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Tomas Vol IV - Butler, PA - July 5, 1996 thru December 4, 1996 - Part 1 of 13

It was an eclectic assortment of personalities that comprised the Butler Teacher Group The City of Butler in Western Pennsylvania is off the beaten path of modern progress. It was founded during the Civil War, named after General Butler, and it retains the flavor of the Civil War. It's heyday was at the turn of the 19^th Century, ranking #1 in the nation for oil production, and in the manufacture of train cars, but since that time it has become a relic. The Connequenessing River runs through Butler. It sits in a valley, surrounded by hills, giving it a sense of security and isolation. It receives the run-off from Pittsburgh's drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. Obesity is high. There is little modernity in the County. Even television reception is poor. To give you an idea of the underlying social current, the Ku Klux Klan visited Butler to solicit recruits during the time of Tomas's sojourn there. However, the neighboring hills and forests were exceptionally beautiful and pockets of incredible graciousness more than compensated for Butler's bleak reality. As in any city, there are those who make living there worth while. And the personalities that comprised the Butler group were ordinary but unique individuals that you will come to know and love, as did the Teachers when they sojourned there.

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BUTLER, PA, USA

VOLUME IV, Part 1 of 13

July 1996 - December 4, 1996

C O N T E N T S

Date	Topic	Page
July 5, 1996	The Joy of Learning	1
September 17, 1996	If You Cut Your Finger, It Will Bleed	13
October 1, 1996	A Smorgasbord of Personal Counsel	23
October 8, 1996	Becoming Receptive	35
October 15, 1996	In God's Time	47
October 22, 1996	Review of Earlier Lessons	56
October 29, 1996	Loving Service	65
November 12, 1996	Tomas Discusses Money	74
December 4, 1996	Seek Ye First the Kingdom	85
	[End of Vol. IV, Part 1 of 13]	99

TOMAS: I am Tomas, your friend, your companion, your teacher and your guide in our journey forward. It is a pleasure to be here with you as usual and as always I delight in your presences. I have enjoyed your repartee this evening and your laughter. I have also enjoyed your human remarks about your teacher. I would be happy to/willing to discuss our relationship at any time.

Our relationship, one to another, as friends, as companions, is of infinite importance to me and it is a reflection on our inclination to be friends with the Spirit Indwelling of each of us; thus, the relationship you have with your teacher, in some regards, reflects upon the relationship you have with yourself and with your God and with your fellow human beings.

Will you engage in discourse with me this evening, my friends? What is on your minds?

Student: I want to know what you look like, draped or slouched. Not slouched. Sprawling. Paint me a picture of what you look like when you are "sprawling."

TOMAS: I am pictured, then, seated. I do not sprawl when I am upright. I like to think that I stroll in my movements afoot, but when I am seated and being philosophic, you might picture me as having my arm draped over my large easy chair and sitting in a somewhat comfortable and companionable stance. I use that way to convey a degree of comfort and affability rather than being lazy or slouching.

TOMAS: I am a comfortable kind of guy. Although I am presented often as rigid, I must convey to you that is because of the method of communication, (and) the rigidity which comes from delivering one word at a time. On occasion, my transmitter and I can get on a roll and she can convey more sweeping attitudes and inflections which, of course, gives color and interest to anyone's sentences, but when I am laboriously plodding along with one word at a time and simple concepts, it comes across as rather tedious.

I would like for you to know me well in the future, in some advanced state of reality, where you see me in my more natural condition, which is truly more affable and all-embracing. For now, I guess you'll just have to trust that I am your friend in all contexts.

Student: Okay. I owe you an apology. You impressed me as sort of stiff and rigid. A stuffed shirt. [Group laughter] After knowing Nero [Ed.: Nero was a Former Pittsburgh Teacher] for a while, that's how you came across to me in my mind. I pictured that and then I realized that you're not, that you're very humorous. Nero had a very dry wit and used to laugh, you know, make witties, and yours is a different type of humor, that's all. So I just wanted to apologize because I had that misconception that you were a stuffed shirt. I would like to ask you a question.

TOMAS: Before you go on, my dear, I would like to say that I will accept your apology only if you insist, for it is not necessary. It is your perception, based on what you have seen, and by comparison to previous exposure to teachers who were indeed more fluid in their presentation. If you must perceive me as a stuffed shirt, then you will have to take that up with Gerdean, for it is her rigidity and lack of fluidity, not mine, but I do not begrudge her stance, as I am pleased to have a mouthpiece at all. And you were saying?

Student: Okay. I'll work on Gerdean. I'm a professional massage therapist, so I'll loosen her up and then she won't be so . ..

TOMAS: I would like to respond also that although the physical aspects are certainly under consideration, it is also, to a great degree, her concern for getting it correct, her fear of making error, her desire to be certain of my messages. It is, as I said in an earlier lesson, her respect for the teachers that would put her in a position of wanting to speak only what we wanted to convey, and if she were to loosen up perhaps she would present us as being foolish. And so some of her problem is not physical but it is mindal and emotional. Spiritually we see very much eye-to-eye, so you might help her to loosen up by assuring her that you love your teacher and she will then relax in feeling that she can convey me and stop having to defend me.

I wanted to ask you about Gabriel. I find him fascinating and I don't perceive him as a personality who would take to a nickname like Gabby or Gabe. He impresses me as a very important man with so many things in his hands, in his control, and different types of great things about him. He seems like he would be a very -- what shall I say -- very nice person, a very neat person, with a very different type of feel. Am I correct in my assumption?

TOMAS: I have to say I do not know Gabriel intimately, as you would construe close friends. I have seen him operate. I have admired his work and I agree completely that he is not amenable to nicknames, in my opinion. I, like you, could never call him Gabby or Gabe. I think, though, that you should understand that your attempts at humanizing the higher beings is a way of trying to understand and identify with superior life forms, and as you give them personality traits such as humor and playfulness, they become more accessible to you. It is true, however, that in many cases you will need to grow up before you can completely appreciate the depth and breadth of such personalities as Gabriel, whose leadership is astounding, whose capabilities are beyond descriptive adjective. So many things in the universe are hard to describe, and Gabriel is one of them.

I admire him immensely, and yet I have encountered individuals who speak with him regularly, who know him well, and they convey to me that he is indeed warm and loving and can be supremely kind and even simple in his approach to life. I find that difficult to appreciate, for as I said, I have seen him in his capacities as a leader and an organizer of action and beings and I am more impressed than delighted, you see.

I will speak one more thing regarding nicknames, for I have heard you all refer to Machiventa Melchizedek as "Big Mac" and in other contexts I have heard individuals refer to Our Father as Higher Power, or "H.P.," and this attempt at affectionate identification with divinity is not looked down upon, is not looked at askance by the higher beings, for we are delighted by your acknowledgement, but as you learn and grow and develop an understanding of the true natures of these beings, your own esteem for them will develop and the full magnitude of their power and position will convey to you a respect that you did not believe possible within your own breast.

Hunnah: I wonder sometimes if our referring to you and our friends on the other side is a method to make ourselves comfortable with this new concept. Because I still have difficulty imagining your existence at all. I am comfortable with your personality and the message you bring. One time in my notebook I wrote that the message, the messenger and the receiver were all one, were all together. I have trouble imagining you in an easy chair. So, we are . ..

TOMAS: Let me respond. It matters not whether you believe in me. I am not the Father, I am not Michael, and I am not crucial to your spiritual development, and so it matters little, truly. I am a messenger, indeed, but if you only perceive that I am a platform for Gerdean's philosophies or for the devotees of this thing called the Teaching Mission, or whatever, even that does not matter, for in the long run, if you have developed in your spiritual persona, that is what you will carry forward with you and we will have succeeded in our purpose.

When it is said that it is not the individual but the work that is important, there is great truth. I realize that opens a whole bag of worms for discourse about the importance of the individual and, indeed, through your Indwelling God Fragment and your potential as a personality, your individuality is great in a certain respect, but when it comes to serving the Master, when it comes to espousing those values which will instill in you the harmonious vibrations that will bring you forward into seeking greater awareness of your own spirit reality, as that spirit reality is made real and manifest for you in your own soul and in your own life, as your reality grows, we will have succeeded -- whether we are acknowledged or not -- and therefore it is the work that is important. And if the messages that are conveyed on a short-term or on a long-term basis have helped you in your ascent, then we have served our purpose for you. You may continue.

Hunnah: I don't have any doubt that you exist. My problem is that I want to appreciate the imagery more. The definition of your presence -- I never really thought about it that much. I've heard my daughter describe [Ed. - Earlier Pittsburgh T/R] what she sees within herself and that's very exciting and that's her experience and I suppose it's a little like a person that would be blind. They can still enjoy the personalities of the people that would be around them, but they miss that dimension of being able to see that person in a dimension that other people have, and it's a problem for me. I enjoy your talks. And as far as being flavored by Gerdean, that doesn't matter to me either. I was going to ask about resistance.

TOMAS: You may recall having read in your text that when you awaken on the Mansion Worlds, in the Resurrection Hall, you will recognize your fellows by their personality. In time, you will not have these physical trappings. You will not have hairdos or fashions. You will not have physical limbs and definition such as you recognize one another by today. You will recognize each other by the manifestation of living personality. It is the personality which makes the person, not the external trappings.

And so in some ways it is better for you to not even pretend that I may be wearing a purple robe or a brown sackcloth, for then you are seeing something which is not necessary to see. It is more important that you recognize my personality than your picturization of what I might look like, for when you meet me in truth I will not look like what you have pictured me to be, but if you know me as a personality, you will know me at once, even as a blind man who cannot see will recognize the personality and the voice of one who has spoken, you see.

Hunnah: Oh. Maybe this has something to do with just human free will but I'm sure that resistance to anything, especially if it's unconscious, will masquerade in many forms, and at the meetings recently -- I have been having problems enjoying the meetings, and consciously I am not aware of why. Unconsciously, I feel like an undertow of whether I should continue to go, of whether my purpose for going is necessary, as it seemed to be in the beginning.

I love the people in the group, but I don't want to be a distraction for it, and I was gently chastised that I was not paying attention, and you called me a name [Ed. the name of Hunnah] that I was given while I was up in Buffalo. My question is, is there a natural timing of coming and going in a group? Our group has changed, and I question . .. I don't want to be a disruption or a distraction to the group because they are enjoying themselves and they seem to understand the language. I feel like I'm in another country, where I don't understand the language, but the essence of the purpose of gathering is apparent to me and I can relate to that. I'll stop there.

TOMAS: I appreciate the poignancy of your question and I have to provide you with a delicate response. I have to step out of it and try to be impersonal when that is difficult to do for, like you, I have tremendous personal affection and the personal affection has a tendency to color the situation.

Let me then address you individualistically and suggest that that is a decision only you can make. If any experience is beneficial to you, in any context that you choose to persist in, then you have every right to give yourself that experience. If you have not grown from the experience, if you find that your learning capacity has been breached and you are not able to garner any more from a situation, then it is your right and privilege to take a right or left turn from that activity in search of gainful growth.

It is, however, important for you to realize that your soul growth is my concern. I realize that the textbook is a stumbling block and that many of the terms and phrases are stumbling blocks, even that some of the concepts are difficult of grasping, but the true thrust of my work and anything that I have any influence over, has to do with the growth of your own personal religious experience, your own soul's development. Regardless of what terminology may be applied to it, you know and I know what that is.

As to your friends and associates in the circle which you reference, the friends that you reference, the only thing to understand there is that although many of these beings are your peers, it is sociable, but it is not a sewing circle; it is ideally a gracious and sociable study group designed to foster spiritual hunger, and the body of the existence of the group of various personalities in attendance is that spirit growth which I addressed in you.

That is a long order for the diversity is great, the backgrounds are great, and you are not alone in any sense of the word. You are a righteous woman, and I mean that sincerely. I love you dearly and you have much to offer. If you do not feel comfortable with any of the individuals, then as you and I are doing, sit down in sincere quietude with them and seek to find that level of operation which you can recognize as how it is you can get along or encourage one another.

I am not a counselor in general, but I would be happy to counsel you in terms of your relationships with your friends, primarily your sisters in this group. I would be quite competent to continue in your absence; however, it is women like you that delight me, so that I would greatly miss you if you did not return. As you become more and more part of the fellowship of the spirit, which I am fostering, which we are attempting to promote, you will feel less aside from the group.

What it is actually is not so much that you are fearful of the women or the fellowship but the reality that it represents. It is an admonishment to teachers and believers that when you step at the precipice of a decision that will change your life, that you indeed look carefully to see if that is a step that you are willing to take, for your life will be changed. That is perhaps what it is truly that you are concerned about. Respond to me, please.

Hunnah: I don't have any problem with anybody in the group that I am consciously aware of, and I really feel that, that has not been a problem for me, that I have been aware of, and I thank you for the lovely, kind things that you have said, and I often feel that when you counsel with anyone, it's for everyone, and even though we have been talking and it's just me, this applies to all of us.

Mother said something very interesting to me on the way home. She was amused by the last meeting we were at. She says, "Well, he really has your number." And I looked at her and she went on at great length. She says, "I know what it is," and I said, "What?" She said, "It's school. You've got a block on school, on education, and you have a block on learning and you think you're not smart enough to understand."

If it is something that human, then it should be dissolved in the light. It should be dissolved completely. I have watched the many things over the years that have been brought to my attention and have literally dissolved as I continue to keep my focus and I have not had to do anything particular about anything. It just comes into our life and because it's of a feeling nature it's dissolved. And I was hoping that my apparent unyielding would -- that that's what it simply would be: simply unravel. I would like to be scholarly with the rest, in general, but I can't see trying to be something that hasn't been allowed to be natural.

And I don't want to tie up other people's time, but it's a teaching situation and I have aversions of that and as I speak, others can relate to it, some of these things in their own private way. But would I be...? Would Mom have been correct? I don't know.

TOMAS: Your mother has hit a nail on the head of a certainty and she should know for she has known you throughout your lifetime. She is an insightful woman, indeed, a co-worker of mine, and I feel she has offered you some good information. I would like to follow up with her suggestion and your reaction to her suggestion, which is, if it were true it would be dissolved in the light.

If it were that simple, my dear, since the Lucifer adjudication has been completed, it would save us all a great deal of time if we could just turn on the light and let it turn everything into divinity in a moment's time. Alas, recovery and healing and growth are not like that. You do not create a child by wishing for one, no. You must experience the actual carnal act of procreation, the inception, the morning sickness, the gaining weight, the changing shape of the body, the chemical changes, the anticipation, the inconvenience, the expense and the pain of delivery in order to bring about that which was once a twinkling in someone's eye.

It is not an act of the will that creates an actuality. There is a reason for that, and that is because you are mortal. If you were truly spirit, it would be different, but it is necessary for these things here to go through certain time-consuming processes. Healing and growth take time.

Unfortunately, again, it is much like childbirth for you to come to the light of truth in many areas, but this is indeed what brings about your spiritual growth. By understanding your reluctance for school, by looking back into your archives of experience to see where your self-esteem was bruised, to see where whatever it was that conspired to take from you the joy of learning, it is necessary that you find that and heal that so that you can go forth in jubilation of learning throughout eternity.

It is not done by a single act of the will. It is done by decisions, decisions and more decisions, and invariably the decisions involve work. I know you don't like that word, but that, too, is a word that radiates good cheer in many, for they have learned to love the work they do. They find joy in being productive like some people enjoy learning. Since these are eternal-type activities, it behooves you to find out why you don't like them and turn them into activities that bring you joy so that your life is not a burden of existence.

Hunnah: Well, you sure took the fun out of pregnancy! [Group laughter] Oh, my gosh. Let's back up here. What you're telling me is that … Catharsis. If we had to go back and clean up all the misinterpretations of our humanness, it's like … it smacks of karma to me. It sounds like . ..

It's true. There's a block and we're presented with it and its subconscious pain. It's too hard to identify. And you, honestly, there's only one thing that you said to me just now that really caught my eye, that I never thought about before, because I don't want to dredge up how it was when I was six, seven, eight, nineteen, twenty-one or whatever. I mean that's human . .. one human misunderstanding after another. It's like all wrongs never making any right.

But you did say from a higher level, "the joy of learning." I never thought of that. And I never thought of it as being a missing ingredient. But, if the joy of learning is what is natural and I am in a process of ascension, then why isn't the joy of learning part of that natural development and it will take care of itself? Why do I have to reach back into the garbage of the experiences of my life and all the personalities that are involved with it? Why would I waste my time analyzing all that? I don't mean to be sarcastic but I really…

Hunnah: Not yet. [Group laughter] No, what I'm trying to say is I'm not trying to patch me up. I don't want to work with improving Mrs. H. I want to live as Hunnah. And even if Mrs. H is the vessel, I mean, I just can't think it would … It would take me the rest of my human experience to polish it up! But it's an interesting point that you brought up, and I will gain and I really do appreciate your helping me. But puke on school. [More laughter]

So, if that's called growing pains, so be it. But I don't know how attending a Urantia meeting and their dialog can heal my attitude toward learning and the pain that it's been, but I would welcome, through my prayer and meditation, the birth of joy of learning. Now, you can have the floor back. I hope I didn't put you people to sleep.

TOMAS: And you have said several things that I hope I can retain to respond to. One that perked up my ear from you was your remark about "it sounds like karma." Do you have a problem with that theory?

Hunnah: I have accepted Christ Michael's teaching in the Bible of a life by grace, and I believe to this point that in the twinkling of an eye we are released from ignorance, can be set right, free, if you would, and get on with life.

TOMAS: You have heard also from the Bible about not putting new wine into old vessels, right?

TOMAS: What we have here is new wine not wanting to go into the old vessel and so the old vessel must be made new in order for the new wine to pour forth. Have you understood what I said?

Hunnah: Well, the old vessel is like the same thing to me, it's patching up. I see your point, but to me there isn't any more use for an old vessel, and I'm not one to . .. But it comes to my mind -- (and I don't like to hear people spar Bible-talk, unless, as my old teacher said, unless it's alive for you) -- but it comes to me and it says "behold I make all things new."

TOMAS: Behold, all things are becoming new, and although you may realize your sonship in an instant and recognize an aspect of divinity within you and your belonging to the cosmic neighborhood, you still, unfortunately, are the product -- humanly speaking: emotionally, mindally, socially, culturally and so forth -- of your own personal life's human experiences, much of which have been twisted, much of which are retarded, and this is not a negative reflection on you, flower child, but on the soil in which you have grown. The happy news here is that although the clarification must come, although your spirit truths must be born through an understanding of who you are and why you are and why you behave in such a way, how . ..

Hunnah: I have another question. I went down to that meditation group and they introduced some meditation techniques and I bucked a little bit about it but I've been making a half-hearted effort to allow them to be incorporated into my life. Do all expressions of truth harmonize or can they interfere with each other? Or is that a subject for a whole different discourse? There are so many today.

TOMAS: Supreme truth is unchanging. When the Spirit of Truth has confirmed for you that this is truth, it resonates and it is something to grasp as you can grasp it, but the supreme truth is hardly attainable at this point and it must suffice that relative truths prevail. In this time of great flowering of spiritual paths, there are many truths, all headed toward the supreme truth, and so, weigh carefully the truth which you would take for your own. If it grows and lives within you, it is working. If it dies, if you crystallize, it is not working and you should seek for a new truth. Has that been helpful?

Hunnah: Yes, it has. Because the block that we have revealed, that's when I felt this happening with my being in the group, that I had come to a point where it wasn't working, so I appreciate your discourse. Thank you very much.

Leah: Evangel asked Teacher Andrea one time where she lived and she said she lived on a plane much as we do, but not at that particular time accessible to us, so I was just wondering, is it just because we are mortal that we want to put the mortal frame on you? Or, are you in a morontial state? Or are you in a totally spiritual state?

TOMAS: I am not yet full-fledged spirit. I am morontial. I have been around a long time and many of the vestiges of my animal existence have fallen from me, but I am still of morontia material and, as such, I live in a morontial environment which indeed does provide gardens and structure but they are not decorated like your homes. I have a framework wherein to live and work as you do and so we have that in common, that our world has been provided for us.

Leah: This may be a really silly question, but do you travel in vehicles like we do? Or semi? Or do you...?

TOMAS: Are we now discussing my transportation? It depends upon where I am going. But if I am going, say, to Norlatiadek, I embark on one of the channels of transportation. You might compare it to a train or a space bullet at magnum force speed. In and around the planet Urantia I do not wander much away from my assigned area, although I can visit other parts of the planet, and when I go there I go physically, and it is very much like taking a walk as we discussed earlier. It is not far when you are not so dense.

Ruth: We are probably like a flick of light compared, . .. How large would you express yourself to be if you were to scale down to our size?

Hunnah: And yet it's so amazing that you cannot share that, that the communication's here, that we're denied the rest. You can see us as a 4-watt?

TOMAS: I see you as a light and I am grateful for your illumination. It is the spirit illumination that I see. I do not recognize your physicality. I could if I found it necessary. I have not ventured into those realms of late.

Hunnah: That takes me back. It reminds me of when we had just radio and we used to sit around and listen to the radio, and what you talk about now makes me think about your listening to radio, and now we have television where, for our own reasoning, we've expanded into seeing so much, and I suppose, in a sense, there will be a way of all of us seeing everything everywhere. At will? I don't know.

TOMAS: You will learn to see differently. You will find many things not worth observing. Many things will pass away, and although they are there, they hold no interest and so they take up no space for you.

Hunnah: With life going on, we don't have to -- It would be overwhelming to see too much.

TOMAS: There is also a lot here that you do not see that you could if you were not so preoccupied with that which you can see.

Leah: Well, I had a few more curiosity questions. In one of the Buffalo groups, one of the members who had the pleasure of meeting you referred to you as Tom. I was wondering how you felt about that.

TOMAS: I, Tomas, feel comfortable about that. As I discussed earlier, we appreciate that it is your attempt at feeling acquainted. I did not regard it as a disrespectful address. I will, with Gerdean's permission, state that she was somewhat ruffled by the informal approach, somehow thought it was disrespectful, but this, you see, is a difference between our understandings of the value of such things as nomenclature. It is not so important what you call me, but call me.

Leah: My own input is that I felt the individual was extremely sincere and desirous of an affectionate name to call you at that particular time.

Leah: Earlier this evening we were reading portions of a former transcript which was from a meeting I was not at, however there was a reference there to, I believe, the lost sheep? That we should pray for the lost sheep? And there was a little concern that the individual that was unnamed, that it might -- there might have been an indication that was referring to our friend Hunnah here. What I heard in the transcript was I didn't get that impression at all. I was just curious. I'm not asking you to name the individual but I'm asking you to let us know if it was Hunnah?

TOMAS: I will tell you that I was indeed talking about Hunnah, but I will also take this opportunity, if I may, to remark to you how . .. I do not think I can convey. Never mind.

TOMAS: I will make another attempt but please understand that I am not referring to Hunnah as a Judas here, I am only going to tell you that the experience for me in the feed-back I got from the group was very much, I would suppose, like Jesus had at the Last Supper when he was aware of Judas' immanent betrayal and even suggested he do it quickly and Judas left and all of that intimate discourse that went on that completely escaped the others when they were right there present.

It was and is still astounding to me, as I traverse the spheres, how so many things can be happening on so many different levels all at once. Somehow I find that even relates to what we were discussing in terms of our travel arrangements, but now I digress. I'm sorry. Go ahead.

Hunnah: I am, too. It's difficult. In one breath we're asked to accept the truth of our being, our new reality, okay? The big reality. And then in the next breath we're dealing with our human-hood, and it's very difficult to work with human-hood that's been traumatized or incorrectly taught to perform something which it is not consciously aware that it is able to do.

TOMAS: I must stop you right here and remind you, hopefully poignantly, that we are in Correcting Time. These things now are to be corrected. It is not you alone who needs correcting. Every individual needs correcting; your systems need correcting; the entire status of every individual on the planet is in line for correcting, that we might get this planet back in tune with the rest of the universe. It has been damaged, my dear, and as a result, all life upon it has been at least polluted, and so there is much work to be done toward the correcting of all humanity -- individually and collectively. Correcting Time is upon us.

Hunnah: Then the technique, for want of another word, to actively be involved in Correcting Time is to acknowledge all the assistance which has been brought down close to us so that mercy and compassion can be activated through us.

TOMAS: We can encourage you as you become strong in yourself. As you come to know yourself, including your failings and foibles as a result of your background, your life's experiences, that wisdom which you have garnered as a result of your sleuthing around will enable you then to have more tolerance, more patience, more understanding, more fortitude and more wisdom in dealing with your fellows as they, too, are going through, hopefully, the same process of correcting. It is an accelerated course because of the tremendous spirit which has been given of late.

Hunnah: Then all I have to do in my case is ask that I be allowed to experience the joy of life. Because, by asking, I have opened myself, voluntarily, to allow this miracle of joy of the gift of intelligence to, let's say, for the highest good to manifest itself.

TOMAS: Yes, but let me take that a step further and establish a "what if" that on your first day of school someone made fun of you and, therefore, throughout your life you have rejected learning because someone made fun of you, even another six-year-old or five-year-old. Are you angry with learning or are you angry at that that little child who affected you for a lifetime? For you to say, "I am open to learning" without finding out in your personal core, in your DNA of understanding yourself, what it is that has made you behave this way throughout your life, you will not understand and you will not then be prepared to face learning joyously.

Only by realizing through delving and seeking, or asking that it be revealed to you, can you open the door, turn the page, or whatever, to see that child face-to-face and forgive that child through the Father, therefore forgiving yourself for having listened to that child and believing that child throughout your entire life, therefore depriving yourself of much of life's joy, you see. That, then, can heal. And when once that is looked at, when once that personal forgiveness is sought and given, you are forgiven and you may go on. Do you understand?

Hunnah: I hear you. But it seems to me that if that's the system that we are going to have to use, then it will take another 2,000 years. I just can't imagine. I've been through all that! And I'm not tying up this topic anymore.

TOMAS: If you have been through all that, why are you still angry and argumentative?

Hunnah: I'm not talking about this particular episode. What I'm trying to say is that we will be forever mopping up our traumas!

TOMAS: … how quickly this can transpire when once it is realized that these processes of correction yield such fruitful results and that the painful experience of exposure to imperfection and the righting, the correction, is so effective and quick. Once you get rolling, it doesn't take long at all. We are, in the Teaching Mission, very impressed with those who have grasped the reigns, how quickly they are galloping across the fields. If does not take long when you beg in to work, for the spirit is working with you. Other individuals begin to work with you, and for you. It gains momentum. It's that teamwork thing that you can do ten times more things when ten of you work together than if you each work alone.

And that is also one of the reasons that I work diligently to provide you with one another, that you learn to trust one another, that you learn to speak to each other and hear each other, that you learn to care for each other, that you begin to have certain loyalties to certain truths, beauties and goodnesses, that we can work together as a team that we might create a pinnacle of perfection in our own little local universe.

The effects of it are so great, are so effective, it will truly turn the tide of your communities. You will be able to see it as it happens among and between yourselves. The reward of seeing the Spirit of Truth come alive around you is worth any cost, any price, requisite for its having,

Hunnah: I believe you. You can send your "trust goes before me," or something.

TOMAS: My friends, I must sign off for the evening. My transmitter /receiver is growing weary and it is growing late for you all. I convey to you my genuine appreciation of your friendships and your interest in continuing on our merry course. Until we speak again, I am your devoted friend, Tomas. Farewell.

TOMAS: I have been basking in your presence and in the relaxed atmosphere that prevails, and I credit this in part, to your atmospheric conditions. I have, for your benefit, pictured you as beetles cuddled under the protection of a toadstool and, for your amusement, I shall be the caterpillar on top.

Truly, the leisure that you allow, to spend in Stillness, is an invaluable application, not really leisure at all but stalwart spirit work, for as you remain alert to spirit leadings, as you set aside the trifles of the day to focus on your Source, it brings you into that alignment which allows you to reach into realms of mota.

I would like to address mota with you this evening, for a brief moment. Mota, as you know, is that realm which encompasses the higher planes of intellectual thought as bridging the spiritual realms of reality. You have examples of mota listed in your text and we have seen and shared many delightful growing experiences with myriad mortals as they have pondered the meaning of mota in their own minds, how the mota are constructed in simple words yet having deeper meanings, how often one part will balance the other, and so forth. These mota, which have been given to you as examples of what your future learning will entail, are exercises to delight the mind, stimulate the spirit and enhance your soul growth.

It has been asked and answered recently (in another group) that the ascendant sons and daughters on the mansion worlds are also given mota for mastication, and it is not uncommon that they will there (on Mansonia) utilize axioms from the human plane in order to make a point. I would like to present the one to you that was presented to the other group that you might chew on this together for your intellectual satisfaction and your spiritual amusement, that being, "If you cut your finger, it bleeds."

Recently it was discussed among you in my presence that some of you had hurt yourself in the course of your daily affairs and much discourse followed having to do with why it was that the fall, the damage, the injury, the incident took place, and I venture to suggest that it was this mota in effect, exemplified, for if you cut your finger, it bleeds, and indeed it is you, often, who cut your own finger.

I am not giving forth with a long lesson this evening and am not undertaking yet another fruit of the spirit. I will reserve that format for the Pittsburgh gathering, in-as-much as I started it there and will follow the established format. I am willing to begin another format for you if you are inclined to that end, but in the interim it pleases me greatly that you enjoy my companionship for I certainly enjoy your companionship and look forward to many hours of communion and joy and effort together.

Have any of you anything on your minds you would like to discuss or inquire after?

Hunnah: When I was younger, I used to voice for the group (and it got me in trouble!). I was talking with a friend one time and my friend said, "I don't have any questions." It's as if you can't hurry this trip, this awakening, and I know that people in the group have questions but they don't know they have questions. Is there a way that you can suggest that these things can be dislodged? Or are we stuck, so to speak?

I will say that I'm glad that Leah and Evangel came tonight because I know they missed a session with you, and we're going to continue to meet here in my home, and I don't want to have this just be a dialog between Hunnah and whoever. Is there a parallel project or study that we can take among ourselves here so that we're not interfering with the other group's agenda?

Hunnah: Is there something you think would be appropriate? I'd like to see -- How can we get "unstuck"? Melt down. [Laughter]

TOMAS: It is not required that you jot off questions as if you were in a classroom environment; I am not seeking that facet of your intellect. I am seeking to address the soul's needs, and many times -- although the soul may have a need to know, a need to be confirmed/affirmed, a need to feel connected, a need to take one step further into their own path, a need to make a decision, a need to dig deeper, and so forth -- the attached mortal is of an animal legacy and the animal mind balks at being weaned from its own habit patterns, its own comfort zones, and so it is always a bit of a conflict in a mortal, for the status quo is comfortable.

Asking questions is a habit that must be developed in order for the soul's questions to be answered. It is entirely possible for the soul to ask these questions of and to the First Source and Center, the Father, and eventually these questions will be answered. They will be answered in the morontia realms of the mind even as they are being asked, and so the mortal has little need to expose its growing process in such a format as we present here with the teacher and so forth.

Growing is a private thing, and some individuals take pride in being self-sufficient and dignified, not realizing that in sharing their growth they are sharing true growth among their brethren, that others may grow along with them. And so the task would be for each student to realize that his own growth or her own growth is not an isolated growth, but a facet of the growth of the whole, of everyone.

Those who do voice their questions are an asset to any configuration of individuals for it allows for sharing. It is true, however, that the depth of character in questions asked are sometimes glossed over for the more socially acceptable format of merely filling up space. We can fill up space for hours but have we grown? Have we truly nourished the soul in its growth needs?

Evangel: Are you familiar with the sequel to the "Celestine Prophesy," the "Tenth Insight"?

TOMAS: I have heard it referenced. This mortal [the T/R] has not read it; therefore, I cannot draw upon her file.

Evangel: Okay. Well, anyway, in there there's a character -- one's a doctor and one's a guy that falls on some rocks and hurts his ankle, and she's suggesting we hurt ourselves or get sick . .. The way I interpret this is, it's like our ego trying to sabotage our spiritual make-up. Is this like what you're talking about?

TOMAS: Yes, very much. It ties in very well with my discussion earlier and also with what I was telling Hunnah here, in response to her question, and so yes it is a good bridge and indeed it does resonate to the mota, "If you cut your finger, you bleed" for often in the primitive realms we blame the gods for these accidents that we inflict upon ourselves for we do not want to assume the responsibility of our own experience.

Hunnah: I appreciate your asking that question because -- what you're saying then, the accident acts like a decoy? To pull you back away from your higher purpose and ties you up with attention to the problem and it gets attention? "Oh, they broke their ankle," and everybody gathers around and you get a lot of attention and the subject changes, and isn't it really how you use the incident that counts? That if you use the incident as a teaching mechanism . .. I had a friend....

TOMAS: You have already put three helpings on my plate. [Group laughter] I do not want to get indigestion.

It is true that many times mortals bring disaster or confusion upon themselves and into their lives so that they can have attention, but it is more often that they create this turmoil so that they do not have to focus on anything, for even focus is difficult. Some actually do not want attention; they may hurt themselves and not tell anyone, but rather suffer in silence. They still are bringing damage to themselves. This is not for attention but for self-inflicted pain. This is an example of how confused your world is, for to rise above pain and into clarity and light sets you apart from your fellows. It allows you to stand alone, and to one who is accustomed to being comforted by misery, to stand alone can be frightening.

Hunnah: It's . .. It is a distraction, and if I can identify it as a distraction, I feel I can manage it better. It's more personal to me. This friend of mine who has psychic gifts told me to take care of my feet and that very day I dropped a knife on my foot. I thought it was rather funny and just that one incident and then after that I was having trouble with my feet, but I don't know that it's actually necessary to analyze a particular part. We have labels here for almost everything. We think we know it all.

Leah: Actually, I'd like to address that. There is a woman that some of us are familiar with. Her name is Louise Hay and she's written "Heal Yourself" (indistinguishable) and she is, I believe, a psychologist or a psychiatrist I'm not sure which, but she did --somehow or other she came upon -- that the clients she was dealing with, when they had a complaint, the ones that had similar complaints had similar ailments. Like people who seemed to be full of anger had heart conditions and I'm not saying this is all gospel or anything but she did research. It was rather vast, the research. Of course, I've taken statistics, too, and I know you can manipulate things . .. and she strikes me as being a very sincere-hearted kind and caring person who would like to help people.

So I suffered from the ear infection on my recent vacation and there is a part of me that's asking, you know, probably on the material level, based on this information, -- and again, I'm not saying it's gospel but I think it's useful -- what is the ear infection . .. Basically her sentence is that I'm not willing to hear. And when I do look at the transcripts I keep on thinking, I really do understand a lot of things that are said to other people, but I can't hear my own stuff. It's probably because I don't want to. I'm sure it has to do with the finger bleeding, because I'm sitting here saying, "What is this all about?" and I know at some level I know it.

But it's interesting to hear yourself voice something. I'm too busy analyzing things to hear it! And I'm glad that there is a comfort level there for myself that Tomas has addressed that you know we get into a so-called meeting and you get in a question answer period and this feels more like a friendly conversation.

Leah: Or like inviting your friend over and talking about these things as opposed to, "Well, you're the authority, you give us the answer," and I know that's not really the way that it is. It's more like, "You are the more experienced; what can you tell us?" So I'm just running my mouth here.

Leah: I was just wondering if you were familiar with the Louise Hay material and if you have any comments about it.

TOMAS: I'm not familiar with the name of the individual but I am somewhat familiar with the nature of her research and am inclined to find merit in her hypothesis for it is often true that the physical distress is a manifestation of an emotional disturbance.

The emotional disturbance is brought about as a result of your thought processes, and your thought processes are often in contradistinction to your spirit strivings and your spirit nature; therefore, the organism of the human being is confused, is twisted, and is acting in several directions at once. Without grace and harmony resultant from an integrated personality, it is easy to fall and hurt oneself, which is not to say that the individual consciously brought it on, but it is a result of the imbalance inherent in unfinished growth.

In the case of the ear, if one were to assume that theory, it would be evident that your refusal to listen to something resulted in a weakening of the instrument of hearing. Review not in your mind but in your mota, in your morontial realms, what it is you are refusing to hear, for the mind is tricky and, as has been said, "man can rationalize anything." You can justify your thoughts ad infinitum, but that is not reaching a conclusion that is harmonious with the spirit.

When you include the Spirit of Truth, for example, in your musings, you will allow yourself to hear that which you need to hear, and you will begin then, in grace, to follow the leadings of the still, quiet voice. Many times when individuals think of hearing, they think of hearing from the outside world. They think of the radio and other people's voices when what is called "hearing" stems from your core being yearning for the music of the universes, the cosmic choir.

Leah: I want to make two comments before I forget them. It's also interesting about athlete's foot, and I had some in Hawaii there, it's a "refusal to go forward." [Laughter] Again, I'm not taking this as gospel, but I think there's a message there.

I would like to ask also, you were referring to morontia mota. I feel I must have been missing a part, even though I've read it in the Book and I've discussed it in some groups, I was under the impression that that was something that we didn't deal with until we were not on this earthly level. Am I incorrect on that?

TOMAS: It is entirely possible for you to be well-versed in morontia mota, even as you are a mortal in the flesh, if you are aspiring to advance yourself in the kingdom. It was true even before the inception of Correcting Time that wise spirit-led beings walked well in advance of their siblings because of their devotion to spirit reality.

It is very much like those who anticipate the kingdom of heaven and continually put it off to some distant, looked-for, time in the future, when the truth remains that the kingdom of heaven is within you and is alive now. Why should you put off to morontia what you can do today? These are realities that embrace you and enhance your life and the life of others. Stride forward into these wondrous realms and grow. Grow!

Hunnah: May I comment about your talking about Louise Hay? I haven't read her books but I am aware of the fact that she is helping people seek balance in their physicality, in their emotional and physical focus, and that sometimes we develop symptoms simply because the pH of our humanness is out of whack. And when we manage to hydrate our self and eat properly, things fall back in order and we get less colds and our body doesn't give us the trouble it might otherwise, and our whole society is extremely sensitive to the needs of the body right now, whether it is a positive or a negative reason. But that helps me to not have to just relate everything as mental definitions of, "I am sore because I am not meditating. I have a sore throat because I am not taking care of myself better." Or something like that.

It's like we're living on so many levels at once and we're in and out of them like flies! We shoot from one high and up and down and it really is a busy time.

TOMAS: I am reminded of your Rodan of Alexandria who spoke about the art of living and, paraphrased, that if man is so ingenious he must learn anew the art of living, perhaps even each new generation, in order to keep up with the many growth activities of an accelerated, activated race of people. Your realm now is a true whirligig of technological advancement, and speedy in so many ways. It is no wonder that it is necessary for you to consciously stop and let the world go by while you get a grip on yourself.

It would be ludicrous to try to keep up with everything that is going on around you in this whirligig. Thus the value of stillness, and in stillness, it behooves you to check out all of your systems, your spiritual center, your intellectual poise, your emotional well-being and your physical mechanism to ascertain that it is in good working order, that all systems are interrelated, that your own mechanism is in good operation.

It is true that many things can simply be a matter of pH balance, and that can be easily remedied, but in the deeper recesses of the -- [Interrupted by telephone]. You can ascertain that it is a matter of deficiency in one realm, but as you are complex people in a complex world, it is truly advantageous to spend time in stillness and to be patient with yourself if you discover that those whose pH is out of balance is connected to an emotional condition resultant from twisted thinking which can then be made operable by communion with the spirit, and so forth. Balance is the answer.

Hunnah: I find that an on-going challenge for me is to mind my business. And that if I tolerate myself, I can tolerate other people's agonies and ecstasies more effectively. It's almost like a parental thing; it's almost like being obsessed with your children's welfare and even though they're out of your life (I mean your immediate home), you're still extended into their life and you're caught up into the judgements of how they do things. And that goes on in all these directions. Constantly! It is such a challenge for me.

TOMAS: This is societal conditioning, Hunnah. It has nothing to do any longer with maternal instinct, which was biologically completed many years ago. It is true that parents care for their children and even their grandchildren, but an inordinate interest in the lives of your children, whether they are your biological children, your social children, or your spiritual children, is a matter of your thought processes. Proceed.

Hunnah: Well, as you talk, I have been reminded I have been up and down with this and I use this as an example, but I found that when I have allowed myself to be faithful to my quiet times, all of this is lessened. It's like turning down the volume on the distraction, and it's like an 'effortless effort.'

TOMAS: It is also a common method that mortals employ to make themselves feel good, and that is to be in a position to oversee the care of others, for as long as you are taking care of someone else, you are, in the main, okay. It is a way of feeling superior. It is a way of detaching yourself from your own sense of neediness. It is another dose of conditioning but one which you have brought upon yourself through needing to be needed, and you first must need the Father to know how it is that He needs you and then He will advise you how you may serve in balance.

When you take your instincts and your humanness into the arena and, coupled with your love want to make it all better, you have made it much worse -- particularly for yourself, for you have given yourself burdens that are not required of you. You have also muddled in the affairs of others by assuring the hapless lads and ladies that you have more authority and influence than is your right to have and, lo and behold, they will look to you for it, thereby underlining your original error.

It is, therefore, wise to return frequently to that place of communion with divinity that your motives, your conditionings, your urges and impulses and so forth are constantly reminded, delineated and synthesized, that you may walk a simple path and live a simple life in joy, in praise and in simple service to your simple brothers and sisters.

Hunnah: I can't see it, but my head's been nodding up and down as you talk. I really appreciate this. This is great. Well, that's one more thing that I wanted to mention. Avoiding your own agenda. And as I reflect, my whole life has been this, and whether it's been a subconscious human reason for attention, like you point out, it certainly is a common enough situation, but it's difficult -- once you start to find out that you're allowed to nurture yourself -- is to break away and allow yourself private spaces. You find it's harder to do because you've obligated yourself, you're going to lose face because you want to start gracefully backing up.

Hunnah: Oh, that's just a figure of speech. Your friends think something is wrong with you.

TOMAS: I understand. I wanted to make sure that you understood that you may be giving people more power than they require.

Hunnah: Well, one of the things I've found when I've got my act together is that by acknowledging their, what I call their 'Christ-hood' and that they have the ability to do certain aspects that I was previously interfering with, and that when we honor the Christ of them, it allows them some freedom from their . .. I'm sounding mixed up but in my heart I know what I mean. When you know that somebody has abilities because they are the perfect creation and you're redefining them...

I have redefined the people in my life and in my society now, because I have a new view on what they're about, and it's just a whole new picture, and being the victim is the perfect . .. is being amplified now as to being this crisis. It's important to let people know they don't have to be a victim.

Hunnah: I'm saying you have a choice all the time. Let's use a homeless person as an example. A homeless person can be one level . .. We were talking about the law of cause and effect, or karma. You can look at them from that point of view. You can look at them as being there to bring out the qualities of service in society, so that they will reach out to someone else other than their own needs. And good works come from helping people along the way. Taking off the label. Am I blabbing here?

TOMAS: I understand that you have somewhat of a philosophy regarding victimization and a distinct distaste for the common usage and the common emotional neediness of alleged victims, many of whom you feel are not true victims but rather victims of being victimized.

Let me state, not in defense of victims, but in reference to that word, that truly Urantia has been a victim of many injustices, that it is part of your historicity, and so victimization is an illness which is being healed. Part of the healing of the victimization of Urantia and its inhabitants is in being "empowered," for in being empowered, something can be done to turn the tide wherein they are victims no more but active participants in their own celebratory destiny.

This is being brought to light in this Correcting Time of which we have spoken. It is being manifested in every level of your society and in every facet of life. It is a natural healing globally that will go on still for some time. It is not necessary that you stay in the global mode, for as you are a forerunner and as you are in the mind frame to approach morontia mota, you are thus enabled to help bring the empowered and the healed forward into the more holy realms of behavior, thinking, acting, responding, loving, enfolding, and so forth that is the birthright of the true sons and daughters of the living God.

Leah: Something that comes to mind, because you spoke of the homeless, in the Urantia Book it talks about the time Jesus spoke with the apostles, and there was a man that, he more or less told them that, he couldn't be dealt with. I don't know. Just because you brought up that homeless thing, it made me think of it. I wish I had a question that I could formulate! I just keep thinking about all these things!

Evangel: You talking about the guy that didn't have a Monitor? Is that what you're talking about?

Leah: I don't even know what I'm talking about, but we started talking about the homeless people and all of a sudden that came into my mind; and I was wondering, like, I was listening to Tomas say that you bring the empowered to healed and . ... It feels unchristian not . .. to give it up!

Hunnah: When you come from a background of Christian service, it can really do a number on you! And you, Leah, are so empathetic! I feel your pain. But you are so sensitive to people's feelings and their needs, that it puts you in a place of frequent pain that you do not really need to carry, because you've allowed yourself to be so sensitive. And I mention that because I see you suffer a lot. You extend yourself with so much empathy and love . .. [Leah sobs] Whoops! There, I've pushed a button. Which may be good. I don't know. But it's not a question that you need to become tough, but that the burden tearing at you be allowed to dissolve.

TOMAS: Remember, too, that Michael was always compassionate, that he never became jaded or hardened by the suffering he saw. He always allowed himself that feeling of compassion for his children. He felt deeply and he suffered on behalf of his children. (I am not speaking of his crucifixion; I am speaking of his daily life.) Remember that he would weep with compassionate pity on those who were blind.

Do not berate our sister. Do not berate yourself, Leah, for your wellspring of feelings, but permit the expression of your sorrow on behalf of your brothers and sisters. Do not feel you must defend the societal stance that they have brought their suffering on by themselves, for no matter how suffering has come to be, suffering is suffering none-the-less and instills compassion in a soul with love at its core.

It is in remembering the resurrection, in the knowledge of spiritual empowerment, it is in undying hope that we manage to prevail in the face of the heartless suffering which Urantia has experienced, and experiences even today. It is true that you who know the joy of the Father find this comfort and light so appealing, that it is difficult then to return your eye and your ear to the ugliness and crying of misery, but it is a calling for many to soothe those physical and emotional wounds, to dress those gaping holes and caress those tortured souls with divine love and tender mercy.

Leah: I'm listening and I'm torn between what you're saying and what was said before about when we help someone -- at the beginning of this discourse -- we just make people more miserable, and . .. I guess the answer is the silence to receive direction.

TOMAS: Are you going to win points for an organization or for your fellow man? Or are you going to serve? It is a matter of what master you serve, what kingdom you support. The kingdoms of men permeate the lives of many if not all of my students and has tremendous hold over them. I am not putting down these values for they are the hallmark of civilization: the home, the church, the workplace, and all that is noble and good in an evolving civilization. For them to serve in their arena is good. For those who feel the call to go beyond the traditional, to go into the mayhem, muck and mire of the poor and maimed is also good.

In order to serve in either arena, however, it is necessary that you have your self well prepared for the work at hand. In order for you to not become lost in the ills of those you serve, you must have the strength and stamina of a soldier and you become a soldier by knowing yourself. Knowing yourself, your capacities, your strengths, your weaknesses, it is then possible for you to ascertain your capacity to serve in whatever realm or arena that you feel drawn to serve. We need more workers in the field. Always pray for more workers in the field. Whether it be the pastoral field of wheat and corn next door or the field of mud and rotten potatoes downwind, we need more workers in the field.

Hunnah: You've given us a lot to think about. I have to write down these questions that act like mushrooms here, because as you do talk, many things come to mind and Gerdean's been very patient. It's like opening a whole new area. Let me tell you about a quick example here.

I had an experience on my job where I went out to see somebody who was cardiac, they had diabetes, and they had all these other list of problems underneath. The chart opened up like a book and on the left was all the diagnosis and all the problems. On the right was all the notes from the nurses. This was years ago. And I looked at it one day. I looked at all those diagnosis and I said, "There is nothing I can do about all this," and I closed the chart and I resigned from being a nurse and I decided that all I would do when I went to work was I would be myself, and I would go and I would be with people, and that would be my easy burden, and whenever my job would get me down, it would because I would think I was responsible for removing all the spots that this person was living with, that they had been living with emphysema for many years. I can't do anything about that.

But I could bring the light in me from that morning's time, into my day and because I knew that person was a child of God, in some way, unbeknownst to me, there would be a moment of quiet recognition and it would be a gift like a live ember. Now I can't say that every day I go out it's some great victory, but that experience I had, when it said to me, "I cannot do anything about this. This is a human problem." But I put my new enlightened attitude toward it and what it was, it inadvertently was a gift to myself, and it...

And there's a book Joel . .. it's like you don't do it. You awaken to the fact that you give up that role you've been playing, and see it from new perspective. And I've been very, very grateful for that. That's been like a lifeline for me. And I've looked back at various times in my life and I was surprised that I was able to pull it together tonight for this discussion. Thank you.

TOMAS: Thank you for your testimony that in walking into the arena as a child of God and in spreading your light by being, you have indeed brought your own God-consciousness to the hungry. I will close the session with a mota: "Life is but a day's work; do it well." Good evening, and farewell, my little beetles.

TRIESTE: I am Trieste. Good evening to you, my sisters. It is a privilege, a joy, an honor and an occasion for me to be granted this audience with you. Having attained grace, I bring my self to conjoin with you to help you in your grace also. Michael has been with us, has embraced us. Tomas is discreetly in the wings, as it were. He asked, for your information, if it would be desirous that others in attendance make an appearance, so to speak, in order that you might be made more aware of the many myriad personalities there are who attend you and aid you in your many paths.

I am, as you may know, a personal teacher. I am the personal associate of your sister, Gerdean. We have worked together consciously for four years your time but I have been with her since she was a child. I work also with my companion Adrian who is another spirit helper. We are intertwined, shall we say, in our efforts. The various destiny plans of the many individuals in the kingdom call for different help in different cases. I would say that each of you here (Abram arriving) have accompaniments well adapted to your particular needs and proclivities. I will step aside now for another who would like to share.

JASMINE: Yes, I am your friend, Jasmine. I was hoping you were looking forward to my being with you thus. You are not disappointed nor am I. It gives me great pleasure to greet you my precious charge, Hunnah, and to also meet with your friends and our friends in these more radiant realms of truth, beauty and goodness.

[{Abram departing} I observe Gerdean's concern for the movement about your area and remind her that the area in the unseen realms would overwhelm her if she could but see how we play musical chairs in order that we may all attend your time together. It is not to say that we are crowded, but we do amount to some stir.]

Hunnah: Is it my imagination or have I received some assistance from you these last few days, helping me to apply what I've been taught? And I guess the fruits are trust -- it was very obvious to me that the trust was the fruitage -- and I'm just very grateful for the help I've received in the incoming challenges. But to make it clearer for the sake of the transcript, I would say that I was reminded through a Christian doctrine that "He perfecteth that which is given me to do" and I could feel myself sliding, and when I describe myself sliding, it's like -- it's like all the life is going out of me, as I allow myself to accept the lesser way. And when I seemed to take hold and ask for a new definition and a new perspective, it was like Presto! I was reminded that all is well, I'm not to be concerned, that I didn't have to carry the concern.

I really appreciate it. Thank you. I hope that's not too generalized, because it's so exciting. When you see your belief system actually. . . .

JASMINE: I share your excitement in that regard. It is a fascinating vantagepoint that we have from here, as we observe your lights grow more and more constant. You discussed your lights earlier this evening. We observed and have found your faint flickering to have become more steadfast, and so yes, it is gladsome to make that observation. And when you make it within yourself, that your faith is becoming more whole and less faltering, you reinforce yourself from within yourself, and this brings about a solid conviction. It is not so difficult then to trust your own faith. You begin to hunger for that same living faith in others and therein is the service aspect.

I will not embark upon a lesson, but will greet you and converse with you and encourage you in your work. It is always a source of encouragement when you realize you are not alone. In your acknowledging my assistance, my steady presence and my devotion to your development, in your trust of our association, in our mutual goals, you have latched onto a comrade-at-arms and no longer struggle alone. I am gratified by your growth, your response to your awareness of me, of our joy in one another. My child, I am called aside for there is another here who seeks a moment at the platform. Be advised of my untiring affection.

RAJ: I am a secondary midwayer in this locality. My name to you is Raj. It is a friendly name, if somewhat exotic. I have come to greet you, Loreenia, and acknowledge your many sojourns. You beat a path upon the face of Urantia, and I have many times encountered you as I myself beat a path hither and yon across the countryside. I share with you, Loreenia, many things, and although I am not designated a Teacher (as you are familiar with the Teaching Mission Teachers or personal teachers), you well know that any seeker can be taught by and through any source, for when one is willing the lesson is revealed. And so perhaps you may think of me as a companion of sorts, for it seems that we traverse many of the same paths.

I, in fact, work much like you and, therefore, to some extent with you. The midwayers, as you may know, are much like you. We have been called your "cousins" for we feel many of your emotions and have deep affection for you. Having been around for many, many years, many generations, and having plans to be here a while longer, we take life in its stride. We are quite excited at how far you have come -- you as a race, you as forerunners, and you, Loreenia, as an individual -- into spirit awareness. Although we have far to go, we acclaim our accomplishment.

Oftentimes we midwayers who work in the field are sent upon assignments from the angelic orders who have a higher view of things than we have, even though we have perhaps been here longer. All of us are in ministry on behalf of the Eternal Paradise Trinity, more particularly through the Infinite Spirit, the Universal Mother Spirit, like you, Loreenia, who is much guided and influenced by the Mother Spirit.

As you cross-stitch the realm with your knowledge, energy, enthusiasm and agenda, remember our presence and, as we are eager to serve and we work just outside your vision, it would be a marvelous experience for us if you could learn to work with us.

Loreenia: I'd love to, if I haven't already been doing so. I need help. I need to understand how to do that.

RAJ: It is not so much comprehension, as it is faith. Be open to spirit guidance, to spirit pressures, as you have been in the past. Glorify the Infinite Mother as you have, also as you do. Delight as you will to serve. You will learn, you will grow. You will discover. You will rejoice. Ever. That we work indeed together.

It is Tomas' request that I convey to you how pleased he is to have you in our loving embrace again in the configuration of his students, with your sisters in this flock.

Loreenia: I had received your name before as part of my names, but I didn't know you were a midwayer. Secondary, you say?

Loreenia: I'll have to read up on midwayers. It seems like the Urantia Book has so much knowledge, but it seems like it leaves . .. it's like reading the encyclopedia. There just isn't enough knowledge there to satisfy me.

RAJ: Let me equate this as if you were a sponge and as you come along you are dry, you read, you become saturated, you go on your way. You utilize that which you have absorbed until you have evaporated that which you had absorbed. You return and saturate yourself again with the Living Water, with food for thought, and you return to the field to water your crop. It is in the process that you become established in the ways of the kingdom. Always are there new lessons to learn and new experiences to be had leading to new lessons to be learned, leading to new experiences to be had.

The Book provides invaluable information and your path in faith with that information then provides invaluable experience for you and for the greater good. Yes, learn what you can by any method that you can, for then you are more fully equipped to carry your knowledge into the realms where you and we can work together.

Loreenia: If you are one of those who have been with me the last couple of days, where I've been knocked off my rocker, more than a little bit, by happenings in the physical world, I sure do appreciate the help because I've had a lot of help the last couple of days. Especially because of the . .. always feeling threatened it felt like, and the animals that are in my care. I do appreciate the help, especially this evening. I received phone calls from people that don't call. I got to come here again tonight. Your coming right now is just a blessing that I needed.

MACHIVENTA MELCHIZEDEK: I am Machiventa Melchizedek. It is always an honor for me to attend a gathering of believers, a powerful group of followers of Lord Michael. I have not met with you in some time. I have observed, however, your gatherings and the growth on-going in this small pocket of Urantia. Your individual faiths have been greatly strengthened by your constant association.

Although you are aware of your spirit helpers and also apprised of your Indwelling Adjuster, although you have memories tucked aside in your deep recesses of earlier wondrous events, spiritual awakenings, momentous pronouncements, tumultuous celebrations, the frail human creature is inclined to fade if he does not keep pace with his companions.

When you feel yourself fading, when you are aware that you are fading from lack of sustenance, it is your responsibility to seek out that which you need. Not only does it validate and confirm your own soul needs, but it provides occasion to teach by the very nature of your needful approach to your brothers and sisters. It is true that the shepherd will go in search of the sheep who is lost, but if the sheep is not lost and can see the flock, if it is aware of the dangers of isolation, it is the responsibility of that sheep to hasten back to the fold.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. We are together, my children, my friends. We are, as Abraham indicates unceasingly, soldiers. I commend your efforts, the strengths you have acquired and the grace which clothes you. Daughters, be at peace. Shalom. (One moment)

MIGHTY MESSENGER: Good evening, ladies. I am a Mighty Messenger. I am somewhat of an old-timer in this business of working with mortals. It is with great pleasure that I present myself here among you. I have not had this occasion here [with your group] before and I have not manifested [my words] in some time, but my experience goes back, way back.

When I had spoken before, as a result of some of the questions that were presented to me in my early times of exposure to the human personality, I gave myself a handle to help you appreciate the range of assistance which I am qualified to provide, and so I am identifying myself to you by that handle, that being "Doc." You see, therefore, that although my ranking is in the upper echelon, I am a regular guy who makes house calls, and this is the nature of the Good Doctor who has authorized my ministry with you here and abroad. If, therefore, you have occasion to inquire about emotional health, mental health, physical health, spiritual health, you may ask for an appointment with me.

MM/DOC: Well, my dear, your approach is rather reminiscent of those people who, on bended knee, ask for peace on earth. That is rather vague and indistinct as far as how we might go about bringing about results, and so if we are to work together, I would require that you think through some of your ailments, establish perhaps an understanding of the priorities, and be a little more specific about where that ache is or when that pain occurs. Do you see my point?

TOMAS: Well, we have what you might call a smorgasbord. The array of personalities in attendance is not unusual. I have not called upon anyone not willing to attend and eager to speak with you. I would like, however, at this juncture in the evening, to pause (so) that you among yourselves might take a deep breath, to ascertain the range of available personalities, each and any of which are here in abeyance of your desires, since we are met to develop and proceed in whatever manner will serve.

Hunnah: Well, it sounds like a 20-pager tonight, Tomas. I must confess that we wanted to take a break, but when Doc arrived my lights went on, and it wasn't just because he announced that he could help with physical problems and mental problems, but I felt . .. he said something about calling on him, well, I'm interested in talking with him. But if you want to, we will take a break.

TOMAS: I am Tomas. I am glad to be back. I understand, Hunnah, that you have the answer to the problem.

Hunnah: I have an idea how to keep us from fighting to see who asks the first question! We were pleased to have the presence of Doc arrive. We felt a receptive feeling because of the nature of his gifts of understanding, and I thought perhaps he could address us and perhaps everything might fall into place; it might be more coordinated, if that's alright.

TOMAS: Well, we are willing to whet your appetite, but be advised that Doc has a rather extensive degree and he is not quite like writing to Heloise or Dear Abby for your solution . ..

DOC: Greetings, once again. How are you? I understand you are well enough to inquire, and so what have we on the table at the moment?

Hunnah: Well, first of all, because I live with and work with human doctors, I would like to have you send your recipe of your bedside manner down here because it could be used.

I have a question regarding the human condition, human disposition, and the human and his want to ascend into the light, it has trappings of accumulation of living habits, and among these habits (I'm talking about physical habits) and it could be a disposition to craving foods and the nutritional balance, or it could have to do with dependency on different substances and chemicals. I find it amazing, probably because I rely so heavily on the promises of grace, as I understand it -- I am just amazed at the limitations that a believer is held bondage to. Now, whether that's in the form of an addiction or whether it's a physical handicap, those that don't go away in spite of being bathed in the light and continually guided, why are we continually burdened with that?

DOC: Let me commence. First of all, let me preface my remarks, as you prefaced your remarks, having to do with your current dispensation of doctors and their bedside manners. I cannot bestow my manner on them, they need to reach for mine, and in order for that to take place, they must begin to follow the path of the Great Healer themselves. As they become more responsive to the true Creator of life they will think more sensitively toward the miracle that He has created and not so much of their part in the maintenance of it. Involved in that is a thorough understanding of the fruits of the spirit which are your current studies.

Human beings suffer abjectly because they are treated as if they were an object, as if they were a statistic, indeed as if they were a mass of cells, flesh and blood, and this is a general sweeping remark not exclusively focused on doctors. In fact, the phrase "bedside manner" is an odd one, implying that anyone who has an ailment should be in a prone position, and I trust that many of you and your ailments are such that you will rise to meet the challenge. But I digress.

You have in fact spoken to me of such behaviors as conditioning, most particularly consumption and gratification, which have become part of the norm. Let me contribute for your thought this:

When an individual has risen above the earthly plane sufficiently to walk in joy and health, how many peers do you suppose she has? How many among you are that healthy that you would deign to stand alone in perfect health? The truth is that few people can stand to feel too good. One of the problems in feeling really, really, good is that there is some insidious and primal defect in the animal which seeks to pull down and destroy that which is healthier, that which is higher, that which is whole-er. That insidious destructive element is available not only in your societal realms, but within the structure of each individual. So while you may be aspiring to feel really, really good, there is that peculiar quirk which is undermining your efforts all the while.

Hunnah: Well, I think your reply is fascinating, and I'm going to be able to utilize it for myself, I think, in a positive way. There is a line called, "deny yourself" and I think of it as we deny the conditioning. I would have you speak of this, but I think it is someone else's turn to ask a question.

DOC: I'd like to say, however, that it is not a good idea to deny the conditioning. It is a good idea to be aware of the conditioning, for once you are aware that you have been conditioned, then you can re-condition yourself by your awareness. If you have been appropriately conditioned, if you have been conditioned in a healthy manner, do not just take that for granted, but rather examine that as well, and ascertain if that is for you. You have acknowledged that is a positive conditioning, one that you will accept. This process of observing your condition puts you in a position, then, of being able to handle the ailments more conscientiously.

Hunnah: It was Yogananda who once said that it was just as easy to learn good habits as it was to learn bad ones.

DOC: It is not easy to learn good habits if no one has shown you what a good habit is! If all you have learned are bad habits, they have been far easier to learn than something you have never seen before, you see.

Hunnah: Because of that information you revealed about the tearing down aspect? Like taking the easy way out?

DOC: Remember your origin. Remember the animal, which loves comfort, which does not want to think, which does not like to work, but which likes to indulge and take. Remember your origin. Many individuals simply choose not to evolve. They prefer wallowing in the primal ooze. Your desire to ascend, your yearning to break free of the fetters of human bondage into realms of free will dignity set you apart.

You cannot altogether compare yourself with the individual who has no desire to evolve. You are in a position, however, to compare yourself to your peers, those who have had similar conditionings, if you choose. It helps you to understand yourself, yes, and it also helps you to understand the conditionings of others. Some habits which have been evolved as a result of the civilizing process of humanity, have immeasurably benefited humankind, but by the same token, many of the remnants of these habitual practices are dead wood which much of your society and your self are still hauling around.

Hunnah: It's that hauling around that we are sort of addressing. It just amazes me. I think it's passed off as fear, as a student, but it just amazes me that someone can be just as "devout, connected, responsive and willing" but they can still be saddled with the different flaws that we live with. I don't have to think of anyone else, I can see my own! And I don't -- I know we're not supposed to be getting rid of them but we're supposed to be rising out of them so that they don't have this hold on us that they do.

DOC: And so that they no longer interfere with your effective and cheerful inter-associations with your fellow men and women.

Hunnah: Yes. We are representing our belief system, and it's so traumatic when it doesn't go well. It really makes me feel bad when I don't . .. when I get off the rail. When I get derailed. It's a disappointment because there are people who are searching, who do observe, and . ..

DOC: Have you derailed yourself? Has someone derailed you? And if they have derailed you, why have you allowed the derailment? This is the issue. Certainly as you follow the teachings of your companion Tomas, as you practice these spiritual truths, your emotional, mental and physical health all conspire to improve and perfect as well. It is helpful, however, to your spiritual nature, to know how to and be willing to address those emotional, mental, psychic and physical illnesses which are inherent in your condition, your global situation.

DOC: You're welcome. Be at ease. I am not intending to pontificate. I will apply my most gracious bedside manner, if you will. Let us lie down together and discuss the issue at hand. I realize, daughters, that the session is not as long as your cases will require, but it would be to your benefit to greet me and we could have a preliminary interview, shall we say, before we establish our second appointment.

Leah: Actually, I'm very, very glad you're here and . .. I always have so many things going on in my head at the same time, but . .. initially, as I spoke before (during the break), I was curious about what menopausal women could do about these hot flashes on a physical level. It seems to be a common thing . .. and I've heard of Premarin but I've heard it's pregnant mares' urine and I don't want to do that. I'd prefer to avoid it. I hear they keep the mares together and pregnant all the time to make cat food or dog food out of them and it sounds just awful, but that's the only thing I've heard that's supposed to be able to help this. I'm sure that it would help my emotional health if that could be relieved.

DOC: Well, physician, you have healed yourself, but you have not stopped to take notes long enough to hear yourself, much less your own diagnosis. You poor thing. You are to be commended for withstanding, for enduring, the difficulties of this metamorphose.

Much of the discomforts of menopause are mental, but much of it also is truly not your fault. You will recall that childbirth was made more difficult subsequent to the Adamic default. It is also true that menopause, another natural aspect of womanhood, is more difficult than was originally intended, or is necessary. Yet you who resist these natural processes make them ever so much more difficult. There are, for example, some women who deliver babies as if they were shelling peas, while some labor unmercifully. (I will not share with you some of the phrases that have come up to my ears describing the agony of the childbirth experience for some women.)

The same is true for this natural metamorphosis of menopause. The onset of womanhood, in the menstrual cycle as it begins in a young girl, is most frequently a happenstance which alarms them more for the seeing of the blood and for the responsibilities which lie ahead of them in terms of society conditioning, sexual expectations, womanly responsibilities and so forth, than the mild-mannered cramping of a pubescent lass, and so conditioning plays a great part in the acceptance of womanhood and conditioning plays sometimes an overwhelming part in the setting aside of those conditionings of what womanhood represents and has been throughout her entire adult life.

It is, in many cases, a matter of histrionics, for you have to set aside your procreative aspects in a society that places supreme recognition on those who procreate. Your society has lifted motherhood into the realms of sanctity, akin to Mother Mary. It is totally fallacious to accede to such a belief system. There is life after menopause. The difficulty in the psyche is this adjustment and the resistance to the awareness that you are an individual.

It is extremely difficult for some people to accept their own individuality, but find it far more comfortable to be part of the collective unconsciousness of their society. (One moment) [Brief intermission; visit from Abram]

DOC: I am back and I am glad to be here. I would like to convey for the information of those present (and not present) that indeed under certain circumstances, I am willing to discuss economic health, financial health, educational health and so forth; however, I am primarily concerned about psychic health, as that enables you to have the mind to then function more clearly when you address these other matters of health, including your physical health.

Your intermission discourse was somewhat provocative. I am impressed that your mind was impressed with certain phrases having to do with ego, id, libido, subconscious, superconscious, conscious and so forth, for these truly are my words of expertise in a way. The psychic realms are the realms in which you make those decisions that will further your spiritual growth or retard your spiritual growth and you will live to experience the results of those decisions.

It is a fact of life that your decisions are not the most altruistic. It is a fact of the matter of time (that you are time-and space-bound creatures), that allows for the leisure of steady growth. In fact, overmuch rapid spiritual growth is detrimental, and so when you pause to spend time in your psychic realms you are enabling yourself to clarify your understanding of yourself as an individual, why you behave the way you do. It gives you an understanding, then, of why your fellows behave the way they behave and it all contributes to "The Great Cause."

It is, therefore, not necessary that you incessantly clamor for spiritual perfection. One of the purposes of the Teaching Mission, of the Teachers, is to help you develop an integrated personality, one which incorporates your spiritual nature as well as your physical nature, the human and the divine, in a well-balanced personality. Now when we come to the realm of the personality and its behavior manifestations, including physical health, financial health and so forth, this is where I work. This is where we work together.

I would like to say to each of you that I would very much enjoy speaking with you in private in an unpublished session. Each of you crave an audience that you might further understand yourself, in order that you may further heal yourself of various ills and responses. There are even some of you who would like to delve into realms previously unrecognized.

Having said that I would like to return my attention to menopause, but briefly, and I hope that you understand from what I was just saying that much of the distress of menopause is a psychic situation. It is obvious that there are physical manifestations, but it is not obvious that the physical manifestations are in large part a result of the psychic disturbances taking place in the metamorphosis from a female who produces to children (who produces eggs, who produces a certain amount of hormones) to a woman who is productive now in other ways, in other realms, in other manners.

Much of the excitement of menopause, and therefore the terror, is because of the new life that is presented once you have passed through the passage. Unfortunately, your societal/cultural approach to "old age' and your morbid fear of dying discolors the wonderful experience of adult living. Instead of becoming a useless vestige, you are truly coming into your own. Now that you no longer have to consider the family unit and the rearing of children, the societal values and home devotions that your culture requires of you as a parent and even as a spouse, you are free to investigate actually a whole new life, if you are of a mind to.

And so this dichotomy of directions is quite a torment to many, as it is to you, Leah. You are faced with a turning point and you can go in many scattered directions, never finding a central path, or you can investigate these psychic realms and let the rest of your glorious life unfold before you. It will not, however, be based on your conditioning as much as has been your egg-producing era. Let us discuss it more in detail and at leisure at another time.

Hunnah: It has to do with my real heart. I've been having palpitations -- probably for a couple of months off and on, but I've associated it with the opening of my heart chakra. I'd like to think of it as that. Would you address that for me?

DOC: Let me say, without further examination, that as you become more sensitive to your chakras, to your evolving nature, to your true self, you become more sensitive to the mechanical aspects of the body. As you focus on that area, you will be more inclined to notice the subtleties living in and taking place in that area. It is also not uncommon for mild fillibration to occur, but it usually goes by unnoticed. It may be that you're simply being more aware of these natural and occasional fillibrations, as you become more aware of your heart area.

It is wise to be aware of your body and its behaviors, not only its disturbances but also its natural mechanistic movements. It is of benefit when you can move through the universe of your body and not lose your way, when you find the body is opened and in full sway. There are little glitches in the body that happen much like little glitches occur in Mother Nature. Sometimes it rains. Sometimes there are earthquakes. They may or may not be damaging to the physical body, but remember, you are a physical being and your earth plane has a major influence on its behavior, on its electrochemical system, on its water balance and so forth. It is through the mind, in being aware of your physicality, that you can greatly aid the mechanism of the body that it then may serve you in your material existence and house your spirit most capably.

Keep your eye on your ticker and feel the miracle of life, appreciate that it is beating, watch it activate you and breathe in accordance with your understanding of the great cosmic flow. Then observe as it naturally relaxes; observe your mental state during before and after this activation; ascertain if there is any pain or any resultant effects such as tingling or temperature adjustment; notate the frequency of this condition.

If it increases, it is probably wise to have it seen by a professional of your realm. It is easy for the mortal to put spiritual reasons on physical disturbances and vice versa. It is truly well to be objective, to see each realm in its own light and appreciate the reality of that realm in its wholeness. Has that been helpful?

Hunnah: It's the human condition to worry about. The only heart sensation that I respond to is what I call love. It's like warmth, and the human is like a distraction. It's physical, but it's part of the personality to say, "I don't want any part of it." "Heel!" Thank you very much.

DOC: I am not a miracle worker by myself. I do not have a magic wand by myself, but we can do wonders together.

My dear daughters, I am delighted with our rapport, our time spent this afternoon. I will look forward to our next engagement. I will turn you back to your host, your teacher Tomas, for his salutations and greetings. Good evening.

TOMAS: Well, my friends, I see that you have had another bountiful feast. It has been a pleasure to present this array of aides. [End of tape] Farewell.

TOMAS: Brothers and sisters, I would like to begin this evening with a prayer to

alt="" /> “Our All-Powerful First Source and Center, Who fills the universe, Who fills His creation with infinite energy and infinite pattern, Whose harmony echoes to the far corners of time and space ~ we look to You, Universal Father, for the echo of Your voice. We ask that You see Yourself reflected in and through us, that Your great light be seen in your children as we reach to Your tremendous love, to Your power, to Your understanding ~ to You, Our Father, Our Mother, to Whom we owe our being. Bless us and rain upon us Your infinite light and life. Smile upon our associations that as Your sons and daughters we may reflect and radiate Your love to one another as we are able and as we are responsive to receive Your divine blessing.”

TOMAS: I welcome you here this evening with great relish, for you have shown yourselves to be worthy of the Great Conductor. Remember when we spoke many months ago about the symphony and I equated you to the orchestra warming up prior to the actual musical presentation and equated your preliminary noises as the cacophony of sounds made by the many instruments in this warming up process? My beloved pupils and followers of Michael, you this evening remind me now of a chamber orchestra that has found its instrument and has tuned it and is now poised and ready to await the Conductor's direction, that you may then begin to play your notes in harmony.

The peace of the instant is worth savoring, and I remind you that this peace and tranquility of this poignant moment, prior to the actual making of the music, is greatly enhanced through the practice of stillness. This evening I would like to speak to you regarding receptivity, for as you sit alert in your spiritual poise, as you are alerted to the sign from the Conductor as to when to begin to play, you await this prompt in a state of receptivity, as when you pray and praise your Creator you await in silence, in receptivity of his guidance, his direction.

How to become more receptive is the focus of our moment together this evening. It assumes, of course, that you have a desire to receive. What normal mortal being is not in the market for the reception of good tidings, good things, good thoughts, good energies, good, goods? Alas, much of mankind is unreceptive, or, selectively receptive and spiritually unreceptive. Learning to love and learning to receive love is the first step in ascertaining how to be receptive.

In order that you receive love, you must love first. In order to receive forgiveness, you must forgive first. In order to receive, you must first make yourself responsive and receptive; you must acknowledge your hunger for guidance and supreme knowledge. In order that you can avail yourself of this bounty, you must set aside the belief that you have all that you need or that you are all that you want to be. Ever is the vessel ready for yet more truth, more learning capacity. The cup runneth over and yet awaits the next drop of spiritual nourishment as a thirsty man in hell. The ability to receive spirit guidance, then, is predicated on your willingness to receive and then to serve with what you have received -- to give.

Each of you are sensitive to spirit presence, spirit leadings. Each of you in your own way seek guidance from your inner guide, and your Indwelling Adjuster. Many of you have become sensitive to the various energies emanating throughout your local universe in the form of personality and you seek to be receptive and responsive to these celestial helpers. Some of you eagerly open your minds to receive words, impressions, concepts, thoughts from various teachers, from Michael, from the Living God himself. How do you know that what you have received is from the Source? And how much have you construed in your own mind, in your desire to be part of the cosmic wheel, the celestial neighborhood?

Only by being receptive and waiting until the reception is clear and then giving. Sometimes there is static on the line. This is understood, for none of you have perfected your techniques of receiving. These myriad aspects of reception vary from moment to moment, from individual to individual, for the universe is filled with things, energies, impressions, music and so on for you. In stillness you are most apt to receive that which you are to receive most clearly, without the static of an exterior influence. And when the reception is clear, when you have found the way, the way will open before you to give, to serve, to transmit that which you have received.

In all the bounties, in all the blessings, in all the challenges and the adventures and the difficulties and opportunities which you may be receptive to and recipient of, it is invaluable to you to remember the nature of God, the divine nature of our Universal Father, our God, for God is love. It is personified in Michael as mercy. And if in your work you recall these two powerful strengths, these mighty messages of the heart, you will prevail.

It is a bounty for me, Teacher Tomas, to receive into this fellowship this evening our visitor. I have been prepared for your arrival, Perihan, by association with my fellow teachers, and by observing in person your radiance, which makes it apparent to all those who have eyes to see, that you have been with the Master and you are identifiable as our sister in the kingdom. We are enriched by your presence and emboldened by your energy in your desire to do His will.

How wonderful it is for me to experience this chamber orchestra this evening, in readiness of its musical chords. I defer to the Master Conductor, however; I am only a first violin. May I hear from you, my flock?

Ruth: Thank you very much for your words of wisdom last week. You helped me in being able to help this person.

TOMAS: I am pleased to serve. I am very glad that I was able to provide you with those words and sentiments, which helped you in your path, in your choosing. I have faith in you and in your capacity to serve, in your integrity. It was a difficult job but somebody had to do it. I am glad you got to experience that responsibility. As difficult as you found it, it is invaluable to you to understand the facet of the responsibility of the whole, rather like the concept of loving the sinner while hating the sin, for you have known compassion for the entire deranged situation. Such a life on such a planet! I am happy with you that the brunt of the experience is behind you but for the parties involved; the drama will play out for yet generations. Well done, my friend.

Hunnah: Abram and I had a pleasant weekend in nature among many, many, many people, and it was in many ways a positive experience. It was a craft show, for those of you who will be reading this later on. But one of the things that struck my attention was the number of people who are physically and mentally deficient who were compassionately aired, taken out into nature into the pleasant diversion of the festivities. It was just like a follow-up of the lesson you had last week about hope, and even though many people take care of people like that because they need a job, I was impressed with the people who did it because it was a form of fulfillment as well as a job, and it was a very nice experience. . .. and I just thought I'd comment about it, that it was sort of pushed in my face, the wide range of life out there, and all the different attitudes and interests of people. It was very enjoyable.

TOMAS: I am glad that you are enjoying your awareness of life and the light of people thereon. It occurs to me, while you describe your experience, that hope was not a predominant theme so much as your impression with the "merciful ministry" which was on-going. I can anticipate that those who are disabled have struggled with undying hope and those who tend to the ill and disabled also have longed with undying hope for a brighter tomorrow, but have, in the interim, assumed the yoke happily of "merciful ministry."

These efforts on behalf of the children of Urantia are not unnoticed in the realms On High. Each kindness, each service, is done unto the Master.

Perihan: It is such a joy to be welcomed so graciously, and I am so full of excitement and anticipation for the music, the symphony to come, and long for those vibrations to be light and darkness, to comfort so (indistinguishable). Thank you.

TOMAS: Daughter, how could I greet you otherwise, when you are so fragrant, when obviously your soul is so receptive to the nature of the Infinite Spirit that you, yourself, rain flowers and fragrance in your every word. Your receptivity is a delight, and the excitement you feel and eagerly anticipate is shared by myriad angels and enlightened beings, for the excitement of the gospel is vibrant and dynamic.

In the manifestation of the living love, the purity of His touch/Her embrace is to be found the most exhilarating of experiences. Your excitement and appreciation is contagious, as love is contagious, and we also look forward to the full orchestration of His love, the swelling of the music, the powerful crescendos. The swooping and sweeping appreciation of the vastness of the eternal career is swoon-inducing, truly exciting, not a matter for those who are unreceptive or unresponsive, for in order to withstand the mighty aspects of this power and glory, it is desired, it is required, that you focus your attention, your infinite attention, on that Conductor, that great, perfect Master Conductor.

What an experience it is, indeed, and isn't it marvelous that love is more contagious than hate! A small chamber orchestra can make mighty music to echo in the valleys and climb the highest hills if it is clear and in keeping/in response to the perfect direction of the Conductor.

Your anticipation toward the upcoming conference is in evidence. It is going to be great fun for me. I feel like a host at a high school prom and cannot wait to see the young people dance and fall in love. It is so wonderful to appreciate the idealism required for growth to be allowed to take place. The purity of the spirit allows this growth to take place.

Hunnah: While you're talking I'm thinking about something someone said 7 or 8 years ago, and he was very wise, and he was making reference to how many come to the program. "Come to the party" so to speak. He said, "Do not be concerned about how many you have anticipated but enjoy those that arrive," and "It is for those who attend only, not for those who did not attend." The numbers were far less than they thought there would be, but it allows me to see -- the small group allows for me to see what perhaps might be not as abundantly available if it was a large group. Would you like to comment?

TOMAS: Yes, dear. I don't mean to puff ourselves up overmuch, but it is reminiscent of the truth that we cannot see the glory of the Father in our present state and live, for the light is too great, and so I would suggest a similar truth in reference to our upcoming gathering, that if we were too many too quickly, it might be more overwhelming than is advisable, for a steady, solid, true growth of the spirit. You are correct that this intimate gathering will allow for much personal sharing and appreciation of each other and actual getting-to-know-you on a one-on-one basis, rather than a large mass who are also impressive by their numbers and energy but not perhaps as enduring as those moments garnered from a quality moment in time with a well-cherished friend.

These opportunities will avail themselves in your holiday this weekend. Be certain that you allow yourself to be receptive, for there will be many, truly many spirit beings in attendance, and many joys, gifts, lessons, impressions and so forth will be given you as you are focused and receptive. Do not make the mistake of coming home with a wheelbarrow full of coal when you could come back with a pocket full of diamonds.

Hunnah: That's neat. I like that. One of the things that occurred to me was that I'm not one of the many who will have to go to work the next day. I'm hoping that my frame will work out so that I can do the daily grind.

TOMAS: To the contrary, my dear. If the conference is a success, you will be eager to go to work at once -- for the kingdom.

Hunnah: Oh, good. Good. I wanted to make sure I was capable of ironing my clothes.

Hunnah: We're into our fourth year, our group. And has it -- I guess it doesn't matter; there isn't any gauge necessarily -- but, are you pleased with the progress that has been made on a large scale? It's easy to think of our area, or our group, but … world wide-- because obviously it is an international response.

TOMAS: I am happy to respond and before I give my opinion I will draw an analogy, if I may, and that has to do with Christ Michael's appearances to his apostles. He had made indeed many appearances to many, many believers before he appeared to his group after they had all gotten together, and the analogy would be that there have been so many wonderful spiritual up-shoots, up-starts, up-roots, up-growings, up-comings throughout the entire planet Urantia that I understand the lack of hurry that Michael was in, in coming round to his own precious apostles.

You see, Correcting Time, of which we are a part, is global and beyond. It is affecting all of life in your realm as well as other aspects, elements, areas, affected by the Lucifer rebellion. Correcting Time is well nigh universal as far as your understanding goes, and so tremendous spiritual surges forward are taking place.

The Teaching Mission, which you have come to know through your teachers, through the network of the heart that we discuss, and through your own living experiences of being a student of a living mini-master of truth, your own life's unfolding are a natural part of Correcting Time for Urantia and, additionally, esoteric for you because of your association in the Teaching Mission, which is part of Correcting Time but is also part of the fifth epochal revelation.

And so, to get back to your question, I am not disappointed in the least with the growth of the Teaching Mission, for it is too real not to be a radiant and profound success. Real spiritual growth, real growth of reality takes time, but it is eternal. Much of the spiritual awakenings which are taking part as a natural consequence of the adjudication, a natural consequence of Correcting Time, -- (one moment). Much of what is ongoing in Correcting Time is indeed evolving, is formulating, as in evolution, although/albeit rapid evolution.

The realities of the Teaching Mission, that is to say your awareness, Hunnah, of undying hope, enlightened honesty, courageous loyalty, confiding trust -- all those are being applied in the lives of your peers and in your own personal spiritual experiences. These truths, these awakenings, which are contributing to your permanent personality, your immortal soul, these are enduring. They are revelatory. They have been revealed as truth, which is eternal, and will eternally affect your standing in the universe.

It is contributing to your eternal reality. And so it is a very exciting time in the population at large as well as in the Teaching Mission. The Teaching Mission, you see, is not necessarily for everyone and not necessarily for everyone at this time. Those who are drawn in, swept in, brought in, sucked up, induced or whatever, are fairly well selected, for one reason or another, and when the Spirit of Truth speaks, the proponents of the Teaching Mission listen; they are truly receptive to spirit reality and guidance, which is not to say they do not err, but which is to say that they are willing to work on those elements of self which will further serve true living love.

Yes, I am very pleased. I know that large numbers of people and miraculous expressions, phenomenon and so on impress the mortal mind, but we are impressed with reality, spirit reality, and the family that develops among believers is here to stay.

Hunnah: An observation. I've always thought of earth as being a physical manifestation, with trees and water and such, and all of a sudden I had a new definition of what earth was. Earth was a collective consciousness. It was a tremendous gathering of beings living on form. It just sort of sunk through. And you just love to take off with the ball, and I thought maybe I could tell you that that was one of my new definitions of earth. Not that it has to be correct, but I like the idea.

TOMAS: Yes, I can see that as an artist you would like that idea, for consider as you stand out in the universe and hold the globe in the palm of your hand and look at it, you cannot see the trees, the water, and yet you are looking at your natal sphere, perhaps as a Creator would look at his creation and see that it is not just a geologic orb, but a living thing. And what is that living thing but collective consciousness, so of course I appreciate your new definition. It is an interesting one.

Hunnah: I also have had an experience -- and I'm sharing it because our group is so quiet tonight and if anyone wants to interrupt, please do, but -- I have had the feeling that occasionally that I am the eyes of God. We're at the festival and I'm looking at all these people and it's as if I was looking at them for someone. We went to the Catholic Church where the child received her confirmation and I was sitting over on the side away from the activity, like a quiet observer with a camera. It was an objectivity experience. Hunnah looking at it. I felt like I was allowed to behold a human ritual gathering and I savored it and I appreciated it as if I was literally a god allowed to be present consciously in this earthly experience. It was very nice.

TOMAS: I do not find your recounting this experience alarming in the least, despite the fact that many would find your comment blasphemous, for who would deign to equate their vision with that of God? And you have. And I say to you I commend your view and recommend only that as you say: "I AM" you remember: "I AM a son of I AM" -- or in your case, of course, a daughter. But in-as-much as God dwells within you and you are working conscientiously to understand how you and God work together, how you see things jointly, it is certainly understandable and logical then that you would indeed begin to see with those eyes, those eyes to see, and hear with ears to hear, which are given you as a living child of God. It certainly expands the panorama of life, doesn't it?

Hunnah: There was such a lovely and peaceful realization with these. And you can -- it happens rather often. I like it.

TOMAS: Yes. I want to use the word "detachment" here, for it is a farther view. It is removing yourself, your ego, from involvement. It allows you then this observation and you will see, daughter, as you develop this refined technique of observation, of indeed reception of divine vision, that you will be guided on occasion as to how to then act upon what you see, also with a degree of depersonalization or detachment, if you will, that is allowed because you have given over the situation to the Maker.

It is delightful to hear you express this experience, this perception, that I may commend it. It makes your life easier and makes the lives of those you touch far less complicated when you walk in such simplicity and grace.

Abram: As Hunnah's husband, I know she's no god, because I look down at her feet and I see a bandage where she dropped a knife on her toe. I don't think gods do that. I do have a few questions.

Abram: Okay. I'm just sitting here thinking about the last nine years since I retired from being a high school administrator. You probably are aware that as a high school administrator I did try to work -- at least asked on a daily basis for many years -- for God to work through me. And I am sure that it did work that way. But when I left there -- one of the reasons I left was because I was tired. I needed a rest. Well, I went into real estate and decided this wasn't for me. I went -- fortunately, a job opened up and I went teaching on a collegiate level; I truly loved that job and sometimes when I think about that job and what happened, I'm very angry. And after three years there, not because of me or anything I did, nine of us had to leave the college. Well, then I went into my shop and did some work with wood and wouldn't you know that, I believe last Sunday was my last craft show. I don't believe I can work in the shop anymore. My physical condition -- breathing the dust -- will prohibit that.

I look back on those nine years and each one of those jobs after I retired: real estate, college teacher, working as a craftsman, were all three years. It's almost like trying different jobs in this lifetime to see what they were like. Now I'm looking forward and I see nothing! I was at least prepared for all those jobs along the way, now the future is ahead of me. Where am I going? Are there jobs out there for me to provide a service? I don't see them. Or am I just being impatient?

TOMAS: I appreciate your talking this over with me, my friend. I have a few remarks as you might suspect. I will equate your experiences, to some extent, to the early travels of Jesus where he also experienced different facets of living. He was engaged much as you have been in that he was at one time a caravan leader, another time he was the Scribe of Damascus, and he was a boat builder, and so forth, in succession. This afforded him the opportunity to get to know his fellowmen and women and to determine how it was that they made a living.

You had spent an entire career in administration at a certain level, and it was and remains invaluable experience then that you had a series of relatively short-term interim situations that expanded your approach and appreciation for how others live. If you had not had this variety of experiences, the conditioning of administration might have been over-bearing for your wife and others. As it is, you have stretched yourself and even learned to play.

Because you don't see the next leg of the journey in advance, my son, does not mean that a new leg is not there. It is true also, you must concede, that the male mind is rather academic at large in that it perceives its worth by its occupation and what it does, even more in terms of career and bread-winning than the female of the species, who places more emphasis on child-rearing and home-making, so the male thinks in terms of what to do for a living. But I would suggest to you, if you could appreciate the liberation which has been given to you and is being given to you in your ascendant career, even since your retirement, your flexibility has so grown that your next engagement may not be along the lines of money-making and bread-winning as you are accustomed in your culture and in your experience.

Allow the adventure of the ages to be with you; allow yourself to embark upon the ascent willingly and unreservedly. I know that you have gifts and abilities, which are of great benefit, and I trust that they will not become rusty. I know you are eager to be involved. If you remain open to the avenues available and receptive to spirit guidance, you will find your boyish nature delighted at the many, many adventures and meaningful experiences which lie ahead.

Abram: Thank you, Tomas. You know, again, thinking back to those nine years, it was really quite a revelation to me how difficult it is for some people to earn a living. In the role that I played previous to that I made good money. I worked hard for it! But I never really understood, in detail, how difficult it is for people to make a decent living in this country.

Abram: In real estate, I couldn't believe that the average amount a person could make was between $10,000 and $12,000 a year! This was totally shocking to me. On a college level, I was amazed at the number of part-time people that were trying to make a living. Then in the craft circuit, this was really a revelation. There were people who worked full time, day in and day out, making all these craft items, then going out on weekends and selling them, just struggling to make a living. This was a shock to me. And I appreciate it. I never would have known this before. And I thank the powers-to-be for giving me those experiences in the past nine years. I would not have known it before....

TOMAS: Yes, sir. Your experience warranted further experience, and this is the nature of the divine path, for you were directed oft times, even unconsciously, but even as you ask to be guided, your steps will continue to evolve along most interesting avenues. The awareness that you have the willingness to assimilate the experiences that you have, your mannerisms and your ability to prevail with men and with women, account you as an able ambassador of many truths, much goodness and much beauty. You will not fall by the wayside, my son. Look forward to the next adventure.

I would like, now, with your permission, to return to your wife, and I would ask that you allow yourself to indeed see her as an aspect of God. Not, certainly, in her feet or her corporeal assets but in her true divine nature. Encourage her reality that she in turn may encourage your reality, and thus foster in your union a new set of marriage vows for the next leg of your journey together.

Hunnah: I do! [Group laughter] If people only knew how exciting it is behind the door of our adventure. Oh, gosh. Everyone here has so many exciting things going on. It's wonderful.

Loreenia: Tomas, I wanted to ask about . .. it seems that every time I get really in touch, I'm reminded of the four and twenty elders. What's going on now? What are the counselors doing now in the context of what we're doing?

TOMAS: I cannot give you an overview of that counsel without understanding your need to know. It is a curiosity question and so I must find out what aspect of your curiosity is involved.

Loreenia: Why am I still being told about the four and twenty counselors? It just keeps coming up. Year after year, it's the same thing. It's being emphasized to me.

Loreenia: Well, they're using a little ditty to talk to me about it. I have a feeling they're operating with us now, in some way or another. It's almost as if I'm being led with knowledge, but I don't know what it's all about to pay attention to certain things.

TOMAS: I am asking for guidance myself in this. One moment. I have received these concepts to transmit regarding your recurring impression of the counselors:

Bear with it, but do not place overmuch importance on it. In times of searching, oft times the mind will find a favorite flag to wave and the subconscious mind will fuel that flag. On occasion, more will be revealed, but often it is made greater than needful. There are those who might say your minds make mountains out of molehills and I am not saying that; I am saying that sometimes when you cannot completely see the message, when you cannot completely perceive the entire picture, you obsess over it. You focus on it overmuch and disallow its natural revealing to take place. Which is why I say to you through what is being conveyed to me, do not abandon the process of processing this through your mind, your superconscious mind, but try not to be so logical or specific. I don't know if this has been helpful, but this is what I was advised to tell you.

Loreenia: Well, what is bothering me is I had forgotten all about it. I had done so several times, but this time it was brought up in a transmission that was through me and it surprised me, which it has several times, that they refer to the four and twenty counselors. I completely forget about it and then it comes up again.

TOMAS: I would like for you to really take a look at the lesson of this evening regarding receptivity and bear in mind the fine line between transmitting one's own mortal thought processes as compared to the more pedantic and elusive truths of the spirit. Your mind bank, Loreenia, is burgeoning with information. You are a computer bank of data, an encyclopedic mind, indeed; and so your facts are profuse and abundant. It is wise, in transmitting/receiving, in conveying your impressions of spirit reality that you not pull out the entire Britannica or even the luminous chapters, but one morsel for true chewing.

I am not chastising you, you understand; I am very eager to work with you, that we might work together in our combined desire to serve. The harvest is great but the workers are few, and it is exciting to perceive your initial entrance into activation, but put some of these deeper revelations back into the fodder of your deep mind until they become better gelled.

For instance, for many of you the concept of the Supreme Being, the Evolving Supreme, is one which may flicker as having some reality, some great importance, but far be it for the mind to grasp it upon first reading, or second, or eighth, or twentieth, and yet the concept is there and each time it is encountered, more is revealed. This seed of truth is growing within you and will manifest in time as an understanding, a greater understanding of this tremendous god-in-process.

Like the Most Highs and their work, like the 24 counselors, the counsel of 24 and their work, there are vast arrays of information and personalities that you have been exposed to that are in your mind, all of your minds, but until they become really meaningful, it would be wise to allow them to mature in their own time -- by sitting in stillness, being receptive, allowing the Father to fertilize and water your growth -- rather than trying to force the issue or trying to transmit what you know you know academically as opposed to spiritually.

Loreenia: I transmit Moriah. I have been for a long time. Her energies have been flowing through me to others. I don't know what's going to happen consciously. You were talking about music this time and what I was hearing, the little ditty, a childish little thing, is the four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie, and when the pie was open the birds began to sing, and that, to me, was the angels began to sing, with whatever these four and twenty elders were doing.

TOMAS: Yes, I see the mechanism in operation. Your very clever Thought Adjuster is working in your mind with the materials at hand in order to bring about realizations of a spiritual nature to you. But do not limit your comprehension of your interpretation of what your beloved Adjuster is trying to tell you. 24 is not only the 24 counselors. Remember that Abner and the apostles who followed John the Baptist and Andrew and the apostles who followed Jesus, also comprised 24; and when they worked together as two apostolic units in one, the angels also sang.

And so there are other interpretations, more graspable interpretations that will feed your flock, rather than bedazzle them with information that serves no useful spiritual purpose in their growth at this time. Have I counseled you?

TOMAS: Thank you, my friend, for your commitment to work in the field in the ways in which you are being called. I look forward to our growth, our future work together, and the many fruits of our labors.

Loreenia: I experienced this week a coordination of the opening, or whatever it is, of the head and the heart, which was an usual thing to experience (indistinguishable)

Hunnah: While she is comfortable with this -- This is Loreenia's vocabulary; this is her way of reaching -- it occurred to me . .. my impression was that you made light, one evening, of some of the things that we attach ourselves to as having achieved, and that is our being aware that I'm in touch with these people. This is another part of my world that they see color, they hear sound, and it’s a concern to me because I feel that it's like an added thing. Because someone has written about it, it receives so much attention. It's not a goal to attain; it's just something that comes along for some people. You may take this up some other evening if you want. But a previous teacher I had said to ignore the colors and the activities because it's not particularly relevant, because it seems very important to a lot of people I have met.

TOMAS: These are similar to hallucinations, which to many are a mere sensory indulgence, but to others they are representative, and so it is true that there is merit, but it also is not something on which I would place overmuch emphasis. There are truths to be found in almost any manifestation of color, sound and so forth if the soul is receptive. You can find a miracle in the swirling smoke from a cigarette if you are inclined to appreciate the movement of smoke.

The color and vibration and tonal aspects of the human being are a considerable reminder of the miracle of life to one who is in the beginning perceptive stages of appreciating that they live, that they are more than an animal. They are becoming conscious of consciousness, and so these are true revelations of reality for some and at some times.

I am not in the market to negate any experience which is valuable to an ascending soul, and so I abide by much that is odd to me but it is not odd to those experiencing it, and so I respect the experience; I respect the personality undergoing its own growth.

Hunnah: Then it is possible in the act of ascension that this may phase away. And what. I'm focusing on here is that it seems to be an achievement, and if we are in an ascension mode, then this so-called treasure that we have, this rung that we have sensed that it's an accomplishment -- because I can't see or hear in any way, that we should still hold it very lightly because we being where we are, as we expand, that this has to thin out, that it can keep us back because we have equated it with unnecessary value?

TOMAS: What it can do is keep you from forging ahead into true reality levels. These appreciations for the realms of the mind which lie just under the breakthrough point, which banter about the periphery of the Core Reality are distractions, yes, and rewards also. How other people function in their own heads, in their own minds, in their own perceptions is really none of our business. Our business is to help them feel at ease in themselves so that they feel at ease to go Home, so that they can make contact with that Eternal Source which is their Indwelling God Fragment, which is the beginning and ending of all reality, and the Source of their own personality, and the first step in their ascension career. These are large steps, sometimes people don't make that step. [Tape ended]

TOMAS: It is great to be here with you again. I delayed my arrival this evening in order that you might have an extended moment in time to appreciate Stillness, and also that your circuits might be adjusted according to your new elevation of energies, resultant from your experience this past weekend in company with fellow kingdom-believers.

That is a truth; you are altered henceforth as a result of that experience. No one here is in danger of circuit overload, but you have all had a vibrant dose of spiritual uplifting and this will reflect in your electro-chemical system and many other facets of your beingness.

I would like to briefly this evening talk about time. There are many who have embarked upon the study to metaphysics and cosmologies and other proponents of advanced cosmic concepts who subscribe to the theory that there is "no time." They have reason for that understanding at this point in their growth but for us I will say that time is a reality and it differs on each level of reality.

If you were in Paradise, surely you would know the truth of timelessness, of infinity, of eternality. As life extends out from Paradise, it is necessary that time come into being as you extend further and further out through the geometric configuration of universes. Time becomes more pronounced and more valuable the farther removed from Paradise you are. And, since Urantia has far to go before its current inhabitants attain Paradise, it behooves you to understand that time is part of your framework and there is meaning to that value.

Of course, when you sit in Stillness it is possible to transcend time for a time. You can operate in nether realms that enable you to transcend time and space for a while, but as you re-enter your environment, you are perforce subject to the restrictions imposed by time. As you become more perfect, time becomes less of a constraint and more of an ally.

Many times you seek for instant results. Your phrase is, "I want what I want when I want it" and it is a typical reaction of the finite being, but as you ascend and understand the greater purpose, when you set aside personal immediate self-gratification for long-range needs of your society or your family or the greater good, you appreciate the quality of time. Time is invariably involved in the process of becoming wise. Although revelation may come in an instant, wisdom requires time.

I make reference to time this evening in part because of my earlier reference to the fact that you have all altered slightly as a result of your experience at the conference this past weekend. It may take awhile for you to appreciate this fully, but you will begin to have indications of that farther reaching viewpoint that respects the need for time to bring about fruition. All things happen in His time.

One of the most meaningful aspects of the meditation book "God Calling" are the many, many precious references to the listener to wait for God's time, to learn to wait in abeyance and obedience to His prompt, for no matter how hard you may seek to further truth or to attain wisdom, it will only happen as it is sanctioned and inculcated by a power greater than yourself.

Your appreciation of this truth, this ability to wait until the hand of God makes motion possible, provides you with graciousness and poise. It bespeaks a patient demeanor. Waiting upon time as it is given and directed by the Father allows you to appreciate the magnitude of his overcare, and when you have learned to "wait upon the Lord" you are shown timelessness, you are given a greater expansion of time.

Your understanding of "time on your hands" takes on new meaning. Time is more manageable. Time becomes your friend instead of an enemy. You have more time in which to do more good work. You have more time to rest, you have more time to see. You are elevated and given a farther view.

This week my friends, my students, I would like for you to ponder time. Be aware of time. Not that it is 6:10 a.m. or 8:35 p.m.; not that it is lunchtime; not that it is time to depart or time to retire, but be aware of time in terms of His time. Are you operating in conjunction with His time? Are your watches, internal watches, synchronized with the timepiece of Paradise?

It is time now, my friends, to hear from you. I am eager for your input. I have missed our long chats. I saw you all so busily engaged. I was actively involved in many of your growth experiences and I immensely enjoyed myself, as I promised. The conference from my point of view was successful. It was wonderful again to be in a thriving atmosphere with my colleagues, to spend time in converse with Machiventa and others. I am eager now to hear from you as to anything you might like to bring to our table discussion. Are there questions?

Hunnah: I want to tell you that we have a guest this evening. We have Peri visiting us.

TOMAS: I thank you, Hunnah, for your hostessing. I do not mean to embarrass you, but you are a week late. We had Peri last week here with us.

TOMAS: And yet and still you are correct for she is truly a guest, an honored guest, and it is wonderful for us all to have her, you, with us again, Peri.

I want to also say, Hunnah, that I so appreciate the sentiment behind your invitation to introduce the guest, that I will bestow that role upon you henceforth. In your home when we have a newcomer, if you would present the newcomer to me formally, as if I were visible, that I might make record of their attendance, it would be appreciated. Would that be amenable with you, my friend?

Hunnah: I think that would be fine for our readers. Peri is visiting from Ottawa, Canada, now. I'm sorry she can't hang around longer for a more normal relationship. She said she had some questions this evening. You just love a question, so maybe she can throw it out in the room.

TOMAS: I am always eager to hear from you, that I might share your soul delights and needs indeed.

Iyana: It was wonderful that Peri was able to have her teacher come through when we were there last week at the meeting (in Grailville).

TOMAS: I must say that it was wonderful also for the Teachers in the Teaching Mission. The status of that visitation was and remains a treat, even for us.

Peri: As Tiamaah started to speak and there was a bit of a stir and other people commented, "We weren't upset!" No, it was them!

TOMAS: Indeed. It was not that we were upset either. We were quite thrilled. Your voice trumpeted the personality and presence of an Avonal Son and we all look forward to hearing more. Your Teacher and our comrade had begun a dissertation, or had whetted the appetite, to give further discourse on trinity values and his efforts were rather cut short by the constraints of time.

I will say, too, for you all, that we Teachers became rather impatient with earth time this weekend for, although it is understood that those are the constraints that are necessary, we found there was not enough time to do as much as we would like to have done. Perhaps I can say with a wry smile that we did not get a chance to get a word in edgewise. …

TOMAS: . .. so busy were you all in your growing and sharing activities. I will not lament the circumstance since so much was accomplished, but I will state that for us Teachers, it was unfortunate that we were not also privy to the words of the Avonal Son as well as lessons from one another.

It is difficult perhaps for you, our students, to understand, but we also enjoy hearing each other's lessons, much as visiting professors will sit in on a lecture of a favored professor in order to learn from their own peers. Perhaps in time this can evolve. Perhaps as we learn to speak more with the Morontia Companions and learn some of those social sensitivities that come when you can transcend greatly the limitations of mortal time, these may indeed come to pass.

Iyana: Just to change the subject a little bit, I would like to ask about my guide and my guide's name. I have not, to my knowledge, in the Stillness really thought that I had anyone, other than my Thought Adjuster who, of course, I'm very happy to have.

TOMAS: Thank you, Iyana. One moment, please. Iyana, you have a teacher, a personal teacher. It is not rare but it is unusual that your teacher is a masculine teacher, a young masculine figure. I am understanding that he goes by the name of Han but my transmitter/ receiver is not secure with that interpretation. At any rate, this young male companion is an experienced companion, a lively fellow, sensitive, rather agile in terms of getting around and keeping you company as you, also, are quite agile in getting around.

Iyana: Thank you. Now, when I go into the silence, do I sometimes address him?

TOMAS: The practice that you already use is quite wonderful, yet you may converse with your personal companion as you will, as you might call up a friend on the telephone, a friend that you cherish and save special moments to share with. Your companion has been already with you for a long time and has been made aware of many of your mindsets, behaviors and conditionings and so forth, so he knows you as a human being.

TOMAS: You are welcome! It is always, incidentally, a true pleasure for the personal teachers when they are acknowledged and when they are, as I said, "telephoned."

Hunnah: I have to tell you something, Tomas, that's very funny. It's that Iyana is not one to call and chat on the phone. She acts as if she gets her three cents worth and hangs up. So, good luck, Han! [Group laughter]

TOMAS: Well, this is one case where this is not a toll call. [Group laughter]

Hunnah: Regarding your talking about time and the conference, I was surprised too that the honored guests were not on the agenda more, but I guess it's a spill-over from our human conditioning that they have developed the program with human names and reports because people who are going expect to see them, and I think that at the next conference, there will probably be a few alterations to make sure that that doesn't happen.

TOMAS: Remember that all of this is experiential and that whereas on one occasion you may wing it entirely and even attend with no program whatsoever and allow it to evolve, all the way to the other side of the spectrum where every quarter hour of time is scheduled, the spirit will use that format to function at maximum capacity. The experience that we have had has shown that nothing is lost, that although the mortal organizer may feel a responsibility to rather guide the format, truly the Most Highs are in charge. It is also true that many times, if not most, the mortal subjects are operating through the guidance, under the guidance of the Most Highs and so . ..

TOMAS: . .. the program, the format is in keeping with the overall intention.

It was important that this conference take place. It was important to the Teaching Mission and the proponents thereof. It was important to the Teachers to have the confidence of their pupils heartened by association with other pupils, other students of the Teachers, not to mention the fundamental connection of other Urantia Book readers or believers and followers of Michael, of Jesus.

Their confidence of sharing your own serendipities, your own personal experiences with the Teaching Mission, with the Teachers, has bonded you now with the larger family. Not only have you bonded yourselves with those you met and shared with at Grailville, you are aware that you are now connected in a very personal and intimate way, in a very real way, with Teaching Mission proponents throughout Urantia. Your family has grown immeasurably by your attendance there this weekend.

Peri: I find myself in a quandary at times, when something is going on that I know isn't right, but to say something would be to hurt someone, and I would like some guidance in this.

Peri: Hmm. It feels abrasive, grating, really uncomfortable. There's a squirm inside.

TOMAS: Are we talking about one who has been born or the spirit or one who has not?

TOMAS: Then it is incumbent upon you to take that person aside and have one of those intimate consultations that will assuage the emotional breach, and if that is not effective (which it should be), your alternative then is to allow a degree of impersonal space to stand between you.

Peri: The next question is: have you any comments, further information, in regards to the plan -- the outlines of the plan Fred Harris presented to the conference?

Peri: Comments. Further guidance. Further information in regards to the plan regarding community and centers?

TOMAS: I actually do. But let me tell you that I have long ago made an agreement with Gerdean, at her request, in honor of her free will, since she has written this book and feels so strongly about these subjects and is so determined that the transmissions from the Teachers that she transmits shall not in any way be colored by her passion for this subject, she and I have made an agreement that I will not discuss that. However, I have been asked a question, and my role as a Teacher almost supercedes her personal concerns at this point, for you see now, it is not that I am withholding comment because of her fear of self-aggrandizement, but am responding to a growth development which has come about of its own accord.

We are, as was indicated, excited with you in your enthusiasm about the concept of community. It is and was a natural evolutionary point to come to, for although you have learned these things about and in and around and for and in support of and because of the spirit, it is only natural that in due course this would become materially manifestable. As your behaviors have changed, as your attitudes have changed, so will your political structures and your community configurations. It is truly an idea whose time has come.

But as I indicated earlier in my words regarding time, it is vital that these things take place in God's time. It is, however, your responsibility, joy, opportunity and all those marvelous collective adjectives, to prepare yourself, to fine-tune your instrument, to do your research, to see your visions, to make those connections with your brothers and sisters that will spur and stimulate and convene these ideas into a workable reality.

Teacher Morgan has been working with a group of students in this context. It is only right that other thinking forerunners should also begin to visualize the brotherhood physically as well as spiritually. Indeed, these are natural results of your own evolution. Is there anything else you would like to know or discuss?

Peri: There's one small thing. Today as I was talking with Gerdean, I drew a picture of a five-pointed star with the intersection points. Is that a useful image to hold for the picture of the . .. the process of how the people will be interacting?

TOMAS: It is always well to ascertain your ideal and hold your ideal up as an illustration of how perfection can be. Any number of forward-thinking individuals can also hold up their ideal. In collective superconsciousness there are certain symbolism which will suit all of you. Certain numbers have that magical mystery about it that you would seek to honor. All of you no doubt have at heart a desire to find a sanctuary in which to worship the Father, in which to share the worship experience with others. This is a natural spiritual food that you bring to the table of the Supreme.

Iyana: Would that be similar to the symbols that Arial is bringing in? Her energy symbols? She has done some of these things for each one of us that is supposed to be our energy system.

TOMAS: Yes, in-as-much as all of you resonate to some degree or another of the visual assistance of symmetry and harmony and other movements of the eye, the ear, the breath, and so forth, that please the harmonic nature of the Inner Being.

Iyana: Can we call upon one of the artisans or anything when we are creating? I mean, for instance, as we're painting a picture, or getting an idea, as we go along? Sometimes I feel as though, when I'm painting, things just happen.

TOMAS: When you are creating, it is very likely that an artisan is already working with you. When you are working very hard at trying to create something, it is often yourself struggling uphill to make contact with that creative aide, and once you have attained your level of striving which "breaks through to the other side," your prayer has been answered, in effect, and you are then allowing God to paint the picture and you are simply holding the brush. When you have this exciting experience, it is because you are being assisted.

Do not, however, allow it to become the work of the artisan for it is your work; you have held the brush. And even more importantly, you have worked and sought to attain the pinnacle of operation where you could be assisted by divinity.

Peri: Since I became acquainted with the Urantia Book, it has been a longing in my heart to unite the community of believers and their excitement with the tradition that is being currently held by Murat Yagan and the growing of the people around the world who are following the path of Ahmusta Kebzeh. Have you got any words of instruction, perhaps? Is there anything I can do to facilitate the joining the present desire?

TOMAS: The Master has indicated that it is time that His children all be brought together, and so we are all already together working toward that end, and your instincts, if you will, are correct, that bringing believers together to share, to appreciate, -- if not to merge, if not at this point to homogenate -- at least to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with cultural differences, even theologically cultural differences, in order that the individual evolved religions and great religions of the world may contribute and still maintain their own cultural aspects.

There are things, for example, about the Roman Catholic Church that ought never be lost because of their beauty. Like the Order you reference, their ways and means are priceless and can be of great advantage to others who are impressed by their methodologies. These gifts to the Father through the various evolved religions are worthy of note. It is only our hope that they be brought together in appreciation of one another.

It is rather like, if you will, the matter of the colored races, that on our way to becoming One, it would be helpful if we could at least stand side-by-side and acknowledge the beauty, the value, the strength, and the merit of each other. It is not necessary today, for example, that all races be blended, but it is appreciated when each racial blessing can be appreciated for its own merit in its own right. The yellow race is rich, as is the indigo race, as are the others, and on our way to the amalgamation toward the oneness, this tolerance needs to develop so that we can eventually expand from tolerance to true love, to true appreciation of the oneness of us all, whether that be in the matter or race or religion or nationality. Has that answered?

Iyana: I appreciated the fact that you were there at the conference with us, Tomas. And I appreciate that you had five or six of us from Pittsburgh there. I thought it was good support.

TOMAS: I agree. And I want to say, too, Iyana, that I am glad you were there. It pleased me greatly, of course, to have a good representation of Pittsburgh Pumpkins in attendance. I would not, could not, have missed it, for it is my mission, whether I have formal students or a formal teacher base or not. I, like you, hunger for the association of my fellows, my peers, and I would have been there to support them in our mutual goals, had you been there or not, but I want you to know that it pleases me greatly that you were there, that all of you who were there were truly there in spirit, mind and flesh. We were wholly present. I look forward to our next "divine debacle." [Group chuckle]

Hunnah: Your talking about our energy changing, I was very aware that I didn't have any fatigue driving as long as I drove, and I haven't been driving hardly at all on a trip, but the other thing is that I received a phone call yesterday from someone who is very, very special, a beautiful light, a woman who works for the hospice program in Butler, and it has been one of my suppressed dreams to bring in the healing arts in an expanded way to the hospice services than the regular nursing services, and I felt all along that this woman was partly like a crack in the wall of legal ramifications, that she would be able to bring that in, but that I wouldn't have to do it but that opening would show itself, and I'm looking forward to finding new opportunities for caregivers and for people to expand their hearts and get them out of stagnancy, if they are. There's a lot out there and it's exciting.

We also talk . .. You don't have to do it on this tape, but would you please talk sometime about money? We had at the meeting a discussion about having some money left over and there seems to be this idea in people's minds that needs to be clarified about, that it's alright to make a profit and to use the profit. And then today I realized that the profit builds the water fountain and the water is free. 1 love the analogy, so perhaps some time when we're together -- You can file this, because I'm sure you'll have a good time with this subject. Thank you.

Tomas: Yes, Hunnah, I will approach that subject. Not today, however, but I am willing to discuss it. I suspect it will take more time than the few minutes we have remaining today.

In reference to your discourse earlier regarding hospice work, it is, of course, invaluable that tenderhearted mercies be applied to and marshaled for the dying, for those who are approaching the threshold to the new dispensation of existence. Hospice work is a new art and still it is in its flowering stages. Much work is yet to be developed in this field. It is good when healing ministrations can be applied to the young and the able who have the potential to regain, renew, restore and then serve a number of years or a period of time in response to the healing.

Hospice is not without healing needs, but this facet of care-giving is approaching work of the angels, in that, it is preparing the individual to cross over, allowing the individual to relinquish the flesh, the life in the flesh; is giving permission to be held by the Holy Arms, and is assuring the departing of their right to leave their grieving loved ones. This is a sensitive work, also requiring healing, but of a different sort. The families, the bereaved need healing also. There is truly much ministry to be accomplished by caregivers.

Hunnah: That word is the exact word I have endeared myself to, is to keep the caregiver strong, so that the quality of the care may remain consistent and improve, and...

Iyana: May I ask, do we have the permission, when we have the tape, do I have your permission to read what you said about the hospice to the hospice group that I go to?

TOMAS: My daughter, I offer humbly any word I have uttered at any time for your free use and dissemination at your free will.

Iyana: Thank you. And I have a question. I have a neighbor that I have introduced to the Urantia Book and we have been together whenever he comes over to the house and so forth. We don't have a regular meeting, but we talk about it and I share the Papers with him and I just want to say that I feel blessed that I have somebody that I can talk to in my neighborhood about Urantia, and he seems to think he's blessed, because I introduced him to the Book.

TOMAS: Your numbers will grow. Where there are two or more gathered together in His name, there is He in your midst, and He will generate the energies that will act as a beacon of light to other hungry souls. Your group will come about as Machiventa promised.

TOMAS: My friends, my beloved students and companions, I am so happy to be home with you again and to be resuming our configuration. It is always a bounty for me to be with you. My blessings upon you and on you, Peri, as you set out on your journey. We eagerly anticipate your return. Farewell.

TOMAS: I have been around the block, and so I am becoming street smart, but I assure you my nomenclature is born of affection and not derision. How you play with one another and among each other is so entertaining! How you pull pranks on one another and cry and then laugh, is a part of your heritage which, although it is cumbersome, is also according to your stature. You are not alone in this descriptive phrase, but your rascally ways are truly harmless by comparison to those who would do evil. Yours is the orneriness born of children who have known plenty, who have known affection, who have known forgiveness, who have known play and joy and laughter. As you have mercy and patience with one another, as you behold others' behaviors, those who are perhaps also rascally, look upon them with kindness and tolerance and patience.

My dear friends, I am fully apprised that you have been fed abundantly and consistently of late. Indeed, our lessons have been so fruitful and so plenteous; there has barely been time for you to digest one course before we have brought on yet another. And so this week I would like to take a break from our customary perseverance into realms of thought and meditation to reflect and review some of those things which have come to your mind as if a belch from the plenteous feasts prepared and served for you of late.

I know we will have much to consider, and so I open the floor to you already. Hunnah?

Hunnah: Oh, wow. What I understand is that you're asking us to reach into the lessons that we have received in the past and, if we have been applying them in our life and if we have seen -- Is this what you want? To make reference to it?

TOMAS: Rather. I have seen and heard you all make reference to various lessons and to pull questions and discourse from behind your ear and I thought perhaps you might want to ponder these questions and discourses aloud for further clarification. Before we proceed however, I would like to be introduced to our guest, that is to say, that I have not met...

Hunnah: Sorry. I hadn't realized you have not met him. This young man is part of our larger family and the last name I heard he was David (pronounced Dah-veed'). This is my son. We're real pleased to have him here this evening. Instead of cleaning, doing chores, he's up here almost at your feet. David, this is Tomas.

TOMAS: Hello, David. I am very pleased to meet you. Charmed indeed am I to have your companionship this evening. My flock has rather touted you as a folk hero among them and it is my pleasure also to make your acquaintance for I know that your music has stirred the imagination of many, and so you and I have something in common at the outset. It is truly a pleasure to meet you and to honor your presence here. Thank you for your indulgence.

David: I can't pronounce it. [Group laughter] My old name is [indecipherable].
TOMAS: I shall call you Dah-veed'.

Hunnah: I think we all suffer from a human condition called, "What are we supposed to do now?" and part of me knows that what we are supposed to do now is practice what we heard, to put these principles into practice, but we all came back from this wonderful conference kind of expecting to find a note on the door saying, "this is what's going to happen" and it doesn't happen that way, of course, but I have personally still been dealing with letting the other fellow live his life and minding my own business and it's probably just going to be biting at my heels all the way to forever, but that's one of the things … so I guess that falls under the category of tolerance.

TOMAS: No. [Group laughter] It puts you in a position, my dear, of other people having to tolerate you, and that [group laughter], I know, is not your desire.

TOMAS: You are guilty of a common human foible -- of attempting to manage the show, of opting to be the director of the production -- for if they would simply do their lines as you see them written, the show would go well, but, you see, everyone has their own interpretation of how their lines should be read. Some even follow the guidelines of the Master Scriptwriter, and so, as you can relinquish your control over these little rascals and allow them to learn by their own experience, they will indeed be brought to the guidance of that which sincerely enables them to speak their lines most clearly, that guidance being the God of us all.

It is certainly not that you stand alone in this character defect. Your planet is rife with such ignorance. It makes life difficult. I did not intend to chide you in my remarks but rather to help you realize that this is something that, in illumination, you could, as you are wont to say, allow to evaporate in the light. Many times awareness of a situation is truly adequate to bring the light of truth and therefore correction into play.

It is no wonder, I would add, that you and many others have this propensity, for so many individuals seem to have and truly do have no meaningful direction in their life, and perhaps as a mother and through the Mother Spirit's influence you feel compelled to gather your chicks around you and feather the nest and protect them from the storms of life, but they will not learn this way. They must learn from their own experience, even if it to you appears foolish or ignorant or abrasive or immature.

It is necessary that the young learn how to live by their own experience. When you have thus allowed humankind to go its way, to learn its lessons in its own time, in its own course, you have released yourself to be free in your own sphere, to then play and reap the benefits of your own priceless experience. In this way you find you have more time and more clarity in seeing how to do what you would do more graciously.

Hunnah: I knew that you would just take that and do something really wonderful with it.

TOMAS: And now the ball is in your court. [Group chuckle] I know Leah has had some difficulty with the lesson lately having to do with forgiving tolerance. Leah?

Leah: Well, as I spoke to Gerdean today, I was just saying that I just found it hard to believe, when the words were spoken, that God has a condition on love and that was that we know him, and I was just, oh, I was just thinking that there are a lot of people that don't know him. I'm sure that he loves them anyway, and then Gerdean informed me and I should have thought of it, you are speaking to people who know him and perhaps the main -- you were speaking of people who know God but choose not to know him. That's something that was on my mind.

Another thing that was on my mind was a similar question to the one I asked last week and it was a discussion on that, it was about undying hope. Is that the same thing as faith?

TOMAS: Again, no. But let me pause a moment before I launch into a response, for I see here how your intellect is undermining your attempts at soulful understanding. You often, Leah, catch a glimpse of a concept and compare it to another in your mind rather than allowing the experience to become a living reality within you. Therefore, faith is a blanket, an umbrella, which covers all these fruits of the spirit. No fruit can stand without faith. Is it the same as faith?

Leah: I see. For a moment I see. Now I lost it again. I had a glimpse for a second there!

TOMAS: Your brain is your enemy here, Leah. You believe that understanding is done with the mental faculties when true understanding is born of the spirit. As you are born of the spirit and become responsive to the First Source and Center, the very Cause of your essential existence, you have within you a natural desire to manifest those qualities of God which are in you and of you now that you have made the eternal association with divinity.

These fruits of the spirit are not something we bring out as if they were plastic fruit to polish and set upon the table for our admiration and for the admiration of others, no. These are living fruits, which sometimes are difficult to digest. The fruit of "forgiving tolerance," for example, is difficult of understanding when you do not realize that your perceived offenses, or the perceived offenses of your siblings, are bothering you because you have not approached them with Fatherly forgiveness, and so that fruit can be chewed upon, can be pondered in your heart, in your soul.

It does you little good to analyze these fruits in your mind for the human mind can rationalize anything, can justify anything in defense of its own ego existence. In turning over your very being to spirit reality, these fruits can be seen clearly in that knowledge that lies deep within you, that goes beyond your brain but that is at the very seat of your existence.

How then you manifest these fruits becomes a science, an art, and this process can be shared with others from your heartfelt soul stance and through the ministry of your intellect, to share, to realize, and to make actual the living fruit in your life and in your relationships with those around you.

Hunnah: While you're talking, you kept saying "living fruits". This week-end we got on the subject of "vibrations" and what I pictured was that faith was like a decibel of . .. like a level that we expressed in consciousness and it is always what it is. I don't know if I'm making sense, but that intellectually we cannot have it, we cannot manipulate it nor do anything. It simply is a state of being. That when you come into faith, it does what faith does. We don't apply it or manipulate it. Am I on course here?

TOMAS: How can I say whether you are on or off course? You have presented…
Hunnah: Too abstract:

TOMAS: Yes. You have presented, shall we say, an abstraction for us to ponder. I will ponder that abstraction.

TOMAS: Let me help you. You introduced the subject through the term "vibration". You augmented that with the word faith. Let me help to clarify by pointing out that a vibration is not faith but a vibration is harmonic. It is, if you could see pattern -- which comes from Paradise -- there is pattern, perfect pattern, and imperfect pattern, but as something harmoniously strikes chords of spirit reality or cosmic consciousness or soul unity, a certain vibrational level may be experienced. You can then understand if this is a good vibration or a bad vibration based on your experience previous with vibrations. It is not faith.

You may stand back, in faith, and acknowledge the vibrations of the situation, even discuss what went into comprising the vibrations of the situation, but only through faith can you be assured that the reality and the good of the instant of the vibration will survive and elevate if it is true reality. By faith you will know that any unreality will cease to be. Even good vibrations can be sometimes equated to scaffolding which, in the long run, is only temporary.

Faith is eternal. Faith is permanent. It is from the Father. It is yours. Through your faith you can create vibrations. You can establish an environment by, yes, manipulating your environment, by-establishing certain internal tonal qualities, which will impact on the environment, and thereby establishing a vibration. Has that been helpful?

Hunnah: Yes, it has. While you've been talking I've also been picking up an interacting word which is trust.

TOMAS: Indeed, faith and trust are interacting. Let me state something you already know, to remind you that faith is something you receive as a gift from the Father; it is part of the eternal reality. Trust is a subsequence. Trust is something you do. For whereas you are given faith, you decide whether or not to trust. You decide how much to trust, how far you will trust, and as you allow your faith to develop, as you trust the Father to provide you with situations and growth circumstances and service opportunities and insights, your faith becomes more well established, your trust has been upheld. Your trust, then, becomes greater also, and so they work together, but they are not the same. I am speaking in the affirmative, you understand.

TOMAS: You are welcome. I will add that when one is born of the spirit and life's circumstances pit themselves against an individual and they struggle in spiritual isolation from their peers, when life gets hard, it is easy for the child of God to withdraw his trust. He may still have faith, but faith without works is dead.

It may be required; it may come to pass that the shepherd will find his sheep and return him to the fold. It may be that the shepherd will give a visitation to the isolated sheep, reassuring him/her of sonship/daughtership, thus reinforcing the reality. And it also comes to pass, as workers in the Father's vineyard, that you must shine your light so as to reflect your reality to those who have lost their sense of association with the Universal Parent, and thus re-establish their faith connection.

This is merciful ministry. This is forgiving tolerance. This calls for confiding trust, in loving service. These (are living) fruits that you use to minister to each other and to those who hold back in fear, those who have dropped a veil between themselves and the light.

Hunnah: Confiding trust. When that is being applied, does that connect with prayer? You just mentioned a call to working at the daily interactions . .. I'm having trouble co-operating with you to getting quality receptivity, and everybody was fed too much before you came and I hope it isn't affecting the talk.

TOMAS: You are having trouble dealing with me on understanding something. Let not your heart be troubled regarding your friends here. Remember, too, the twins who slept through Jesus' lessons. "They do well," and look how well you do.

TOMAS: So do not worry. When one of the others has an urgent desire to communicate, I will sense their soul's urgency and respond. I do feel life stirring; do not despair. You are all with me, I know.

Hunnah: Thank you. That makes me feel better. But I still can't get used to this great opportunity and act as if we're watching' TV and we can get up and go get popcorn. It seems so disrespectful and I'm guilty of it myself, as you pointed out, so thank you for your understanding.

TOMAS: I hope you learn to acknowledge me as your uncle, your older brother, your favorite cousin or some kind of demarcation that will enable us to develop an eternal friendship. I am not sublime by any means, nor am I worthy of adoration, so let your mind rest on that count.

Hunnah: Well, I have something. We honor Gerdean when we give you our total attention because it is such a unique opportunity to be able to communicate like this and by being attentive, it is also a way of saying Thank You to her and it shows respect.

Leah: Tomas, are you saying that like Jesus said, "I am the vine and you are the branches," so faith is like the vine and the attributes or the fruits of the spirit we're speaking of would be like the branches? Or am I just getting too intellectual again?

TOMAS: I was smiling and saying, "What a mind you have!" You seek for comparative analyses everywhere without ascertaining the core reality of any of them. You are an artist like Salvador Dali.

TOMAS: You might try putting your mental impressions on canvas and looking at it to see how it works, for indeed, there are some fascinating shades of color and form there which you would find very meaningful and entertaining if you could but see, for as intellectual as you are, as cerebral as your propensity is, you do not see your mind clearly. Much of your difficulty in tackling life's simple problems is because you complicate your life overmuch by your overactive brain cells.

Again, I do not say this to upbraid you, but to help you realize that comparing one reality to another does not give you an experiential understanding. It is for you to determine whether you prefer sincerity or confidence, although it would be very difficult to have one without the other. Indeed, all reality is tied in.

Hunnah: When you discuss the way Leah operates, you were talking about people like Leah also who operate the same way. Yeah! This is a way of human conduct.

Hunnah: Yeah, that's it. But you talked about "the core." Would that come only -- would that connecting with the Core Reality come through meditation, so that the left brain could shut its mouth, so to speak?

TOMAS: The Core Reality is developed -- Your relationship with the Core Reality is developed through meditation and prayer, through Stillness, but I will refer you back to the concept of rebirth, the total consecration of the will, the being washed, baptized in the spirit. Rebirth is a literal occasion, and once this occasion has been had, it is recognized in the archives as actual and your experiential life is henceforth altered -- eternally!

Some individuals dance around this fundamental experience their entire mortal life. Many of them, in their desire to succeed, indeed even to succeed in spirit reality, make great offerings and perform great services by and through their intentions and their motives which are good, but they have short-changed themselves of the actual experience of being reborn of the spirit. This is the unfortunate lot of most of moral men and women. I stress to you that as you bow humbly before the reality of your Creator Father, you are brought into a new awareness and the fruits of the spirit become a natural part of your approach to life.

I do not intend to bring shame or guilt upon anyone who has not had this experience -- do not mistake me. I will only unceasingly encourage you to attain this understanding of kinship in the kingdom, the spiritual kingdom, for this is where the living reality resides.

Otherwise you are seeing only shadowy manifestations of the living reality. You are observing delightful illusions. It is a process, for even after having experienced this rebirth, it is an on-going evolutionary struggle to master the mortal propensities that the fruits of the spirit may excel in your lives.

It is a marvelous adventure! An unparalleled opportunity, fraught with challenges and ripe with rewards. And so I hammer at that same old tin cup, for it is the only cup worth drinking from.

Loreenia: I talked to Doc last week. I requested he hang around for a few days until I had time to have an operation in the physical, spiritual, mental and emotional levels. This weekend I have been so extremely sensitive to things. I can't exactly explain it. It's like my mind has taken a leave of absence and something else has taken over to -- logical mind, like going for a job interview, everything was forgotten, helter-skelter, and I've noticed this weekend that I overreacted to some simple notes of communication purposes, and at the same time I was overreacting I could stand back and see the overreaction to it. My feelings were solid on the fact. I seem to be super-sensitive and overreacting all weekend, to little things. And I can't remember things anymore. I mean, what's going on? The other day I couldn't even remember my social security number, which is something -- that's the first time I've ever experienced that! Is this normal?

TOMAS: Let me respond. Yes, Loreenia, it is normal, for you have asked for a surgical procedure to take place and as with any surgery, when you come out, you are tender. Like any snake that goes through molting, who leaves its old skin behind in the crevice, the new skin emerging is brilliantly clear and reflective. Your new skin is sensitive. Your sensitivity is temporary, but let me discuss sensitivity for a moment since you have brought it to the table. Sensitivity is truly a two-edged sword. Sometimes your sensitivities are such that you are too easily wounded and your mind takes off on tangents of what its own interpretations are.

TOMAS: On the other hand, sensitivities are necessary for you to appreciate your spiritual nature and your divine associations as well as your relationships with others. To rule out sensitivity entirely is to become a machine, and so balance is necessary in appreciating the quality of sensitivity.

TOMAS: You have asked well and wisely. Have patience with yourself now as you are brought face to face with certain sensitivities. Rather than give it a blanket dismissal as these sensitivities come to your awareness individually, take a look spiritually, emotionally, psychically, and so forth, and ascertain why you were sensitive about that particular ort of information and dwell on it so that you can know yourself better and so that you can improve your associations with others, or that you may file that one as being an over-sensitive reaction and let it pass.

Sensitivity is and can be a great asset. Consider the antennae of the insect realm. Being sensitive to movement and to light and to sound can determine life or death, and so it is with a newborn being or with a being who has gone through a significant growth change, which, I would add, is also a rebirth. These rebirths are also on going. Determine with each sensitivity its value and savor then your experiences.

TOMAS: If your mind is healthy in terms of getting adequate rest, adequate nourishment, adequate freedom from stress, adequate time in stillness, in meditation, your mind will work for you, and you can forget things for long periods of time, knowing that it is appropriately filed and your mind, your friend, will flag you when it is time for that fact, that date.

TOMAS: It will happen. It, too, is natural. It is not required that you keep all these things in the front burner of your mind at all times. If you do, you deprive yourself of the opportunity to experience the more sensory and aesthetic and spiritual aspects of this marvelous existence.

It is always wise to have a friend with whom you can check in for a reality check. If your friend does not reflect your true nature in loving kindness, in loving service, in confiding trust, in forgiving tolerance, in enduring peace, in undying hope, then perhaps they are not your friend. It may be, then, that you have your own reality and you are the one who can manifest these fruits to others who are lost.

Loreenia: Also, Tomas, my daughter called me this week. I've left my children in my Father's hands because it's beyond my care. I would appreciate extra help.

TOMAS: My dear children, I see now you have curled up in your nests and tucked your feet around you in postures indicative of comfort, happiness and care. I will leave you thus. I hope you do not find that my words were too severe. I have been privileged to have these moments to reflect with you on some of the more refined aspects of our slaughterhouse of information lately. I am again happy to have enjoyed your companionship, Da-vid, Evangel, Ruth, all of you, blessed ones, go in peace. Farewell.

TOMAS: How wonderful it is to be here with you this evening! I know, I say that often -- if not all the time -- but truly I am delighted to partake of your fellowship this evening. It is truly as Hunnah says, "My family is here." How much I can identify with the mother hen symbolism, and I do feel as though I have my chicks nestled about me. That bit of homily now digested, I will assume a more serious posture for I realize there is much to do and much to learn and much to enjoy. I understand there is an aspect of formality to undertake this evening. Hunnah?

Hunnah: This evening in attendance we have "David" (pronounced Da-veed') and "Aurea" or "Hailey" [Ed: Hunnah's son and daughter]. His stopping in was a pleasant surprise and she brought her gift with us this evening to share. A show and tell!

TOMAS: Indeed it is wonderful to have Aurea here, as well as a re-visitation from David. It is good, as I said, to have you all here. I am eagerly looking forward to the gift of song, as brought to us by Aurea, and I will now hush for this divine voice.

Aurea: It's a great privilege to be here and it's a great honor, and I (capital I) greet You (capital Y) in this wonderful space.

TOMAS: Truly lovely, and a sincere, gracious offering from the Father, through you, Child. Your service is appreciated. It is always a delight when we behold you manifesting your appreciation of your gift, as you perceive your gift in your realm. Much is spoken of, in the Teaching Mission, about service -- that is, giving what you have received, serving the Father in some capacity of ministry or love -- and we have just enjoyed a service, a gift, a ministry as understood by Aurea.

How much better we feel now, having been served. Some of you have been limited in your perspective of what it means to serve, and yet you serve often and well, for not all service is of the evangelical order. When Jesus washed the feet of his apostles, he served them, for in the gesture of the tradition of the time, he added an element that transcended the washing of the feet from a mere ritual to a gift. He caused his fellows to consider his act, his fellows saw clearly the true message of the gift, and they were served.

Service is not always pleasant, either in the giving or in the receiving, but it is made holy and appreciable by the understanding that it is done in and through love -- and this is a lesson, for sometimes people choose to serve you and you don't appreciate their service. Appreciate instead that they would like to serve and this is how they understand that they are being of service. Their understanding of Father has given them this understanding of how to serve, and so they do.

Sometimes when you serve, you perforce deliver a tough fruit, one with a rhinoceros hide, and someone may say, "What kind of gift is this? You insult me! It is not pretty; it is not tender; it cannot be from the Father". But look you well to that gift, for it may be the gift of truth, and although truth can be difficult, it is a service to receive in love, in the spirit in which love is attended.

Every human being has his or her own understanding of service, and in-as-much as they perform this service for the Father, they have done His will. Whether this service is toil or dance, labor or song, makes no difference. It is error, then, to say that one service is better than another. Look here, for example, at this brother and sister who make music. And yet their voices, their song, their music is diverse to the insensitive ear. The sensitive, however, would easily see that both of these young people are giving their gift of song with integrity, for it is a gift from their soul. How can anyone deny a soul gift?

Your gifts this evening have been abundant and, therefore, your service to one another. Your healing practices engaged you all in the ministry to those you would help through offering a channel for the Father's love and energy to enter and aid in aligning the soul and its energies to the cosmic Source. These are not labors of woe but labors of love. There is no sense of, "Oh, I've got to go do this," for these acts of love are done willingly.

When your offering is done in love and willingly, it is a manifestation of the First Source and Center, a testimony to your Creator Father who has created you all different and yet all the same, for in the giving and in the receiving is the flow, the dance. And so we have enjoyed your dance this evening, your contribution to the harmony of eternity. Indeed, my little chicks, I draw you to me, to hug you under my wing for a moment, for you have brought great joy.

TOMAS: Well, my little chickadees, have we some discourse we could chew on this evening? I am eager; I have my sleeves rolled up; I am willing. But I did hear some chat earlier about Doc and I have asked him to be "on call" if you were going to follow through with your need for him. I have others in the wings as well, as you know. I will, however, allow you to establish the format for this marvelous and informal gathering this evening.

Hunnah: I don't think that David and Hailey are here to meet Doc, but David has health problems and that's why we brought Doc's name up, and it seemed to me that . .. Loreenia has had the good fortune of having Doc's assistance, and we have Leah over here who is recovering from not having anyone in her charge. She's suffering from a little, as they say, "empty nest syndrome."

Hunnah: Ruth and I had the good fortune of gathering with some Reiki people at a church that seems to be becoming quite liberal and open to the many ways that are of expressions of good will. We had a very nice evening last night. We had a progressive feast this week, so we are happy about that.

TOMAS: You are a good cross-section and well representative of the many activities which are taking place in this Correcting Time. It is good to see you coagulate your energies sufficiently to appreciate your sundry experiences and adventures among you. But also include, if you will, the many engaging occasions that are taking place outside of your intimate circle. I have been apprised of some rather wondrous things happening around your globe, and it is all we can do to keep reading the headlines, much less the small print, for there is so much going on of interest.

I overheard you lament your environment, Hailey, having to do with the, shall we say, backward aspects of Pittsburgh, but . ..

TOMAS: Of course not. We always want and urge more, is that not the case? There is always room for growth, for the potential is so great and the rewards are so satisfying. You realize we have been dubbing this group the "Pittsburgh Pumpkins". [Laughter]

Hunnah: I hate to tell you what our culture does with pumpkins. They misuse them.

TOMAS: It is not our concern what society will do with these pumpkins, but rather what these pumpkins will do with society.

TOMAS: And I trust there is a great jack-o-lantern smile on each of your faces for your light to glow through.

TOMAS: Well, where was I? I was discussing the actual acceleration of spirit energies, and such are as a result of the opening of the circuits. Even your First Lady is intrigued by the spiritizing of America, at least. I am not here to do a monologue. I am a Teacher. Of course that lesson that I gave earlier could apply to me as well. I don't always have to stand on a platform and hold the chalk. I know there are as many ways to teach as there are many ways to serve, and so drawing pictures of you as pumpkins or as a hen and chicks is also a way of teaching, and so I am not as stuffy as perhaps I fear.

Hunnah: Well, sometimes, not just an answer, but encouragement. But I don't think I should be the one to be asking.

Hunnah: Oh, all right. In regard to receiving teachers, I understand that Loreenia and Leah were with you and they had some wonderful talks with their teachers?

Hunnah: And Jude received some wonderful personal coaching, and the question continues to come up: How do I get in contact with my teacher? Not only is it difficult to break the patterns of our daily course of responsibilities, but to sit down -- we here are used to sitting down and pushing a button or dialing a number and getting the party to respond to us -- and we know you want us to communicate, but it doesn't seem to be happening.

TOMAS: In order to have a friend you must prove yourself friendly, and if you are having a friend over to visit with you, the acceptable thing to do would be to turn off the television and sit down and focus your attention on the visitor. The same rudimentary courtesies are required in order to establish your relationship with your personal teacher, or for that matter, Our Father, and in all cases of seeking spirit guidance, it is difficult at first and time-consuming, but once your techniques have been mastered, or once you have an understanding of what is required and what the side-effects are, it is no longer so difficult.

It is then like riding a bicycle and you can avoid or miss a conversation or a contact for several days and go right back and get in the swing of good quality contact, but unless and until that attainment is reached, it will require application, and I have witnessed you, Hunnah, discuss with your own personal teacher Jasmine that you need to journal. Write letters to her in order that you may begin to experience her responses to you. She can hold the pencil while she is writing and you hold the pencil while you are inquiring of her. It is a pas de deux. Allow that intimacy; allow that quality time together. Insist upon that space, not only from your external duties, responsibilities and fun, but from your own distractions, like your domestic duties and sense of being needed elsewhere.

You need You, and you would benefit by your relationship with your personal teacher. The advantage of companionship is secondary to the value of her skill in helping you to learn how to be yourself and how to be true to yourself and how then to have the faith and courage to open yourself up to be an instrument of that gift which the Father would have you give. It is a way of checking in with yourself, so to speak, on a higher plane.

It is wise if you were to understand that we are not finished yet. None of us have finished growing. We do not finish growing until we reach Paradise and that is a long way off. It is, on one hand, humbling and discouraging to realize that there is so much to learn, but on the other, it is truly exciting that life cannot possibly get dull and prosaic because there is always another opportunity to learn and to apply your new knowledge in new ways, for new experiences and yet new growth.

And so come to your companion willingly and eagerly as you would come to a dear friend, and spend time developing the relationship with her. I am speaking to all of you who want to learn to hear the voice and appreciate the true guidance of your spirit helpers. They will help you clean house and then help you shine. And so it takes time and application. Begin with Stillness, as everything begins with Stillness, with that time of contact with the Father.

TOMAS: Every day is time to try again. I understand the disciplinary overtones of such a statement, but I have seen it done. I have seen it and I have seen the effects of it. I also see those of you who assiduously side-step some of these critically important endeavors and yet you still are loved and you still are on the path, and so I can only encourage you to try to be the best that you can be, for that, after all, is all anyone can do.

Hunnah: When you're with your teacher, is it not also a time of purification?

TOMAS: If that is the approach, certainly, and it is, of course, an aspect of your relationship. The teacher -- personal teacher -- is invaluable in helping you correct your thinking processes and, therefore, your behavior processes. It is difficult for me to discuss an actual case because those things are confidential, you see. As a teacher, a group teacher, it is not really my prerogative to invade the personal relationship between one of my students and his or her personal teacher. It would be an invasion of privacy; it would be as if I were to read your personal file, your diary, without your telling me I had permission.

But I understand the nature of their work and often we will discuss you as you often will discuss each other, and so I know how it works and, yes, much of it is involved in helping you to clean up your thinking in order that you might be freer of those conditionings and constraints, those small selfishnesses that stand in the way of your happiness or that stand in the way of your improved communications with those with whom you have relationships.

A personal teacher is truly personal, not like the Thought Adjuster, for a Thought Adjuster is pre-personal, but a personal teacher knows your quirks, your idiosyncrasies, your dirty linen, so to speak, and is adept in helping you to launder it in such a way as you will be proud to embroider your initials on the corner. I don't know if that has been helpful, but it is an offering.

Leah: I was listening to the lesson and I recall that it was -- it seemed like what was said was that you don't even have to like the giving or the receiving as long as its done in love, but …

TOMAS: Let me help you clarify. Sometimes service is wonderful, as it was this evening in doing what you all do naturally and lovingly. You are helping each other by simply being. That was the nature of this evening's harmony and delight, which we all enjoyed, but there are many different kinds of service. Some are not so pleasant. I will take your concern and break it down a couple different ways.

You have been taught and conditioned in some form or another, and it does take up space in your mind that you must serve whether you like it or not, and this is because of your cultural upbringing and your evolutionary status. It is a normal part of an evolutionary creature to have within its framework this understanding that you must do something in order to gain the approval of God or the spirit realms, and so everyone has vestiges of that within them, within their mind.

That is one element, but I was not speaking to that element so much as this other, and that being, that sometimes even as you opt to serve in love, it turns out to be not so pleasant and I will use a very gross example of someone who is dear to you who has halitosis. Someone truly needs to advise the culprit that he has a problem, and a friend would do that service even though it were not a pleasant service, do you see?

TOMAS: It is never a service, however, to do something out of a sense of obligation. That is a mere obligation.

Hunnah: Well, it involves proper timing, too. And if it's going to be a service, isn't it that the opportunity arises? Because it's sort of a hidden agreement? Because the person needs to know and you're willing to say so?

There's a situation in my office where there's a fellow employee who is so stressed that I just anguish over it, her stress. We have others that are probably equally stressed in another way but they have the kind of personality that they will laugh and release some of this tension, and this particular person has anger and does not have that escape mechanism at her fingertips.

And it would be a service to be able to go to her and challenge her to be able to get some assistance, and yet, in the same thing, I'm minding someone else's business. There are cases like that.

TOMAS: Using that precise example, then, you could be of service to her if you were to go up to her and say, "I see that you are angry. I intend to bring your anger forth. Punch me here on the chin and get rid of it!" That way you would be involving yourself in something that may be temporarily unpleasant but it would be providing her with that safety valve that she would be able to release to you and not continue to boil over inside and leak out all over the office; otherwise, you might be in the position of minding someone else's business.

No, it is not true that the opportune moment will automatically present itself. You can, indeed, help to bring that moment about, and so, yes, I will agree that timing is important, but sometimes in conjunction with God as a co-creator of our universe, you can, with help, set up a circumstance or situation that is conducive to bringing about the truth, the reality that is so necessary, unpleasant though it may be. These things can be done in and through love, but be careful that you don't manipulate your environment in order to meddle under the guise of being of service. Your Christianity has made an art of that already.

It is sometimes necessary to speak the truth, even though the truth hurts. If you are true to yourself and you know in your heart and in your soul that is your truth, then you are obligated by your own integrity to stand behind that truth. If that truth that you purport -- as part of yourself, part of your make-up, part of your identity, part of your value, part of your reality as you understand it -- is not acceptable to someone else, if they find your reality unpleasant, you have to be true to yourself.

And that is a service to what you believe in whether it pleases someone else or not. That is not always a ''fun" service to perform, but to be yourself as you believe God is having you be, then you must stand behind that. And if you feel that you must say or do something, you must say that, even though it offends. I am cutting through polite society, you see, for the cause of a greater reality.

It is because you have worked together here, you the people in this room, you have worked together already … some of you for a lifetime … to learn each other, to like each other, to loathe each other, to love each other, and to live with each other. It has taken me almost a year in our relationship to get only this far. It takes a great deal of time to create and be part of perfection -- on the whole. And yet we are admonished to be perfect as He is perfect in our realms, and so what do we do? We be perfect according to how we think we be perfect and we err^,but we do that because that is how we learn.

That's how you Learn. And, lo and behold, more times than not, your integrity sees you through and you begin to be able to open your mouth and wonderful songs of praise emanate because you are being true to yourself, because you are allowing yourself to be. You have cut through all those closets of conditioning -- cultural, historic, genetic conditioning -- and pushed through to a new level of being. Oh, joy! Have I answered, Leah, or shall we chat some more?

Leah: Just something was going through my mind. I read the quote by a fairly well-known minister the other day who said you should really try to live your life so that, when you speak, you should do your best and not to embarrass or hurt them, and it seems like that line kept popping up a lot in my mind and I would be tempted to say something to cross that line, but that line always came back to me. I felt like I wanted to say something that was a little more on the distasteful side.

TOMAS: Your conditioning is indeed that Biblical teaching of "turn the other cheek" and it has devolved in your culture today of "people pleasing" and "kowtowing" and losing your own essence for the sake of the mores. Now, I am not here to disagree with the mores. I am not anti-establishment, but I am a teacher of spiritual truth, not a conservator of religions. And yes, of course, you want to be gracious to everyone, as Michael, Jesus, was gracious. We all want to have those fruits of the spirit and those generosities of personality which would enable us to say exactly the right thing to everyone as we pass by, and in time we will, and indeed there are days even now that we do, but as we are in a process of growing, growth involves conflict, and certain struggle cannot be helped.

A relationship between two strangers, even when it is understood that you are each indwelt by God, will require some give and take to understand each other well enough to be together day in day out, to be neighbors. And in the process of settling down to being good friends arid companions, there are those times when you must stand up for yourself. Of course, Jesus would seek for the key wherewith to unlock that door, and that is the ideal, but by the same token, the ideal is not to become so self-effacing as to lose your own integrity and your own identity, and so I say to stand for yourself and to have faith in your own reality.

Leah: I keep on hearing the phrase that I was trying to tune into, that I was "walking on eggshells".

TOMAS: You are trying to please mammon. You cannot serve two masters. If you serve God with your whole heart, your whole mind and your whole soul, you will be given the strength, the character, the insight, the motivation and the fruits necessary to serve humankind. It is all in the understanding of the word service, which, indeed, is what we discussed earlier. Loving service versus subservient service or dutiful service. [An example was set forth "off the record".]

The example you cite was only one example. The point, however, is that it is not necessary for you to serve out of a sense of obligation, even when your trusted brethren assume upon you. It is for you to hear your own still quiet voice within and stand firm behind that which you are being told by your own soul. Had you stood firm and not tried to live up to their expectations of you, you would not have experienced what you did, but by the same token you would not be learning this lesson that you are learning now.

It is/it was happening for others; it is a growth experience that is on-going. But it is a good example that it is not a service if you don't want to serve and no one should make you feel guilty for not doing something you don't feel you should be doing. Loving service is born of the spirit and should be done through love, if at all; otherwise, as I've said, it is an obligation that you are meeting, a sense of duty, and it is another set of values than your own.

However, when you are enthused and moved to do something and you are excited and you feel the spirit move you, by that same token, you cannot set expectations on others that they will be so moved. Just because you feel moved does not mean everyone has to. This is part of the difficulty of coming forth as a new soul, a newborn person. You stand out there by yourself, which is to say, you have left the autonomy of the masses and it takes great courage to know yourself.

It is very exciting to see that you want to know yourSelf, that you, even now as we talk, are struggling for an understanding of the right to be. I commend you, Leah, and your soul's hunger for expression of your own right to be a child of God in the universe, and not a puppet on a string for others' values and others' emotions to pull. That is not the dance that we aspire to do. That is not the pas de deux of the ages. [Another situation "off the record"]

You are a tender child. Indeed, empathetic. Consider that you were in a commercial environment and let it go at that. You do not have to buy any man's product; you do not have to try on every woman's perfume or dress for sale. The commercial environment is there for your needs; you go, you make your purchase, you leave. You do not have to feel obligated to someone on the streets.

Anyone with a pamphlet, with a tin cup, with a picket sign -- they are not anyone you have to deal with. You can pick and choose who you will allow into your world. It is not necessary for you to be so sensitive to the world at large that it gobbles you up. Do not look for your reality in the faces of these strangers. You cannot reinforce their reality when they are in a commercial mode and you are weak.

Know yourself! And then you will be drawn to certain sets of eyes, for you will have a message for them and you will leave your message and go on. You have a lot of conditioning, my dear. You have a lot of "ought to’s” and "should be’s”. There is a lot of personal work for you to do with your personal teachers. I would suggest that you stop surrounding yourself with other personalities and begin to become your own best friend and develop an understanding of what your needs are, what your strengths are, what your gifts are, who you are. Do not feel guilty, or selfish about this, for you do have a right to live and love and be the best that you can be. Has that been helpful?

Hunnah: When you've got your own agenda -- like he said -- when you get your agenda because you've got your values sorted out, you will be busy with a different version of the Father's business, an interpretation, and you won't have to be buying into … like, I appreciated him putting it into a commercial light. You're used to being drained by everybody else's agenda.

Tomas, something I don't hear from people in the group that I've been meeting with, is -- my interpretation is -- they're becoming a really nice guy, instead of becoming a new being in Christ. And I know that comprehension has to be born of their consciousness, their awareness to it, but I really think that this feeling might be … Christianity … is that they might become this really nice guy until there just isn't enough of you.

I appreciate that talk you had because I remember a teacher talking about, in India the children are taught to beg (and they don't even know why) when they're tiny, teeny; but their little hands go out because they're taught so early and begging becomes most, sophisticated, and we have to learn to interpret.

TOMAS: Yes. Understand why it is that you think the way you do and respond the way you do. The only thing that you can truly trust is your interpretation of the spirit through the Spirit of Truth. Your beliefs are all shatterable, your faiths are undermine-able, until you learn to be strong in your soul, in that which will be eternally you, the real you. Do not be afraid to let down the scaffolding. Do not be afraid to let the unreal die, for in that place what emerges is what is real arid enduring, strong and vital, loving, giving, eternal and godlike.

Leah: This week in our other session, you intimated that we had been luxuriating in the comfort of your presence and we should be thinking about what we ought to be doing, and I can hear in my mind what you're talking about . .. I hear the words giving, caring, and the word 'community' is also used … and I was wondering, are you talking about us doing a project? Or were you talking about 'we' as a community, the group as a community? Or?...

TOMAS: You are doing exactly what I asked you to do, and that is to think about what we might do as individuals or as a group in terms of outward expression, in terms of community service or personal service. It is not a hard and fast assignment. It's just that I wanted to and want to keep you all apprised of the fact that the Master taught his apostles so that they would go out and preach and teach, not to stay in the Upper Chamber with Jesus year after year enjoying his companionship. Please forgive the analogy; I do not equate myself with Jesus, but I do understand the professional student syndrome, and our program, if you will, is that, we all get out there and do something "for the gipper!" [Laughter]

Also, do not misunderstand. I do not feel that you have all been sitting around in comfort. I know full well that you have all been working very hard. It is very apparent to me that you have all grown as individuals and as a group, as a community. I have said so before; I will say it again as I behold each new plateau of growth, for you have applied yourself well. You have grown, and the effects of your growth are evident and are already outreaching. It is a simple matter of progress as we approach our second year-together in this teacher base.

My friends, I am going to bow out. My transmitter/receiver is more weary than she knows, and you still have some socializing to do before you retire for the night, so I will bid my adieus with deep affection. Tender love for you, my friends. I will see you Thursday if not before. Go in peace. Farewell.

Hunnah: You know what we forgot to do? We forgot to sing "Happy Birthday" to Gerdean. We'll have to do that before she goes home.

TOMAS: I have wished her Happy Birthday; she was not listening. Like you had a day today, she had a day yesterday. Some people like for you to think that every day is peaches and cream, but your heritage as a mortal of the realm disallows such a fantasy, for it is only natural that sometimes you allow for your own vestiges to shed themselves, and like you, Hunnah, it is wise to avoid encounters with those who might be inclined to be confrontational about your right to have a sloughing attitude. It is also okay to call someone in order that you might acknowledge to yourself that you are merely undergoing a rough day and that it will pass.

Hunnah: There's a song that's popular and it goes something like, "Mama said there'd be days like this; there'll be days like this, Mama said." [Group laughter] I have noticed in the past that before I would go on a retreat I would often do a lot of weeping and I decided to comfort myself that the reason I was feeling so irritable was because I had an upcoming event which would introduce another teaching consciousness, so I thought the animal in me was feeling crowded.

TOMAS: It is something like that, yes, for your growth cycles are cyclic and as you roll along the path of life you become accustomed to the highs and lows that even out, but even so, there are certain mood swings that go along with the ride. The difficulty, of course, is when you refuse to feel the bad feelings but insist only on maintaining the good feelings, when if the truth be known, it can feel good to feel sadness on occasion; it can feel good to experience a poignant and meaningful pain, providing you appropriately let go and allow the next phase of the cycle of growth to come into being.

Even feeling feisty or argumentative is a natural part of your growth process. For those of you who think that being in a state of grace precludes these natural uprisings of the lower realms, you are mistaken, for even in your lower realms you can be aware of grace as an attainment that you have known and that you will know but that today it has eluded your grasp.

Hunnah: The energies seem to be very active, for me, and I don't usually notice it much, but the last -- I guess couple of weeks -- I am more aware of them. My daughter remarks sometimes that it's really powerful, it's distracting. I don't know. Maybe it's my imagination but it seems...

TOMAS: Yes, the energies are up-stepped. They have been upstepping increasingly and I could cite examples according to different time frames, but in your more immediate time frame, you ought to recall that just prior to Michael's birthday I remarked about the momentum picking up, and that it often does pick up, as hundreds and thousands of people acknowledge the Creator Son. This was augmented, of course, by the IC96 conference in Arizona and your own more local environment was actuated in Grailville. It has its growth ramifications, for there are new teachers coming on-line, there are more personal teachers making contact with their mortal beings, and so there is indeed yet another upstepping.

Add to this the more mundane qualifiers of your season and the weather and you have every right to perceive a quickening. The cold spell that has descended upon you has thrust a part of your psyche into the deep of winter; it is not ready for the deep of winter and so it feels some pressure. Also, the holidays that are celebrated in your culture are just around the corner and that always adds a quickening of either anticipation or dread, or a combination thereof, all of this contributing to a sense of things going on and many of them over which you have no control.

This feeling of life going on without your being in control is also enough to put you into a bit of an emotional lather, but as you have observed, it only lasts for a brief time because life goes on and you find yourself once more in that cyclic pattern of ascension and growth, back on your even keel of ascension, and others are also doing the same.

Hunnah: I'm sensing some of the change of . .. I went ahead and made a decision to take Reiki III and I don't think I'll regret it. Nobody is beating my door down but that is all right. It's part of the package. Is there anything that you want to know about tonight?

TOMAS: Thank you for asking. I am not wondering much about anything in particular, but I am mindful that you have asked for a lesson having to do with money. Would that be something that you would be interested in?

Hunnah: Yes. Well, I heard a sermon recently on tithing, and because of the nature of the way the program comes -- television -- the people have to have some money in their pocket, but I was wondering if you could move this subject up as high as possible so that we can understand it a little bit. We have different attitudes, we ourselves, regarding money, and frequently it is based on how we appear in society and I just thought maybe I'd bring the subject up and see if you wanted to do anything with it.

TOMAS: I will give you a lesson based upon my understanding of your need to appreciate the symbol of exchange, and in order for me to lift it up it will be necessary for me to begin not at the beginning but farther back in order to get a scope, if you will.

You read in your lesson last week about early physical manifestations of spirit appreciation, that is, that physical items came to hold great power, Your lesson referenced rocks and stones as well as flags and so forth and money is much like the other evolved symbols in this way:

As women, as a woman, you are certainly familiar with your history that in the more primitive societies you were regarded as property, and even in more recent years the dowry was something that was included in the parcel of wife for she brought, then, the qualities of merchandise and goods and crafts which would contribute to her value and the value of the husband, the property owner. Also, I the example comes to the mind of this T/R of slavery, that human beings were sold into slavery and brought to your country and they were demeaned by labeling them and treating them as property, a lesserstation -- lesser in both cases, for the human will dignity was reduced to being property only.

As you evolve -- as women have found a degree of liberation, and as slavery as it was known is abolished and all men are free, at least in political terms, the symbol then of wealth has been altered to exclude humankind in this glaring manner, although many, many remnants remain, such as in the phrase "slave-wages" which provide the worker only a modicum of remuneration for his efforts, not truly enough to develop a quality of life but essentially to keep him or her occupied for the gain of the employer.

These examples are yet again part of your modern history of economics. Your money symbols are representative of the old method of barter become sophisticated. He who has money in your society has power, and this truly is what this symbol represents -- Power!

Hunnah: I was thinking about abundance and that the opportunity to have money is more available than it has been in the past and the credit card gives instant gratification. We don't seem to have evolved sufficiently to meet the challenge of….

TOMAS: All right. Let me respond further. It is not true that money is more abundant these days. That is a false affluence, a false financial footing, for as you outlined, it is based on debt and the wealth that is so acceptable today is only going to cost future generations dearly. It is a fallacy to assume that just because people have access to money that they have wealth, and having money and not knowing how to use or what it's true purpose is contributes greatly to the damage of the relationships of individuals.

The problem with your economy today is that the symbol represents a power that has not been fostered through the spirit. The true wealth of all humankind is spiritual, and money is to be a method of exchange, not a wielding of power. The economics, then, therefore, of Urantia will change and change drastically. It behooves you to have an understanding of the value of money and the purpose of money, not in terms of your frame of reference from a material standpoint, but from a frame of reference of it being provided to foster and further the light of real truth.

Let me site as an example how money can function as a part of a kingdom-believer's way of life, for it has been said to 'seek ye first the Kingdom and all things will be added unto you." If you therefore seek the kingdom and see that there is something the Father would have you do, or if there is something you would do for the Father, and you make that decision in your inner being to serve, then the wherewithal for you to serve will be provided as a symbol to you of your ability to follow through with that perception of God's will.

TOMAS: If it is that you do not hear me, we could replay it. If you have a question, perhaps I should hear what it is that you are not clear about. However, I can say, again, that it has been said, to "seek ye first the kingdom and all things will be added unto you," and so if you feel that you are being guided or led to do a certain thing, and that is what the Father's will is for you, if you have made this decision in the spirit, in good faith, then that which is necessary for it to come to be, will become available, will be manifested so that His will can be done.

It is a matter of establishing your priorities. It is also a matter of correcting the ills of an economy that buys flash and glitter for current self-gratification at the expense of future generations and many, many other unbalanced circumstances. Money in and of itself is a symbol of exchange and there is no evil in an exchange. The symbol itself is far superior indeed to the exchange, for example, of women for camels, or Africans for fabric, of Indians for liquor.

It is of benefit when everyone can speak the same language, using the same symbol, but it must be a balanced symbol, in order for the exchange to be fair, and as your planet stands now, your symbol is unbalanced because it is not being properly used. Your priorities have it backwards! You would say, "I have the money, now what can I do with it to do God's will?" or "What can I do to serve myself?" when in fact it is "Here's how I would like to serve. I will await the manifestation of the appropriate avenue of action and necessary funding, in order that His will may be done."

TOMAS: It is slow to grow and develop because, as I said, money is power and there is little that is more intoxicating to the evolved animal than power. I think about your superman cartoons and your glamorous stars as well as your politicians. I know how the human animal behaves and how highly he places self-gratification on his list of priorities. Creature comforts have been long in coming, have finally been attained by the majority, but it will not do to wallow now in creature comfort at the expense of the future or of those less fortunate still.

Loreenia: It may be in a sophisticated way but slave labor still exists in a fashion. Many of the temporaries have been sold out by their companies not retiring them to decent wages because, you sign a contract (indistinguishable) and many people don't even know this exists. The harder they work . . .

TOMAS: I did recently speak on "sincere fairness" and pointed out that in the kingdoms of men it is often the case that it is not fair and certainly your economic structure is not fair to anyone these days. Even those who have great wealth carry an onerous burden of guilt and responsibility.

It is time, perhaps, to allude to the Master's outrage at the unbalance of wealth, and your economy -- national and global -- has been a long time in attaining its current position, which, I might add, includes a phenomenal debt, but it is because it is based on power over another individual and not on the power of God himself, which regards all humankind as His children.

It cannot please anyone to see that there are children on Urantia who are starving to death, who are covered with sores, who have no medical attention, It cannot please a sensitive person to witness the deplorable conditions in your own cities, ghettos and barrios, having to do with the unfairness of your financial system. The women and children, nay all of you from top to bottom, left to right, are in the throes of a great injustice in terms of your economy and it needs corrected.

The new rage, for example, of "he who dies with the most toys wins" is not honorable. It is crass materialism and contributes nothing to the value of quality home life or meaningful interpersonal relationships, wherein the fruits of the spirit may be manifested, wherein the creative inner life of God may be shared. A great simplifying is in order. The national debt must be discharged and it must begin with each of you ascertaining for yourself what your needs are, based not upon capitalism, but upon your own individual circumstances. And, if you seek to serve, your needs will be met in order that you might serve just as the apostles needs were met long ago.

TOMAS: This is true. In fact, after Jesus left and the apostles went out to teach and preach, they had to maintain their own way, their own livelihood. Some returned to their former field of endeavor, but always have there been those who have set out as apostles to serve and they have been taken care of. Your Peace Pilgrim is certainly a shining example. If is their joy to serve; they seek not the things of this world.

Those of you who seek the things of this world may do so. There certainly are things for the taking. But have you furthered the evolution of humankind in the spirit and in the flesh by your taking? The question is do you serve money or does money serve you? It is a symbol of exchange. What you exchange and your motives for exchange are your personal contribution to the economy.

When you brought up the subject, Hunnah, you made reference to televangelistic types, those who…

Hunnah: Oh! There was one who brought up the subject of tithing. I really liked his program, but I mentioned it because we just happened to have the subject and I hoped you would talk about it. And I was just thinking that money in the hands of an enlightened man is not the same as money in the hands of an unenlightened man.

Loreenia: The big problem is money and power. They believe they have power over others.

Hunnah: Well, no. Frequently they need to invest their money to make it work, so (indistinguishable). I remember, over the years, the anxiety I would feel in buying groceries, if I was able to manage my money enough to be able to pay for it, and that -- nobody knows its difficult, for, or, "Don't get yourself in (financial) trouble!" It offers a lot for soul development.

TOMAS: It does indeed. It is a worthy study. It is an on-going worthy study, and those who have money and those who don't alike are interested in the subject, and what they are interested in is the ability to accomplish things and to stand upright in their society because it is a symbol of acceptability and ability to accomplish things. It has not always been that way. It is a goal, in fact.

Your evolved religions have discussed and impressed upon some of you that the godly man is rewarded by prosperity, and many of them have established a creed and appropriate life-style to support that premise. It is a premise that fits their needs, perhaps, but it is not a premise that answers the entire question.

The case for prosperity is tricky because it is natural to want to prosper, even in the spirit, and it is natural to expect that the symbol that indicates you have attained prosperity will be forthcoming but, as you well know, that is not always the case. And so it is important that you base your initial and fundamental prosperity on the spirit, on your relationship with spirit, on your qualify relationship with yourself, on your richness of relationship with your family in the spirit, and in the flesh.

But prosperity in terms of dollars only is moral, spiritual and emotional bankruptcy. Money cannot love. God is love. And so unless your money serves you in bringing about His will on Urantia, it is a misuse of funds.

When you are in a situation to wonder about your motives, sit down and review your quandary in terms of the fruits of the spirit. Look at the situation with enlightened honesty. Be sincerely fair. Have courageous loyalty to the highest ideals, and so on down the line, in order that you will know in your heart that you have done right with the material manifestation of your inner state of being.

You who have read the Course in Miracles and other philosophies along these lines understand the concept that the material world is illusion, that it is a mere shadow of the true reality. And so looking at money in those terms, it is nothing. It is certainly not the Holy Grail that so many mortals scramble around their entire life in search of and in adulation to. If the material life is a shadow of the greater reality, then money also is a shadow of the greater reality and as we work together in these private sessions in this teaching platform, discussing, becoming familiar with, developing, fostering, nurturing, commending, celebrating the real You, the True Reality, then it stands to reason that as you manifest this higher reality in your material life, the symbols of your material life will also beget the fruits of the spirit as a reflection of you, as a reflection of the Father.

Also, in regard to money, remember the parable of the steward, that it is good to put money to work, that it is better to let money make money than to sit idle, buried, not helping anyone, not even gathering interest, and so as it says in the Urantia Book, "Money serves by being spent." It serves as well by being invested in those things that will garner benefit for the future -- not only the future of your personal life and that of your mortal family, but for the kingdom, the Greater Family, the family of man, and the future one world of Urantia. Are there questions?

Leah: There are people who are talented, have spiritual messages for us, and other messages for us, and who charge huge sums of money, and I just wondered about that. As I said before, it says in the gospels that the laborer is worthy his due, but there are some people who think that when people carry a spiritual message they should not receive any compensation. I don't necessarily agree with that, but I don't think they need huge amounts. I just wonder if you care to elaborate.

TOMAS: Yes, thank you. "Freely have you received; freely give." That which is of the Father cannot be reduced to a symbol. The living gospel is alive and is not for sale.

That nonetheless many human beings are garnering great profit from their craft is most unfortunate, but it is also the legacy of the evolved religions. It is a way of taking advantage of the masses who opt to turn their authority over to a charismatic, powerful and, yes, successful "man of God" to speak those words which they themselves would hear if they were not looking for God outside themselves.

When and as a being, a mortal being, serves, it is, again, a reflection, it is that shadow of light, it is that which is material, and that which is of time and space belongs to the material realm, can be divided up, and so I would not begrudge anyone from charging by the hour for their services, for their skills. But the charlatan who would profit by his devotees is unworthy to be called an apostle,

Freely have you received; freely give that which is from the Lord. If it from you, if it is your creation, then you must claim it as your creation in order to charge for it. Has that been helpful?

Leah: It's been helpful. I'm thinking of the seminar or workshop or things that cost anywhere from about $300 to $1,000. I understand the appeal to the masses and they usually have a nice place, a resort area or something, and some people go there for a retreat or a vacation, but it sometimes seems like some of the things I would be interested in … and I feel that I could afford to go to them … but it does seem exorbitant. But I wonder about the people who could no way afford to go to them but they certainly would be interested in them.

TOMAS: Such is exclusivity born of wealth. It is a way of remaining above the masses, of keeping their hands clean, it is not all-inclusive, but esoteric, for a true kingdom-builder, a worker in the field, commingles with the common man, on he who has not the wherewithal to spend such funds on such fineries as enlightenment. Recall that Jesus took his message to the common man who heard him gladly. There is no law that says you must have wealth in order to teach the gospel or believe the gospel.

This refers again back to the true wealth of the individual, which is his soul. It is simply a matter of the disease of your economic structure that will one day topple and be rebuilt. Have mercy, when that day comes, on those who do not know how to live without the material trappings of elegance and warmth and comfort. See then how their truths hold up. Have mercy and sincere fairness. Many of these individuals do not know what it’s like to be hungry.

Many of these individuals do use portions of their profits to help evolve the planet. They contribute to research and to ecology. It is perhaps unfortunate that they don't proclaim their motives,

Leah: It almost sounds like a Robin Hood type thing, taking the money from the ones who would put it out there for something else and then giving it to the poor. I'm sure there are quite a number of these people who do . .. I know there's a few. Richard Simmons has given a lot of money away. Quite a few people do those things.

I was just wondering. We get those spiritualist newspapers or newsletters in the stores and they talk about these different workshops and we look at these $500-$1,000 and I'd like to go to that, but … it's true that some of those people do give gifts to other organizations. I don't know. I just have mixed feelings about that.

Leah: Hmmm. I understand your attitude but I still keep thinking about how clever they are in being able to tap into that level and divert it into another direction.

T'OMAS: Let me point out to you that cleverness is no substitute for true character, and this is an example of what free will, will do, for you have every right to admire their skill in garnering funds for their spiritual "gifts," for their ability to enthuse people and activate energies which truly will contribute to the uplifting of Urantia in the long run, but your quiet and humble and earnest work in the field, as you are doing it is causing greater growth by its simple truth. No one will have to tear down what you have said in order to rebuild themselves again, for you are speaking only truth. You are not promoting more scaffolding.

Leah: This has been an interesting conversation, and I still keep thinking of money versus credit and money is our symbol of exchange given to the worker who pays the bills with money. Gerdean and I had a conversation about barter and, as it stands right now, money is our medium of exchange.

Hunnah: It's really hard to keep your opinion to yourself – us -- individually -- and still manage our own affairs practically, to the highest level. It's a challenge.

Leah: Yes, today I bought a silly looking tree and then I listened to Tomas talking about starving people and I want to feel guilty but I don't really feel guilty about it, but I thought, "Oh, how frivolous of me."

TOMAS: I want to state that by discussing the starving children, I was not inferring that you should not enjoy your own fruits of your own labors. It was not to inflict guilt that I set forth that example, for it is well known that there are millions of needy individuals and we have heard already more than enough about eating everything on your plate because of the starving children in Ethiopia. Right?

Loreenia: It came to my mind the other day, Tomas, that we in America -- and other places -- we take our wealth and we build houses to house our cars and there are people on the street that have no homes. It seems a very large mis-adjustment of funds.

TOMAS: It is because, my dear, you are only evolving to a level of understanding the greater family. Remember that you were once a mere clan, a tribe. You have evolved now to a nation. You have evolved a level of family loyalty, perhaps, that sees the family of man but is not responsible for it yet. Look with gratitude upon your history, which has brought you to this point and look to the future with enthusiasm for its rightful correction and expansion into inculcating all of humankind into its family.

When your societies become more evolved, you will establish yourselves a little more differently and sharing with your brothers and sisters will be more natural. You will begin to see each other as common allies instead of competitors, or as friends instead of predators, and so you will begin to bond and build your civilizations to be more inclusive. It is a goal, one that we appreciate your looking at.

Do not become angry at what you see today, for it serves no purpose to be angry without having some direction, and your most feasible direction is to ask for God's guidance for you in how to bridge those gaps between you and your brothers and sisters that will enable them and you to face a broader tomorrow together as the family of man who can help each other.

Remember that Christian story about feeding each other with the long spoons and think in terms of taking your long spoons with you wherever you go that you may begin to feed your neighbor, that he may begin to also feed you. It. is not possible nor necessary to destroy the home, the basic nuclear institution, for it is the backbone of civilization, the cultural seat, and worthy of its attainment , but there are other aspects of family, extended family, surrogate family, spiritual family, kindred spirits, and all those which will come into an understanding of itself which will create great waves in the great ocean. These can begin even now. These small pockets of fraternity can begin to coalesce, coagulate and co-operate even now and do wondrous work toward building a new future.

Loreenia: I have come across people, and myself included, who long for groups of kindred spirits to, say, have homes where they live together and share, help each other, more than what we're doing at the present time. Say groups of 10 or 12, and help each other, financially, spiritually and whatever way possible, then be helpful to each group, as it were.

Loreenia: This seems to come down to a collective consciousness of certain individuals I've spoken to.

TOMAS: Yes. And as you learn to have unity in diversity you will begin to join forces and apply yourselves much more readily, and it will require much less money to do so. Like the family of four, its pro-rata share is less than four separate individuals who must pay almost the full price of a family of four to pay for its residence, transportation, and so forth. Whereas this banding together in the ideals of family life fosters fraternity and fellowship without being based on economics, but it contributes to a healthy system of economics.

Loreenia: It also helps to break that power hold of certain individuals over one or two individuals who are collectively together working. One powerful individual with a lot of money can't control a collective. If you had ten people in a nearer area than that one landlord, then that one person can't do that as easily as one individual over the others.

TOMAS: Your plans are being evolved even as you voice them, as often is the case; however, it may not be for you to look around to see who is going to do it, but see how you can do it for yourself and others, and see then if the wherewithal is not forthcoming to bring that about. That is a proper use of money -- to serve.

TOMAS: We also are working on such things, and are excited about the prospects. Have you any other questions of me this evening, group, having to do with our topic of conversation or anything else?

Ruth: I have a cousin who was recently injured. He was doing a bike ride to benefit. MS or CF and he was injured by a truck and I talked to him Monday and asked him how he was feeling and he is not doing well. But when I write to him, would you help me with my words'? I don't understand the reason this happened to him and I'm sure he doesn't either. I'm sure there's a purpose for it. I would just be very appreciative if you would help me.

TOMAS: Indeed, daughter, I would be glad to help you in your task. Call upon me when you sit down, pen in hand, and see if we can't come up with the appropriate soul attitude which will express your heart's concerns and desires for his recovery and his spiritual growth. The mysteries of life are not always known but it is important, when difficult experiences overtake us, that we find it an opportunity to seek understanding from the spirit, that we grasp hold of the lasting reality that it might then help us to understand how to walk this earth plane more graciously, more trustingly, more willingly.

It is not always for us to know why it is that certain things happen; sometimes painful, sometimes irreparable, but the spirit is enduring, the true reality is stronger than the material reality. It is that which will endure. It is that which will provide infinite joy and grace and strength for you to teach. None of us do this alone. No matter what experience life offers, there are others who also know the experience and it is often our opportunity and privilege to give what we have received to teach and to preach the good tidings of the reality of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.

Hunnah: We're like a pack of sleepy dogs here after having our big meal. It's a problem for the hostess. I will have to make a change; I don't know what it's going to be but I appreciate your patience.

TOMAS: I tell you what, my dear. I will scratch you behind your ear and appreciate your wagging tail [laughter]. You are a loyal friend, indeed.

I have enjoyed our discourse. I hope I have not ruffled any feathers anywhere. But, rather I hope I have provided some food for thought and stimuli for verbal exchange among you, that you might better understand yourselves the power and influence of this symbol of value in the material realms.

alt="" />NEBADONIA: Be still, my child, that I may hold you to me. I am your mother, Nebadonia, and I have come to assure you of my loving embrace. You are so dear to me, my little ones. You are so adventurous and willful. You run from me as children do and play hard and wear yourselves out with your many free will choices, but now, my children, I call you back to sit with me that I may embrace you and wash the soil from your hands, from your face, that I may wash your tears away and comfort you and cuddle you and assure you that you do not go far from me, for I am with you. I see you play. I watch you as a loving mother. Rock with me now. Let me sing a lullaby to you. Let me soothe you. Feel me hold you. Feel my presence enfold you. Be at peace, little ones. Rest in my arms, assured of the overcare of your Father Michael and me.

TOMAS: It was not my doing. I also enjoy such unplanned visitations and I, too, am renewed by the ministrations of the Mother Spirit.

We will take advantage of the sanctity of her embrace to toll the bell for my words this evening which will be to seek ye first the Kingdom. "Seek ye first the kingdom and all things will be added unto you" and I see how Our Mother has spoken to you this evening of your going out to play, going out on your adventures, rambunctiously involving yourselves in the affairs of your realm, and you have dirty faces from your hard play, from your involvement in the many, many adventures and opportunities available to you as mortals in the realm.

What is the kingdom that you are to seek first? The kingdom of heaven is within you. Many times when you pray, you pray to a God outside of yourself, in the far realm of Paradise, light years away from your playground here on Urantia. You seek Him in the starry skies, you search for Him in the heavens. You perceive Him in the Isle of Paradise upholding the universe, a grand omniscient, omnipotent power and personality to bow before, to admire, and to revere. You feel small and humbled in the presence of such a power. Rather, I say to you, to go within and seek the Father within.

The kingdom of heaven is within you. The Father resides within you. Inward and upward is the direction. Do 'not seek for Him outside of yourself, but seek for him in the citidel of the spirit within your own soul. You strain in your stretch to find Him. You seek diligently in enterprises for satisfaction and understanding of who you are. You look to your society and your peers for confirmation of your reality, when all along your own reality dwells within you. The kingdom of heaven is within you. It is not far to the presence of God, for He has deigned to generously abide with you and in you. Seek not, therefore, for Him outside yourself. Seek for Him inward and He will lead you upward.

As you find the kingdom within you, you live in light and life. Fellows will be constrained to seek Him through you for you will radiate the peace which passes all understanding. You will hold in your heart the joy of knowing God as a personal experience. Those who seek outside themselves will see this in you. Do not fall victim of their neediness, but rather refer them, too, to the Indwelling Pilot Light of the spirit that dwells within them.

I have missed you, my friends. It has been some time since we have commingled thus. There has been a lot of activity in your realm, immediate and extended. I am reminded of your "Footsteps" and many of you lately have been carried. Much of this has to do with virus situations, but it is compounded by many fears, many insecurities based upon your need for physical and emotional security. Seek ye first the kingdom.

I am glad to be with you again. Are any of you inclined to discuss some of your more recent adventures in the life? Are there questions?

Iyana: Tomas, during this talk about God being within, I've always felt that God is such an awesome being that I felt sort of nervy, so to speak, to realize that He's right here with me and going with me everywhere and here I am such a minute person in comparison. But that's the way I feel. I feel that He is here, that He is with me, as well as He is with everybody else, but so many people cannot understand how He can generate Himself everywhere.

Of course, we know that He is energy and that He is a great light and even when we think of our electricity going from one place to the other, so could His spirit be going from one place to the other, so that's the way I feel -- that we're all joined in that respect. So when I see loved ones that have no inkling of that light that could spark off that wonderful light that they have, they're so talented, but they have missed this point, and it makes me feel sad.

TOMAS: I will remind you of The Urantia Book which says, "Few mortals ever dare to draw anything like the sum of personality credits established by the combined ministries of nature and grace. The majority of impoverished souls are truly rich, but they refuse to believe it." [P.556 - §6 4.] It is as you say, Iyana, that they are indwelt by a personal fragment of divinity but they do not accept Him. They cannot see that this Light is here to enrich them.

Hunnah: That subject that Iyana brought up is something that everybody has to deal with because we're living in a mixed level and I feel that it doesn't ask us to be tolerant so much as that tolerance is -- the concern evaporates when we deal with people we feel are not responsive to the spirit. If I'm concerned, it means that I'm having trouble with my righteous judgement, so to speak.

TOMAS: I would point out in this dialog that the Infinite Eternal Parent indwelling is not only energy and light but is also personality, therefore, this God is a personal entity, made even more personal by your association, and so although the energy indwells everyone of normal mind, it is only those who are cognizant of the Father as a living personality that can fully appreciate the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.

This nebulous energy is not what will bring about peace on earth or light and life for humankind, but it is rather the personalization that it is, Our Father, and therefore we are brothers that will enable the Kingdom to expand beyond the individual to the collective. Those of you who aspire to understand the connection of god-consciousness in each other, who recognize yourselves as His children in truth, are able to become a fortress for each other in that understanding, far more than those who only can conceive of God as an energy or an impersonal power.

An impersonal power, like electricity, may contribute to illumination but it is the ministration of a personal God, as you experience in the presence of Nebadonia, that gives you that feeling of association, of belonging to a cosmic family, a spiritual friendship, neighborhood. That is the true personalization, that is the true family, and yes it is sad that many die floundering for Reality which indeed is inside them in their own connection to divinity.

Iyana: When I was speaking to you -- I mean, I feel all that you just said, but -- I was using the electricity as an example to explain to somebody who perhaps wouldn't understand it any other way, how there is this connection between people.

TOMAS: . .. for in the physical understanding of God's everywhereness, physics covers a multitude of facets of energy and connectedness. Stress, rather, the facet of sonship, for only as you can identify God as a personal being, is it made meaningful and real to you as a human being. No one can revere and worship energy by itself. You may respect power for the damage it may cause or the good that it may do, but you cannot worship that which has no personality.

Iyana: You make me feel as if I didn't come across with what was in my mind. Anyway, I'm glad for this explanation.

TOMAS: I am glad to have such a student as yourself, Iyana, who is unafraid to put thoughts out for discourse and further elaboration, not only for your own understanding but for the understanding of others. We have discussed before how it is that we are co-workers. I hope to instill in you all an understanding that although I have more experience as your teacher I am still growing in the spirit as you are, and so we are co-workers, colleagues if you will. As you learn, I learn also.

As you present me with your growth experiences, I am called upon then to remember my own experience. I am called upon to confer with my associates in the Teaching Corps, I am called upon to ask for guidance from the Master himself and from Machiventa on occasion. It expands our association into the superuniverse, you see, and broadens the perspective of our association. In no way do I mean to belittle your observations or speak down to you, my friend. I am a pompous fool.

Iyana: Oh, I never take anything that way! I know it doesn't matter to . .. what you say is okay with me. I want to tell you, though, when traveling, I had the most wonderful feeling of, "Oh, -- it was just as if I was going into another room -- no stress, no worry." All because of my path that I'm on, that I was in.

TOMAS: You have within you and within your understanding a grasp of this kingdom which we discuss. You, who are confident of your standing in the universe as a child of God, of living reality, carry light and life with you wherever you go, and so you know in faith and in trust that it is another door that opens to yet another vista. There is no fear, there is no insecurity, for you walk in faith.

Leah: Oh, I feel guided and protected, but I do know I still have to keep my eyes open.

Leah: I do still have some stress about what the other parties on the road might do, but I feel pretty much that I'll be fine, but sometimes I worry about somebody else out there.

TOMAS: I would like to expand your approach somewhat to be more inclusive, that when you are on the highway of life it is not always the freeway, but that you go down the road of life into other environments, other cities, other homes, other arenas. It is the same value lesson that as you take light and life with you, as you walk in confidence of the kingdom within, you open the door, you turn the corner into yet another facet of life's adventures in the spirit and in the flesh with confidence of overcare and guidance.

Hunnah: My life is a living testimony to such a thing. Especially when you see something that could have been bad not happening. I have felt a concern for the connectedness of the group. I have felt a concern for your mission as we foil with the distractions of our worldly experience. It can be very frustrating and there are some people in the group who have some pretty big things on the menu and don't have a clue as to how they're going to develop and it can be frustrating, so I guess that's fertilizer for our development of patience.

TOMAS: Indeed, I had a conversation recently with Teacher Ham regarding this very subject. We were discussing the aspects of group and he said, and I will share with you, "a group is obviously comprised of its individual members and so as a group is cohesive or disjointed, it is a reflection of the individuals who comprise the group." Without taking that analogy to be so all-inclusive as to include all of humankind on Urantia, I will retain the focus on the Pittsburgh Teacher Base as I assume you have and do, and say that I appreciate your meditations regarding the configuration of your associates.

It encourages me when my students begin to perceive of the teaching platform as a reality sufficient that they themselves would have sincere concerns for its composition and direction. Your concerns are not without merit and justification. It is my challenge, as you know, to work with this assortment of believers. It is your opportunity also to help to carry your appreciation of the kingdom with you into that arena and in your own sphere of light and life to radiate that harmony and that connectedness with divinity which will strengthen you and them by association.

As we discussed earlier this evening, as you enter your arena, well established in your own personal kingdom, your own light and life, your own connection to God-consciousness and divinity, you radiate then that peace which passes all understanding and it is attractive. When others see that you are serene in your faith, they will be bolstered. If they are needy, they may seek to take it from you or borrow it from you, whereupon you can then begin to teach and replace their neediness with the assurance that they too have within them the kingdom of heaven.

It is perhaps glib of me to say such a thing for no one short of ultimate perfection has all the answers all the time, all the serenity, all the security, all the trust all the time. This is part of the growing experience. It is necessary that you remain flexible and open to always be a student as well as a teacher as we have discussed before.

Hunnah: As humans, in our dimension, we are accustomed to something that is material, that is three dimensional, and if you were a team leader here on earth and we were building something tangible, this project would probably be already in the air, but because we are dealing with the invisible realm and we are dealing with intangible aspects of ourselves and our development, it sometimes feels that we are, as we say here, "whistling Dixie" and it doesn't seem as if we're doing anything, and when I was sitting in the airport last night I had a feeling of maybe I was radiating. I'm saying this for a reason.

And I was watching all these people going back and forth and back and forth and eating and reading books and waiting and putting in time, and I had to connect with the fact that there was a possibility that my having been there that evening could actually have made a difference. Now, this sounds like a tall order but we all are going to be faced with perhaps that's the form of our industry. I'm really giving you an earful here so it might take you all evening to get . .. But, was my experience last night as . .. was that really happening?

TOMAS: Let me go one further and say that this indeed is your job, this is the work of the kingdom, for you have maintained your reality in the face of much external hustle bustle. In an airport, for example, with the eating and reading and coming and going, that is a very emotional environment. It is filled with many, many different sorts of energies and feelings, and as you are able to anchor yourself in spirit reality and keep your footing in an appreciation of what is transpiring but without becoming caught up in it, you have provided stability, spiritual stability.

As more and more of you learn how to stand stable in the spirit in your own sphere of light and life, you exert a tremendous influence on your environment. The spirit is strong, it is powerful. It is sometimes more effective when, as in the experience you described, you are in an impersonal arena such as a public place for it is often more problematic when you are in a one-on-one situation and your tranquility and strength of purpose in the spirit is so contrasting to one individual who is running from the spirit reality of you and of his or her self. That is more threatening a situation than a large arena such as you were in, but I commend your experience.

As you can and do register your own spiritual integrity in any environment, you have contributed to the growth, the living growth of the living water.

Iyana: Is it egotistical . ..? I had this experience where I went to visit my daughter and she took me to visit her friend and when I come into the room somebody says, "Oh, isn't she pretty!" and someone says, "Oh, look at her skin, (something about cosmetics)" but anyway, meeting with her friends at that time and meeting with her friends at another time when they had Thanksgiving dinner, I just seemed to mix around with everybody and just talk to them and everything was flowing so freely and everything, and I usually was the person who had not too much to say, and I just felt that it was the spirit within me that was making people comfortable with an older person, showing them what they could be, because sometimes we find in our society that older people are a bore. And my daughter's eyes just seemed to pop open that she was seeing her mother in a different role that she hadn't seen her before. While I was there my daughter seemed to give me more love, more consideration and things along that line -- although I know she loves me -- than she usually does, and I just wondered, was this my new self that's being around and spreading?

TOMAS: This is the real Iyana. The true personality, the true daughter of living reality. Notice, my dear, how you were able to carry yourself in their environment, in this environment, and make connections with all these people without discussing theology. You have been practicing the fruits of the spirit and your technique of living reflects the spirit in a way that can be accepted by people.

Hunnah: There was a confidence that has nothing to do with ego that I had been aware of and I think that our other guests in the room, they haven't commented, they're going to be noticing the same thing. There is a sort of a new self-worth that develops, that out-shouts the old person, and if there are 50 people in a room that pay attention to you for some reason, there will be 50 different interpretations of what they are hearing, and I find that this is a development of -- Casey used to call it "loving indifference" -- or, an impersonalization develops where your ego isn't performing, you are Being (big letters) Yourself.

Hunnah: And at different times it seems that this is more obvious to you than others, and when it's not there, you feel you want to scramble to catch up with what you feel.

TOMAS: I have heard a couple references to ego and I would like to respond somewhat that it is a fine line between ego manifested shrouded in social graces and true light-and-life behavior. There is a difference. Your society is accustomed to egos parading around manifesting social fragrance, political correctness, behavioral conditionings and so forth, and it will make for some polite society, but it is without the true spirit. It is possible for you to bask in the glow of grace and enjoy individuals socializing and so forth without ego, indeed, selflessly, for you are imbued with the spirit, with the fragrance of divinity.

Iyana: What you say is true, you know, because the ego would . .. when you are Giving Forth, you really like the people you are talking to. You're showing forth love. And in that way I think you feel more comfortable.

TOMAS: As you become more aware of spirit reality, you will discover that difference even more. You will even discover in yourself your own ego manifestation of appropriate behavior which you then may say, "Oh, I can adjust that by turning on the switch of spirit and allowing that to become reality rather than a social affectation" and so you may become even more real by your, yes, detachedness from behavioral manifestations through seeing with the eyes of spirit, through seeing with eyes to see.

It is not a devastating experience to discover that you have vestiges of an ego. It is rather an opportunity to align yourself that your ego may be used appropriately to identify yourself with light and life, with the true spirit reality. Ego in itself does not have to be a bad thing. Ego is a method of functioning. If it is functioning for the gratification of the self, it is a lesser behavior than if it is operating for the betterment of spirit reality and brotherly love.

It goes back to motives, intent, and even here you are not in a position to judge but rather to observe your behavior and polish up your act, prune your branches as necessary that your sap will flow more freely to produce bigger and better fruits.

TOMAS: Well, it was therapeutic in-as-much as you have aired your concerns and you have not assassinated anyone's character; therefore, you have had a good look at one or two of your peers and observed how your relationships may be sustained and improved. I would call that valuable, for you have approached your societal, familial concerns with compassion and concern for the betterment of the community; it also entails your reviewing your own agenda and so you've been generous in looking also at your own imperfections.

These discourses regarding behaviors are not poorly spent time as long as they are productive of good will. As you gain insight into your fellows, as you also gain insight into your own behaviors, you learn how to prevail with men and women, you learn when to have tact and tolerance, you learn to adjust your personality to the personalities of others in the greater picture, and this indeed is valuable for it is something that you will be doing for ages to come … that being adjusting your personality to other personalities … and so it is indeed valuable. It is only destructive when it is not designed to further the fellowship of fraternity.

TOMAS: You are welcome. I understand your cultural conditioning would have you understand that perhaps you were gossiping, but that is not the case for your motives are for better tender love for one another. As Hunnah indicated, it was and is a matter of family values that you can discuss the behaviors of each other in terms of how they formulate themselves within the family framework.

Any member of your family who is at odds with others will cause consternation among a loving family; if it were not a loving family, it would hardly matter, would it? And so it is, it does bespeak your kindliness and concern for one another.

TOMAS: Always check your motives and ascertain if you are in alignment with the will of God in-so-far as bringing each together or in keeping yourselves separate. It is the desire of the Master that his children to be brought together, that they learn how to prevail, that they learn how to love one another in spite of the many differences, the many shadings of character and personality.

As you expand your horizons in your immediate spirit family to incorporate the newcomer, the difficult personality, the appendages of personalities, and so forth, you become skilled in assimilating each other. You are more readily able to envelop them as an odd fellow but one worthy of loving attentions for their uniqueness. As any parental figure knows, your children are precious, even the lame, even the comical, even the bad seed. All children are worthy of a unique relationship with the parent and siblings must become wise enough to also see from this parental point of view in terms of their relationships with their brothers and sisters. You cannot stay children; you must grow to spiritual adulthood, and part of growing up involves the ability to assimilate other and often difficult personalities into your social framework.

Leah: I just wondered if there was any significance that six of us were at the airport last night. It's probably just a curiosity question.

TOMAS: It is a curiosity question and I will humor it for a moment for it reflects to some extent on what you call synchronicity. And whereas your understanding of synchronicities may be more individualized, that all of you or six of you were at the airport last evening at probably the same time, is one of those oddities of energy which is much like a serendipity but is really more in line with physics, for energy patterns are a phenomenon of the material world.

You who have known retail, for example, may be aware that business comes in waves, that it will lull out and then suddenly the next wave of business will attend itself and when it peaks and passes, there is another lull. This is like a wave, an energy pattern wave, and so I will equate your attendance at the airport more in the realm of a physical wave than a spiritual wave.

TOMAS: Actually, I am well, my child, thank you for asking. I am not the worse for wear as some of you have been.

Hunnah: She'll make a house call and give you a massage and then she'll come back and tell us about it.

TOMAS: I truly have attended to myself in terms of therapeutic touch for there are myriad angels who are at my service. I am well ministered to and I daresay I earned it.

Ruth: Good for you for taking care of yourself. Um, I did what you told me to do. I didn't realize that I can feel their presence all the time with me!

Ruth: And I was waiting for something, you know, something else! But I feel that all the time. I tried talking and I made a big production out of it. Maybe that's where . .. I took a shower, I did my hair, and I went out into the living room and sat there and tried to . .. communicate. And all I did was almost fall to sleep.

TOMAS: You are a very romantic girl, and I am delighted by your approach. I will encourage you, however, not to dismiss the experience as impossible; it is not. I am reminded of a recent session that transpired with Iyana and Han wherein she learned that he has been with her for so long and so intimately, he has helped her in so many growth situations, she had rather taken him for granted. And such is often the case when you are working intimately with your teacher. You who have suddenly become aware of your teacher's personality, who now has a name and a number, an actual entity, are somewhat now intimidated by that reality which has been your friend and associate for some time.

It is all in the perception, and as you allow your perceptions to find an even keel, a natural ground, you will naturally work with this guide for it is a natural process, one which all of you have engaged in already, except that perhaps you have not had an actual discourse through the external arena but have had these one-on-one private conversations in the sanctity of your own mind. All we have done in this format is bring it to the realm of the exterior, that being much like the Reiki practice of sending out those healing energies to return again to you.

It is like that with your teacher. You emote your teacher out from you that it then may resound back to you from an exterior stance rather than the interior method of hearing and following their guidance. Obviously if you are following the guidance of your inner guides, you are prevailing in the spirit, you are walking the path. It is not required that anyone engage in these more external discourses, except that it does give you a bit of a proof, if you will, that you are accompanied in your spiritual path by those who know you and love you well.

Sometimes when you become despondent in your life, sometimes when you have periods of time like in "Footsteps" when you feel you need to be carried, it is encouraging to you to be able to go to what you would call proof of your association with deity and refer to your own personal discourses with your own personal guides. This way you can see in black and white, in the cold light of day when you are walking without faith, that you have faith in your Core. It is a reminder to the faltering, shaking, weak part of you that you have this spirit strength. It is proof of the pudding, if you will. This is one of the merits of developing such a communication.

Let me also, while I'm elaborating, as a follow-up to our most recent session, those of you who are blocked from your teacher with whom you had free, relatively free-flowing discourse and contact, let me assuage you somewhat by encouraging you to allow for the self-consciousness of the situation to pass. You well know how intimately your teacher knows you, and much of it is like looking in the mirror. and many times there are things about the self that you do not want to see, you are not willing yet to take a look at, and so to call up your personal teacher would leave you, in your mind, vulnerable to the affront of seeing yourself as your more wise teacher might see you.

Please let me assuage you here and assure you that your personal teachers are gracious and kind. They are in and of the Mother Spirit. They are tender of your feelings and are gentle in their dealings with you. They may know you well, but they will not be abrupt in their truths. So do not hide from them. I say that tongue-in-cheek because I know that even those of you who have working and harmonious relationships with your personal teachers will often shut the door on them for fear of intimacy.

It is another matter also of how it is your scampering little egos run pell mell through the fields and the roadways without stopping to check in to see if you have had lunch or if you have had a nap or if your face is dirty.

Ruth: Well, Tomas, I realize that for years I've heard my teacher and my friends because in the crises in my life that I've had, I always heard these voices, you know, giving me a lecture, and I didn't realize who I was hearing -- but could I have the names of my teacher and my angel?

TOMAS: One moment please. I have first been proscribed from giving you the name of your guardian angel. I cannot divulge that; I am sorry, but I am in the process of calling up your personal teacher. One moment. [Pause] Wanda.

TOMAS: I thought maybe you would enjoy that play on words, but I do find it noteworthy that there is a "wand" in there.

Ruth: Why won't my angel give me her name? Am I always supposed to address them as my friends? Angel friends?

TOMAS: Your guardian angel is in fact two angels. The positive and negative; the passive and aggressive; the male and female. They work in such conjoint harmony they are virtually indistinguishable. As two they are always together and on occasion I have observed them be acknowledged as two names and on occasion I have seen them referred to with one name. I am not forbidden to investigate your situation . ..

TOMAS: Yes, but it has a tendency to, you see, like children, if you get a sucker, everyone wants a lollipop, and it then takes everyone a long time to get their focus back on their own growth. These are delightful pieces of information and may or may not have long-range value for you, but … I will investigate and see if it is something that my supervisors would sanction or not. One moment. [long pause]

I am Tomas and I am looking at your guardian seraphim, Ruth, and as I behold their beauty I will render my own judgement that their beauty is so sublime as to transcend any human name that might be given to them, therefore I will constrain myself from giving you what would be a gross representation of their identity. You may be able to secure some indication of what they are called by allowing them to impress it upon your own spirit, but I cannot prostitute their divine aspects by giving a rendition of a name which could not possibly do them justice.

If I could only convey to you how beautiful they are, you would understand how they cannot be reduced to nomenclature. They are shimmering in radiant light and they are so entwined about you that they literally form a net that enfolds you. They are completely enwrapped around you in the most lovely shades of divine light. If you were to clasp your hands together and feel the infinity of your fingers, you would not know yet how intertwined they are with your soul, your presence. I beg you then to forgive me in not reducing this shimmering aspect of divinity to something as mundane as a name.

Hunnah: I don't know if I'm going to be able to look at you the same anymore.

Iyana: Tomas, I am just amazed. Since we have first had the celestials contact us, they would try to adapt to our language and the way that you speak to us now, the phrases, the wording, it's just tremendous! And it just brings to mind how much you people have studied to make things clear to us. You use all our common expressions.

TOMAS: Let me tell you, my dear, that this is developmental. That when the teachers make their preliminary and initial appearance, it is then a matter of long-time long-term duration in the mind that the teacher works in order to familiarize itself with the mental mechanism of the mortal being.

I worked with Gerdean for many years before she was aware of my presence, before she was aware of my reality, and so I was to some extent familiar with her mind, but even when she opened up to the possibility of my reality, it then took several more months of working together closely that we understood each other, that we learned to trust each other, that we began to have faith in our association and so this has been a developmental process for all of us -- she and I certainly and also for you, for you are benefiting now from the long-term efforts that have gone into developing the ability to use your mind phrases.

This is one of the difficulties that you encounter when you attempt to have relations with your own personal teacher. You see how Gerdean and Tomas rattle away and you assume that you should be able to do the same thing and this is unfortunately not the case for this is a developmental thing. The teachers are as excited about meeting you in your mind as you are in meeting them in your mind. It is a process, this transmitting receiving of celestial helpers. It is a process of opening the channels, the circuits of communication to the spirit realms.

It involves your free will accessibility as Hunnah has now had some indication through her exposure to and practice with her teacher Jasmine. It is an entirely new experience. It is beyond what you have perceived of before and so it astounds even your own expectations. Yes, it is a marvelous opportunity. It gives Gerdean also an opportunity to use words and phrases that titillate her heart and soul that she would not be able to use in the company of mere mortals under normal circumstances.

To experience the words of Nebadonia is a treasure to her, to the human. To describe my description of Ruth's angels is a thrilling opportunity for Gerdean also, you see, and this is only possible because we have learned how to work with each other and this, again, is one reason why I will encourage you to not deprive yourself of the thrilling opportunity of saying such words as "the challenge of the ages" or "I had a conversation recently with Teacher Ham regarding this very subject."

These kinds of strengths and confirmations of the spirit, these graceful turns of the phrase, are so flattering to the mind, to the heart, to the tongue of all believers, it truly opens up a new realm of functioning and appreciation. It is an art form. It is a sensitivity and a refinement of emotions that your soul hungers for.

My friends, I bask in your friendship. I am glad of it. Even though we communally find these processes sometimes difficult, that sometimes you would as well shut the door on such divine madness and be done with it, that you would return to your simple life and your simple God and mind your business in these affairs of teaching ministry and so forth, but how it gladdens my heart and the hearts of the other teachers that you find ultimate delight in the experience of discovering that you know God the Father as your Friend and that you sense and feel and know of Him in each other.

I embrace you, my flock. As your elder brother I stand with your Father/Brother and embrace you as His children, Nebadonia's children. Until we speak again, carry with you in your very heart the reality of this evening, of our friendship, of our relationship with Michael and Nebadonia and with each other. Farewell.