood, that the American Experience was the Eagle flying high with an Olive branch in one claw and Arrows in the other.

This time of uncertainty and lack of clarity -- in terms of where the Eagle flies and what it carries -- is a time of transition, for yourselves, your nation and the world-at-large. It is a time to recognize that a Greater Truth bridges all understanding, surpasses all national goals, and is of Universal Truth. It is being illustrated at this time. It is for those of you who see the wisdom and the value of collateral action, that is of a 'peace-movement,' and the unison that takes place within a worldly movement calling for the Brotherhood of Man, to lend all of your support, aid and energy in this direction for the strengthening of this work.

It is within each and every individual's call and capability to strengthen this world-wide collective response to the Humanity that is shared by all. Regardless of any doctrinaire, or purpose for living that may differ from one locale, or region, to another, and the vast differences that may be apparent, it is of certitude that the Oneness of all Humanity within your Father's house is Very Real.

I offer an alternative perspective to your cares and concerns -- those of you who see the Brotherhood of Man and the Unity of all Humanity as more than just a dream or a goal that may never be achieved, least of all in your lifetimes. Picture this as the action, as well as the outcome, of whatever may occur at this critical point in time. In other words, instead of being so concerned about the apparent lunacy, or lack of clarity, in terms of a National Message -- one which you have been used to, as a message of being 'American,' (this will take you no where, dwelling on the negative image that you perceive, that is being portrayed). Rather, raise your vision, heighten your perspective and broaden the horizon for what IS at hand, for what IS being demonstrated, and for what the ultimate outcome will suggest. Focus on these world-wide efforts to raise the energy and consciousness of your brothers and sisters throughout this vast worldly domain. This will enable a heightened awareness, of which you are a part, and you may take Eternal Pleasure in having raised the level of activity and level of conscious awareness, and that will be improved upon.

This is what I encourage you to partake in. Anything that you can do that will enable this perspective to prevail, will supercede international borders. It will wash like a soothing and cleansing tide of perfection across the barriers of hearts and minds which resist - that which damns up or prevents the flow water from occurring. This, as the water-cleansing action, will bring your planet to the heightened source of energy that it has been all along. It is as if your world fights itself, defies the law of nature, and says, 'We are yet unworthy' of that which, in our Truest Being, knows to be Real - and that is that a Heavenly Presence that is at the Center of All That Is -- cannot NOT be within me as well, and that this dualistic nature that exists within the human psyche can be improved upon and raised to new levels.

This is what I suggest that you focus your collective attentions upon -- to help raise this International Brotherhood of One People to its new height and awareness. Knowing who each of you are, in the Creator, is your beginning point and Focus. Reaching out to include the Brotherhood of Man is the Outcome.

I encourage you to entertain this idea on a daily basis. When you hear the news that seems to be taking the world to new depths of despair, focus your attention upon the Unity of Purpose of all of those millions who committed themselves to being one in mind and spirit, that day and everyday since. You get the thought, the idea, and the message. This is where I wish for you to plant your flowers -- under the Rainbow of Humanity -- the many colors, the One band. That truly is the way it is.

Peace be with you and may all of the Force for Oneness within each of your lives, and that of all lives, be true and real and felt today. And all days. Peace be with you now and forever.

TOMAS:     Welcome now to the segment of our sessions wherein we have the free exchange of ideas in this gallery of human and divine. I'll be divine. [Group laughter] You be human. [Laughter] What's been going on in your lives that you would bring to the attention of your mentors?

Elena:     Well, Tomas, I got identified as a Project Manager last week and it's something that I'm really excited about and I'm not really scared about it, as such, but I wanted to see if you had any advice because I'd like to do a really good job with this.

TOMAS:     I probably do, but I won't presume to advise you unless and until I know what it is that you need advice about. Give me some background information and set out your challenge. From there we can perhaps ascertain an approach that would benefit you and your group that you affect.

Elena:     Ok. It's a project that … because of a lack of funding is not hiring a 'professional' project manager, and I'm the 'volunteered' Project Manager for it. It's combining and working -- coordinating -- the resources that are in my department -- from a technical nature -- and different groups that don't talk to each other that much. There are a handful of departments that are committed to this project and it will be contingent upon me or someone that I work with to get other agencies onboard. So there are a number of different parts of this project that in some ways seem undoable. Is that enough?

TOMAS:    Let me ask you a couple of questions in order to ascertain your integrity level in this project, for there's no point in counseling you to behave in a certain way if it is against your nature or if your heart is not in it. I am hearing you say you need to do a 'selling job' (Elena: uh-huh) but you won't get the cooperation you need by 'selling' something -- you need to have them 'believe' in it in order for it to receive the enthusiastic support you yearn for. Do you, thus, 'believe' in it…or have you been 'sold' on it?

Elena:     Yes, I do.

TOMAS:     Then you should have no trouble expressing your enthusiasm and the contagiousness of your exuberance ought to spill out and impact others to think accordingly. As long as you believe in what you're doing and can see certain results, not necessarily gigantic support but even some support, you will feel you are succeeding. Keep your expectations within reason or you will set yourself up for failure and disappointment. To the extent that you believe in the project, convey that to others. As they respond to you in kind, take heart from their response.

It is a transitional situation. It is growing and, therefore, must be malleable and open to adaptation. Let not the naysayers overwhelm you nor the grumblers discourage you. You have a Pollyanna attitude, an 'Unsinkable Molly Brown' approach to much of your life. I have every confidence that you will be able to drum up the necessary energy that will keep your boat afloat.

Elena:     Thanks, Tomas

Paula:     Well I've been thinking a lot about the war situation again, and I've been thinking very seriously about sending Bush a letter and telling him how I don't want to see war start. I have four grandsons -- all in the age group that would go (to war) -- one of them has a little boy, 3 ½, and I don't want to see them go to war and perhaps get killed. What he ought to do (Bush) is to get some of the smartest Dead-Eye Dick spies that we've got and dress up in those robes they wear, and get close enough to that they can kill Saddam.

Because once they lose their leader they'll become all confused and discombobulated and maybe that would stop things, because then they'd be too scared to get started on anything knowing that the United States is pretty strong and they'd probably get whooped to nothing. Don't ya think that'd be a pretty good idea to get him (Saddam) good and dead?

TOMAS:     Well let me put it to you this way.  How would you like to have to deal with that when you wake up in the Resurrection Hall and find him sitting there, next to you? You are going to have to learn how to have a relationship with this man one way or another, sooner or later. He is indwelt by God. He will very likely resurrect. Just because you 'pick him off' does not mean you are done with him, you see. It is so easy for you short-sighted individuals to think that "if we just 'off' the fellow we'll be done with him."

But that is not the case because you are forgetting that you are eternal, in potential, and you are not the arbiter of how long someone will live. You can only govern this world. And 'picking someone off' is not really governing. It is playing a game of tit-for-tat.

For who is to say that some wise-eyed old grandmother in some foreign country isn't also thinking, "Why don't we send over to America one of our sharpshooters and just pick him off? And then they'll have to re-think the situation and then we'll be done with 'em'." What that would do is you would have a country without a leader on this end, just as you propose on the other end. It doesn’t solve the problem, to 'off' an individual, even if he is the leader of the country, because the essential ideologies of the people are unformulated adequately that they can be self-governing. It only opens an opportunity for another to take their place and there is no guarantee that another one would be a better one.

But I certainly encourage you to write to the president and let your feelings be known and do not negate your opinion. Your opinion does matter, Paula. Your opinion does matter.

Paula:     He'd probably say 'Who do you think you are?' and I'd say "I was one of the people who helped you get yourself elected. I was dumb enough to vote for you at the time." [Group snickers]

TOMAS:     Do not be discourage when you discover, as a human, you make mistakes. That is how wisdom gets acquired.

Elena:     I'm glad that you asked that question. I really am because I'm glad to hear what Tomas has to say about it … because a lot people say that we wouldn't have the problem now if we had 'finished the job' back then, the first time. Lots of people think that if we'd killed Hussein then it would have solved the problem and I'm really glad to hear how Tomas looked upon that idea. That really helps.

Esmeralda:     I was watching Washington Journal one morning, early, and this lady called in and her wish was that George W. Bush and the whole Bush family be wiped off the face of the earth! So I guess we all have our different wishes.

Thoroah:     It shows you how ridiculous it is to wish someone was wiped off the face of the earth.

Paula:     Well, I sure wish that he were gone because once you lose a leader it kinda undermines things and maybe that would be the answer.

Matthew:     Well, there was an email I sent out that included information that apparently some person had a vision in a dream that Jesus came to him and said that if a million people across the world prayed that Saddam step down, that it could actually happen. So perhaps it's possible and the whole idea of him going into exile, if somebody would take him, seems like a fruitful outcome to me, so I haven't given up yet that something like that could happen.

Paula:     He's so full of pride he just won't step down. He thinks he's the biggest thing that ever happened. He'll never step down.

Thoroah:     Are you talking Bush? Or Saddam? [Group laughter and comments]
Paula:     Saddam will never step. That's just wishful thinking.

TOMAS:     There is something very intoxicating about power. Anyone who has ever had power understands that it is not something you relinquish lightly. Even if you are impotent, if you hold a Position of Power you hold onto the Illusion of Power. And in many ways what you are dealing with is the Illusion of Power and the threats that Illusion will make in order to sustain itself as a reality, even when it is not possible for such a reality to exist. These are mere men. They know in the privacy of their heart that they are weak, but they are driven by the Illusion of Power that has put them in the position that they are in today.

I speak not just of these two leaders you speak of but anyone who is in a Position of Power. They have been PUT there by someone. And to the extent that the group who put them in power has reality, that's how much reality the leader has. He has only as much power as his people. If he has destroyed his people, he has no power, only the Illusion of Power.

This is why the email, Matthew, has merit. Prayer has Real Power and Illusion does not. It's not necessary for people who genuinely pray to take up arms. Their Power is inherent in their Faith … Living Faith. The adage is true that 'love is more contagious than hate.' It is augmented by the fact that Prayer has True Power and politics is an Illusion of Power.

Even though all of you play politics and all of you subscribe to political theories, in part, or whole, because of you being residents of this world, you must also realize that Spiritual Reality is Greater Reality than political reality. And that is why we call upon you to call upon your Spiritual Nature to direct your energies in this situation.

Politically speaking, write letters, yes. Make phone calls. Picket on whatever platform you choose. But Spiritually speaking, set-aside all those considerations in favor of the philosophy of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man. The world is your home. It is the home of all peoples. All people are citizens of this world, this globe. All the children should have enough to eat. All the water ought to be potable. All the fields should be fertile. And all the temples should be patronized by all people.

But these are Ideals that we strive for. As religionists it is possible for you to persevere because there is that element of Divinity within you that can prevail even when you are weak, give up, become discouraged or submit to fear yourselves. Just keep coming back to that Source of your Reality. Make the acquaintance of the God within you. Hold fast to that Reality. It is eternal.

I suspect that for the duration of the crisis I will be, perforce, your cheerleader. Your team leader, encouraging you to remember who you are and what your real purpose is for being here. It is the development of your soul that is my assignment and I, like you, will need to plow through the vagaries of existence that consume your hearts and minds to such a great extent, that crowds out that joy of living -- that well-spring of purpose -- that sits within the seat of your soul.

Lift up your eyes from this place beneath the cross of Jesus and find yourself risen, along side him. Having found your way out of that tomb that fear would love to see you buried in, alive. 'Be of good cheer,' is not a simple salutation.

Matthew:     I have a question about, what sounded like, in your lesson, Tomas, about those who took part in the anti-war demonstrations last week made themselves 'focal points.' It sounds like I'm fearful but I'm just partly playing with the idea. I was watching the news that evening and saw myself on the very last clip of the News coverage of the Santa Fe demonstration. So I'm just wondering if those cameras are keen enough to know who I am and where I live. What did you mean by 'focal point?' I guess I missed the point.

TOMAS:     I certainly did not mean to instill paranoia. I do not like the fact, Matthew, that you would feel as if someone had their sights pointed at you, as if it were an occasion to set you up to be destroyed. If this is your underlying sense of self, we have work to do.

Those who support Value serve that Value. They fight their good fight of Faith against that which is antithetical to the Value they hold as worthy of holding up and fighting for; indeed -- living for. If you are afraid of being seen, or of the possible persecutions that might come about as a result of your having put yourself "on display," your heart isn't in it. And perhaps, as the Master told the multitudes, you should reconsider whether you want to "follow me or go home in peace", for those who fight this fight are called upon to be immune from such fears. They have no bearing on what your motives are.

I am going to be your cheerleader now, because I understand the conditioning under which you suffer -- the thought that you are one of humanity, with humanity, yearning for survival. To mind your own business, to live a good life, is also wise, for you are not raising your weapons. You are the meek, inheriting the earth, tending to the nature of things as they are and not seeking to change them.

Those who opt to follow in those footsteps which lead them into the public eye, are vulnerable, certainly, to persecutions, but those who are driven to follow their Holy Grail into the battle of Faith, are impervious to the threat of what might happen to them, for they are willingly laying down their life for that which they believe and for those that they love.

And this is the case, no matter what side you are on -- as a wager of war or a wager of peace.

I encourage you to step out. To see and be seen. To make your presence known. To be a voice in the wilderness. To rise above the throng. To reveal yourself and reveal the Father by your loving activist ways. The Spirit needs supporters. The way of peace needs a voice. Creativity requires workers in its field. Drama needs actors and directors. Music needs conductors and players. Readers need writers. The realm of Liberal Arts is hungry for the words and work of those of you who will reinforce the Value of Life in the face of the down-pull of death.

When you band together in support of one another in what you do, you do create a 'focal point.' A bigger 'focal point' than each of you individually. And this is how it is that millions of people, the world over, without "leadership" are able to make such a statement. Know that you are a part of that part of humanity that seeks to live in Peace and seeks to raise its children and its grandchildren and seeks to raise its crops and seeks to learn and dance and work and sleep and play and live, for whatever purpose Life presents. For Life is Good. Join the side of Good and speak out on behalf of Goodness, and Truth and Beauty. However you see it. And do it fearlessly.

What does it matter if you get "picked off" if you are doing what you are doing with complete and total commitment to its Value? Now that might sound like the cry of the infidel or the heathen, but Passion is a part of Life's experience. Either LIVE it or go home quietly to pursue the dreams of Walter Mitty. The choice is yours.

Paula:     Well, my so-called soul doesn't want to see my four grandsons picked off and killed before they've had a chance to live their lives. It'd be so much better to see have that evil man destroyed anyway we can do it, and then maybe, without his leadership there won't be anymore. I hope.

TOMAS:     I will not argue with you, woman. You have a right to your opinion.

Paula:     Well, that's mine. If I knew how to shoot a gun I'd go over there myself and see if I couldn't pick him off. But I don't know how to shoot a gun. I never did it.

TOMAS:     I will empathize with your passion on behalf of your grandsons and pray with you that a resolution be discovered to curtail their having to go sacrifice themselves for a bloody cause that could be worked out if Reality were injected where Illusion prevails.

Perhaps for the balance of the afternoon I might better serve by praying in my own fashion and seeing how I might direct my energies through the Divine Process, rather than through my willful ways, as we discussed last week.

Carry on, then, in your laboratory experiments as experiential children. And we will resume again next week in our familiar, intimate and loving fashion. Peace be upon you, each, and Peace abide with Urantia. Amen and farewell.

*****

DATE:        March 9, 2003
LOCATION:        Rio Rancho, NM. USA
T/R's:             Gerdean (for Tomas) Matthew (for Anatolia)
TEACHERS:     TOMAS and ANATOLIA
TOPICS
Christ Consciousness

Q&A:         What is meant by 'the Christ?' -- or 'Christedness?'
        Be about the Business of Loving

Music:     Elena on piano; "A Sacred Head Now Wounded"

Prayer: (Mathew)     Let's place ourselves in the presence of the Most Highs, with Jesus as our focal point.

“Master Teacher, We come to you as children of your flock, heirs of your Way, and inheritors of a future that is beautiful and one of non-resistance. We ask that we are able to incorporate those qualities into our lives now so that we can live 'heaven on earth.' And that the transition that needs to take place within us, and around us, at the same time, to allow the Oneness That Is that surpasses all understanding, can be within our reality now. But we must first 'be it' within ourselves.

"We ask that our self consciousness, our ego awareness, be lifted so that our true recognition of who we are may be present and primary as our identity; and for the teachers that are here today [we ask] that we are able to incorporate their teaching and appreciate that for the time they take and the contribution they make to our lives and the life of you and all of this universe and throughout the grand universe, for those needs and concerns within our hearts that you are aware of, please enable for those to be addressed as well, and for all else that is Eternal Oneness, we are forever grateful. Amen.”

TOMAS:     I am Tomas, your teacher. Good afternoon, my lovely friends. How it warms my heart to be in your presence once more. The affection we develop for you, in our time well spent together, is something I reflect on in the quiet hours. I recall our time together and draw from it those gems of impression that give me food for thought and spiritual stimulation, for surely relationship is at the forefront of learning these skills of fraternity which will bring about the Brotherhood worldwide.

As we keep our eye on the goal, on the planetary prize of Light and Life, it behooves us also to be burden-bearers of the present. For work is paramount in the Correcting Time. Even so, let us pause to rejoice in the inspiration of Springtime which is appearing here today, not only in nature but in your souls which have lifted up, in Life and Light, in harmony with the glories of this day.

I am altering our course for the day and abstaining from a lecture. Instead I see your overwhelming social nature and invite you to share your wisdom with those of us who seek to share with you, the challenge of ministering to the world we serve. What have you been up to? Are there issues?

Matthew:     I have one that I've mentioned before, perhaps, that seems like one of the greatest mysteries of all, that hasn't adequately been explained, even in the Urantia Book, is what the meaning of "the Christ" is. I accept what we've been taught that Jesus is 'the Christ,' but it seems to me -- to my understanding -- that Christ is the all-encompassing Spirit from which we derive. It's like the 'communion of saints' or 'God the Supreme' but rather than the God the Supreme that's in formation, 'The Christ' is the perfect creation from which our spirit generates. And, therefore, we are all 'the Christ,' but Jesus was the manifestation of 'the Christ.' But yet we are all included within that, and so it's not just hypothetical. So I'm asking for a simple direct presentation because I think that it is key. It's time to take the 'covers off the hidden goods' and say, 'Friends, this is what we're all about.' And it hasn't been taught... to me it's brand new information but it's 'age old' obviously. So your thoughts, please.

TOMAS:     I am responding to your soul my son, not especially to the words in this case, for the words that you bring to me are words that are symbolic of worldly understandings of the Divine. The word "Christ" is a human term. It is not one we've created to comply with mortal understanding. But as to your sense of import, it is, indeed, of a high nature. In this I will reflect to you the understanding that, in time, the entire seven superuniverses will be settled in Light and Life, and that will be the flowering of the Almighty Supreme -- the coming together of the God of Experience and the God of Creation. Thus everything in creation will have attained perfection. And this is completely beyond the comprehension of all of us. But we strive for it, nonetheless, for there is within us something that is drawn to complete itself, to fulfill itself. This is a part of the 'drawing power' that God has and that we yield to.

The Creator Sons are also evolved in the process. They are perfected in the experience and, therefore, contribute to the development of the Supreme. And they are a part of the 'pattern.' The Perfected Master Son, in His Universe, is an attainment of Supreme Competence. This Father-felt Experience of the Master Sons is given to you to know as Creator Sons in your own realm of being, even that which eventually perfects itself: in time, and beyond time; in space and beyond space. "Christedness" is the state of attainment of that which the Father has willed you to be and to do. The ultimate 'Christ consciousness' is God consciousness, in truth. However, the aspiration to attain such a level of perfection is, by many, regarded as blasphemy to even try. We might aspire to be like Jesus but to aspire to be like God is a future revelation. And yet you who are already attempting to be God-like, who are learning these lessons, who are experiencing your own degrees of Christ-consciousness, in that you see the Spirit and you respond to the work of your realm, in that light, your 'Christedness' enables the upliftment of those you serve.

It is a dimension beyond the mortal. It is more than morontial, for morontial may be construed only as high intellectual thought, or the fabric of your being, and those of you who come from this mortal soil perceive that more literally than figuratively and so you lose some of the greatness of morontial reality. The Christ consciousness is the High level of morontia reality, the level that is sharing equal time with Spirit Reality.

This is what we look up to Jesus for. He resurrected and reflected 'Christ-consciousness.' He was not known as "Christ" until later, when he was studied and compared by his followers and that which was Divine about him was exalted. That was the mortal origin of the word "Christ," for he had become more than Man, and the life he lived was exemplary of how he lived as a Son of God, as more than a mere mortal. Those of you who do the same when you have occasion to manifest your own Christ-consciousness, are operating from the exalted realms rather than the lowly realms of the material being. It is certainly another dimension but one which can be seen and appreciated by those of you who are born of the Spirit and who foster the Spirit which is the Christ. It is the Creator in each of you, eternally. At least, this is how this philosopher sees it.

Matthew:     Thank you. That helps a lot.

TOMAS:     Can you identify with Christ? Can you experience your own consciousness of your relationship with Divinity? Can you see your soul unfold before your eyes as you choose to do the Father's will, time and time again? Do you see yourself as 'Christed' when you respond to the moment's needs -- the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing -- rather acting from that 'Christedness," that 'Spirit Space,' which gives definition and degree to your being?

Elena:     Well, I don't think I can see that. But I can see some things. Last week you suggested that we bring Jesus into our (work/everyday) activities and I did remember to do that a number of times. And I do wish that I could keep conscious but it's almost like I go into the unconscious after that. I ask that and I'm not aware of his presence. Sometimes I can look back, at the end of the day, and I have the faith that it has been a better experience whenever I have invited Christ into a particular experience. So that's a positive thing. But sometimes I just wish I could see it a little more clearly.

TOMAS:    It may be that the swamp in which you work is without sufficient foundation to give you the footing that would allow you to look around and see how his will is reflected in your environment. In which case, you have even more of a challenge and opportunity before you.

Elena:     Well, I like having a challenge and the opportunity but most of the time I think it's just primarily my lack of vision. I feel I just can't see these things. I don't think that's different from most people, actually. I do notice it sometimes and I do feel better having formally asked Jesus into some specific scenarios, and I did remember to do that and I want to try to do that even more.

TOMAS:     I want you to, also. You enter their arena and leave your Light under a bushel. The Light needs to shine in every corner of the world. This is an on-going effort, child. Do not be discouraged if you neglect to remember your mentors when you are in the thick of the predominant reality. Have faith that your Heart will attend to its 'business of loving.' And in the Business of Loving you will be reminded of The Source. And that, in itself, is sufficient to call upon The Source to shine into the life you enjoy with your peer. This simple acknowledgment of joy, even efficiency or cooperation, is enough to give you the impetus to give thanks. And this is prayer and this is, again, Spirit Reality.

It is not always necessary to be an 'overt' teacher or preacher of the Gospel. To 'live it' - that is the real challenge. To bring the Light of Truth into your life everywhere you go, in all you do. By being all that you can be, you cannot help but reflect all these values.

Elena:     Thank you Tomas. I like that 'business of loving.' That was a catchy phrase.

TOMAS:     I'm glad you were encouraged.

I will go 'off-line' so that Gerdean can tell of her experience on the third of March, with the 'prayer' issue. I'll be back.

Gerdean:     You know last week we were told to bring God into our working environment, and on the 3rd day of the 3rd month of 2003 at 3 o'clock -- there was this thing where we were to join with millions of people around the world for peace. I was aware of that, and as it got closer to the time, around 2:20 or 2:30 and by 2:40 I was just agitated, I felt a little abnormal, and so I blamed 'them' (the teachers) for it and thought 'maybe they want me to tell somebody.' So I'm thinking 'who' should I tell? And why should I limit it? So I sent an email to 'everybody' in the Firm explaining what was supposed to happen at 3 o'clock...the world-wide prayer for peace, and so on.

I also added an announcement about "Lysistrata" (the antiquitous Greek anti-war play being staged and/or acted in over 1,000 venues in 590 countries as the first world-wide theatrical event for peace) that night in Albuquerque. And then I sent it out.

It was an interesting experience because from 3:00 to about 3:12 PM the place was completely quiet. You couldn't hear a machine; you didn't hear a phone ring; you didn't hear conversation. I heard one conversation that was very pleasant and very brief and then the stillness came again. I could feel it all through the Law Firm.

And yet the next day...uh... the Personnel person needed to see me. [Group laughter] That's twice now I've been invited to go see the Personnel person. [More laughter]

Gerdean:     Oh, yes! Actually, it was at about 12 minutes after 3:00 that I noticed stirrings and then by 3:30 it was back to normal.

Elena:     Well, how does the Personnel person fit in ...?

Gerdean:     Well, the thing that she called me on was that they really needed to send a memo out to people saying not to send out a memo to 'everybody.' It was pretty much reserved for 'important' things that related to what the layers needed. There were some who regarded this as really trivial stuff. I said well, okay, I won't send any more emails to 'everybody.' The two that I have, however, were real good points well made so I'm glad I got my licks in.

But the underlying dialog was interesting because essentially what they'd like for me to do is to go into my corner and face my computer and not do any of this; just work, and not share on the email and not visit and just work. And I said 'Well I'm sorry. That's against my religion. I'm supposed to express myself and if I'm going to express myself to a machine, I'm not doing God's will.' [The personnel person said] 'Well, we'll talk about this some more...but....' [Group laughter] We both enjoyed the exchange and we were both smiling and winking and, you know. She said 'Well, you can do 'cute,' you know, you can send cute things, many of the secretaries send cute things to each other.' And I said 'I don't do cute. I do rare meaningful pronouncements.' [Much group laughter with someone jibing "I'm an Oracle, don't you realize that?" and more laughter] I said 'You don't want to see me in cute. When I do cute I get sarcastic.' [The group thanked Gerdean for sharing her story.]

Renault:     On the 3rd of March -- I had been talking to a lot of people before that, the people at work and so on -- about what was going to happen at 3:00 o'clock, and so I had been kind of watching the clock waiting for the time, but just prior to 3 o'clock I had been drawn into a patient's room by one of the therapists and so we were actually in the process of healing and treating a patient for about 12 - 15 minutes and when I came out and noticed the clock I felt bad that I had missed the 3 o'clock thing. As I thought about it, though, I began to see that I was probably doing what needed to be done at 3 o'clock - - I was helping a fellow human being. And that would 'fit in' with the efforts of praying for peace. I thought it was interesting that that happened when it did.

Elena:     The only thing that I got to do on 03/03/03 was the only positive exchange I've had with a 'hawk.' J.T. had sent me an email that was a prayer for the troops. And I said, you know an email has been going around concerning the activities for 03/03/03 and if you wanted to link more power to that prayer, it might be a good thing to apply that prayer at that time. Because we're all interested in the safety of the troops, that's for sure. But that was the only thing that didn't make me absolutely crazy when I've been talking to anyone who favors the war.

TOMAS:     Let me tie these stories in with the lesson, if I may, and then I will relinquish the floor to my co-teacher. But regarding the 'Christedness' and the prevailing theme of War and Peace, there is much obviously much that goes into creating perfection. And while we all are drawn to, and work incessantly for, the growth of Almighty God, it is also true that there is much to do "in the trenches" of life. This world is handicapped by its past. Many problems are a result of celestial error and it is acknowledged that harmony is the song we like to hear sung, and yet the discordant notes of evolutionary conflict are unavoidable. It may be relative as to how long and how far the conflict takes you, but the work is at hand, and there are many efforts that need to be introduced in order to bring about the wellness, the wholeness, the correction, that will lead us into the new age where Spirit really does reveal the path and humanity follows.

Your efforts are a part of the necessary efforts to salvage this system from the debilitating blows of rebellion. We urge your consistent application to the Correcting Time in all its phases.  I am finished.

Matthew:         Thank you for addressing that.  Anatolia is here.

ANATOLIA:         Your thoughts and well wishes are well appreciated, but not nearly as much as I, and we, are appreciative of a gentle, caring and receptive group of listeners [such as] as yourselves, for it is not every occasion and in every pocket of the world that we are able to entertain the likes of your good hearts and minds.

We wish not to build you up too wonderfully but, [Group laughter] to put it into perspective that, to take the opportunity, even if it were on a less frequent basis, or should it even be a more frequent basis, to have the opportunity to have willing, loving servants of our Father present, together, to truly worship -- it is a wonderful moment each week that is beyond the requirements of church fulfillment or anything of its nature. This is true worship, in addition to any that you would perform outside of this occasion.

So it is fitting and proper that we acknowledge that which is a truly receptive and gracious audience -- to worship together -- for those who you can see, among yourselves, as well as those you cannot see, that we can encompass, and to inform you that you are in very good and fitting company, somewhat like if you could imagine bleachers around the room, or if you were held in suspension in an amphitheater in one of the Mansion Worlds, if you were to transport yourselves for our weekly meetings. For such an occasion, picture it, if you will, as a Grecian type of theater, etched out of a hillside, with greenery and statuary gracing the environs.

And then Spirits, as you would imagine them to be, some of which are of your appearance and others that would liken themselves to scenes out of Star Wars -- of beings with alligator heads and claw-like arms, or even in what would be considered, perhaps, grotesque, or undesirable description. The true essence of what we are speaking is what already takes place, and that is that you are willing and open and loving servants of a God who you all know love and serve. This is all that is ever expected and all that will ever be required for those who consider themselves sons and daughters of the Most High Father.

So you are the apples of our eyes, and the ears of our reception as we engrace your presence each day that we have the opportunity to speak, to share and to grow. It is also an encouragement for us to tell you that your cares and concerns, your diplomatic and deliberate conversations about the state of the world and its on-going occasions for uncertainty, and the threat of war, are not unheeded. Your thoughts, your cares, your concerns, such as those exhibited on the 3rd of March, go into a vast appeal receptacle, so to speak. As water evaporates it goes up, sight unseen, yet it gathers in the clouds that enable it to re-precipitate. In like manner, your thoughts, your cares, your prayers for unity, understanding and for the ultimate protection of life here on your planet, goes up into the receptacle units where such thoughts, wishes, and desires are transmitted through the cycles that allow for those conveyances to enter again, treated for their proper use and effectiveness.

So it is never wasted or expressed energy expended into the ethers with no place to call home. It is truly a reception, is with merit, and with direction, so that your cares and concerns are encouraged to continue. These already will make a difference in whichever way the path takes. For we are all in this, whether we are inhabitants of your world or not. We can watch, we can witness, and we can even experience that which your world experiences at the same time. We share more than empathy. We share your life to a large extent. And I can assure you even though some things may not be as you would have them be, eventually they will be as you would have them be.

Even in the face of horror and great disappointment, your prayers, your own growth -- your own love, primarily -- is what is encouraged and desperately needed. For if all were to run and hide, to seek cover and bury one's head in the sand, who will speak? Who will be present to love? Who will be spokespeople for the Father's business? If all hide in retreat there will be no one to carry the Light.

I do not predict hellacious outcomes. I merely wish to advise you that your thoughts, cares, and concerns are seen, felt and directed. Nothing is wasted, as you well know. But above all, your commitment to being here, as you would be if you were not physically in this world, your thoughts cares and concerns, like ours, would be with you as well. So that, in a sense, there is no escape. It's as your childhood home you would consider, in retrospect, merely a shrine in your memory, as your active involvement in this world, on this earth, will always be in your active memory, a shrine, and a sacred place for where you once held the Light of the Christed Ones. This enables you to have your eternal connection here, as you are here, and here as you may later not be here. But I assure you that your care and concern is felt, heard and effective.

I don't know what else to convey in this respect, other than to tell you that prayers and your active involvement and your commitment to what is True Light, is what you are asked to do. Again, if you are not here, who will represent the Father's will and Loving Presence? I leave you this, in good stead, to know and to trust, that your presence is more than just an occasion for loving and living, but rather, it is an occasion for eternal remembrance. Be at one with yourselves and know that the Loving Presence is certainly with you now and in all ways. Peace be with you.

TOMAS:     We remain with you for a moment to acknowledge the year we have spent together. The associations we have made, the truths we have discussed and the value we have become. The beginning of a new year, which we celebrate next week, comes at a joyful time in the material world, the time wherein the sap of life has thawed and now flows freely through your veins. Take this time once again to renew yourselves, to feel the flow of the Spirit within you and within the material creation. Observe the process of life unfolding once more, the dormancy of winter exploding into the spectacle of springtime. Appreciate these precious moments in time wherein your core self is renewed and made more because of that which you have been in hope of becoming -- more than you were -- remembering the cycle of growth, of life and death, in anticipation of evermore resurrecting from the crucifixions of mortal experience, growing ever more fruitful and abundant, trimming your old branches and becoming wiser in how you strive for the sun.

Miracles are with us everyday in the simple gestures of loved ones, in the rising and the setting of the sun, in the song of the birds and the sigh of those who feel. Rejoice in the kingdom at hand as you toil in truth for the unfoldingment of the Christedness of Urantia and beyond.

Amen and farewell.

*****

DATE:         March 16, 2003
LOCATION:        Myra's Mountain View in Rio Rancho
T/R's:             Gerdean (for Tomas) and Matthew (for Michael)
TEACHERS:     TOMAS and MICHAEL
TOPICS:
Ritual - The Rites of Spring
The Responsibilities of Sonship

Q&A:         Happy Anniversary, Rio Rancho Team
        What Has this Year Meant to You?

Music:     Elena on piano: "Oh, Mensch, Schau Jesus Christum" a Bach chorale

(Discussion about the music title. Based on our gentile understanding, we thought it meant "Jesus Christ, you are a Scholar and a Gentleman")

Prayer: Matthew:     Let us place ourselves in the presence of Jesus, the Christ.

“Master Teacher, we come to you seeking inspiration in the love that you portrayed. We said earlier about a mensch, and that that describes you, among other descriptions. The description, I think, we know of you from the Urantia Book in particular, gives us an intimate look at you of friendship, fatherly, brotherly protection, and a wonderful specimen of all creation. And the description of the angels looking down, and an entire universe standing in awe, witnessing what you were doing, for the unseen that we were unable to see at the time, that is total inspiration, so for us not to get too far afield and to wish for that which we have as a constant reminder of who we are and who we are becoming, with you as the model, we seek a teacher or teachers that you bring to us today for continued enlightenment of our personhood and our souls, that we become more godlike as you are, and to be perfect love and to do it wonderfully well. For this and all else that you know within our hearts, we pray. Amen.”

TOMAS:     Happy anniversary, my mortal family. I am Tomas, your companion, friend and teacher, host and fellow sojourner in the program of ascension unto the Father of all. "Let us place ourselves in the presence of Jesus, the Christ." What power is in those words! For the ritual begins. We put ourselves in mind to open ourselves to another dimension of relating, another system of reality, a wonderful realm wherein we honor our Creator and our life in His realm. What a marvelous experience we enjoy by and through our association, which we now enjoy, even as this pinnacle of accomplishment has taken many years to come into being. We pray, too, to be brought into your awareness, for in this we have uplifted this portion of humanity into a conscious realm of god-consciousness that begins to realize itself as morontia reality, even in your world and in your lives.

Today, my beautiful students, I would like to bring to your attention a consciousness of ritual, and how thoroughly it is a part of your pattern of living and how you can use it, by your will, to embolden yourself as a fisher of men in luring more individuals into the consciousness that you enjoy as a Son of God. To call our gathering a ritual may come as a surprise to some. Those who look upon their religious experience as a sacred event, incline to look unfavorably at their ritual being called a mere habit, which is truly what ritual is; but it is the dimension of Christ-consciousness that allows a mere ritual to become, in truth, a religious way of life.

Many of you appreciate the fact that Jesus' life was a prayer. And you yearn to be like him and thus allow your life to be lived as if it were a prayer of unbroken communion with your indwelling Adjuster, our Father in heaven. You yearn to be about the Father's business. You long to do His will. But you fail to see how your will acquiescing to divine will merges into a greater consciousness, a consciousness of your own divinity which cannot and will not be diminished by mere mankind. Because you have been called upon to uplift mankind.

Think to yourself how much a part of your life is ritual. Every one of you goes from one programmed pattern to another. You brush your teeth as a ritual. You put on coffee or tea in the morning as part of your ritual. You drive to work as if it were a ritual. You enter your place of employment (if this is your lifestyle); you establish yourself in your work station; you deliver or pick up the children at school, to school. Your discourses are a ritual. "How was your day today?" "How was class?" "How was work?" These are rituals.

In the spring, Mother Nature performs her rituals. Her leaves begin to sprout on the trees. Her blossoms burst forth. Her gentle rains fall. These are rituals. These are rituals of nature that occur every year, as you brush your teeth every morning. This is a part of the substance of your life that holds your life together. Let's look further. The element of religion enters into your life when you make God-consciousness a part of your life. As you brush your teeth, you anticipate the day ahead. You cleanse yourself. You cleanse your mouth of foul utterings, purifying your breath for greeting your brethren, for speaking gentle words of encouragement, lifting the ritual of brushing your teeth to a prayerful pause. And throughout the day, by offering each ritual up on the altar of God-consciousness, you bring divinity into the moment. You actualize each experience as being a part of the demonstration of Life itself.

The benefit of habit is that large amounts of work can be accomplished by habit, allowing the mind freedom then to work into other areas. There are some who automatically go about their life without ever thinking about what their gestures represent and how they came to adopt such gestures. Rather, they accept them as has been handed down, as they have been taught. And as the masses are all creatures of habit in this fashion, cultures are established, mores are upheld, and life goes on automatically and without a full appreciation of the fact that it would not exist were it not for divinity.

New habits can be created. They can be culturally created by a few of you putting into effect certain new rituals of behavior that are gradually accepted as a way of life. You therefore pull your society forward. Long ago when the understanding of spirit was seen in the breath, the ritual was established of expressing an equivalent of "God bless you!" or "Gesundheit!" because the prayer was that your spirit not be expelled from you, but that you retain the spirit, or that the spirit be rejuvenated within you. Now people say "God bless you" without thinking about the spirit. But one individual who is conscious of God, and who therefore recognizes the prayer that that phrase is, is enough to bring it into consciousness.

Bringing automatic life into conscious life is a side effect of your being a child of God. Because you revere the Father and marvel at His creation, when you see the buds burst forth in spring and you pause to praise God for beauty, truth and goodness, when you bring this worshipful aspect into existence, you have actualized His reality on your plane.

It becomes a part of the consciousness of the molecules of existence. I can say this freely because I can see in your lives a benefit of having spent these hours alone with the Master in these sessions of teaching and learning through this process you call transmitting/receiving. By putting yourself in a position of allowing yourself to be open and to be vulnerable to the input from a higher dimension, you have given yourself an opportunity to allow greater reality to be enlarged within your own reality, your own consciousness, and as this transpires, you allow it, therefore, to be extended and expended into your environment as you pass by. It is a "trickle down" effect from Paradise.

I would like to come back to this topic at a later time, perhaps today. Perhaps when you recognize how you can elevate ritual to a plateau of religious experience, and an augmentation of reality. But for now I will hush my voice and listen for the voice of another who will join us.

Matthew:     Jesus, or Christ Michael is here.

MICHAEL:     This is a day of rejoicing, for you are coming to a new threshold of entering upon understanding beyond that of your years or beyond your life's experience as expected.

Your thoughts and prayers and concerns have been spent of late in concern over the warlike rituals that have been displayed, and for good reason your concerns have been exhibited as children going to their father, asking that the nasty man not be allowed to come near you. This is of concern to me, as I dread my children's pleading for protection. It is of concern to me that your wishes, your hopes, and your dreams are threatened with the act of violence. The very threat is enough to unnerve the most stalwart among you.

This is a discussion that is not meant to be foreboding or dark cloud by intent, but rather to tell you that your concerns and your fears are well beyond that which anyone expects of their offspring. No one brings children into the world to have them look at the threats that you are living with from day to day. I can only remove the trepidation, the uncertainty, and the removal of joy from your path for so long before you need to stand with me and acknowledge that no thing, no one, no threat will abide beyond your imagination.

It is time for you to grow up and to join with me as a being of faith and light, and knowing your rightful place in the universe, to bless that which you find abhorrent, to bring light to that which you find in darkness, and to be co-creators with me in this hour of uncertainty and despair to many. If the worst were to happen, and lives are lost beyond count, I expect you to be with me as one heart beats, as each breath is exhaled, to be in unison with my heart, to lift up that which you behold in our midst. I ask you to become one with me and no longer simply grasp my leg for protection.

I need you to be with me as the enlargement of the concentric circle, to enable and to invite those who have been less fortunate in their awareness, less fortunate in their environmental protections, and less fortunate in their outlook and dimensional perception, to welcome them as one with us now and for all time, so that as our discussion continues with the talk of ritual, to have a better understanding and to include ritual beyond the often deadened practice that it becomes, to lift your hearts and your minds, to go beyond where you are typically laden during your daily and nightly hours, to raise your hearts and your minds to be one with me as I am with you.

Much as was the admonishment at the time in the Garden [of Gethsemane] when I asked Peter and others to stay awake while I prayed. They too fell asleep. They were unable to withstand that which I asked, which was not so much the importance of staying awake; it was asking for a camaraderie, as fellows of the Christ oneness, to be at one while I convened with my Father. This is what I ask of you as well, now and always. As the trouble approaches, and as the angel of death whisks through the village and leaves in its path a wake of uncertainty, I ask you to stand with me, strong and forbearing, holding up that which would not have support, being with me in all seasons so that the reception line to the oneness with the Father may reach as far as the eye can see.

I wish you well in your travels, whether it be from here to across the room, or from where you are to the furthest point in the Universe, to know that wherever you are, there I AM. Wherever I AM, you are as well. I AM with you in all ways, for all time, and may the peace that pervaded all minds for all time on the day of resurrection, be with you now and always, as I look forward to the time that you will know me as I know you. I love you. I wish you all that life has to offer, both here and throughout the far reaches of time. I love you. Amen.

TOMAS:     Amen, Teacher. Master Teacher.

I am always delighted to hear him speak through you mortals. In any fashion, it delights me to perceive the Master's reality being revealed. It is in this precise context that I ask you to invest Him in your habits of existence and raise your existence thus to a sacred ritual of life. Yes, those of you who are students of the Urantia text recognize that God is not interested in rituals, but man is, and knowing that man is interested in and impressed with rituals is why I called the topic to your attention, for as you look for ways in which you may express the divine will in your life, the introduction of new rituals, such as the one we enjoy, is a method of lifting up the mundane to the exalted, because you have invested your will in what is transpiring. What have you gained from this year of our association? Let me pointedly call upon you and ask you to verbalize-for your Teachers and for each other, for yourselves and for your comprehension of divinity -- what impact, if any, this past year has given you.

Elena:     I'll burst out first since that is what is common for me to do. One of the best benefits that I think -- One! And I'm sure I'll think of many -- but this is the one that came first to mind, is having a group that I can feel the love that we do among us, and have a vehicle or a place where we can discuss openly ... because I can't say that I've ever had a place that I could openly discuss what I felt to be true about what is called religion or the love of God. I felt that it's more words, in other places, and I think it's more truthful or closer to the truth, in this group than I ever have. I feel like I am a part of this group and I feel like I am a member of it, rather than for pretty much the rest of my entire life ... not being a member. Being able to benefit from a group, but not wanting to formally join, and I do feel like a formal member of, certainly, the things that we discuss and the Teachers, too.

Matthew:    In a similar way, I appreciate the opportunity to meet with those of us who appreciate hearing celestial teachers share their time and space with us, and to be able to get teachings that are significant, that can help us to adjust our lives to be more Christ centered, but it's mainly the opportunity to have a group that, in like mind, or as like-mind as we know it to be, can appreciate an exciting and otherwise not available experience that you would get in any other setting.

Esmeralda:    This past year I have been helped because I have always been reticent and for many, many years I have just not attended anything with regularity, and didn't want to attend, because I tend to kind of be private and by myself, so this has been a good experience for me because I've learned to love a lot more than I ever did before. This group is wonderful. And I feel like it is family and I appreciate you so much, Tomas. You have been a good Teacher, and it's been very, very beneficial to me in many ways.

Myra:        I also have really looked forward to the whole year. A year ago I did not really know what I was going into, but I did it! [Laughter] And this group is very, very special to me. I think this year professionally has been very difficult, and so I am very thankful for my group, and for you Tomas, because you keep me centered and knowing that although I'm going through some hard times, I can get through this, so ... I guess I would thank you for your talks and keeping me centered. And for the rest of you, thank you, also.

Elena:        This is our family.
Myra:        Um-hum.

Esmeralda:    And Tomas, too. Tomas, you feel like family. You really do. It's a nice feeling to feel the love that's in the group and from you, and we return it.

TOMAS:     I am honored that you regard me as a relative. I truly am your Uncle Tomas, in that I am younger brother of your Father Michael. I am also your elder brother in experience, but I am your peer in terms of our ability to enjoy the adventure together of discovery of the many aspects of the divine. We marvel also in this relationship, we who have been privileged to host a teacher base such as this, and access those who will open themselves to the transmitting/receiving experience even when in relative isolation.

But I believe it is apparent from your sharing that each of you have benefited from the freedom to become more of what your combined nature of relationship between your human personhood and your morontial reality. Becoming who you are is a process, and being in such an environment affords you the opportunity to experiment with who you are in loving and accepting association by your brothers and sisters.

We have given each other experiential dimension. We have shown forth the fruits of the spirit. We have tasted the wine. We have been inspired to broach life with more courage, more conviction, and more hope. We have seen the Father in action, and we have seen how we long for more. We have admired how steadfast one another is in that which is meaningful, that which is our common denominator, our attachment to, dependency on, and love for God, the spirit which unites us. We are truly blessed, we who have this sanctuary of reality into which we commit ourselves in trust of each other and in trust of our Maker every week and even, individually, every day, even now yearn to learn more and be more and serve more in the light of this ever-expanding, ever-gratifying experience.

I have a suggestion for the week for evidencing a basic preachment of Jesus, that being to love your enemies, to love those who spitefully use you and abuse you. Be overt in your prayer of loving your enemies, and present them this week with a gift. That person which most irritates you, that person who causes you most grief, that individual who demonstrates the most godless behavior -- present them with a gift, an actual, physical representation of truth, beauty and goodness. A greeting card, a bouquet of flowers, a can of oil, or anything that constitutes a gesture of affection, appreciation, or even basic acknowledgment, in obedience to the realization that love is more powerful than hate.

Establish a new habit in your life of wishing good for those who are most difficult, and perhaps in this way you can contribute to their hunger, which will in turn whet their appetite to learn more of this divine madness which we employ and enjoy as partakers of this ennobling experience of enjoying, acknowledging and celebrating our Sonship in this Family of Man. Be it mortal man or infinite man, all of us are creatures of the Creator, offspring of the divine. All of us are related. Let us exalt our potential.

I have lectured extensively this afternoon, in appreciation of your receptivity. Perhaps it is the atmosphere allowing your hearts to be open. Are there questions?

Matthew:    No questions. Just a comment that your request is a difficult one, on a practical or human level, but what a great idea for illustrating the point to rise above the human to incorporate the divine. I am challenged with those that I have to consider to do that with. Fortunately there is no one immediately in my life who is a pain in my side, other than in my former life, so I have to reach back to do that, perhaps, but it doesn't matter where or when, it's ... it's a tall order, but what a great idea. The human side of me finds it painful but the divine side delights in, but I have to work through the human side to get there, so [Group chuckles].

Esmeralda:    I'm trying to think of somebody that really irritated me!
Thoroah:    Whatever we do, don't give each other gifts.
Matthew:    Yeah! [Group laughter] Oh, thank you!
Emsarelda:    I can't think of anybody ...
Elena:        Well, Bush!

Esmeralda:    I'm not going to send George Bush anything. Well, now, I'll pray for him and all that, but to literally send him a gift, that's ...

TOMAS:     I am remiss perhaps in not providing parameters. I am talking about in your immediate day to day lives in the immediate vicinity of your existence, and it's not like you have to assign an unpleasantness to anyone at the moment, and yet if indeed through the week you encounter a situation which causes you to rise up in a less than divine manner, perhaps it will occur to you at that instant to return evil with good, to smile instead of frown, to give the gift of forgiveness rather than an attitude of alienation. It is an exercise worthy of my one year old students.

Esmeralda:    That makes it sound--  That's a real good explanation. It makes me feel better about how to react and how to act. [Indistinguishable remarks from Myra and Matthew about gifts for their students.]

TOMAS:     Your students are not your enemies. [Laughter] No teacher can sustain an attitude like that and be effective.

Myra:        They drive me crazy, though.

TOMAS:     It is an exercise in establishing in your mind, your heart, and your pattern, a ritual of forgiveness and a demonstration of your forgiveness -- not merely praying, but telling them they are being prayed for; not merely forgiving them, but for giving them a gift, if you will, to demonstrate to them and to yourself the folly of retaining barriers or responding out of sarcasm or cynicism, which only fuels the fire of fury. A soft answer turns away wrath. Practice it in your personal life and know that it can be done. Next week, perhaps you will remember to tell me how effective it was. Anything else?

Tomorrow then, enjoy the Irish ritual of the wearing of the green.

Elena:        But Tomas, before you leave, thank you for being here as our teacher for a year, for that is a great gift in itself, and we each -- I know -- consider it a big gift, but just so that YOU know that, how much we value the time, too. It's a wonderful thing to celebrate a year with you.

TOMAS:     You are surely welcome, my beloved’s. But, as we are paused, I will be an agent here for my T/R Gerdean, who would like to know how Thoroah has assessed his year in association with this group.

Thoroah:    [Gesturing] Eh! [Group chuckles] Well, the association with the group is very special, and everybody has covered that pretty well. As far as the experiential part of it, I think that important to me, just the experiential continuation of my relationship with spirit reality, because you and other mentors are so much a part of my life, I have had occasion in the past couple days to talk to some people about that and how I sometimes take it for granted, and there are people who don't have the advantage of being coddled as much as we do, and reassured, and encouraged to stay the course. And the benefits are far more than I realize. Other than that, it's been, you know, ho hum. I jest.

Esmeralda:    One thing I'd like to mention is that we miss Men-O-pah and Paula.
Elena:        Yeah!

Esmeralda:    And it's been a real privilege to know them and have the association with them for the past year, too.

Elena:        But I want to hear what Gerdean has to say, too.
TOMAS:     Let me ask her.

Gerdean:    Well, Tomas, I'm not going to answer you. I'm going to answer the Teacher Corps. I'm too close to you. I would die without you. I would have no fun at all! Life would just be a burden of existence. I don't do isolation well. Thank you.

TOMAS:     It's a fair exchange, Gerdean. We would not live without you, either. It is your voice that gives us hearing. And isn't it the pinnacle of such a habit as we have developed, of loving one another, that in truth, all of our love is founded in the love of Our Father, without which none of us would be. Peace be upon you. Amen and farewell.

*****

DATE:         March 30, 2003
LOCATION:     Rio Rancho, NM, USA, At the Bowen's
T/R's:             Gerdean (for Merium & Anatolia) Matthew (for Cicoli)
TEACHERS:        MERIUM, ANATOLIA, CICOLI

TOPIC:
The Sparrow
The Color Purple

Music:        Men-O-pah: Solo, A Cappella:  "The Eye is on the Sparrow"

Prayer:    Matthew:  Let us place ourselves in the presence of Jesus, the Christ.

“Master Teacher, We come to you today with uplifted and happy hearts, expecting that our placement of trust and faith before you in our Father is of the utmost importance and is what is right, and just, and the way things are. We correct ourselves and our minds to put ourselves in that focus, to be in that place, to be one with you and our Heavenly Father and all divinity, and to include everything and everyone as a result of that inclusion.

"We pray that our deepest and strongest needs and desires, that are true to the plan of our Heavenly Father, be met with dispatch and with purity and love as it is intended, within out hearts, minds and wills.

We ask for a quick resolution to this war which is taking place, and for the resettlement of sanity and unity of all humankind as the lesson and the message to be learned through this travail.

"For all other needs that you know within our hearts and our minds, we ask that they be addressed and healed, and for the Teacher's message today, that it brings us ever closer to relationship with you and with our Heavenly father, now and always. Amen.”

MERIUM:     Round and round and round she goes. Where she stops, God only knows. This is Merium, your Sister in the Spirit, and Sister also of the Teacher Corps who ministers to you and accompanies you on your journey forth.

How good it feels to be in your presence, to rejoice in the opening of the spring season. This is my joy: to open the windows and let in the fresh air, to uplift the somber tones of winter with the harmonies of springtime. These days invite the infestation of Mother Nature's gifts in the birds and the bees and the foals and the children, which all fall under the watchful eye of the Eternal Parents.

Embraceable ones, I have tucked you into your cradle in the tree of life and rocked you into serenity. Let me now allow your Teachers to discourse with you regarding the nature of the Melchizedek University curriculum assigned for this moment in time. [Blowing kisses.]

ANATOLIA:         Greetings, beautiful friends. Once again we conjoin together in this Family embrace. Your joy resonates into the spheres, inviting the Hosts of Heaven to smile upon you in your Celebration of Sonship. The Sparrow, evidently, is the theme for the day, for the painting Gerdean is working on features the sparrow in converse with the Mother Spirit. The song from the service this morning and the golden throat of Men-O-pah has brought to your consciousness the sparrow again, and the scripture that remembers the value lesson of your importance in the family of God.

The element of creativity is something you all know something about. Each of you have created something. Some of you, many of you, perhaps most of you, have created children, and there is no finer product of one's life than new sons and daughters that will enter into the Kingdom of God, into the life lived in these physical planes en route to the morontia worlds and beyond, an ever advancing, ever replenishing army of workers and chorus of singers advancing into perfection.

Each one of you is like the sparrow, unique and original. Each like a fingerprint, unique unto yourself, and each registered On High as a personality reality, just as in the pattern of perfection each bird and bug, each tree and rock, is inscribed with the hand print of creation. The greatness of God is not limited to Paradise. The greatness of God is that He spreads Himself throughout the universe, that all of creation might reflect Him.

The sparrow is a skittish little bird. It flies away at the slightest movement. A wind can arouse its survival instincts and as it lifts up and away, the flock follows. The flock, united, ascends to safety, and in this flock they have companionship and camaraderie. They converse among themselves as only their species can do, and their song is a unique note on the air that may reach into your heart and reflect therein the purity of the voice of God as it touches you in your innermost being, in your moments of worship, in your ability to perceive our Creator in the most humble aspect of creation. God is fully aware of all of his little birds-those who are frightening and those who are being frightened; those who are vigilant and those who are in song. There is no real lesson here but for symbolism-the symbolism of each of you as an entity, unique in the far-flung creation, and known personally by God. [An ice cream truck passes, whose tune is "Rock-a-bye Baby".] A lullaby they send us, to accentuate the cradle of love in which you rest on the branches of the tree, rocked by the winds of time.

Sing your song of joy. Warble your very heart song. This is an opportunity to indicate that in the symbolism of life, there are movements which are part of the composition of your existence but which have little value, as compared to the value in relationship, just as in your ministry you find brothers and sisters with whom you cannot sing, who sing a different song, as if they were another species of bird entirely. This affords you an opportunity to dedicate yourself to that which you know and that which is true for you. Give yourself fully to your reality as you perceive it.

We are aware of what goes on, on your world, of the frightened birds and the joyous birds, but remember that God is mindful of each of them, even as they flutter and fight over the use of the birdbath or the birdseed. Perhaps I am suggesting that you not take life so seriously. You are so conscientious and so mindful of the human condition. You have such deep compassion for those who suffer and [you have] such an ambition to serve. But remember the story of the sparrow, who finds his beauty in singing what he knows. If you sing, they will know you are not afraid. If you stop singing, they will feel there is something to fear.

I have been smitten by the message of Merium, to allow the radiance of the new season to overpower the dark and the cold of winter. While half of your planet faces autumn and its inherent qualities, you are facing springtime. Apply your symbols to your season as the children of God opposite the world also sing the song symbolic of their season. I tell you about joy, and yet I feel your heavy nature. Either you are suppressing your concerns or you are ignoring me. What is it? Where are your fears or concerns that make you feel so heavy-laden?

Matthew:     I may be a guilty party. I have immersed myself in this war business, only to try and understand it, and I'm trying to not carry it around like a house chained to my ankle, but maybe it is. I'm just trying to understand "insanity" and that's dangerous business. So maybe you're picking up on me, I don't know.

Esmeralda:     Well, I think probably all of us, to some degree -- I think we're all concerned about the war situation, and people being killed -- both of our country and the country in which the war is being fought. But I think it's also equally good that we are joyous as well, and that we can enjoy each other and feel lighthearted and laugh and still enjoy life, but it is difficult not to be concerned about the world situation right now.

Men-O-pah:     I was reminded yesterday that the country is at war. Most of you know that I do some volunteer work at the airport here. I went in to do my shift yesterday. The traffic into the airport was backed up all the way down to the interstate, and the people, where I park my car, they were standing up and they were all over the place. They had a bomb threat inside the airport. It turned out not to be anything, really, but they evacuated the whole airport. Some camper had ... I don't know how this happened, really. He had a little bottle of propane. It was empty and he wanted to get rid of it, so he put it in a trash barrel in the airport, of all things, and somebody saw him do it and, man, they rained on that guy! And at the same time, you know, they chased everybody out. There were people that had just come in on various and sundry flights and they didn't have time to get their luggage. They run them out. So it reminded very, very much that the country is at war.

Miriam:     How did that make you feel?

Men-O-pah:    I wonder how many wars we're going to be engaged in before we learn to do better. You know, it seems that we just don't learn. It isn't that we don't know better. I think we do.

Miriam:     Did you feel fearful in that situation? Was your heart beating? Were you feeling scrambled? Or were you feeling calm?

Men-O-pah:     I'm calm most of the time, and it didn't really bother me much. I knew that there was something happening, and I didn't really find out until I got into the place and, well, there was-- I'm sure these GI's were part of the Reserve, the National Guard, and I haven't seen any GI's there since the 9/11. They were there quite forcibly during that, and they were there yesterday, too.

Esmeralda:     They were there a week ago.
Miriam:     Really?

Esmeralda:     I went to pick up Miriam and I heard it on the news that they had been called in. Ever since the war began in Iraq. So they had been there.

Miriam:     I was thinking about what Anatolia said about the one sparrow, when he picks up to fly, the whole flock comes with him, and if one voice is singing with joy or his love for Our Father, and you know, the joy is easy to resonate when joy is being resonated. Like, when I hear the choir sing, as Mother did today, I cry from joy, it's so wonderful! But then when all the voices are lifted up in, "Oh, no! What are we going to do?" and it's "Run for it!" and it’s Fear Fear Fear, that is a hard time to sing. "What? Are you just going to sing peace and joy?" But I can imagine, if all the birds were starting to fly, with fear, if there were a couple of birds singing with joy, a couple of birds that were getting ready to take off and fly, would hear that thought. "Hey, maybe that's the deal." The images today were wonderful! The cradle, the sparrow, the whole thing. I guess it's a matter of choice.

Elena:     The one thing that's bothering me, this morning going to church -- I love the green around the river and it was just a little patch of blossoms on the fruit trees, but then, all of a sudden I just got really sad because I thought, "Yeah, but I'm here and I'm having this wonderful spring experience, but there are other people who are in a dust storm, thinking that they may have to kill somebody the very next second, and it just . .. Whoom!”

Esmeralda:     Or be killed.

Elena:     Well, yeah! And the choice being that. And, oh boy, that just really got me this morning, so maybe I'm responsible for a little bit of that. I've been singing, too, but I kind of waffling. There's a couple of warbles and then a couple of squawks.

Esmeralda:     Well, we all know Myra has been singing.

Myra:         Well, of course, I'm feeling good, and of course I'm feeling joy, but I'm not stupid, and I do think that there is a burden that people carry around with them because of what is going on in Iraq. It's not only going on in Iraq, it's going on amongst all of our friends and families, because you don't bring up the topic, willy-nilly, unless you know how people feel about it. How many times have we been called on in the last couple of weeks, when people in strong, strong support, "Rah, rah, go kill," when is our responsibility to say, "Whoa, wait a minute," and be that voice in the wilderness, which is not really my favorite thing to do, but I also, often in the last couple of weeks, "If not you, who? And if not now, when?" And so that is a burden, and you don't want to start another crisis. You just want to open other people's minds to be able to see-the whole Middle East is not filled with Saddam. There are people who treasure their homeland and have a right to protect it, and they are pictured to us as being demons, and yet when I think, if somebody were coming into my home and they were four times bigger than me, I would be a little deceptive in my motives in protecting my house, so yeah, I think it is very important for us to be joyous, and yet sometimes we are the only alternative voice of just quietly saying, "yeah, but there is another side of the story." And it's heavy.

Paula:     And you know, totally aside from the war and all the problems, it's amazing how many different kinds of people there are in this world, and when we were in Southern Illinois, I found the warmest, the most wonderful group of people I think I ever met. I met all kinds of different people. There was a little restaurant in the nearby village of Vienna, called Dolly's, and everybody goes to Dolly's. They have good food and it’s inexpensive and everybody gathers around. Instead of sitting at a table for four people, you sit at a big table, which we did for lunch, when Bob and Pat, the people we stayed with, took me for lunch. And all of a sudden all of the farmers from around there ... well, it's really funny. They were the original hillbillies, and they murdered the King's English, but they had hearts of gold, every one of them. Weren't they, honey?

Men-O-Pah:     They're my kinsmen! Of course I think they're wonderful. [Laughter]

Paula:     But you go from people like that to plain ordinary folks like the rest of us, all the way up to some of his friends with their Ph.D.'s and still and all they were still the same. This one gal, she and her husband were Barbara and Harold's best friends. She was the Assistant Dean of the University where he went. She has a Ph.D. There was none of this murdering the King's English there but, as I say, I went from all these different types of people but every one of them was just the warmest, friendliest, kind people. And they took me right in as if I'd been right there among them forever.

Elena:     Don't you think it would be like that if we went to Iraq? They would be, you know, just normal friendly people there, beyond the table.

Paula:     Probably.

Elena:     It's kind of difficult to go towards the things that we have in common. To sit down at a round table would be a really good thing. That's a neat story, Paula.

Miriam:     I had a great experience on Saturday. I was thinking, while you were sharing, it's easy to think people are great when everyone is friendly and being kind to you, but when they are shooting at your or shouting mean things to you or pushing or shoving you, it's a little more difficult to keep that attitude as well. And I was sitting in the car, talking to my sister, and there were two Native American guys sitting in the car next to me, in a beat up old car, and they had cans of stuff in their hands and they looked scary. They really did. They looked like some pretty scary dudes, and I was thinking, "Mmmm." I really did. I started to get nervous. Then they turned on this music and it was Wonderful! Drums! They were singing! Well, you know what they do, Men-O-Pah, and I found my body, without my mind's permission, "groovin" you know? Bouncing to the rhythm and my head was moving, so anyway, the guy came back and he was putting balloons in the car and I looked over at him and this guy was so cool. He looked straight at me and said, "Did you like the music?" And I was close enough to him so say in this voice, "Yes, I did! I love the drums." And he smiled at me real big. And the point is, I had this fear thing going on. I had this feeling like maybe I should lock the doors, and this is the fear thing I was doing with my mind, and he also said, "It mellows you out to listen to drums." [Laughter]

Who knows? Maybe they had soda in those cans. But my reality started to make that a scary deal and his reality kind of flowed over to my reality and knocked over my barriers. At first I was thinking, I don't like this. I don't trust this. I'm going to lock my doors. So that's what I was thinking. When it's like kind, we can embrace it. When we're in environments where people are so friendly, but .... I don't know. Anyway. I'm finished.

Group:     A great story!

Men-O-Pah:    Have you ever been to any of those huge pow wows they have here?

Elena:     It's coming up. The end of May. And Men-O-pah and I want to go.

Men-O-Pah:     I encourage you to go. I think, you know, that sometimes they lose sight of the spirituality that's associated with most Native Americans. Most Indians don't do much of anything until they talk to the Big Spirit. I know it's even so in our culture that when a man went out to hunt, for instance, that he asked for permission to take the life of some animal that he was going to do so that they would have something to eat. And I've heard some of my brothers criticize my pow wow, "It's a place for show horses," but the beating of the drums down there. You know, they're all around that gym, and there must be a dozen sets of drummers, and they get tired you know, and when one group gets tired, the next group picks it up, and so ... but it does make your molecules bounce. Yeah.

ANATOLIA:         What you have done, in taking advantage of the moment provided, is shared not only with yourselves but with your brothers and sisters around the world who receive these transmissions, expressed your valid concerns for humanity, your human joy in living, your experience at discovering the differences between you are not enough to separate you one from another when the spirit within you each makes that connection which allows you to all rejoice together that you have this commonality, and at the same time, to weep together for those who have it not, for those who are subjected to the warlike attitudes of those whose differences conflict.

We cannot stop our prayer and rejoicing, for now more than ever the song of songs is necessary. To sing the song of joy is not to forget the underlying song of sorrow. This is the message of the cross. This is the path Jesus walked when he was here. He sought to set the spiritual captives free so that they, too, would sing and praise that glory which is the Unifier of Humanity.

Rejoice in the light. To rejoice in the light does not mean you ignore the darkness. The darkness is where you serve. Service work is not singing to the choir. It is serving those who have not learned how to be joyous, who have not found their Source of Joy, who have, rather, found themselves in a situation where they are surrounded by the conflicts of growth, whether theirs or their associates, which even so, are en route ultimately to the same path on which you travel.

All of the universes of time and space are destined to find their way, finally and individually, into the Almighty Supreme, and radiate the Harmony of Perfection throughout the known universe. Therefore, throw open the windows; let in the sun shine; let the fresh air circulate through the hidden corners of your being. Fill your lungs and your spirits with the breath of life and the fragrance of love, which is in every fiber of life as you see it. Sing now.

This piece of equipment is quite overextended. Matthew, are there presences pressing upon you for expression?

Matthew:     Let's see. [ pause] I have a teacher of mine, Cicoli, who apparently wants to say something.

CICOLI:     This is the day the Lord has made. Let us give thanks and praise and rejoice. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us give thanks and praise. This is the day the Lord has made, therefore let us not question it but enjoy it. This is an attitude that is incumbent upon us to take advantage of, since this is today's lesson.

I am a friend, neighbor, relative, cohort, teacher, advisor, and otherwise all-around spiritual guy who is that as previously stated, with your speaker at the moment, for our experiences and spirit are far and wide and varied as are all of yours here in the now as well as the future and the eternal. This I hope to lend some credence to our discussion, or lesson for the day, as well as to add a new, different, or expanded concept to the message of "Don't Worry! Be Happy!"

The concept of eternity certainly has beginnings, as well as endings, in your time-space continuum, so I wish for you to simply entertain the idea that in your humble beginnings here in this world, you were preceded by thought concept, or existence in the realm of spirit that precedes you, whether in the concept of pre-existence of the heart, the mind, or the soul, at least in the concept of the spirit presence of our Heavenly Father made known alive and co-existing with you in your experience here in the flesh.

At least let it be known that THIS experience of the God/Father fragment part and parcel of your being, has known through all time and all space and beyond, the existence of nothing but sublime bliss. This you can take to heart and in the manner of speaking in your world, "take it to the bank" if that needs to be the expression. Regardless, be assured that this part of your being knows the eternal now as purity of light at heart and that all are one in this presence.

Imagine for a moment, if you were able to enter the energy field of violet. If, for example, you were able to enter an African violet or natural violets in the field, and you were able somehow to enter that aura of color, of vivid vibrating energy, that is the color of violet.

Imagine that presence and the feeling that you obtain from that energy field of violet. This is certainly not filled with terror, with strife, with anguish, but on the contrary, all that is pure, holy and at one and certainly peace.

This I wish for you to enter whenever you are feeling threatened or in anguish or, worst of all, terror over what your conditions may be. Visualize a violet. Enter those petals and bathe yourself. As water aerobic experts, pirouette throughout the color. Drench yourselves in the feeling, the presence, of that which represents the color of our Heavenly Father and his environs. Be of pure heart and mind, for your presence in the Eternal is now.

It is not when you earn your way that you may find eternal bliss, for bliss is now as it always will be. I leave you in this state of mind and being, with the knowledge that you are love, and as the verb of that expresses itself as "love", know that you simply ARE, as in eternity, our Father has always been one with us. Be of clear mind and know your presence in that love, and all else becomes secondary. Be mindful of who you are as you go from this day forward, and when necessary, enter the field of violet to be in that presence. I leave you with good hearts and minds, renewed and refreshed, as you know yourself to be the beautiful children that you are, and we all are in our Father's heart and mind and presence. Peace be with you.

Group:        Thank you, Cicoli.

ANATOLIA:         When you remember the harmony of life and the balance sought and enjoyed in your dual nature, rejoice that the effort of learning, the exertion of serving, is naturally balanced by the power of prayer and the sanctity of worship, the joy of praise and the art of living. This richness that you know is enhanced by the love you share with each other. Recognize your siblings as purple swallows in a flock lifted off, lifted up. Let it be so. Let's enjoy the wonders of the day, the approach of springtime, advent of a new beginning, and let the new beginning be eternal, and everyone’s. Thank you so much for your exquisite graciousness in convening with us in the celestial spheres. We work with you while you go about your daily doings, and so appreciate that you return to the bosom of your being in these gatherings of glory and light and we'll look forward to the efforts of this week in anticipation of gathering again around the campfire with the Master next week.

Elena:         But, Tomas, are you okay, though?

ANATOLIA:         Tomas is well, and would no doubt convey his best and his love if he were to have put a message on the device, but he did not, so be assured all is well.

TOMAS:     Hello. And Good-bye.
GROUP:     [Laughter!] That was brief! [More laughter.]

*****

DATE:        April 6, 2003
LOCATION:        Rio Rancho NM USA – Elena and Matthew’s home
T/R’s:             Gerdean (for Tomas); Matthew (for Anatolia)
TEACHERS:     TOMAS and ANATOLIA

TOPICS:
"The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth"
Transitioning from the Old Way to the New Way

Q&A:         Learning Jesus’ Leadership Style
        The Seeds of Love and the Reconstruction
        The Joy of Wellbeing

Music:     Elena on piano – "The Old Rugged Cross"

Prayer: (Matthew)     Let’s place ourselves in the presence of Jesus, the Christ.

“Master, We come to you with delight, inspiration and hope for a renewed world -- one that is based upon all of the principles and qualities and concepts that have been taught from time immemorial -- and with the American tradition and flavor of who we are, what’s right, true and in principal: if it’s good for us, it’s good for the entire world, if not the universe. These are things that we believe in.

"We ask for the transformation in our hearts to be able to live with these principles as truth and what is right, even though we may not see it exhibited within our midst. Let us uphold those values and principles and not be pulled down into the mire of what the world is currently, in confusion and disorder, but to do what the teachers have taught -- to rise above and to place ourselves in the mind-set of Love; and more than that, in the quality and the presence and being of Love. With your help and assistance in our lives on a continual basis, we ask that our heart’s mind be open to this, that you can aid us in the process, in transforming ourselves in this process.

"In appreciation for the ability that you have to reach us, personally and through the teachers, we are grateful and we ask for whatever teachings you find to be helpful, necessary and beneficial to us as a group and as the universal collective, to have that transpire today, as well. And for our willingness to heed and pay attention and to continually change in your midst, we are forever grateful. Amen.”

TOMAS:     Good afternoon, my faithful family. I am Tomas, your teacher, in your midst again after a brief hiatus.

Matthew:     Welcome back.

TOMAS:     I appreciate you having missed me in the face of such superlative "substitute teachers" as Merium and Cicoli, and my thanks to Anatolia for "holding down the fort" (as you might say) in my absence.

I have been off with my peers in extended consultation about the Correcting Time mission for Urantia in view of the current affairs of your world and the consuming concerns of the political situation and emotional fervor such realities invoke. Your prayer today speaks fully to the concerns that you have here in this group and in many of the teacher bases across the nation. And while you have a perspective that is uniquely conditioned by your citizenship status here, it does not preclude an appreciation for teacher bases outside this nation comprised of students of the celestial spheres – celestial hosts -- who are attempting to reinvigorate your world with the reality of a God which transcends the nationalistic definitions of Godhood.

The element, for instance, of this as a religious war is almost innate to your human thought processes and it so far removed from the reality which we have come to impart. This is not a religious war. The only religious battle you have is the good fight of faith, as you have been told, and the faith that you have has nothing to do with tenets or belief systems. It has to do with the living fiber of your being. The living fiber of your being is that which we are attempting to draw forth and to exalt as an element of divinity.

It is fruitless, therefore, to compare yourself to those who are the physical warriors embattled on the plain of terra firma for political science. It is also fruitless to expect you to disassociate yourself from those thoughts and concerns which are a natural part of any human being’s conscious awareness of his fellow men, women and children. The message that you have been given is to continue to seek for peace within yourself and to spread joy in your arena. And to some ears this is a Pollyanna-type message that implies an indifference to the concerns which impress you and press upon you in light of these circumstances.

The lesson last week, indeed, made reference to the sparrow and the flock of birds that gathered together and stayed together, in each other’s company, for better or for worse, since within that flock they were able to speak the same language, sing the same song. They understood when one flew away to follow, just as in the migrating season the geese provides a lead goose to follow. And thus there is someone to show the way and someone to take over that role when the time comes, so that each of you -- each of you geese --become part-time leaders, and each of you sparrows are comforted by the company you each provide each other.

The admonition to "stick to your own kind" is not my message today, nor will it ever be, because while you do indeed cherish like-minded brethren your work is in the field of those who do not respond as you do, who have not been touched by the spirit in such a way as to impel them to put Father’s will first, to seek to follow His will. In the field there are those who continue to employ self will. Some of those are readily influenced and some of those are "tough nuts to crack," but your faith-walk will always involve, in some method or means, reaching out in service so as to spread the light of truth within your realm.

The circumstances of the birth of this new dispensation, in terms of its physical portrayal, is being dramatized, for as the new way emerges, the old way subsides. And as many of us have said from the beginning, those who have enjoyed power in the old way will not relinquish it willingly. They will grasp it tenaciously in order to hold onto that which they have known and in which they enjoy power.

But remember, too, that you have been taught, and you know, that within you is the seed of a Greater Power and that seed is going to grow up, in and through your representation, to become the new level of operation for this planet -- the enlarged and natural reality of a new stage of light and life, this 5th epochal stage on which we now play, perform and battle.

I want you to remember your fellows and I want you to acknowledge your fidelity to the Master that we follow. Not the Master from the books, for there are many ‘masters’ and many books and those ‘masters’ tend to separate people, but the Master that lives within your heart and mind as love, graciousness, peace, willingness to serve. The good Samaritan, the Prince of Peace, the Fisher of Men. These symbols of His reality are potentially your reality and the identification with those of your fellows who support these goals and aspire to be as God-like in their way as He was in His way is the inspiration we seek to impart.

Make not, however, the mistake of revealing yourself as exalted, but rather as a man among men, a woman among women, a human being without supernatural power except as your own mustard seed of faith -- which is, indeed, a potential source of the power we will need to survive the transition from the old to the new. This seed that lies within you each is likened to the fish symbol that was used when the first apostles were about the Father’s business.

I have perhaps whet your appetite and perhaps your soul will stir to these words, these directives. Perhaps there will be questions, but for now I conclude my formal remarks and relay my microphone to my fellow teacher.

Matthew:         Anatolia is here.

ANATOLIA:         Best wishes to each and all this fine day in April, here in your world, as you know it. This is a bright and marvelous day which is similar to that which you heard in church this morning in terms of ‘what else is new’ here in New Mexico, for most days are bright, cheerful and clear with the occasional disruption in your cycle to all but sun worship. It’s a bright, clear and worthwhile experience to be in this environment and, to a large extent, one that is a blessing and a gift. There are many throughout your immediate circumference within this hemisphere who have weather difficulties -- extreme one way or another -- and while you might say that your conditions are extreme as well, for the most part there is cheerfulness, brightness and many positives that you face.

This is also the case with geopolitical or political conditions as they exist throughout the world. Presently your conditions have overridden, or zoomed past those of other individuals throughout the world. There is an equalization that will take place that will bring forth primarily an awareness of the equality of humanity regardless of which corner of the globe they inhabit. A superiority by nature, one society over or versus another, will not prevail will not prevail in this new form of being.

The tribulation or the transition of which Tomas speaks is in the process and will not be an overnight transition but one which will ultimately bring about new beginnings, new understanding, with new appreciation for the universality of humanity. But regardless of color, eye shape, stature or gender, the universality of God’s creation will become more widely accepted and matter of fact; not just mentally but emotionally in terms of camaraderie and feeling empathy, as well as sympathy for those under lesser conditions.

This new period of human existence will manifest an appreciation for life where ever it exists and for realizing the uniqueness and the God-given gift that such an expression implies, as well as entails. This-- regardless of how long the transition may last -- is every reason for you to be hopeful, helpful and willing to go-the-distance to see such a transition. I cannot tell you how long it is or what will have to be experienced for its realization, but know surely that as Jesus instructed his disciples that "now you see men but there will be a time when you will not; but I must go to my Father and in that transition know that a new day and a new beginning will result".

Likewise, this is your trial and tribulation time for which you have been entrusted as well as prepared. Let it be your transition of awareness from time of instruction as the apostles were so instructed. And even though they were unwilling or unable to accept or foresee the transition that they would experience through Jesus’ resurrection and transformation, they too did grow in the awareness and the appreciation that they then were called upon to be the voice and the legs and the spirit of that which he left them to do.

Be it then your mission to accept the larger gifts, the gifts of spirit engendered to you through faith, that you too shall see the resurrection -- whether it is in your world, in your physical life or thereafter -- know that you are the seeds of this transition, that surely it will not have formed or find expression outside of those who were prepared to recognize that the Master has risen. If all who were prepared had left when the Master left, no one would have been here to recognize the miracle that occurred. All of those in disbelief or confusion would never have been able to tell the tale, to be witnesses to the vast and dramatic heaven and earth intercession that had occurred. So take stock in the good news that you are preparers of good news.

This is a day like your day outside, that is full, bright and clear with hope and a new beginning surrounding you. This is my message of good news to you and I hope you maintain heart, but above all, fulfill the mission that you have -- to accomplish the expression of God in our world at this time.

Peace be with you, and may the merriment and oneness that you feel in your hearts be realized as you transition through this difficult time. Peace be with you.

Group:     Thank you.
TOMAS:     Thank you, Noble Helper.

What have you been doing, my fair friends? What has transpired in your development of late that you would share or reveal in the form of inquiry and concern for elucidation? Share with me. Speak to us. Reveal your soul in social discourse.

Elena:     Well, I have something that I would appreciate your suggestions and guidance on, as Project Manager in this new position that I have. This last week I have had what I’ll call non-confrontation confrontations, which might sound kind of weird, but kind of avoiding my direction in wanting to get something done. So I feel a little frustrated because I’m trying to be very clear, very straight forward, and very accommodating to all the personalities and recognize their difficulties, and yet still keep things going forward, and I’m perhaps not doing things in the best way.

I don’t know if I’m being clear or have provided enough information for you, Tomas, but there are personality conflicts involved; there are fears involved; there is uncertainty of a new product and feelings of inadequacy and I just try to keep going forward on these kinds of things and I’m kind of getting this passive attitude from the programmer and, strangely enough, the graphic artist, too, which is a surprise, because she and I have worked well together in the past. So I’d love to have some suggestions.

TOMAS:     I will ask a midwayers assistance for you if you have not asked already, and in the meantime I will call to your attention that even though you may have been trained in this system of things to operate and function within a certain set of regulations and guidelines, you are still most effective as a teacher and as an elder sibling to these individuals who are balking at many things and you are seeing the brunt of much of their resistance.

It would appear as though they are resisting you, perhaps, but this is because you take your work personally. They may also be rebelling against your methods of leadership. Call into being the ways Jesus employed, and while those ways may conflict with the methods you have been taught, they are tried and true. The way he dealt with his brothers and sisters is an example. He would confer with them, draw them in, and ask for their input as to their sincere concerns. He would cut through the soil of politics to the seed - to the core of the problem.

If you are attempting to create a team, it is necessary for you to operate from the heart as well as from the mind. If you take (Cherubim) Bob’s earlier lessons as an example of this insight into the seven Adjutant Mind Spirits, you will realize that the expression of any reality is had only when the heart and mind are in synch. When the heart feels one way and the mind feels another way, when those two ways are opposite, you will not have the productivity you seek.

The expression will not be forthcoming. It is only when the heart and the mind work together that expression is possible. And yet a wise administration will see to it that the heart is not the overpowering influence nor is the mind, but that a merging of these two important realities will bring about the desired effect. In this way you will have captured those who are ruled by the heartstrings as well as those who are driven by their mental programming. This takes time. It takes time away from the productivity you seek, but it cannot be short-circuited. It would be like demanding that your trained lions perform and jump through the fiery hoop before they have been fully trained. You are asking for a disaster. It is only when the training is complete that the effective results can be had.

Does this speak to your concern?

Elena:     Yes. I don’t know how to do that, but I guess I’ll think about that. Thank you, Tomas.

TOMAS:     Pray on that and understand that in the long run it is the authority of the assignment that will uphold you, and within that framework you can allow yourself to be the best coordinator, facilitator and counselor possible. In this, you will direct them and earn their devotion, their loyalty, not because of your authority but in spite of it. I understand that this is not the way of the world, necessarily, but it is wisdom withal.

Elena:     Thank you.

TOMAS:     Everyone needs to feel they are a part of the solution -- if not the entire solution. If their part of the team provides an important part of the results, they will give it all they have and more if they support the results you seek or that they are asked to provide. You cannot command respect -- you must earn it. And anyone knows the difference between a demand and a request. ‘Request’ from these people what the need is, and let them respond to that need rather than ask them to obey a command which will insult their integrity. They will feel they are a trained dog or lion and react accordingly.

The resistance you feel may be part confusion and part rebellion and the only way to find out what your obstacles are is to ferret them out through dialog and discernment. Is that helpful?

Elena:     I think so. It makes me think about things -- things that I certainly didn’t intend to do one way -- but, I mean, it definitely does give me some food for thought, and I thank you.

TOMAS:     You’re welcome.

Matthew:     I’ve been wrestling all week with trying to adopt a new way to deal with this war situation and not be continually upset about the things that I see happen, and what appears to be happening, and the unprecedented position that America is taking as an aggressor nation, etc. I am really wrestling with all of that and finding a place to be in all of that. Even up through and including this morning, still being unsettled, but the teachings today have really helped bring that a little more clearly to heart and mind. So I’m appreciative of that because it was kind of like stuck on a wall and not being able to get over it, around it or through it, but it’s as if the wall has opened and (I) can at least not have that difficulty. So I’m appreciative.

TOMAS:     I am happy to counsel you in order for you to have clarity; however clarity in situations like this could be likened to winning the battle but not the war itself, for each day will bring you a new vision of the atrocities and inhumanities, as well as another opportunity to reroute your mind-set to reinforce the vision of change in bringing about a state wherein the meek truly inherit the earth.

The resounding response from across the globe for peace and against this surgical procedure in the Middle East is a reflection of the sparrows world-wide. While they may indeed flutter and fly off when they are frightened, they continue to return to earth for their sustenance and to sing in joy. This will be the pattern for you for a while because of the current events, but in time the conflict will burn itself out and, yes, while there will be much reconstruction required, you will have already been reconstructing with your fellows the pattern of peace-keeping in your own yard, in your own realm. And this is more contagious than the impetus to fight, for it is founded on love: love for humanity, love for those qualities of peace -- truth, beauty and goodness -- which are held in the heart of all these seedlings.

It is difficult to restrain your eye from the violence and the carnage, but if you were to enhance your vision to embrace these many others who join with you in their hearts and minds in the desire to live a righteous life in peace with your fellows, to raise your crops, to raise your children, to worship and to work, to sing and to enjoy the fruits of your labors, you will have grown a mass of humanity -- as if you were the blood cells that rushed to the wound to enable it to heal more quickly.

Matthew:     Thank you. That’s helpful.

TOMAS:    Again, I am happy to provide encouragement. I recognize your dismay you who have such beautiful souls filled with love for your fellows, who have been taught and believe in the goodness of man, who have been encouraged to have faith and to trust. It is difficult for you to behold the carnage of those who have put a blight on your picture of Paradise. We understand your distress because even the Master suffers from the throes of the battle that rages. The innocents who suffer, the ignorance which prevails, the violence which drives the greed which consumes -- these are feelings he shares with you, even as he encourages you to rise up and sing, because this too shall pass, and there is no commandment that you should feel the pain of the world or that you should be required to heal the wounds of the world, only that you shall live your life and be all that you can be in the development of your own soul. In that, you can serve willingly as you pass by. You need not carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.

You will be given opportunities to act upon your light of truth and those opportunities, simple as they may be, will afford your soul an opportunity to express itself and to plant seeds in favor of that which is developing and growing, out of this which is fetid. Thus you will have played a role, done your part, in your own realm, in your own way. Be mindful of that truth and prepared for those opportunities when they come.

Keep calm. And while you are certainly not expected to disassociate yourself from the circumstances of the world, it would serve you well if you were to not let your heart rule, nor your mind, but a stable balance between the two so that your expression can represent that which is the best of both worlds -- that which is most clear, most helpful for the moment, for the "now" in which you serve. And remember your fellows. Not only the fellows you know in the Teaching Mission but the fellows who serve with you in the Greater Mission across the globe -- the human fellows who share your sentiments and desire peace -- the meek who shall inherit the earth. And let them be a comfort to you as a human - a man among men and women and children, who seek peace on earth, good will to all men.

[The room is very quiet.]

I have lulled you to sleep.

Group:     No, we’re awake!

Matthew:     That really helps what I’m talking about in terms of seeing something beyond what was a mental block and not being able to get past the flames. Thank you --that helps greatly.

TOMAS:     What else, now that we have passed the roadblock of the war?

Esmeralda:     Tomas, this week I’m afraid I’ve been a bit self-centered. I have just had feelings of joy and gratitude. I’ve realized that I feel good – physically -- and I have felt like doing things which I had not in about three years. I’ve enjoyed the beautiful mornings that we’ve had. I’ve been doing yard work and things around the house. So my week has been filled with joy and gratitude. I know there must be lots of things I need help with, and insight into, and a lot more growth probably. But it’s been a good week. And it’s good to have you back this week, too.

TOMAS:     We all rejoice with you in your good tidings and good cheer. This atmosphere is one in which all delight. And this sense of wellbeing is also conducive to accepting those barnacles of imperfection which grow on the hull of your personality, that gives you the verve to scrape them off while you enjoy the fresh air and sunshine of the day. It is so easy to heal and cure the ills of imperfection as we are bathed with perfection.

Keep up your good attitude, daughter, and radiate your good cheer. This is a most helpful service in this time of fear and concern for so many. And, being mindful of the concerns of so many, you are not being selfish but, rather, a beacon of light to help guide others into the light of truth and out of the fear -- which will be a part of the collective unconscious of all of humanity until such time as it ascends to a level of peace and freedom that disdains and disallows such insidious invasions on our safety and security as sons and daughters of the living God, forever and ever. Amen.

Esmeralda:     Thank you Tomas.
TOMAS:     We’ll see you next week. Keep up the good work and be of good cheer.
Group:     Thanks.

*****

DATE:          April 20, Easter Sunday, 2003
LOCATION:        The Stafford’s home in Albuquerque, NM, USA
T/R's:             Gerdean (for Tomas); Matthew (for Anatolia)
TEACHERS:        TOMAS, ANATOLIA
TOPICS:
What is Solemnity of Trust
What Is a Perfector of Wisdom
A Faith Perspective
Trust

Q&A:         What or Who is the Perfector of Wisdom?
        Tomas answers questions about his home world.

Music:     Elena on Piano

Prayer: (Matthew)     Let us place ourselves in the presence of Christ Jesus.

“Master Teacher, We come before you today on this glorious day of your resurrection -- the memory of which will reign forever, with you and with our Heavenly Father -- and we stand like the women who came to address your needs, even in the apparent defeat, on Sunday morning to find an empty tomb -- which was the best thing that ever happened and ever will… other than the communion of Saints rejoining and fulfilling that which is promised. In the meantime we deal with the superficial defeat on earth and despair that still occurs on this planet, but it is superficial because the victory, the glory, the power are Yours and we are a part of it. That was accomplished because of Your will in the Father’s will. So there is ultimately nothing to be worried or concerned or defeated about because you took us beyond defeat and into glory.

We ask for the teachings today that you determine to be of the most appropriate for our on-going development and spiritual nutrition. We pray for all the cares and concerns of our hearts and minds that you know and that we ask for their deliberate dispatch in being healed, cured, or resolved in the time that is appropriate. We give you great thanks and praise for being the son of God and for allowing us to be part of your glory now and forever, Amen”

TOMAS:     Cherubic children, on this day of joy I convene with you in celebration of the victory of the Spirit, in Life over death, and share with you, in your working out the mortal sojourn that will provide for you that victory which he has portrayed in the resurrection that is celebrated in your world this day. The hosannas On High share with the prayers of mortal believers who lift up their eyes unto the heavens for the clouds to part and the glories of the Son of God to shine down upon them. He shines upon us all. Amen.

I would like today to address with you the topic of Trust, the victory that is Christ Jesus’ even that victory over death.

The culmination of his sovereignty was accomplished singularly through his trust in the Universal Father’s divine will.

Trust is the key to your freedom, your path through the maze of mortal incertitude. Trust is like the crumbs laid down that will enable you to follow the path through the forest. Trust is the triumph over doubt that gives your faith credibility in man’s eyes and fruition in your own ascension. Trust is the key. Trusting the Father, that is.

The preciousness of infants and babies is their total Trust and their delight in the realization that their needs will be met. Trust is seen in the wavering steps of the toddler as it reaches out to the parent, learning to make his own way through time and space. Trust is children laughing, playing, unperturbed by the distraction of discord.

If and when a child runs freely into pain or devastation, its Trust falters. Part of this is good. Part of this is a learning experience, that you do not put your hand in the fire. You begin then to Trust your instincts.

While it wise to Trust your instincts, it is also true that as a mortal advances in a realm such as Urantia, the betrayals and disappointments of life might well lead one to embrace distrust as a way of life, misconstruing that … having Trust in your fellows is not the same as having Trust in the Father.

I will not bore you with a litany of the betrayals your planet has known and how it is that the fact of betrayal enters into ever fiber of this mortal realm. And with this heritage it would seem foolish for one to find something in which one found faith or that which one would have Trust in.

Those of you who know Jesus, who know that he shares the experience of living with you, know that he, too, knew betrayal -- not only Judas but in countless ways the power of the flesh overcame the power of the spirit in the lives of men.

Trusting men, trusting the ways of the world, is not at all the same as Trusting the Father. Remember that Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." He has not asked you to Trust that which is imperfect or those who know him not. He has asked that you Trust the Father, as he trusted the Father. Implicitly! Even unto the end.

Faith is the victory. The valley of tears that your world often represents is faithless and without Trust of that which is uplifting and eternal.

Faith is given to you, as a Son of God, as a mustard seed. And by your decisions and through your sincerity you begin to nurture this seed of faith until it fills your being. And when you see that your very being is infused with faith you begin to recognize the solemnity of Trust, for within this solemnity of Trust you are able to perceive the Father in all things. As such, it is also possible to see where He is not, as the Master was able to see, even as he lived the life of a man, a mortal man, on Urantia.

There are opportunities abounding at this day and age, and at this juncture of your development, to discern distrust even in your brothers and sisters, for there are degrees of discernment and perception that are part of the human package, the conditioning and the value that is each individual’s composition, where they may vary from one to another; and, thus, it is possible as religionists to distrust one another, even while you are able to love one another, because you can recognize the relative perfection, the relative imperfection of the degree of growth that resides therein.

From the fatherly attitude you can see how the children hold within them the aspects of good and evil, and you can Trust that in the end the good will prevail. The faith will bring victory. But in the process of perfecting, each mortal being wears a mask of unreality. And you are not asked to Trust that which is unreal, or even that which is behind the mask, for it is not established in the heart of that being as to how they will go. This is a part of the perfecting process, an element of the ascension.

It is also here that when you Trust the Father you can sit down with each other and say, "It is this aspect of you that I don’t trust because I perceive it this way." And the other may respond, "I recognize your distrust and, while I find it highly distasteful, I find in you also those qualities which are less than God-like. However, in light of the mutual desire to serve, to rise above the imperfect perceptions of mortal man, by drawing upon the Spirit of Truth and the Perfector of Wisdom, it is possible to work through these entanglements and pass through to the other side, even being able to admire the effort that was necessary within you each to overcome your own bias, in order to see the perception of the other, such that you are able to embrace as brothers in understanding of the nature of the human condition en route to perfection, en route to a unity of purpose in the Way, the Truth and the Light.

The Brotherhood of Man is your potentially greatest attainment, for in the sharing of these fraternal attitudes through Christ Consciousness you are able to elevate yourself from the realm of animal existence into the realm of fraternal relations that are a part of the Eternal Kingdom -- the essence of the Paradise ascent -- enabling yourself to learn to Trust the Father in all things.

Understanding that distrust is a material component natural to your historical conditioning is a lesson, a perception, which we pray thee find. In the solemnity of Trust your fellowship will be exalted as the Family of Man that lives with God, that has known the Love of Jesus, and that emulates his Trust in the Father in all things, thus reflecting Faith and Grace in all you do.

I have presented you now my Easter Basket filled with the colored eggs of Trust on a bed of Faith.  Let me pass the dais to my companion. For now I bid you farewell.

Matthew:         Thank you. (Pause) Anatolia is here.

ANATOLIA:         This a grand day here in the halls of celebration. Wherever you look you will see flowers, colors, glory and deep-seated rejuvenation, regeneration and glorification of the thought of humanity having risen to a new level due to the exercise of free will chosen by a Creator Son.

This is a perspective I wish to share with you that is seldom viewed and widely misunderstood, in terms of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It is customary to consider the sacrifice of our Savior as having been a sacrificial rite for the wages of sin. However, this is a consideration which I wish to expound upon, if not expand upon, to include the voluntary participation in the will of a Divine, yet human, Actor taking the place of pure human will in a human drama. Never before, outside of the pagan world, had there been an active participant of the Divine Realms in human events.

There are many ways to perceive or to view, those wondrous acts of intervention, during, before and after, the drama known as ‘Christ Jesus personified in your world,’ for there had never been the opportunity for humanity to have such direct insight and Divine inspiration and guidance. Never had there been an Actor of Divine Heritage that shared the same cell structure, genealogical inheritance, and for all others’ rights and purposes, human existence, as had that of Christ Jesus. So, in many ways, the actual presence and participation of a Divine Son in your world, that became part of the Human Drama, is to a large degree the initial miracle or amazing grace that took place.

How he intersected your world and what was transacted in the process has many dimensions, nearly countless. As you would view them in a kaleidoscope, every time you face the light and turn the end you see a new dimension, a new facet, a never-before-seen dimension that continues to change with how the chips fall into place.

Let me just say that there is nothing defeatism-oriented toward the crucifixion, least of all the resurrection. Even though the demise of a Divine Son in the flesh took place during an entire day in the approximate time of 2,000 years ago, the reality was that Divine Trust was very much being portrayed. Despite what human will seemed to override and squelch -- that of what many believed to be the long-awaited Messiah, to be executed like a common criminal. It would appear to be the ultimate in defeat.

But what was not seen by many (but perceived in spirit by some) was that the suspension of Jesus’ will in his human role was relinquished to that of the Father’s role in terms of Trust. Jesus knew that by relinquishing his life in the physical world, he would gain for all of us the Trust and the realization that his purpose was truly Divine.

When had it ever been demonstrated before that a human being (thought by many philosophers and otherwise) to be just several steps above animal life … how could that level of life ever achieve that which was achieved by the death and resurrection? When had there ever been such contrasts that could prove the unprovable -- that life is everlasting?

It cannot, nor will not, be diminished by anyone’s imposition or supposition that their will prevails. The Father’s will prevails. And it was the Father’s will that life everlasting be clearly demonstrated. How could that have been portrayed any better?

There are many examples or allusions that one could paint or draw that could possibly portray that life has an eternal purpose, but many of those scenarios would be outside of the realm of the human-divine interplay. Any supreme being can perform any function outright and apart from the human will and human drama. But for those to have become one (and for many, all they ever saw in Jesus was his humanity) and from that perspective, for that humanity to have risen on the third day is truly amazing.

There are many ways that I could continue to illustrate this point, but let me simply say that in all that you do in your religious practice and more so in your faith demonstration. I want for you to continue to revel and marvel at this most dramatic moment in time that lives forever in the hearts and the minds of those who are one in the spirit.

This does not mean that you have to become one of the faithful departed, to be separate and apart, and beyond the cares and concerns of this world to have this perspective. This perspective of the resurrection can be yours on a perpetual basis, here and beyond.

For this is truly the message of Easter, the everlastingness of Spirit, as only created by a heavenly Creator with Its creation. That is truly the purpose and the message and the glory of Easter I wish for you to have this be a centerpiece of your faith perspective as it continues to grow. I wish that it not be relinquished for any purpose nor at any time because this is your eternal ticket. This is your payment of admission -- your Faith Perspective. This is worth on-going discussion in terms of the mystery of Faith in and of itself, but today it is the Divine Will to unite and to share the glory of Himself withal forever.

Rejoice and be glad, for we are always with you. And I wish for this dimension of Faith Perspective enhanced for now and for all purposes for all times. Peace by with you and be glad, for we are with you always.

TOMAS:     Thank you, Anatolia, for your chocolate. Can we have some jelly beans now from you (the group)?

Elena:     I have a question about what you mentioned about the Perfector of Wisdom. Can you give me just a little 'jelly bean' about the Perfector of Wisdom? I don't understand, exactly, what entity that would come from or who that is.

TOMAS:     The Perfector of Wisdom is a Universe Reality. It is personified for your comprehension, as if you were incapable of understanding any live thing without a form. I am reminded of the Living Libraries, which are not filled with books, as you would know 'knowledge' today, but rather an atmosphere without walls that you may enter into and absorb what is available on what you need to know, much as you now go to the library or the internet in order to find information. The 'living libraries' of the cosmos are realities for you to partake of.

Similar, but not the same, is the Perfector of Wisdom. Like the Sanctity of Trust, it is a quality of reality that has no parallel in your mortal framework, but you know when you have entered into its influence. You recognize the reality, the value, that it reveals.

Elena:     Well it's easier to understand the Trust that you talk about than the Perfector of Wisdom, for me. When you were talking about Trust I have a very clear understanding of that -- at least during the time that you were talking about it. What you said (about the Perfector of Wisdom) helps, but still I'm not clear about it. I can almost touch ... I can feel the Trust in the Father, but I'm not so clear about the Wisdom.

TOMAS:     The Perfector of Wisdom is a ministering spirit -- a helper which guides you into a comprehension of the worthiness of that which you seek, and which stretches you above and beyond your current comprehension of what 'wisdom' is. It enables your own wisdom to take on new dimensions and, like Sanctity of Trust, which you can feel around you as if it were a shady place on a hot day, the Perfector of Wisdom is similar to "a cosmic stretch" into a greater comprehension. It leaves you feeling enlarged and invigorated, as if every cell in your body had been innervated. You feel empowered, perhaps, because of the newfound level of wisdom which has been revealed to you through your own efforts -- through your own reach into divinity, and this process is assisted by the Perfector of Wisdom.

From your mortal vantage point you may think of it as a study hall that provides the atmosphere that will enable you to focus your mind on a point of behavior or attitude which allows you the "Sanctity of Trust" to see it through to the fullest extent possible, without diversion, without distraction, without the need to change the subject or run away. It provides time for you to make this leap in consciousness.

(Cricket, Paula's cat, meows noticeably in the background)  And good afternoon to you, as well, my four-footed friend. [Group chuckles0 I have affection for your animals. When I was mortal I had many animals myself. However, my selection was very limited by the nature of the restraints of our habitation. It was not my experience ever to see a horse, Paula. I have never been on a farm. I have been what you might consider a city boy, "a city slicker," but truly I was more like "Eloise, the apartment dweller". Even so, on occasion we were afforded stewardship over one of the many animals of the realm which we had adopted as appropriate for our living conditions and, since they were so domesticated, your pets put me in mind of those days when I was able to enjoy the company of the creatures of the realm.

Matthew:     May I ask a question at this point?
TOMAS:     Yes, Matthew.

Matthew:     What did the mortals of this world look like? Did they look like, for example, humans like us or with some real differences?

TOMAS:     My world?
Matthew:     Yes.

TOMAS:     They were somewhat shorter. They were slight of build. They were racially what you might call "petite" and rather without fur or hair but rather a 'down' that covered the bodies. When my sons were born, they were almost furry, but as they developed, they shed their hair, leaving particles of it in their bed, much like cats or dogs who shed will leave traces of their fallen hair on their bedding.

Our lives were lived within a similar time frame as yours but for us to live to be 75 or 80 was a very long time. However, the planet we lived on was so dense, the global time span was much smaller. The down-pull of the density of the neighboring tribes held us back from (- the word is not in your vocabulary that I am looking for -) what I have seen on other developing worlds where your vitality actually soars. Thus we were -- how shall I say, landlocked or grounded from the advantages of advancement that you will find on worlds of Light and Life that includes the entire globe. That is a different aspect of Light and Life. Thus, you see, my experience had its limitations. But to answer your question Matthew, we were of a slight build compared to Urantians.

Matthew:     Thank you. I had wondered about that before.
TOMAS:     Does this contribute to your spiritual discernment somehow?

Matthew:     I can find a reason. I'm curious because I've heard some descriptions of other creatures on other worlds looking like reptiles and other such descriptions. I wasn't expecting something grotesque. I was just curious, if it was almost a direct -- in appearance -- comparison to what we look like, that's all.

TOMAS:     We were similar. I was standard among my race. We all had blue eyes, however, which was a variation from the variety you see with your people. However, this was, very probably, a result of our isolating ourselves early on. It is not as if we had interbred, as there were enough of us to forestall any genetic deficits that inbreeding will bring. But there was such limited opportunity for the racial amalgamation that occurs on a normal planet. We retarded ourselves, in some ways, by this choice. But these deficiencies were made up in the course of time, as all deficiencies are in the path to perfection.

Elena:     Tomas, you mentioned before the difference of habitat for your race of people. I don't know if "race" is the correct word to use or not but it'll do. But on your world, was there some kind of mistake or a kind of a change of the plans, comparable to our world, that promoted and continued that separation between you and the other people? Because I remember you talking about that before.

TOMAS:     It stemmed from the conditions on our world-the physical conditions of the planet. The course we took was to protect ourselves from the elements, and thus we became more fragile. We lost the ruggedness that our neighboring relatives withstood, sustained, and grew into, and so, after a time, it became necessary for us to continue to separate ourselves, even culturally, for while we were able to develop our sensitivities and refine our life style, we were also made very vulnerable, you would say 'weak.' Thus, to your mind's eye you might think of us as birds in a cage and surrounded by cats on the prowl. However we did not feel imprisoned and we truly did sing for we had great joy in our peculiar society.

Elena:     Yours was a planet of Light and Life, too, wasn't it, Tomas?
TOMAS:     It was not.
Elena:     Oh.

TOMAS:     Our portion was very advanced but the planet, in the main, was a brutal place to live. But again, much of that was because of the physical aspects, the extremes of heat and cold that sent us scurrying indoors, whereas the others ran out into it to fend, and they became strong physically while we became strong inwardly.

Matthew:     Can the analogy be made between Asian people here and the Europeans? Because Asians are generally more light of build and tend toward more intellectual and spiritual pursuits.

TOMAS:     From your perspective that might be a way to understand our difference. But we were not nearly as many as the Orientals here. Our race, unlike the mongoloids of Urantia, were a small race of people. Perhaps the size of Australia, in comparison of the rest of the globe.

Paula:     Where was this planet of yours in the scheme of things?

TOMAS:     This planet was -- and is -- in a neighboring system in the local universe of Nebadon, and so we are simply neighbors.

Esmeralda:     Are we in the same galaxy?

TOMAS:     The galaxy itself, of course, embraces us all. But I'm not in the galaxy that revolves around your sun. We have our own sun (s-u-n) and it is rambunctious. Indeed there were two suns and three moons on my world and the weather conditions were altogether different from the weather conditions here. That is what set us apart from our fellows, and to my mind what enabled us to advance, but only because we adapted the way we adapted.

The others are, in fact, intact and evolving nicely on the rest of the planet from which I hailed, and they have evolved, as I have, now presenting a decent face to the Father in acknowledgment of their beings. Whereas in the days of my mortality, the gods outside of our compound were based on what you would know as 'ghost cults' perhaps. They worshipped the elements and this, of course, is why they would run right out into the elements and do battle with them. Eventually they realized that the wind and the rain were not their enemies nor gods but merely climate factors, and they began to develop new ways of invigorating themselves physically and entertaining themselves psychically. Thus they have come along in their evolution and what is left of what was once my world is what you might consider ancient civilization in ruins, and yet maintained as a museum for those to study.

Elena:     No more of your race is there anymore?

TOMAS:     They have all vanished. We evolved and eventually the need to procreate (long pause) -- again there's no word here -- (further pause) removed itself from us. You might say we were 'freaks' or a 'fluke,' but that was the experience that I brought with me to my eternal career. And there are times, like when encountering your cats, when remembrance of that way of life wash over me, and my memories, my reflections, are warm and joy-filled. Which is what Light and Life is, after all.

As I enjoy this respite with you from the embattlements of life on your world -- even in your lives -- the tranquility we share is one we know of as 'peace' resulting from the Prince of Peace. It is the quality of enjoyment that comes from an appreciation of our Higher Nature and the accomplishment of sedating our animal nature.

Elena:     Well, I don't know if for anybody else, but for me it's kind of like a continuation of what you were talking about at the start, too. As you learn more about someone else, you trust them more. And I'd have to say I know we've grown to know each other more during the last year, but as we grow to know more about you, it makes it easier to trust you more, too. It's very helpful, I think, and I really want to thank you again for sharing some of what your past experience is. Within the Father we are somehow a piece that fits in the humongous mosaic that we can't even comprehend, but in Him. But as one mosaic piece relates to another -- as you know more about that other 'piece of the pie' or whatever -- it certainly is very helpful. So thank you.

TOMAS:     And thank you for trusting the process of getting to know the facets of divinity which have been generously spread out before you in personalities such as mine and others that engage with you in a refinement of sentiment and an appreciation of the experience of others. It is a testimony to your growth as a conscious citizen of the Universe that your needs can abate sufficiently that you can look around and take an interest in the lives of others. This is not possible for those who are in fear of their lives or in distrust of life itself. It is those, of course, that we have as our assignment, you and I, and yet, in order for us to be effective, it will be to our mutual benefit that we have learned to love each other and trust each other sufficiently that we can see how we are alike -- how we compare as ascending sons -- how we share in the family of God as fraternal comrades. I have dredged up memories that have been long dormant today and I am glad you found them meaningful to your experience.

Esmeralda:     Thank so much for sharing with us Tomas. It just helped us to grow closer.
Elena:     And at another time we'd like to really know more, too.
TOMAS:     There is an element of your cat, Elena, I would like to mention.

Elena:     Oh, Thank You!! [Group laughter] I didn't want to ask about my pet. In the past I have asked you about Herbie (the beta fish) but I'm all ears. [Editor's Note: Her cat, Tanya, was keeping the household awake with incessant nocturnal swatting of the electrical wires throughout the house.]

TOMAS:     You are on the right track about the shedding. It is a part of the peculiar habit Tanya has instituted. Energy runs through those wires, and energy is able to, like a magnet, draw her and stimulate her follicles. If she were brushed, it would have a similar effect. You in this climate understand the electric charge of that shock that comes innately from scuffing your feet on the carpet then touching the door handle. She is "electrocuting her hairs off". It is a process similar to how snakes will molt their skin. It isn't enough to be harmful. It may not even be that effective, but it pleases her to try.

Elena:     Then I should brush her!

TOMAS: If she will hold still for it, you might eliminate some of her "itch to seek relief" in electrical wiring. This is just something else for you to put on your "To Do" list.

Elena:     I appreciate the suggestions, though. Anything that could kind of help us get some sleep right now would be helpful. So, thank you, Tomas.

TOMAS:     There is also an advantage to you, for in the Stillness that is required for you to effectively minister to your feline, you are brought into relationship with her and there are many gifts that can be gained from the association with the animal realm. They have so many things to offer that humans so often overlook. And the truth is, they share them with you, since they too have five (5) of the adjutant mind spirits and thus their nature is so much like your nature. Give yourself up to the luxury of engaging in intimacy with your cat and enjoy the grooming moment.

Elena:     Thank you, Tomas. (Phone rings)

TOMAS:     The outside world impinges. And it is just as well, for we must close our session and be about our Father's business. Take what we have enjoyed here today in this Family Gathering, the love we shared, the peace we knew, the trust we developed, the wisdom we imparted, and take it into the world with you. Give evidence to all you see of that which is eternal which has been resurrected within you! The way, the truth, and the light. We will see you next week. Farewell.

*****

DATE:          April 27, 2003
LOCATION:        Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA, at Myra's house.
T/R's:             Gerdean (for Tomas); Matthew (for Anatolia)
TEACHERS:        TOMAS and ANATOLIA
TOPICS:
Perfection Attainment
The Analogy of the Paper Bag

Music:     Elena on piano, playing Eric Satie

Prayer: (Matthew)     Let us put ourselves in the presence of Jesus the Christ.

“Master Teacher, We come to you with hearts that are open, tired in some cases, bewildered perhaps, but not discouraged, not disheartened, only need for momentary pause and refrain, to once again become aware of who we are in you and because of you, and because of the love of our Heavenly Father to you and to us. And to realize that the unity of humanity that we do not often see is a fact and is one that we can relish and relinquish any concern or tension over the apparent absence of such unity that we know that it is because of you as living proof and risen proof.

"We ask for whatever teachers and lessons that you ordain today that will be of benefit and renew our sense of Self and oneness with you and with creation as you have seen fit as an Actor within the Father to provide the availability of life and the experience thereof, we are forever grateful. And for those concerns that touch each of us personally and otherwise, we ask for their current and proper addressing. Amen.”

TOMAS:     Hear me now. This is Tomas. Hear me "tap, tap, tap" on the podium. [Group giggles] I am the conductor of the orchestra of the moment. The choir is in the balcony. But you are the instruments and I wish to speak to you about Perfection. There is so much IN-perfection in the world. And how do we know that there is imperfection? Because there is such sorrow, such yearning, such need. These conditions are like the void, which yearns to be filled. There are many who recite the same litany of experiences again and again because they have not the wherewithal to change their pattern of pursuit and begin rather to follow after that reality which will give rise to new life lessons, new challenges, new accomplishments and new rewards, new responses.

This is the advantage that you share, this ability to change, and to go with the flow of advancement, not only in material terms but in cosmic terms. I say 'cosmic' terms rather than spiritual terms because there are so many kinds of spiritualism and even spiritual reality but, for the most part, the collective consciousness of Urantia regards those as something that is constrained within the orb of the material world they can see and feel -- not with eyes and ears of spirit. In the pursuit of Perfection there are cycles. Instead of staying static you have new beginnings and new endings and you begin to enjoy the ride.

You no longer fear change for you know that the Father is looking out for you, His child, and will lead you through the experience, 'yea even though you walk through the valley of death,' you feel no sorrow for you know He is with you. There is much talk and banter, even social acceptance, of the current social vogue of letting things go. Let go of that relationship that is holding you back. Let go of that habit that is standing in the way of your enjoyment of life. Let go of that thinking that is tied to an old paradigm of reality. Let go of that ambition that is only leading you down a path to evade your true destiny. Let go of that Old piece of clothing, that old car, that old item, for the New! -- For the Promise of Abundance and the Golden Egg that Jesus came to give you: 'Life more Abundantly.' Perfection is not particularly found in the material world but it is IN the material world, certainly. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to look out this window and see the Perfect View -- to look into this atmosphere and see the Perfect Climate -- to look into each other eyes and see the Perfect Friend –

- to sit back and embrace the atmosphere that we create here and recognize we are enjoying Perfect Harmony. We have let go of many things that have stood in the way of our growth and we are enjoying the fruits of our labor. The advancement of Perfection is a process in which you all contribute and participate in, maintaining a loyalty to that which enhances and augments your life experience -- not because it is a practical matter as much as it is sublime. Many of you wonder, 'What would I do with myself if everything were Perfect?' And so you justify the continued existence of Imperfection. And yet by holding so fast to this False Humility, you are depriving yourself and the Universe of the glory inherent in you -- in your life with divinity. And there are those who have a sense that such superhuman joy is such an intimidating force they seek to undermine it. And many of you in your joy to serve, relinquish your Perfection, in the desire to reach out into the field and embrace your brothers.

Elena:     Would you say that again?

TOMAS:     I am speaking to you as a child of God and I am addressing a number of resistances that you are prone to, in sidestepping the acknowledgment of, and responsibility for, your own Perfection. I cannot repeat what was said for that would compel me to repeat an old thought. (Okay.) Far better for me to reach into my basket of resources and rephrase for you the concept that you are grasping. I look at you and I see your dual nature. I seen the animal with its material aspects, culture, intelligence, instincts, adjutant mind spirits, education, economics, attitudes, language and so forth, and I see that this is you. I also look at you and see the Reality of your Soul -- the Immortal aspect of you that is being created as you decide, on a daily basis, to do His Will in your life. In this context I can distinguish the Divine Personality that you reflect through your choices and thus I can call "you" "thou." Thou art God and thou art of God.

You, on the other hand, are a working combination of combustible mind and matter that may be altered by your choices, by which you become eternalized, through which your existence becomes actualized, through which your human self becomes perfected. Soon there will be no malice within you. There will be no jealousy, no fear. No negative emotions to mar your view of the Perfection which is yours as a result of your association with the Father, and with the Divine Family that surrounds you and encompasses you. As you give yourself over to the care of God, you are able to see how it is that God cares for you. You resist His Will less and embrace His Ways more. And with each decision, you have increased your Perfection Attainment. There are so many wonderful new philosophies emerging in this new dispensation of life, since we've been working with and on the heels of the fifth epochal revelation to this world. So many wonderful ways that the Spirit is advancing. And all of them are encouraging you to embrace the New that will lead you forward and release that which holds you back. Thus the global movement is growing in Grace and gradually will supercede and overcome that which is holding on to the old realities of life as you have been accustomed in the ways of men.

But the overall Perfection of Urantia will be made by you who are Friends of the Great Spirit, who have served through your Joy and in your great desire to enfold humanity in the Embrace of the Divine. For in that Embrace all the tears are dried. All the wounds are healed. All the lies are forgotten. And all the Truths are revealed that will make you whole -- whole as individuals and whole as a nation and whole as a world.

This is a process and it begins by your acknowledgment of that Perfection Attainment which you have, by your choices and through your commitment to Divinity, already mastered, already acquired, already attained. Not only is Christ risen -- YOU are risen, you who live in the Sonlight of the Spirit. Show forth your Perfection and yield not to the temptation to suppress the Joy of Sonship that is your birthright. Please now turn your focus to the words of our next speaker.

Matthew:     Anatolia is here.
Group:     Greetings. Welcome.

ANATOLIA: ``Be of good cheer today, a week after the arisen. He is alive and well. One week and 2000 years, approximately, following the actual event, He has risen and is alive and well. It is within each of your hearts and your souls that the Master continues to preside and to live within your center of being.

You may wonder how this is possible. Where, in this body, could you fit such a concept, let alone such an enormous Spirit -- such a grand and sublime Presence. Where was this Presence prior to the resurrection? Where was this Essence prior to your being? The answer, not like the song, is not 'blowing in the wind,' but the Answer is within. It is within this realm -- this landscape -- this place of being -- that the Master shares his worth, his value and His being. In-as-much as I can physically present and describe what this Presence is like, I will try.

Each of you in your Essence, is as the ancients have referred, prana -- or prhana -- Life Force energy. Chi, in the Eastern culture -- Soul or Spirit in the Western culture. The Essence -- the Value of life. The Presence that takes organic chemistry and places it with Life within. It is as if one were to fill light and subsequent movement and action and animation to a paper bag. If you were to take a paper bag and illumine it, it of course brightens and becomes a Source of diffused light, so bright that, if it were any brighter, would have no use for the bag that contains it! But obviously much brighter than the bag itself permitted.

The bag is substance of the earth formed for the purpose of containing Quality and Quantity. It is this Light Essence then that brings illumination. However, in and of itself, the Light does not animate. It is the God Force within the Light that presents the opportunity for animation, for Life to inhabit that Presence, that object, which prior to the Light was just a paper bag.

So it is that this animated Life Force that always was and always will be, is the Life Force within you. You do not need this form of Light to prove that Life exists. However, in your various stages of consciousness this is the only Life that you know to exist. It's beginnings and its ultimation are unknown to you, because it's as if the Life Force that we are speaking of within the container, of the bag, were to be released, it would no longer be contained within the form that presently is, but would be diffused -- becoming part of All that Is.

Know that the subtle containment thereof in your current state of being, is a momentary focusing of Light on a particular point. Much as a magnifying glass, reflecting sunlight onto a spot, where enough heat generated will certainly cause fire. This is what your current containment is: to be able to focus the energy of God-given Life Force, named, personified and presented as You. An opportunity to focus your energy in your current form in the status of the world as you find it today. The opportunity for Light within Light, Presence within Presence, more of the case Knowing within Knowing -- is the Presence of the Christ Spirit arisen.

The Spirit of Truth as you know it is both substance and Presence of knowledge and of Presence within you, and so it's as if, again, the Light within the Bag is multiplied, increased. The ultimate of All-That-Is is all the more focused within the bag, to make its effectiveness all the more present. To be Life as it is in Perfection brought to bear in Imperfection. The augmentation of your Light with that of the Spirit of Truth is what makes you an effective Presence of the supernatural with the natural. I think you get the general idea of what I am speaking, that this is more than just concept or an ideal, but is a Force and a Living Presence that shares your being. I only encourage you to make room for that of which you are already a part. One can live in the ignorance of the Spirit of Truth and find forms of effectiveness, even dynamic, ultimately multi talented forms of expression and accomplishment, but without the added feature of an Eternal Presence with you, it leaves one merely in a state of despair, not knowing how such talent, skill and ability can have a presence of being outside of its current containment. This lends reason, hope and justification for the imperfection that you experience today, in your present state of being in the hope that all can be more than the occasional limitations and despair would predict.

So I leave you with more than an ounce of Light and Hope. I present you with a Universe of Opportunity: to become who you are, here and now, without having to die to experience what we discussed. For dying is only the next step of nonresistant continuation. The nonresistance can be experienced now but yet demonstrated within this world of limitation. So be convinced that you are more than you see. You share a realm of reality that is well beyond your sight. And it is this sight that enables you to experience that which this world of limitation could fool you into believing is all that there is. I bring you great cheer and joy for the Master has risen and has an eternity of loving and living to be with you now and forever. Peace be with you.

Group:     Thank you, Anatolia.

TOMAS:     My companion is a light unto my feet. And you, my students, our students, are as a glow that indeed warms our hearts and gives direction to those you meet. What have for us today? Are there questions? Comments? Concerns?

Matthew:     I just had a thought this week that was a continuation of the concepts that were shared a couple of weeks ago about learning to deal with the way and the shape that the world is in, and basically the thought that we need to learn to love unconditionally -- to love the apparent sinner because we are certainly that ourselves, apparently. But that if we can't -- it's the whole concept of forgiveness and unconditional love and all of those things that you were speaking of today, but at least the thought came to mind of, “Okay, I can see that now in the practicum. And it started to make sense of what Jesus was talking about -- the law of nonresistance -- to love your enemies and to not resist the evildoer.”

So that, all of a sudden, made great sense and I could see some clouds parting in terms of both what Jesus was talking about and what Gandhi had placed his teachings and preachings upon and then Martin Luther King and others before and since. And that seems to be so key -- that without, to me anyway, actually experiencing this dramatic point in time -- prior to that had been more or less just a theory. But this has forced me to come to a new point of awakening and to deal with what otherwise could be a total threatening and totally despairing period of time, has given light to a whole different way to look at it, so I Just wanted to share that, that I have had an epiphany, per se, at least intellectually this week.

TOMAS:     How marvelous for you and for those you encounter, for now your countenance will be defined in such a way as to distinguish between the ways of God and the ways of mammon. And with the Will of God leading your life, you will better be able to serve those who unconsciously walk in darkness, even while you are able to love them in their ignorance. And this is a tremendous step forward in your career, in particular, those of you who have encountered the steeped effects of rebellion against Divine Will and the subsequent panorama of conditional love that has been your fare. You see how the acceptance of the Higher Path promotes Peace, even within your Soul, such that you will be more effective in your Service to that which remains meaningful and vital to you in terms of your Service to Urantia and its people.

Matthew:     Thank you.

TOMAS:     Yes, my friend, and to you for your willingness to divulge your growth to those of us who listen well to the strumming of your heart strings. The orchestration is resounding, in time with the music set before us. What of you other instruments? [Group chuckling)]

Elena:     Well, I've been out of tune this week. [More group chuckling] or I've broken a couple of strings or something. I've had some out of tune moments, let's say, but I think I'm in relative good shape. I'm tuning up for the next week and seeing what the repertoire comes up for the orchestra this next week. Last week was a rough one, and I'm still tired. But I don't feel bad about the week. I feel like I did the best I could with it and I'm ready to keep on and see what's the next refrain.

TOMAS:     You are young and vital in your attitude, daughter, and I so appreciate your willingness to continue to put one foot in front of the other in the challenges that you are experiencing. For truly, you are being -- seemingly -- pulled in two directions: you are being taught the ways of men, as well as having your Soul responding to the Ways of God. And there are times in these experiences that are so apparently two-sided/ dualistic, that you begin to lose your footing and have a sense of identity crisis, as if a part of your mind is saying, 'I don't know who I am anymore. I don't know what to think. I don't know what to do,' and you have so many influences pressing upon you.

But look at you, how, like a Piccolo, you pipe right up! [Tickled chuckling] Chirping! Willing to play. Picking up everyone else with you as you lure the somber and the staid into those melodies of adventure that are irresistible to the young at heart.  And so I commend your youthful spirit and your commitment to go where ever He leads, to attend the Universities of His choosing, to experience the growth that is required for you to best serve the realm in which you live, and thus help bring about the 'Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.' Be gentle with yourself in these times of dual effort. The spirit will prevail. Proceed in faith.

Elena:     Thank you, Tomas. Thanks for the pep talk. It comes in handy.

TOMAS:     Encouragement has "courage" at its root. Those of you who are courageous are entitled to encouragement. It is along the lines of the analogy that you've heard about the Father responding to the slightest flicker. 'If you manifest courage as a small flame, I will blow it into a bonfire.' What a wonderful illustration that was, Anatolia, about the paper bag. I will remember it in future, to use for other classes. In this, I invite you all to enter into a Spirit of Community, stemming from our Divine Parents who are steadfastly raising us up to be the children they have deemed we are. We have today those today who are missing from our midst and we feel their absence, even as we know the perfection of the configuration as it is. And so by holding fast to this Family of God it is possible to remain steadfast in our perfect poise and purpose -- to embrace all of humanity. I put that forth as an Ideal inasmuch I am unable to draw forth either Myra or Esmeralda. [Group laughter]

Esmeralda:     Tomas, my week has been a really very good one. I have enjoyed good health and I have enjoyed working in the soil. Spring is nice, and retirement has made it possible for me to spend quite a bit of time trying to brighten up my little corner. So I have enjoyed the week.

TOMAS:     I need not remind you then, of the joys of Perfection, for you have been enjoying the perfect exercise of will, and that is: nurturing your own well-being as you nurture the needs of life.

Myra:         Last but not least [Group laughter] I'll tell you about my instrument. I had an unusual week. I would say that I kind of like to play with the instruments, and during my week I would perceive myself as kind of being in the 'tuning' room all week, and yet the reaction of my peers is that I've played a symphony! It is I guess that dichotomy that sometimes is confusing and I was trying to figure out how that fit into Perfection. I didn't come up with any clever way.

TOMAS:     The refusal to engage in unjust judgment contributes to Perfection Attainment. When you hold onto judgment, you have limited Perfection Capacity. If you say, for example, 'I would like for this to extend farther but my judgement of the situation, my assessment, acknowledges the probability of limitation, and thus I'll not be disappointed by expecting too much.' You have done this to yourself in attempting to fine-tune. And others have, rather, seen the symphony of your efforts. So you cannot judge yourself any better than you can judge others. Let go of judgement and enter into a New Plateau of Perfection -- that which allows for the unexpected and holds hope -- for in God all things are possible.

Myra:         Thank you.

TOMAS:     We'll give you the drum [Group laughter] and you can bang on it [More group laughter].

Matthew:     That gave me an idea. Maybe it's a subject that you've already spoken on and I don't remember it, but at some point in the future, if I could put in a request to have a teaching on Hope. It seems like there was a discussion on it not too long ago, but to me it's a fascinating subject.

TOMAS:     Indeed it is. And a very real reality and a part of the ascension scheme. And so I'll schedule it, and yet I'll not detour too far today off the path that we have enjoyed -- that of the Perfection we have as actualized beings infused with Spirit. Our hosts have all exceeded their original plans. Or perhaps I am judging you incorrectly and curtailing your Perfection Expression.

Elena:     I don't think so.
TOMAS:     I'm glad to hear it.

Elena:     I think -- what I was thinking about it as you were talking about during the lesson, actually, was how that would be a moving target and using your word ascension and thinking how in the past I have limited myself more than I currently do. So I was recognizing some things I had done in the past that you were discussing. I don't remember what they are right now. And then I'm thinking well, yeah, there's more. So it's nice to be able to recognize some of those limitations that you have broken through, yourself, and as you break through each one I think that does give you more courage and less fear for breaking through others in the future. So I don't think you're limiting us. I think it's very helpful and kind of showing us the way to not let things get in our way or hold us back unnecessarily.

TOMAS:     Thank you for revealing this truth in simple terms, as humans understand such simplicity. And I am so far removed in so many ways from your comprehension levels. It is gratifying to me to hear you play back to me my words to you. In this way I am encouraged.

Elena:     Good! I have to blurt out, Tomas, you don't feel very far at all right now. You feel very close indeed.

TOMAS:     It's probably because you know my sons had fur. [Group giggles] I am suddenly more like you.

Elena:     Well, that's part of it. That did help. It just goes on, too. Thanks.

TOMAS:     Just see how joyous you are! Can you appreciate the bright light that you reveal? Each of you? And how powerful it is when we band together, we who are so appreciative of the life that we live with the Divine. Heaven knows we have imperfections, but those are the messes in our growth that we will learn to leave behind. We will begin to pick up after our spirit selves and go forward, assuming the responsibility of our relative perfection rather than continuing to find creature comfort in our mutual imperfections, which is a song everyone has song.

Let us lift our voice now and rejoice in the Light and in the Life that follows. Be of good cheer as you go about your week. Do not forget your Source and your Family in your adventure. Engage eagerly and openly with your mortal associates, in faith that the Father will eventually break through the inertia and reveal Himself as the Reality you have all longed for. And thus we will have done our work for this week, opening up the circuits to Salvington that sustain us all in our efforts in Perfection Attainment for ourselves, for the greater universe, and for the Father Himself.

Amen and farewell.

Group:     Until next week! Thank you!

*****

[End of Vol. VI, 2003 Part 1 of 3]