TMArchives

Tomas Vol IV - Butler, PA - September 29, 1997 thru December 9, 1997 - Part 5 of 13

This segment introduces a woman who comes to be called Erata. She is a professional nurse / caregiver, a widow, and a devoutly religious woman with no frame of reference for the Teaching Mission or the Urantia Papers, but who attends upon the enthusiastic invitation of her friend and co-worker Hunnah. Her time with us was relatively short-lived, but very intense.

There is not much to be said about this collection except that a good time was had by all. Personal Teachers, a Morontia Companion, an Angel, a Celestial Artisan, Lester the Jester, a Solitary Messenger, Jesus, Teachers Anatolia and Daniel joined in the fun.

The lesson on Emotional Everglades is one of my personal favorites.

BUTLER, PA, USA

VOLUME IV, Part 5 of 13

September 29, 1997 - December 9, 1997

C O N T E N T S

Date	Topic	Page
September 29	Q&A on Reincarnation	1
October 7	Personal Authority	12
October 14	To Thine Own Self Be True	22
October 21	Comfort and Joy	31
October 28	Tricks and Treats	39
November 4	Quality of Companions	49
November 11	Birthday Party -- with Chocolate!	65
November 18	Art of Communication; Emotional Everglades	73
November 25	PERSONAL TEACHERS	80
December 2	Growth Through Personal Teachers	85
December 9	Advancement on the Job	93
	[End of Vol. IV, Part 5 of 13]	100

TOMAS: I am here with Merium and your personal teachers as well as our many angelic and seraphic associates. It is wonderful to be here with you in this very delightful configuration. I am drawing upon an image in Gerdean's mind of childlike pleasure and it goes like this:

It is good to feel you rise up from your purely material appreciations and grab hold of "the hem of His garment." Let us see how we fare this evening in terms of where He may take us in our development. I am glad to be reunited with Merium. I am enchanted with her stories of renewal and am fully appreciative of the nature of her visit to the Master and to return here to us in our field of endeavor. Merium, tell us about your journey.

MERIUM: You ask me about my journey. My journey was one of renewal, and that is exactly what everyone needs regardless of the realm they are living in. The rhythm of your being, being sweetened upward and cleansed. Why would someone in the realm in which I participate possibly need to be cleansed? It is a poor choice of words. I guess you could say its like being preened, refreshed, without resistance, without pressure of a particular assignment.

It is far more complex than you might ever realize, being in the situation we are, here and waiting upon our opportunities to communicate with you. Indeed, our journals are filled with adventures of speaking through you and listening to your adventures, so therefore when we leave and take our respite, then we are in a, what you would liken to, a weightless state, and free to play, and free to be refreshed and reminded of what we, too, know, just as if you would if you were to find a retreat.

Hunnah went to a place of great beauty. I understand that she saw great rocks exposed, and it is in the mind of man that they are interpreted as being beautiful, but what is really happening is that man is feeling the resonance and the energies of these spectacular surfaces that are exposed and are not contaminated; the environment is pure. So, too, I have ventured and found my own island of purity and have rekindled relationships with those with whom I have had previous opportunities and experiences that we have shared. So, Tomas, I am pleased to be back and I am ready to dance.

TOMAS: Gracious partner, it is good to hear your voice and to experience your teaching practices. I am also glad to have Han, Jasmine, Jay-Orzh, Philomena, Trieste, and Adrian in attendance.

It has been a very active time in our community, Merium, in your brief absence. We have had no let-up in our activities. Indeed, as you have been briefed already, we have had significant discourse regarding altered states of consciousness, and to review briefly, the concept has gone far beyond altered states of drugs, alcohol and other external materials to include emotional and psychic altered states, including the altered states of prayer and worship and various types of worship practices and so on. Only in stillness, in perfection, is the consciousness in line with that which is unchanging, and that is, of course, for the evolving being, a relative condition, always open to yet greater clarity of mind.

The advantage of having an understanding of your consciousness and your appreciation then of the effects of that which would alter your consciousness, gives you a way of self-mastery of a sort. You will be able, for example, to notice that the moon is full and so there is a lunar pull on much of you, since you are largely a water-based organism.

Your social arenas and the emotional composition therein also will affect your outlook on life. If, for example, you are around great strain, you will feel the strain and it will take some time for you to dispense with it, whereas if you are not around the strain in the first place, that time is put to other use. All of these lessons are variations on the theme of finding out who you are and how you can more effectively be your best self.

MERIUM: The very best way that you can maintain the level of consciousness that you are at or expand and go beyond and maintain that, is to be dutiful and faithfully entertaining the stillness, because it is during the stillness that the lesser experience is filtered and the weight of it dissipates, leaving you in the arena of the lighter, clearer energies.

I encourage you all to go there frequently, just as you would step out of the sun if it became too warm, or would pull into something warm if it was too cold. It's as if you were almost maintaining a special climate for yourself so that that which has come into you could be retained and strengthened.

I cannot tell you how important it is to attempt to remain quiet after you have had an experience of intense stilling. This intensity that you experience of the quality of the stilling resonates into your entire being. You are allowing it a place to remain with you. When you go from the Home point and break away into immediate activity and conversation, it is as if you were contaminating it.

We have not strayed very far from holy words, but there are experiences that you have had that you will consider sacred and private, and you would not want to expose them. Let us say that you were making bread. You would not open the window immediately and allow a draft to come in to spoil the activity of the rising of the bread, so neither should you spoil the activity of the leavening of your own being by contaminating it with harsh activity or abusive activity or trying on immediately old garb that you had set down outside the gate, you might say, before you entered the stillness.

When you leave the stillness, leave the garb that you took off before you entered -- the mental attitude. Let it remain there. Come out in your new purified state and celebrate appropriately. If you throw this opportunity away you will have nothing to offer others when you meet them, and you never know when that opportunity is going to come forth. Occasionally you are warned that you are going to meet So-and-so, but everyone you meet should be So-and-so, and know that anyone you meet deserves your very best.

In your worldly experience you have heard it said many times that Mother Theresa served only Jesus. It kept it simple for her. It gave her strength and courage to go into a scene that would be very disagreeable, but her vision was so singular, she was so devoted and so concentrated on not spilling the gift that had been given her to take to these people, that the mission was accomplished.

I know it sounds like a large assignment, but I want you to at least entertain it once again in your minds because you already know this. When you feel yourself being pulled in two directions, then that's the cue to reach for the hand that waits for you inside, to take you in for that moment of lingering. Tomas?

TOMAS: Yes, Merium. Thank you for your very profound words and your very timely reminder. The value of the practice of stillness cannot be overemphasized.

I am aware that in your daily life each of you enters into occasions of social intercourse with others that are opportunities, allowing you to share your spirit nature. As Merium discussed, when you are sent forth from stillness and you encounter So-and-so that is a child of God for whom you may provide companionship in the spirit, providing they are amenable. (Long pause)

MERIUM: I will comment that we are indeed fooled by appearances. Recently I have conferred with Jasmine about Hunnah's experiences of late and it is true, you know in your head, who the other fellow is, but your eyes are overwhelmed by the sight of the variety of appearances that exist on your plane, and you can be overwhelmed by the sound that comes out of the mouths of those whom you know well and those whom you do not know; you are simply going to get better if you gain your perspective and know Whom you serve. Not the appearance, but the opportunity that the Father has well in hand.

TOMAS: You also, as a mortal being, have developed great techniques of survival and defense, many of which you are not conscious, but allowing that you may be aware of your defense mechanisms, and allowing that you have been approached by an individual who has stirred within you a response, a response appropriate to the whole of you -- the spirit/mind/and matter of you, the action inherent in your own persona resulting from your association with and working arrangement with the First, Second and Third Sources and Centers, all of you (who desires to serve) -- is in a situation, now, and you feel compelled/led to act, and yet your human conditioning balks and says, "Oh, no, I cannot, for it is inappropriate; it is none of my business," (or whatever rationale your intellect presents in order to deflect your whole self from ministering at that moment). That is one example of the human in action.

You here are involved in the Teaching Mission. The Teaching Mission is geared and oriented that you learn to teach. To teach what? To teach those matters of the spirit that you learn in stillness. Those truths that cross all lines of separation. How challenging it is! If you but perceive the challenge of learning to be a teacher of spirit truth, you might have an appreciation of the challenge that Merium and I have known in our work of teaching you. (And how it is that when we return to Salvington for R&R we feel relieved of an awesome responsibility.)

But in order for you to teach and preach effectively, we are here to work with you. Now what we would like to delve into, in a natural course of time, is enabling you and encouraging you to more effectively teach and preach, spread the gospel, be aware of your status as a living son or daughter of the living God, assuming your joy, your responsibility, looking for those lost sheep as Michael would have you do, and so on.

As Merium has indicated, you each work to varying degrees with your personal teachers in your ministry, in your work. All of you have contacts in the field. All of you have done effective work. All of you have lessons still to learn. It would please us greatly, when you seek understanding and insight, if you remember that our focus as teachers who would teach you to be teachers also, is to frame yourselves in such a manner as to seek to know how best you may do that which we do, in your natural environment.

Given the preamble in which I have just indulged, I would like to recommend a recess, an intermission, that you might review the preliminary discourse that we have presented so that we have an understanding of where we are headed, and if this is comprehensible and meaningful to you, then we will proceed as we can, given the circumstances. If it is too far afield of where you feel you are, in terms of what you want from your teachers, then ascertain that and let that be known so that we will know whether we should be dragging out the text on botany, zoology, anthropology, biology or whatever. Any comments, Merium?

MERIUM: No. I will like to hear what happens when we turn down the dial here.

MERIUM: I will have the courage to break the silence. If you could watch a container being filled, you could liken it to this quietude that has been filling and filling and filling and the fuller you get the more expanded you feel, and it pleases me that you have allowed yourselves to be still. It will make the evening far more productive.

Tomas and I and all of our friends here in the Teaching Mission were very appreciative of this dialog that just took place. We have received our stars and our grades and we are amused and delighted that you spoke your minds. It is right that you should speak your mind. How else are we going to improve our communications? Our dances must be that ÿ We have to take a space, Tomas, before we go into a rumba or a samba. [Giggles in background] He is indeed my dancing partner and he basically leads, but I thought that I would take advantage of this opportunity to tease a bit and lighten it up. What do you think of this conversation, Tomas? Are you back?

TOMAS: I am here. I am rather confused. I hear you conversing, I hear much laughter going on. I am afraid I must be very dense for I am simply appreciating the fact that they accept that we exist at all, Merium, and if they are critical of us, so much the better for at least we have been acknowledged. This is the fundamental of reality -- that I AM, and so I AM quite happy with the discourse that was held during the intermission. About the dance, however, I am still confused. I do know there are enough of us here to have a hoe-down but I am not certain that our capabilities are up to snuff.

MERIUM: We will just make an effort to pause between our rounds, that is all. I was teasing. My heartfelt thanks to Leah. I am going to encourage her to allow the quiet, to release her cognitive skills, and as was said, allow herself to drift in the intelligent vibration that will blend and she will receive the entire message; but it is also good to have someone who is awake and intellectually alert to assist with a dialog because this is physical teaching. But if we were to come and be with you in the stillness, you would have left completely filled and ready to go. We are simply being in vogue by allowing verbalized teaching.

It is not necessary for us to speak these words to you in your language, externally. We are capable of imparting this knowledge to you in a mental way, but this particular system moves you into a state of trust like no other and it is in this manner that you are scoring, in a sense, that in other mediums of learning you are not -- literally, I guess, you could state that -- walking on water. This trust is so dramatic for you to do this.

Now in the meantime we could gather around curiosity-seekers who would say, "Oh, I hear they T/R over there! Let's go." They would be bored in no time because our heart would not be in tune and they will leave. This experience is not for curiosity-seekers. It is those who have an inner heart level, gut level trust who can come in and allow us to share with you.

In regard to those who are sent. Tomas, would you like to comment about this? They were talking about the types of situations that have popped up seemingly out of nowhere.

TOMAS: I have a picture of the sunshine gives off light and heat as a result of it being. As a result of it being and giving off light and heat, all manner of life takes place: plants grow, buds open, you know, all that stuff. And what we are encouraging you to do is to be, to be your own radiant sunshine, and as you then pass through the cycle of your day you give off those healthy things that cause things to grow.

Your very presence will stimulate growth. The light from the sun (Son) that shines in and through you, will begin to bring about even yet a greater harvest, and so what we are encouraging is not for you to be intellectually replete or socially clever, but sincere and genuine in your own faith, in your own faith path, which does require application and trust.

The Thought Adjuster works in the deep mind. The guardian seraphim guard you. The Spirit of Truth guides you into an understanding of Michael and the Way. The teachers are here at the behest of the combined ministries of Michael, Nebadonia and Father Melchizedek, to accommodate the systems reawakening as a result of the circuits reopening and there is much work to be done.

Indeed, Urantia is in emergency status. Even though there are pockets of light and life and even though life goes on, the overall picture is distressing, for the pain levels among the peoples of Urantia, the children of Michael, are still severe and uncalled for. There is purpose in our being here. As Merium has stated, we are not frosting on the cake. We are not flash in the pan. Those who find merit to the teachers of the teaching mission are or develop the integrity and stamina to meet the need of this condition on Urantia, and so it is necessary that the sun (spelled SON) shine, and it shines through you.

If in the Son's traversing the sky during the day and your traversing your life path during the day affects people toward growth in the spirit, then you have succeeded, we have succeeded, and Michael has succeeded. Otherwise the gray cloud of isolation and fear continues to confuse and thwart light and life. Oh, alas, I have become ponderous. And yet, my loved ones, that is part of my job -- to remind you of our purpose in being here.

Now, it is not so bad when I say that our purpose is to see you shine as sunshine, and it is not so bad when you hear us tell you how incredibly important you are and how well loved you are. Indeed, this is part of the nourishment that shines upon you as a result of the goodness of Michael in his mercy and love for all of his creation. It is because of his love for you and all his children that we are here and eager to encourage a flowering of truth, beauty and goodness upon Urantia, and part of our process, part of your process also, is going to enable you to encounter situations that will call for great faith, great stamina and decision making on your part as to how best to deal with the situation at hand, the growth opportunity that meets you.

You may in all fairness walk in blind faith and serve, but being conscious of your consciousness is immanently more helpful and although it gets a little testy when intelligent and very sensitive people interact such as you do, it is so heartwarming and gratifying to know and perceive and encourage the growth, the camaraderie, the love, the devotion, the loyalty, the fruits of the divine spirit that you have within you and that you practice upon each other and in the Master's vineyard. What a wondrous opportunity! What a thrilling adventure. What an opportunity. I am finished.

Iyana: Yes, I have a question that I have been wanting to ask for a long time. It's one of the old chestnuts that's been talked about before.

Iyana: Thank you. Perhaps Tomas would answer this question. He seems to have talked about it before. It's about reincarnation. In the Urantia Book it says, more or less, that Jesus said that the soul and the Thought Adjuster are more or less -- the soul is born at the time of the Thought Adjuster, and that the soul is not reincarnated. Yet I have read Abraham's papers and he talks a lot about reincarnation; also about a soul can come and refuse to come into the body or go back after, and it would perhaps think again where it wanted to come when it was reincarnated. Now, forgetting all that, my question really is -- do we inherit . .. our DNA, from our ancestors, and would this be more or less what we carry on from one life to another, and it would not be called reincarnation. I don't know if I have expressed myself plainly or not, but you can answer yes or no, if you like.

TOMAS: You have expressed yourself quite plainly. I have addressed the subject before in entirety. Very briefly, your DNA is part of you and you have cellular memory going all the way back to early plant life. However, your soul begins here. I must tell you, Iyana, as a part of my authority, that the information you have been reading by one Abraham is not in keeping with the information that is inherent in the Teaching Mission. It is Correcting Time information and part of the spiritual renaissance, but it is incorrect as far as its information regarding your soul and your Thought Adjuster. There is no reincarnation.

You have only begun, Iyana. The point of your purpose here is to accept your immortality effective [as of] this lifetime. As you begin to work with your Thought Adjuster and develop a harmonious relationship with it, you have secured your eternal life through your association with that Thought Adjuster which is eternal. If you opt not to identify with it, if you do not associate with it, if you neglect to bond with it, if you ignore it eternally, it will not serve you into eternity and you will not survive. You will not, however, be reborn into another personality, for if there is another personality, that personality belongs to someone else. There is only one you, effective today.

Leah: I would like to say that the information that Iyana had was given to me out of, I believe, New Zealand, out of the -- I think out of the original movement, that was not particularly Teaching Mission, but that was hearing originally, prior to establishing the Teaching Mission. Anyway, these papers have never been part of the Teaching Mission transcripts, but they were from that area.

TOMAS: I will . .. with your permission. Have you finished your question? Leah?

TOMAS: An advantage to having the fifth epochal revelation textbook and perhaps predisposing all the Teachers in the Teaching Mission to a certain format of truths, there is room for error inherent in a transmitter who has in his or her consciousness a deep-seated belief in something, even if it is not part of the Teaching Mission information. This is why we ask you all to think for yourself. The Spirit of Truth will confirm or deny Truth (capital "T" Truth).

MERIUM: May I comment? I will comment. Regarding any life, anywhere, any human being, in your soul growth you will develop a sense of respect and sometimes admiration, sometimes revulsion, many of the human interpretations defining how anyone really lives, and fear factor in the human condition and the need to survive. Those fight and flight aspects of this experience here are all influencing factors on how you relate to other people, but as you ascend, there will be respect and compassion expressed in your experience, and your concern for having ever lived a human chain of events will dissipate as you relate to the core of quality of the essence of your response to your new reality.

You will simply relate to others in a sense of new perspective. You will be able to look at and be comfortable with all of the teachings because you will know that you are in a new and fresh and ever-lasting experience at the moment of these thoughts and into the future as you go.

MERIUM: So, since this subject has come up again, I want you to be able to allow yourselves emotionally to let it rest. It keeps you in a place that you do not have to be. As you learn to love one another, it, this love, will be the dominance of any intellectual definition regarding all your experiences.

TOMAS: Yes, Merium, thank you for your commentary which was excellent, and for your devotion to your flock which is commendable.

MERIUM: Is this not a lingering need to have roots? So to speak? Is it not still a wounding in the sense of separation? It is yesterday's definition.

MERIUM: The need to say that you have done and been and done and been and done and been on and on, the need to try to wear every hat and feel every emotion. It is a very dense web, the whole of which receives a great deal of attention. I think that if you would take the opportunity to think of yourself in a cosmic sense, that pedigree would be the one that would out-shout any human experience ever gleaned it is not tangible. [Ruth arrives; indistinguishable greetings]

Leah: Well, I think it's very valid, because this evening I believe it was you, Merium, said that you were able to reach us through our minds, and I wanted to say at that point, "then why don't you do it?"

Leah: Because we are here and we want that tangible, audible voice. We want that validation, that confirmation. We want to be able to go back and review it, to mull it over.

MERIUM: At a certain level of consciousness this is true, but as you are released it will dissipate because there will be a sense of comfortable knowing in the absence of our being. Our halls are filled with teaching. It is (indistinguishable). Man can fall asleep in his own wisdoms; he loves to chew it over and over. We wish to make a new definition in you.

MERIUM: And that is that you are an opportunity where it may be born, where it will occur to you.

Leah: Well, we may be talking on two different levels here, but it seems to me that when I was referring to pondering it over, perhaps what you might call a teaching or preaching situation, or a situation where you encounter an individual, maybe it isn't really pondering it over or mulling it over but the audible words that we have heard in these rooms do come to fruition in certain circumstances, and so that is, to me, why we are in these rooms, these classrooms.

TOMAS: Experiential truth that what you learned here in your mind and in your soul, is acted out upon in the streets of your existence.

Leah: So are we in this classroom -- Are we in this room because we have free will? Because if you are able to do this just to our minds and our minds were saturated with your loveliness and your beautifulness and your goodness, wouldn't you just emanate that without having any free will choice?

TOMAS: We are not the Father. The Father is within you, and you are a branch of the living vine. You may manifest godlikeness in your life. Godlikeness is love. The Son is mercy. In His infinite wisdom, He has given you free will to function as a part of Him and as an extension of Him if you so choose. This actually means that you have a very rich and invigorated life! It does not mean that you become a puppet and mindless.

MERIUM: Leah, we were talking about the need for validation and it takes place here in this gathering. Hunnah has been with other truth groups where there is a collective consciousness where truth is being taught, and it comes through mentally, like spontaneous acceptance mentally and then you speak it; and someone else in the group, when they hear that statement being said, will feel a surge of rejoicing because they are hearing what they feel in their heart being spoken in words that they themselves could not utter.

You said, well, and then do we just take on this demeanor of truth, beauty and light and just go on our way? Well, yes, that too. That will accompany you. This is simply another opportunity for revelation of truth to come in to earth. We call it Correcting Time. I would like to call it a time of release for that high born intention.

Leah: Well, maybe I am misunderstanding, but I had been under the impression -- maybe it was a rhetorical question -- that you both made the statement that we are capable of doing this to your mind, then why are we doing this in this room? And I was just following up on that. Maybe I was just on another railroad track here, but I understand what you're saying to me and maybe the question you put out there are just to ponder.

MERIUM: To ponder is the right use of your mind. This is not a challenge or a reprimand; it means simply that in this expanded state of awareness you are allowed to be taught in the stillness and you are allowed to be taught audibly in situations such as this. Your life is a continuous state of receptivity, though sometimes it's more obvious to you than others.

Leah: Well, maybe I just had this need to answer the question you put out there, and maybe the reason we're doing this in this room is so that we will have transcripts to share with other people who possibly hadn't thought about these things.

TOMAS: I am not so much concerned about the prairies. My assignment is here with you. It is your soul that is my assignment, your personality that is my treasured association. It is your expanding God-consciousness and affiliation with infinity that intrigues and stimulates and concerns me. And so yes, there may be orts of wisdom that will titillate others who read it later, but our purpose is not specifically for broadcasting, but for that which is right before us, right in front of us.

It is so easy for the mortal, in fact, to replace the immediacy of life with a report of life, or a study of life, when life itself is begging for attention. It is nice to have transcripts to read later, and many times these lessons are only comprehended through the intellect, or are studied through an intellectual appreciation, or even how the words and sentences are strung together, but the true growth takes place in the soul and the soul is a combination of your mind and the Thought Adjuster's devotions.

As you decide to work with God, your soul is expanded. It comes into being. It develops a life of its own. It is your soul that concerns me, Leah, not the mind so much, although the mind is certainly the arena wherein you make choices, and so the impact is not so much on intellectual comprehension as it is on your allowing the fertile soil of spiritual growth. That, too, requires a decision on your part, but the growth of the soul is the crux of our work, as it is also the crux of the work of the Thought Adjuster, and probably ought to be the crux of all work throughout all of the seven superuniverses. We are all striving to be perfect. "Be ye perfect" in your sphere as He is perfect in His sphere on High, and so how can you best be perfect? That is, how can you best serve and be happy,  be well balanced and radiate your own warmth, your own light,  live your own life.

A very meaningful assignment indeed! How can your very meaningful life then impact upon others? Are you going to stimulate more spirit growth? Are you going to generate nitrogen and oxygen and all those goodies or not? All these are your decisions that you make in your mind but they are based on your need which is your soul and which responds to your Father in heaven.

Again we return to the merits, the value of stillness, for it is in stillness that you begin to hunger and yearn for greater affinity with this divine presence and wherein you become stimulated to pour forth His light and warmth in your life that others may experience the wonders, the glory that is His and that now is yours as a result of knowing Him, of being His child.

Iyana: Is it your soul that is reacting when you feel, sort of, in your heart you feel "oh" of something, about some tenderness or some feeling. Is this your soul?

TOMAS: This is your Thought Adjuster and many times your soul is in harmony with your Thought Adjuster and if your mind is also in harmony, then it is a complete and passionate moment, having reality in time and space. All of your realities are prompted by your association with your Thought Adjuster, for without your Thought Adjuster you are a mass of nerve endings, bone, flesh, electrochemical, and so forth. Feelings generate from the Thought Adjuster. They are part of your soul as a result of your association with It.

MERIUM: In a sense you can start out the Thought Adjuster's opportunities when you indulge yourself in willful acts for the sake of (indistinguishable). You will develop some fine-tuning of being faithful to this higher choice, and I want you to, this week, be aware of these opportunities. You will have a chance to go on automatic and, once again, open the package of the mystery of what is allowed to be instead of what probably would be. It's been a long session this evening, Tomas, and I think that we've given them something to think about.

TOMAS: And I would like to, particularly like to, thank Hunnah and Gerdean for their service. Iyana it was good to have you with us. Leah, thank you for your courage. Ann, I embrace you. And, Ruth, it was nice of you to stop by. Farewell.

TEXTUAL STUDY: Urantia Paper 141: Beginning the Public Work; 6. Last Week at Amathus

TOMAS: It is again a sublime pleasure to be in your company. I am, of course, aware of our guest and am immediately apprised of her presence here, her spirit reality. I greet you, daughter, on behalf of those of us in the spirit realms who cater to your spiritual growth. You are an honored guest and a peer among peers. We are very pleased to know you in this format and so, welcome!

It is great fun for us to acknowledge your presence and to acknowledge Hunnah's outreach ministry. How many times we have witnessed Hunnah's complaint that the group was not growing and here we see that she herself is instrumental in its growth. This is a truth that you all can identify with, if you will, for each of you loudly complain about things not going your way when indeed things are going swimmingly. It is a matter of perspective, yes. It is also a matter of your enthusiasm.

If you will remember that your common instruction is to be perfect, if you will remember that your indwelling God fragment is trying to get you to be in accordance with Its will for you, you will appreciate that anything less is inadequate. It is so enchanting to work with such a group of human beings who are so eager to become God-conscious and God-revealing.

Merium, I am happy to introduce you also to our guest. Would you also like to say hello?

MERIUM: I am pleased to see my loved ones here. Welcome, friend. I feel as if I know you very, very well. Your heart comes to the door before you do. How is everyone this evening, and have they brought any questions from this week?

Leah: You may not be able to answer this. Where are you? Where exactly are our teachers? I really don't know. Maybe they're in another dimension.

TOMAS: Yes, it is very simple. We are here with you. It is just that we are outside your vision. We have a domicile nearby; we have the equivalent of boardroom facilities. We have here in your locale a teacher base. We are in your immediate vicinity but outside of its materiality. You might, if you were to see us, be able to identify that I am behind Gerdean and to her left. As a rule Merium flanks Hunnah somewhat to her right rear. It is not any position that is carved in stone, but we are very close to you.

Even as we investigate your comings and goings, we are able to come into close proximity, although often we will engage the services of the midwayers (who are far more readily accessible to your material environment) and have them access you for us. We are a team, remember. All of those of us in the spirit realm are engaged in uplifting you and bridging the gap between your realm and the more spiritual reality realms.

It is not any wonder that someone would want to know where we are for you, yourselves, are creatures of time and space, and in-as-much as your understanding of reality is enwrapped in space, you would of course wonder where we are in terms of your understanding. And so, in response to your wondering, we are here.

Leah: Well, you ask about my soul growth, I don't really know; but it satisfies my human curiosity, somewhat.

TOMAS: I hope that perhaps I have "added something to". Merium, have you any interest in "adding something to"?

MERIUM: I was thinking that I might add some comment about having you become aware of something you had never been aware of before, whether it is in a physical form or whether it is in a mental form, and once you have discovered it, and decided that it was worth considering and you have accepted what you have discovered, then are you ever free of it? We are part of your new reality.

You don't see us. We aren't tangible for you. But you have allowed yourselves to embrace our personality and the truths of this teaching; and, therefore, you have expanded your experience and allowed it to become real because it settles an agreeable effect in you. You believed it, you have tried it, and you have lived it, so therefore I would just like to add those comments and perhaps that will help you with the concept of where is it when I am not watching. Does that help?

TOMAS: I would like to follow up and borrow upon this evening's reading about Jesus' lesson at Amathus when he discussed attitude in reference to Teherma's situation and again in reference to the baptism by spirit rather than by water. I would like to speak about the living water.

Indeed, John the Baptist baptized believers in water as representative of the living waters, much as Teherma regarded the fire as a representation of the fire of the glory of God. Now, when we speak of "where do you live" and we say that we live in another dimension, it is as if we live in the dimension referenced when we speak of the living waters. You are material-minded and you think in terms of water as being this wet substance that freezes when cold or that evaporates in the heat, but living water is none-the-less real and it is in the living water that we reside.

When you become adept at swimming in the living waters, you will take to it like a fish to water and flounder when you're thrown upon the dry shores of a mere material existence. We, in that context, are much like fish.

MERIUM: It has been so amusing this evening because as Hunnah was traveling home, the thought came to her, "What is real?" and this evening we are discussing, "Is it real?" What is real and are you real? Are you real? Ask yourself that: "Are you real? Can you validate your own experience? Can you embrace whole-heartedly the fact that you are a reality? That your intelligent human relations are real? I hope you will ponder this, this week because it is worth it and it will be very amusing and educational for you to do so. Take the question to your prayer and let it build and show you how real you really are.

Hunnah had an experience once where she was amusing herself with the thought about the transcripts and our personalities and she said out loud, "Even if this was wrong, for some reason, I would embrace it anyway, because I feel so fulfilled and complete when I am in this message of truth." She also trusted in the reality of our Master Christ Michael's teaching that you have in your Bible. She felt safe. There was a part of her that responded. Is that part that responds Real?

At some point you have to make a decision and allow yourself the comfort zone of saying yes or no and getting on with the new journey that will help you to find what is real. I really enjoy these discourses because it takes it away from familiar expressions and patterns and directions of learning. It allows new terminology to come in and shows you a new picture for you so that you may expand that seed of truth that you have been given, and allow it to billow forth into greater dimensions.

I hope these words have helped you this evening, and if you have any confusion, allow it to dissolve in the stillness. May I carry this ball a little longer?

MERIUM: I have said the magic word: stillness. I cannot call upon you to give a report of your experiences with stillness, but if you have hesitated and put it off because the time was not right, I want to remind you that you were promised a greater experience and confidence of allowing yourself to experience the stillness, so please, if you have not indulged, do so. It will be greatly comforting, greatly satisfying, and it will be your earthly pattern that pretty much parallels what we were talking about earlier in your meeting. We are building a new creature in Christ. You are fresh and developing. I will pass the baton to Tomas.

TOMAS: I am happy to pick it up to continue your discourse and ours, and that now is in reference to your invitation to ascertain your own reality. Are you real? Go into stillness and you will find out who you really are, and as you become comfortable within this living water, this spiritual flood of love and reality, you will be prepared then to re-emerge into your material life, renewed and refreshed and washed in order that you may then learn to become fishers of men.

MERIUM: The net is a part of the fishing. This invisible net is like networking. In networking, it is as if you allowed yourself to effortlessly respond to a magnetic line that takes you to that individual you did not know you were going to meet. "Serendipity!" as the name of our friend's shop, has brought forth a very lively, spontaneous form to it, so you are going to be allowed to go out on your serendipitous journey and meet a situation that you did not expect to, your mind could not conjecture.

You will be allowed to appear to rescue individuals who are way over their heads in trouble, but some spirit wakening in them has called out for whomever the Lord sends and there you will be. It will not be a personal victory; it will be a victory for all that you could believe for serving the highest good, for bringing the living waters to those who honor their thirst.

So I encourage you to go about this journey, log it in your journal as if you were telling the most wonderful story you could ever imagine. You have stepped away from that pick and shovel life into the adventures of truth and light.

Ann: I have a question. I know we're not supposed to be attached to material things, but if somebody takes your property without asking permission, it seems to be -- I know it is in me a painful outrage -- and I was wondering, you know, if that was a proper response or . .. how should one deal with something like that?

Ann: I think I'm attached to my things. I know we're not supposed to be, but everything I own represents a small piece of my life.

MERIUM: The acquisition of things is that tangible observation of goals that you have met, a sense of accomplishment. It is indeed painful to lose your possessions, especially if you do not have too many of them or you have labored to acquire them.

I am in this moment concerned for whoever was out of line, for their own soul's sake, because they have been lost to their sense of what is right, and they have violated their own laws as well as yours, laws of respect. In conflict, there is always two, usually, to be concerned about.

Tomas would you like to assist with this because it smacks of a type of discussion . .. I will comment that it is not wrong to feel wronged.

TOMAS: You are correct, Merium, and I offer you my sympathy, Annie, however I understand you would like to be lifted up and out of the discomfort that you feel as a result of placing so much importance on these material items that their absence has resulted now in such severe distress. You have asked for a resolution, and barring the legal system, which is an option but not one which I recommend under the nebulous circumstances outlined in your question, your soul would like to be relieved of its anger and pain, in which case you must accept that the value of these goods is indeed the representation that you have given them.

I will refer again to Teherma at Amathus who allowed that the fire was representative of the glory of God, and the Baptist, who baptized in the water, as representative of baptism of the spirit. These lesser realities became important, indeed became sacraments because of what they represented. It is frequently the representation that is the issue and not the merchandise itself. And so that which these goods represent has become part of you and cannot be removed from you.

If, as Merium states, they represent your accomplishments, your acquirements, your growth, your steps forward in self-esteem and self-respect and survival skills and so forth, then you may assuage yourself by accepting that those growth processes are part of you and will remain part of you and cannot be stolen from you. They are yours.

It is similar to the song about memories: "Oh, no, they can't take that away from me." And it is like the memory of a cherished friendship, that when times get rough and you feel alone, you can remember the time spent with a loved one. Even though the loved one is no longer with you, those cherished memories are yours and cannot be taken away, and so that which you yearn for so deeply here in your experience of having things taken from you is a shadow of the true reality of the situation, and that is that those things are only shadows, only representations, of the true value and those true values are your eternal acquirement.

I don't know if that has helped, but that is my response. Merium, would you like to add?

MERIUM: Very briefly. I would like to have Annie entertain a question within herself that she does not have to reply to, and that is because she has an opportunity to make soul growth out of this indignation. I would like to have you, before your stillness, ask yourself if the possession that is lost is more important than the opportunity to allow the experience to help you have a new perspective about your life as it is today.

Sometimes when we are keeping company with people who are not of the same focus, we are contaminated by their laws of direction. You have chosen a new and living way for yourself. You have gleaned some victory for yourself in your new life. I do not know what the possession is here, and it does not have to be identified, but it may represent a part of another time. It may represent a happy time; it may represent something of inheritance; I do not know.

I will encourage you to journal because when you journal, it raises you up and helps you release personal feelings of sometimes pain, sometimes joy, sometimes surprise at the new perspective that can come when your journal, so I will ask you to allow yourself to be uplifted and take advantage of this experience and any experiences that cause you dismay. They are there and can be used to fuel the divine fire within you if you choose to use them that way. So I will hope for a positive report from you. Perhaps you will regain your item, but more than anything we want to help you regain the reward of the new focus you will have in your life. Has that helped, dear?

Leah: I have a further question along the lines of what we're discussing, and I recall a time when I was in much poorer straits and I kind of bragged about how I finally had a battery to start my car after a long time of not being able to use it. I was managing an apartment house and I went out either that night or the next morning to start my car -- and I told everyone in that apartment house that I had a brand new battery -- and the car wouldn't start and I opened up the hood and there was no battery in there.

So I can relate to where she was speaking of a feeling, and the feeling can definitely be one of outrage and although I heard both of you address 'what does this represent', I would like to know . .. what do you do? I heard Merium talk about journaling, but the human thing . .. I mean, I don't even know who this person was, like I don't know if Ann knew who it was who had taken from her.

MERIUM: You are allowed to have the experience of pain and to offer it up, to help it clear, so that you can appreciate the new experiences and observations that will come from it. There is no merit in stuffing your feelings down just because you are on a spiritual journey, that you have to be a good sport. Absolutely not. But I will also recommend that you be responsible with your possessions so that you do not tempt others.

Hunnah has to lock the door of her car because she carries equipment in it that does not belong to her; it is given to her in trust. And in the same vein, she locks the door because it keeps someone who is not handling himself well from making more error. If you have a bicycle, you put a chain on it. It's the way of the world today and it's just that way. You cannot be too angry with yourself if you have been careless or distracted; the aim is to build a positive good habit by keeping principled.

Leah: I would like to go back to human outrage and I understand the idea of being responsible, but certainly somebody had to open up my car to take that battery and I said, I don't even know who that person was, and I think I had pretty much forgotten it until Annie related her story today, but I do recall, at the time, that I felt just devastated, because I was finally going to be able to drive my car, for one thing, and then I was without something that was very important to me, at that time.

So like Merium said, you offer this up and write a journal, but what would you say? I'd like to know . .. I know I'm really asking for specific direction, but, what would be like a prayer you could say or something that could help you get over the indignation if someone had violated you in that way? I mean, yes they feel that way and it might be appropriate but it isn't something that you can hold onto, so how do you get out of it at that point? That's what I heard Annie asking about.

TOMAS: I remember in relating the story, you said that you had bragged about finally acquiring a battery. I am reminded of the scripture to take your prayers into the closet, and in this case you would have done well to take your thanks in prayer and praise to the Father and not announce your good fortune to those who would, as swine, stomp upon your pearls.

In a case like that, which is only one case, of course, you could appreciate that had you not made a public pronouncement of your acquisition, you would not have been vulnerable to its theft; at least you would not have been so vulnerable. Of course, that is not an excuse for someone to steal.

MERIUM: You are living in times where people feel that they need to steal (in order) to maintain the lifestyle in which they have involved themselves. It is probably impersonal; it could be personal, but there are some people who simply are in the very low level and they will take the first thing they can get their hands on.

I believe you have a character from Dickens called Oliver. He was taught to not respect, and he could just help himself to the first thing that is out there. This is low level development. You are in an ever-expanding state, especially once you have stepped upon that lily pad of allowing yourself to be led to a higher place.

I wish you well with your experience and allow yourself to put it behind you. Sometimes when things are really yours, they find themselves back in your arms. They find themselves back home. So who knows how the story will end.

TOMAS: I would like to add something for those of you who feel that this discourse is far removed from spiritual purpose, and that is that indeed Jesus was cheated out of an inheritance and he commenced to describe that official as "that fox" and years later he remembered that fox as Herod, and we are aware that there are sly foxes on Urantia. It is how we handle the situation that evidences our God-likeness.

How would the Father deal with such a thing? Well, of course the perfect Father would not care, perhaps, about a thing, but he would care about the principle, and it has been the principle we have been discussing here, and so we have been discussing that which has value, and that is why this is indeed a conversation with merit, for how you live your life is a reflection on how you relate to your spirit purpose. It is how you are living the gospel. I would like to ask our guest if she has a question.

Erata: I'm not really sure. Do you guys know what I've been going through the last while? Would you be aware of those circumstances?

TOMAS: I myself am not a crystal ball gazer. I cannot get to know you until you open up to me.

Erata: Well, I took care of my husband for a couple of years before he died. He died this year. And . ... It was good. It was a good thing. I was able to show him, and he also to me, unconditional love and we learned from that. And so now I strive to do that, but for a long time, in the last few months, I've felt almost abandoned spiritually, for awhile, and sometimes it comes back, at times, although I really believe that God is with me . .. perhaps I used my husband as my focus point for Christ … because everyone is Christ. He is in you. So I kind of feel like I'm fairly back on track/path, but I want more . .. of that.

God blessed me with a lot of energy that I needed . .. to take care of what I had to do . .. with my husband and my children and my job. I have tried to put aside a lot of hurt feelings of the medical system for their care and am trying right now to put aside some of the problems I faced with my husband's family, who was not supportive physically, and very minimally even financially, during my time. I'm distancing myself from them and thinking that perhaps it's okay that I am away from them. Let's put it this way, if I'm not around them I might not get myself in trouble.

I may be grabbing on to other people such as my friends and my family and my children to enrich my circle, but sometimes I feel like I'm kind of being in a limbo situation because I know that God does everything for a purpose and its plain that, not that I -- I guess I see his plan after the fact, as far as my husband's spirituality and all of that became a new one for he was sick, because he was very hard and very worldly, but he, to me, had a very gentle spirit. And I guess maybe I'm just looking for some direction because of those things.

TOMAS: I am very appreciative of your testimonial, my child, and I frankly do not feel that you are, at this juncture, seeking direction so much -- or, shall I say, needing direction so much as validation and confirmation of your path and the way in which you have traveled that path which has presented itself to you.

I will tell you forthrightly that I admire you greatly and I perceive that your trials and tribulations have been well met and that you have grown immeasurably as a result and you have taught poignantly also as a result of your growth experiences. Your mate certainly was [tape turned; words lost]. Your sons also reflect solidarity and distinct lack of confusion or abandonment, which is a good testimonial to your parenting skills. No doubt you have been well benefited by your association with your spirit helpers, even though these associations may have been unconscious or super-conscious.

MERIUM: I have to keep pushing Hunnah out of the way here because she is just so tickled to have her friend here. It is true that there are some who are sensitive; there are some who are, in spite of waves of human feelings, allowed to come forth and accept the torch of destiny. Our times are ripe for teaching, and what is more effective than any good example of true devotion, stand-by devotion, acceptance of those who are brought to them.

We have someone here who is walking the trail of tears but in your greatness, you know very well Whom you serve. You have a bright future, my dear, and when I say bright I am talking about great love, which will radiate from you. This is the way it has to be! We must take any situation and lift it up. Take this light and go back to work. Relax and be good to yourself.

TOMAS: Indeed. Welcome to your peer group. You can be confirmed and validated on a regular basis by way of association with fellow believers. In reference to your earlier analogy of living water and those of us who swim in it, you are now a genuine member of a school of fish and we are happy to have you in our fishbowl. (You appreciate, I do hope, that we are only novices at your humor but we do try.) I am prepared to wind it up, Merium, are you?

Leah: I'm still wondering what to do with the outrage when you feel that way. I know that we're not supposed to be in judgment of the person and I would like to find a way to have the attitude that Jesus did about forgive them for they know not what they do, but I just don't know how to get there.

TOMAS: Let me discuss it, for you are not alone in not knowing how to handle "violent or uncontrollable" emotions, and here again, welcome to the fishbowl, for you have a solid set of peers with whom you may trustfully interact. If you are experiencing an outrage, an emotional assault of some sort, and your blood pressure is up, your pulse is racing, your color is hot, and so forth, and you cannot get a stable grip on it in order to process the experience more sanely, then you contact one of your trusted peers in the spirit, advise them that you are in a state, and ask them if you may vent.

As soon as they give permission, that is to say that they have time (which, chances are they will if they are in the mood to be of service to their brethren), you have forewarned the emotional condition and they are aware that it is not intended for them, and so you may vent and vent to your heart’s content. Rant and rave and wail and weep and moan and cry and stomp your feet until all vestiges of that emotional bottled-up torrent is expended.

When you have to vent completely, you will automatically feel a void, you will feel drained. At that point, sanction yourself with a moment in stillness. That is to say, while you are on your knees, ask for strength. As you are given strength, you will be able to assimilate the experience -- emotionally and unemotionally -- then be able to handle it in such a way as to educate and edify the offender, if possible, of how he or she may modify their behavior and/or how you need to modify your behavior in order for that experience not to reoccur. Has this been helpful?

Leah: Yes. Very helpful. When you said notify your friends in the spirit, I thought for a moment about writing a letter to Jay-Orzh. We're speaking of mortals here, aren't we?

TOMAS: I was speaking of mortal; however, do not overlook your friends in the spirit realms; it has been my observation that many of these things can be successfully worked out also in a trusted and fully cooperative relationship with your spirit guides. You may carry on with Jay-Orzh in such a way as to vent those feelings also, and she is there to listen to you and to allow your venting. The deal is, however, you must discourse with her. Ask her permission as you would ask the permission of your mortal associate. Tell her you are going to vent. Ask her if it's okay with her, and as she responds whether or not it is okay, then you may vent. The point is that it is an associative process; it is not a singular temper tantrum or ego outrage, you see, it is a part of a productive relationship.

TOMAS: In-as-much as you are in no position to think rationally, don't worry about it. Call them any name you want to! Go ahead. Let it all hang out. For eventually it will all be done with. You will have vent. You will be dried up. You will begin to see it rationally. You will be able then to call in the spirit and see it in appropriate perspective.

Now, as you have experienced this once, twice, three times, you will begin to see how the process works and you will save yourself a lot of energy by not giving it that much emotional impact. You will also be able to see how much of your ego is involved in the tremendous amount of impressionability and drama of a temper tantrum of that magnitude and you will have evolved somewhat up out of that degree of infraction.

MERIUM: I'm so glad that Tomas mentioned pouring forth your distasteful experience to your personal teacher. I highly recommend this because the one reason I would interject is that when you spill your emotional feelings to other humans, they will frequently pour oil on the fire. They can interject, they can speculate your worth and you can get yourself roaring into a wonderful riveting speed that will take you straight into the ground.

Yes, it is good to vent to a friend who is comforting, but let me suggest that you take this to a friend who is of a focus that will prevent this pain from becoming permanent. I highly recommend taking it to the inner teacher because then you will be where they have been waiting for you and you will have your human limitations soothed and your light self strengthened, and as soon as you receive this strengthening, you will develop a new perspective on it and it will be much easier on you physically and mentally.

Even though you sometimes speak this so that you can hear what you feel, or write so that you can see, I recommend that you be very particular who you invite into this and whether they are in a healthy frame of mind when you do it. So there is some breaking when you do this, even though you're all fired up, there is a part of you that still has to be calm enough to know where you want to take the problem so that you might be through with it.

TOMAS: Remember that you are going through this experience to rid yourself of the pain of an experience, not that you are going to someone to commiserate with you to fan the flames.

MERIUM: You will go away frequently very hungry. I will give you a very quick example. A situation has happened so let's pretend you take it to a friend and you say, "Wah, wah, wah," and someone said, "Wah, wah, wah," and they say (and here it goes into the transcript), "What the hell do you expect!?" (I know how to say that, too.) "What the hell do you expect? You did blah, blah, blah." Now, would you call that divine counsel? No. It brings you down flat on your face and you've already started on the wrong direction, so you have to know who you want to take your problem to, and that is why it is so wonderful to have your contact, your privy counsel with your inner guide.

TOMAS: I will again remind you of the many times we have discussed the value of being a good listener, for if you are a good listener and your friend will ask you to hold still while they vent, then you will listen for their venting to peak and fade away -- not the details of the misadventure, no, nor the ego outrages of the friend himself or herself, no, but the experience -- the process of the experience.

It is the soul of the peer that is at issue. It is their growth that is your heart’s desire, and so the approach, the processing as a fellowship in earnest type situation. Indeed you select your co-worker carefully, and again, ask them if they are available for that purpose. Advise them of your intention. Proceed and do it quickly, so that you may go on to more cheerful affairs.

MERIUM: We have not really given you an example of how this should be done because of the nature of this forum, but you can bring your issue to your peers and we can break away and practice what we preach. In this manner the distractions can be cleared away so that you may enjoy the group and the process itself will have uplifted the group consciousness.

TOMAS: It is because we are co-creators with The Father Himself, for He is unlimited supply. As long as we are cooperative and willing, we will be utilized and entertained in this adventure of adventures. In conclusions, my friends, it has been a wonderful evening as always.

Again, it has been so wonderful to have you here, daughter. It will be good to experience your presence as time goes by. Welcome, indeed, are you, and it is also our joy to embrace you each and to anticipate our re-union when next we meet. Farewell.

Gerdean: I'd like to invite Michael to join us this evening. I know that Jesus always is, but I would like for him to be here and have us know that consciously he is here. Jesus, thank you for being with us.

JESUS (Gerdean): I am your Lord Jesus, come to greet you in person. I do not come often in this verbal way, but your toast to me, daughter, has invited me. In your reception, all of you have given me impetus to reveal myself to you. I am with you as you open yourself to me. I am your present and steady companion. I permeate my entire universe. I am available to you. Realize that I am not far away but that I am ever at your side. Hold out your hand. Hold out your hand when life becomes difficult, and place your hand in mine, for I always am holding out my hand to lead you if you would be led.

When life becomes a challenge and frightening to you, dear ones, remember my close proximity to you. I am even in your dimension, and so allow me to direct you and guide you and comfort you. And allow me to show myself to you in the many ways that I can. And as you allow, as you are receptive to my voice, you will hear me. As you are receptive with your eyes to see, you will see me. And I delight to reveal myself to you. I delight to charm your life, to enchant you with greater reality. It pleases me to speak to you through others when they allow. I want to be a part of your life. I want to be an integral part of you. As you allow for my involvement in your most intimate path, we reveal the Father.

Play, Children! Play amongst each other in comfort and appreciation of each other. Enjoy the joy you share together in knowing me.

TOMAS (Gerdean): I am Tomas. I am here also, as is Merium. I am touched, as are you, to have had a pleasant visit by the Master. Always when I am privy to his presence and his guidance I am renewed and encouraged to become more like him, as you are. He is a gracious lord. He is a dear and supreme friend.

As I have spent time with him, I have learned more and more to admire his qualities; so shall you. It is not required that we fear the Lord, but that we find him awesome is not unlikely, not unseemly. As you evolve and as you become more eager to know him, indeed as you work more closely with him and allow him to work more closely with you in your life, you will love him more and honor him more. And this is not fear but respect.

It is a wonderful thing, this stuff called respect. It is something that is absolutely necessary in all of you. If you have not self-respect, you have no footing in your identity; you have no foundation for your own being. And in respecting yourself through your spiritual inheritance, you can respect that in your brothers and sisters which is also divine. That singular quality of respect will make the difference.

We have great respect for you. We have great respect for your courage. Even as you do not perceive that you have courage, you do not see your lives from our vantagepoint. We see the difficulties inherent in your life on Urantia. We see the physical poisons and pollutants and risk at every corner. We see the emotional poisons of fear and envy, the social poisons of racism and injustices of every nature, and we see you in your simple childlike faith embarking each day upon a path of seeking to know and seeking to serve.

My heart goes out to you in your efforts, in appreciation for your integrity. When you become silly; when you fall from your pedestal of importance and allow yourself to frolic in the companionship of your peers, you are dear to us. We appreciate the joy with which you greet one another and we are very respectful when you allow yourself, in trust, to rise above your animal nature and your childlike silliness to reach for heartfelt depth of character in seeking to know how to pursue godlikeness.

How marvelous you are! How deeply we concern ourselves with your growth. Your sharing this evening was eventful, and I have taken up quite enough of the dais for introductory remarks. My colleague Merium is also eager to greet you and is prepared to orate. I am glad to be here. Merium, you may commence.

MERIUM (Hunnah): Good evening, all. I can still feel the basking of the beauty of the visitation that we had this evening. The gentleness and the strength permeate your environment and ours. Such a delight! Perhaps you are in your humanness not feeling the privilege of having such a guest, but in your heart you recognize that it is a privilege and in time you will reflect upon this in the private moments in your homes.

This evening I have a subject that I would like to discuss: "Unto Thine Own Self Be True." Does that sound like something that might fit? (We were eavesdropping, you know.) Unto thine own self be true. Which self shall I be true to? Let's talk about that. Are there two selves here this evening? One who is wringing its hands over this human travesty that is in your world? Or it is that part of yourself that is still celebrating over your delight in your day. How much of your day do you spend divided? And how many selves are you going to take care of? Do you have a litter or is there one self that is empowered and knowledgeable and connected without even any sense of future fragmentation or future or present assemblage?

I want you to come close, and allow this cleansed environment that you have been given this evening by our Father/Brother's presence, and decide for yourself how many selves there are. It is a much easier path when you have a singular self and a devoted source of attention to your Source. I know you think that I am singular in my discussions. I almost harangue. I try to put some ruffles on it once in awhile, or flowers. I decorate my theme, but I have to tell you that it is the only theme that I carry in my heart.

That theme is: To Thine Own Self Be True. And when you are, you will meet the challenges of the day without absorbing them, without carrying them away with you, without taking them home, putting them under your pillow, wringing your hands, wearing them perhaps like badges of courage and accomplishments like epaulets on your shoulders. Which of the selves is proud of coping? Which one of the selves is proud of knowing and advising and counseling? How many hats are you wearing for all these selves that want to be allowed to be?

I call you back to the true self of your being, this Self that is equipped with eyes that see and ears that hear the sound of the heavenly knowledge that you are entitled to as a birthright. As a birthright! You have a mother -- a Mother of Mothers! -- with a bosom that is soft and warm with a glowing heart. Her very touch is enough to bring you Still. When you are troubled and feeling that you are divided and starting to multiply into these many human personalities that seem to be like barnacles on you, go to her. Go to Mother Spirit and allow yourself to be yourself.

And when you are there with this beautiful, nurturing, natural environment, in the heart of your temple, you will return to this place of expression, to this planet, to this arena of opportunity, and you will walk easy. And when you feel even the slightest stirring of another sense of self rising its head again, you will know and be able to fan it away. Our brother called it: "Get behind, thee Satan."

Recently Hunnah was talking with someone who has been literally plummeted into the vast arena of celestial experience, and there has been exposed to great teaching, and in this ecstasy of these many experiences has found it very, very difficult to be singular and happy in the role that has been given to her as a child of the great universe walking the earth. It can be very draining when you let these many selves come and try to overwhelm the truth of your being, and the advice is the advice of heavenly consent: Keep it simple.

Keep it simple! Do not pick up burdens of others. Be supportive and acknowledge within the privacy of yourself the fact that they have a Thought Adjuster, they have a guide, they have heavenly assemblage, but they do not know anyone who knows that about them. And if in your singular truthful self you know the truth about others, then you will truly be able to give them food from On High and you will be able to support them and guide them to the truth of their being, that they may serve one master and have one sense of themselves and one expression of themselves as a glorious child of God.

It is the dear Christ Michael who has allowed me to be eloquent this evening. The Way has been prepared. The chatter and the diversity of your evening have floated into nothingness, for we are here in this amphitheater of learning the truth, the simple truth. We do not want you to be burdened; we want you to be natural. We do not want you to be exhausted; we want you to find that balance and to bring the natural, playful moment of yourself into every aspect of your day.

How tiresome ritual can become. It brings dissatisfaction. We encourage you, just as in the message you have received recently, to keep it fresh. When you come together, allow yourself to describe within yourself silence like a fresh white linen cloth being laid upon the ground for a picnic, and in the picnic will be the fruitage of a happy, effortless session together with Tomas and I and the guests that come. It will be a party, and it will be imparted, the wisdom will be woven into our times together. Let this be easy and gentle and soothing, a respite, a Sabbath, and you will learn how to take the ever fresh opportunities to express yourself in a new way, that redundancy may never come near, or too much criteria. It is not allowed on the white cloth of our preparation in our picnic basket.

Oh, I am so glad that we are together, and I am so pleased that there are so many of you this evening. But you should see the crowd where I am! There are many, and they are all cheering because they know that you are going to be so refreshed and you will be able to take this love in all its myriad forms back into your day.

Hunnah was very concerned this evening that she would not be able to hold a mike, so do you know what she did? She left. And on the stage for me this evening was the mike, and there was no one there but Hunnah's best wishes in place, and I have the voice and the freedom to have an opportunity to express myself to you in a way that I have not been able to before. Tomas, are you there, across from me on the cloth?

TOMAS: You well know I am here with my chicken leg and apple pie. How I have enjoyed the repast you have prepared for us this evening, Merium. Your relationship with your T/R has blossomed and flourished. I would like to use the example that you present to the others here this evening as an invitation to develop relationships with your spirit guides.

The fact is, you know, we eavesdrop on your sharing session. Indeed, we have asked for you to share so that we can be part of your lives and we are very appreciative when your sharing elevates to the realms that we may use in our learning and teaching processes. Thank you, Leah, for your contribution and also, Erata, thank you for your picture that you have drawn for us. Also the group at large has been most revealing.

I am at a lost as to know how to proceed, for I am convinced of the questions; indeed it is not necessary for you to ask them, for I perceive them already -- even though, of course, they must be asked in order to be on the record (if that is your choice), and also there are, as Merium said, so many celestial visitors here this evening; they would any and all be tickled pink to be party to this presentation. I will hold myself in abeyance for your direction, class. If there are no questions voiced, I will ask if any of the visitors would like to come through. Is that acceptable? (Yes)

AN ANGEL (Hunnah): I think it is time that I sang you a song. I don't think this transmitter/ receiver was up to the shock of it, but I would like to introduce to you this evening an activity that I would like to encourage among you, and it is not something that you are unfamiliar with, but it can be done in song, and that is praise. You see, when you are in a state of praise, you will not be pulled down, neither can you be distracted.

Praise can take many forms. Perhaps I could say that it would be easier for you to have a dialog within yourself of appreciation. Appreciation for the timing of the events that are about to come into your experience. Appreciation for the areas within you that you feel are experiencing growth. Praise for the love you feel for your Master, for the hierarchy that you have become acquainted with. Make a joy filled noise unto the Lord. It is time for some joy filled sound.

When you share and you are together, you talk about the dilemmas and the challenges of the week. I would like to request that in the privacy of your heart and your home, that you begin to rejoice that when you come together you may be able to share your rejoicing over the discoveries of your new-found appreciation. It can be as simple as the color of a child's eyes. It will undoubtedly include the human senses because they are gifts. I encourage you to use your human senses as if they belong to the Heavenly Maker.

When you pick up that spoon and you put those corn flakes in your mouth, how do you suppose they got there? Hunnah is acquainted with a woman who began her prayers with, "Bless the hands that have prepared this food," and her prayer ended with, "Until I dine with Thee in Paradise." Is that not a challenge? Is that not a grateful heart? What about this subject of gratitude? What about it? How we take our comforts -- (Tape turned) and when you approach the running water and you feel it on your hands and you pick up the scented soap to bathe your face, be conscious of the fact that these hands are so fortunate. When you put your clothing on your body, be aware of what you are doing, that the Father may feel it fall upon your shoulders. When you open the door for someone, someone you do not know, and you let them pass by, let the response within yourself acknowledge them as one of your own. Let the common courtesies of your day be within yourself in privacy.

I totally expect you to come together at your next gathering with many bags full of overwhelming appreciation for your expanded activity of gratitude. Let your eyes see a half-filled cup. Let your heart appreciate the softness of the pillow that you put your head on at night and celebrate the fact that you can release your consciousness to the universe where it may be taught and where it may stretch and play.

This subject is quite a surprise to you this evening, but you have to remember this is your growing up time, and now I'm encouraging you to expand in a wonderfully satisfying manner. This is not a lesson. This is not a criticism or a discipline. This is a reminder, because as your teaching friend this evening pointed out, when you are singular in purpose, your personality becomes competently and expectantly, joyfully grateful. It is automatic. And it can come forth as a song. You may find yourself humming. It is because the prodigal son is home, so to speak, and that simply means that you are connecting with your home base -- and it's a very happy home! -- so you feel secure and confident and joyful and playful.

I think that is enough. I hand you each a flower. And I hope you will take it home with you and it will be the flower of your choice, and in the privacy of your time, discern the flower. Feel the appreciation for having received it; inhale its fragrance; ponder it. How dearly you are loved. It is our greatest opportunity, to walk confidently in that love every day, so I release you and thank you for letting me come and speak to you this way. That is all.

TOMAS: You have enjoyed the companionship of an angel. I would like to bring forward a celestial artisan. One moment.

ARTISAN (Gerdean): Your arena this evening is fragrant with femininity. The Divine Mother has attended you this evening through your teachers and your companions. We are always happy to be among those who are given the opportunity to express ourselves to you and to encourage you in your acceptance of your own creative nature.

The creative realms in which we work are open to your involvement. Your work is graced by our assistance when it aspires to levels of divine art, when you are working for the goals of eternity. In your intent to portray divine truth, beauty and goodness, as you put forth your creative energies, your desire to embellish life with the musical notes, the palate, the dance, the thought, the sound, the color, the reason, the feeling of infinity, we are there to assist your efforts.

It is always a pleasure to invite you to lift yourself up into the realms of, yes, praise and joy in creative expression, for as you allow yourself to rise above the ordinary and pursue perfection in your product, you are pushing forward into the realms of the unknown and bringing the mass of mankind with you through their desire to follow where He may lead. Thank you for giving me the moment in time to be with you. Farewell.

TOMAS: I am Tomas, again, and I would like to again give you an opportunity to participate in this evening's activities and present your thoughts, your comments, your questions and your delightful personalities to the table that we may enjoy you and include you in this marvelous picnic. Feasters, how are you this evening?

Erata: Tomas, I would like to have some understanding on the symbols that I was given to show the group earlier.

TOMAS: I am glad to respond and I thank you for presenting the puzzle to the group and to the program. The situation is such that the vision you saw of a pen or writing implement being placed in your hand and reflecting to you the face of Christ, is of course a matter for interpretation, but for those of us who are involved in the process of teaching you to make contact with your personal teachers and potentially group teachers, it reveals a prospective new transmitter/receiver.

It is a very clear picture from my vantage point and from my T/R's vantage point, that you have been invited to make contact with the spirit realms through journaling, and perhaps eventually through transmitting verbally, that you may indeed reflect the face of the Lord to those in witness of him. It is a simple interpretation to me. Does it feel comfortable to you?

TOMAS: It is amazing to me and to us how it is that the Mystery Monitor, the God fragment that dwells within you, within any of you, how incredibly creative it is when it comes to making contact with you mortals. How clever it can be in painting pictures for you to interpret. How enticing it can be at whetting your appetite for truth. We are constantly impressed and amazed at the incredible talents and abilities of a self-acting Thought Adjuster.

How versatile they are! How incredibly fascinating are their ways and means of capturing your attention and luring you into thinking, feeling and perceiving in a more spirit nature. It is so amusing to us to see the Thought Adjuster at work and then to observe the human either grasp or deny that message that the Thought Adjuster has so carefully and so assiduously presented.

It is a delight to see you behold a message and accept it so clearly, convey it so readily and accept an interpretation of it so eagerly. It is this clarity that is so encouraging, that we teachers feel our students are actually coming along. You haven't argued, you haven't balked, you haven't academically insisted on something else. Glory be!

MERIUM: I would like to encourage our young charge here to place those symbols on a small card and to keep them. She will meet someone to help her define their impression. Within all of you is the ability, as Tomas pointed out, to respond to this array of communication skills that have been available, and what pleases me so much is the trust that is with this young one. She did not run into the house and hide; she knew that it was good will. She knew and trusted that she could share this experience, and will, with confidence and joy in her heart, be able to turn to this companionship that journaling can offer her.

Companionship is a very important ingredient in a life of an ordinary human being and in the life of one who is singular in purpose. There is physical companionship and spiritual companionship and as your teachers and your personal teacher especially is able to reach you, you will experience the fulfillment and the joy of a relationship that is absolutely free of harm and misunderstanding. It is a relationship of a quality that humans long for like a lover, a best friend, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, or a most intimate confidant. It is there. They have journeyed with you a long time. They have never been able to experience your recognition, and you have moved into this area, this opportunity for teaching, for joyful sharing and companionship and I hope it will be all these things to you, dear. And I'm sure that since you have the ability to receive such configurations that they will come again. But do not set yourself up expecting a letter in the mail, so to speak, every time you close your eyes. It will come without warning and be better than any Cracker Jack prize in the bottom of the box. So, welcome aboard to the communication express, and thank you for speaking up.

TOMAS: Yes, my dear, you have a guardian angel. You are well protected. You are not without counsel and comfort. You are well attended. Did you feel neglected?

Ann: No, I was just wondering. I had an incident happen one time where there was a piece of flying metal that was shooting towards me, but it was slowed down and then it came to within a foot of me and dropped straight down, and I was wondering if that was my teacher or my guardian angels.

TOMAS: That is the work of the guardian. The guardians guard you and keep you from harm. Now, it is also possible that a midwayer could have intervened on your behalf, for they are quite close to you and are able to manipulate the material environment. I was not there at that incident, nor have I checked the record as to its particulars, but as you describe the situation, it could be the work of the guardian, of course, or it could also be a midwayer. It is also possible that there are other explanations that do not involve a personality but are actually more related to chemistry or physics, but again, as you describe, it sounds more like a matter of intervention.

I'll tell you, however, that a guardian angel is more inclined to attempt to defer you from becoming endangered in the first place. Their technique is far more toward, shall we say, preventative medicine than emergency surgery. They are more inclined to incline you away from situations that would endanger you than to try to patch it up after you have gotten in trouble. Of course, they do what they can under any circumstances, but they appreciate it when you are cooperative.

As you become more aware of your association with the cosmic energies and pattern, you will become more readily moved to observe patterns and circuits and currents in the invisible realms that will allow you to be led more easily into the path that you ought to follow, including the path away from danger. Has that been helpful?

MERIUM: I wish to speak to Ann. This evening you expressed yourself as being homesick for your environment and I would like to ask you to feel a little bit challenged and to get your creative resourcefulness to come to your rescue. I would like to ask you to use some of this quiet time after your charge is settled for the night, to sit in a particular chair and to prepare to wait upon the lord.

I would like to have you also take time to journal and if you don't know what to journal about then you will have to do just as Gerdean and Hunnah have done -- you will have to step out upon the lily pad of preparation in trust, pick up the pencil and let yourself start to write, and before you know it you will feel the presence of intelligent companionship, and you will start to find all the things that you know in your heart are true.

You have been given a precious opportunity of privacy and time. There is much for you to do down the road, so I encourage you to take advantage of this growth time, this private one-on-one time, the energies of the Christ will be with you and you will know that you are indeed about the Father's business. How does that sound?

Leah: Well, I was wondering if anyone was going to make any comments on our reality this evening. I just like what the teacher had said. I repeated it earlier this evening about, "We're all varying expressions in the circle of the Father's love," [quoted from Teacher Andrea of Buffalo] and when I reflected on what is real, that's what kept coming back to me, about what is real. I just wondered if anyone else was going to say anything about this, this evening.

MERIUM: I will comment briefly. Reflections of the Father's love. What a beautiful definition! But every definition of this question is individual, and it will be continually fluctuating because it will be sparkling and show you many definitions. Build them, collect them, let them show you what they are. That is a beautiful subject to entertain. It is not a one-liner to answer. It is something that is going to develop, like a beautiful stained-glass window, and you will be allowed to collect each piece and put it in place. And I assure you it will be a rosetta. Enjoy!

TOMAS: I cannot help but reflect on a lesson I gave a long time ago about respect and that as you develop self-respect, you do that by respecting that within you that is Real and that comes from God, that part of you that is pure and perfect and flawless and eternal, and that is Real, that was before you and will be forever, as it is of the Father. It is infinitely respectable, and you are born of it. It is in you. It is respectable, therefore you are respectable regardless of your history as an animal of the realm and what you may have done culturally, socially and so on to survive, to meet the challenges of life.

As you have elevated yourself from an animal to the realm to the status of sonship with the living God, through the process of a rebirth, you have become respectable and no more can you be belittled, for you are a child of God and of divine origin in your potential. And this is Real. From this reality base your personality can flourish, can adapt and modify itself to incorporate that which is eternal and perfect, can let go of all the ills and twists of fate and foibles of the finite existence to become yet even more real.

And so my thoughts about real have been stated on the record, but as I have also been quick to say, the experience of being a mortal of the realm with emotion, with feeling, with a body that experiences pain and pleasure, also has facets of reality. When you sit down in a heap and cry -- that's real; when you kick your heels and jump for joy -- that's real, too, but the REAL, real stems from your association with God.

That is certainly how I am real, for if I were just an entertaining and long-winded reflection of Gerdean's creative imagination, I would not hold you captive. I would not cause you to think and therefore to grow. I would not be able to plant seeds for the Father that would stimulate your spiritual becoming, and so I am real, and to the extent that you respond, you are real, and to the extent that you too can plant seeds and work in the Father's vineyard, you also are real. That which is in you that is of the Father is eternally real, and as you conjoin yourself with it, you are assuring your own eternal reality.

MERIUM: Tomas, my microphone is fading. My little friend here wants me to sign off. Thank you so much.

TOMAS: I will sign off as well. We have indeed had a full evening. However, I am glad of two things in particular and that is that Erata shared her dream drawing and that Leah spoke in the context of the assignment. It was, of course, as always, a privilege and a pleasure to hear from Michael and from our spirit guests. Thank you all for your attendance and for your attentions to your own and your peers spirit reality. Blessed be art thou. Later!

TOMAS: Good evening, my friends, I am Tomas. Merium is also here with me and with you. We listened to your expression of your human condition this evening and thought, in order to bring some levity, we would introduce a concept that the Butler berries are perhaps dingleberries. [Indications of intense delight] I knew you would enjoy that note and I know also that you completely appreciate that this is good humor and affectionately bestowed upon you and your troubles. Poor dears. Truly, poor darlings. Merium would speak with you a moment.

MERIUM: Good evening, my children. I am Merium and I am allotted time on the docket this evening to minister to you, in-as-much as you are weary, and I am acting on behalf of Mother Nebadonia who would comfort her darlings, her babes.

I want you to know that it is not a feminine duty exclusively, and so when Tomas gives you to me to comfort and nurture, it is not because I am the mother and I am the one to feed you, no, but that I recognize your desire for consolation and comfort and I am capable of administering such care. It is a responsibility and a pleasure I take on willingly, not as a duty as feminine caretaker, but as an extension of the Mother Spirit which would cultivate warmth and deliverance from trouble and of nurturance for you.

I am not going to hold you on my lap all evening, however. I am going to observe and see what comes of it. I am here and I well may return, but for now, my little ones, I hope that you appreciate that you are in the loving care of your Mother's watchcare. You are safely within the sandbox of her embrace. Tomas, your children are corralled and comforted. Shall we say "fed, burped and diapered," and you can keep them company for awhile. I'll be back.

TOMAS: I am Tomas; I am back; I am -- it would appear -- baby-sitting while Merium goes off to play bridge with her lady friends. I am again being light in attitude, not because you are immature, no, but because you are in dire need of diversion and reversion. I am trying to instill in you a sense of levity and of light-heartedness and in the human sense. I am not trying to cultivate the strains of high thought, even lightly, but allowing you to appreciate your human condition and your human weaknesses, encouraging you to be children.

Along those lines we have a visitor who is eager to visit with you. I am anxious, too, that he should spend some time with you this evening and am delighted, as is Merium, that he is in the neighborhood. He has not visited with you, to my knowledge, and Gerdean is somewhat apprehensive, and yet I am confident of an enjoyable visit. I would like for you to make the acquaintance of Lester who is an ascended mortal who, for your information and by way of introduction, has become a bit of a mascot, if you will, a dear personality, and is included in the Teaching Mission as an example of a personality who had lived a rather, shall we say, naughty and irresponsible life as a mortal and yet has ascended to great heights, as shall you. I would like to now without further ado step aside and introduce you, my flock, to our guest, Lester.

LESTER: How are you, girls? It's so good to be among you, you cuties. How are you this evening?

LESTER: I am aware of the discomfort of my hostess. I say, Gerdean, lighten up girl! I'm not going to bite and if I did, as you know, I have been known to be a classy nibbler, so don't get yourself in an uproar. Just relax and go with the flow.

My friends, I am just passing through. I was observing you on the cosmic internet and thought you looked kind of lonely down there this evening so I thought I'd check in. Merium said, "Come on by," she'd have a sandwich for me, so I thought if it was okay with Tomas and you all I'd stop in and say hi.

You can fully appreciate that I'm not the old fogey that Tomas is and I have a tendency to relate maybe a little bit more like you mortals do, but it's because I am not as well advanced perhaps as some of these other teachers. Actually it is because I'm so cute that they let me come on-board as a teacher.

I am being really glib here but it is not really funny for I really am honored to be given the opportunity to play ball with the big guys. There's a lot of mercy in this universe and I'm a walking example of it because, as Tomas said in his very gracious introductory remarks, I was not a very highly evolved human being. I was a bit of an SOB if you want to know the truth, and did not take much stock in this spiritual stuff. It was only much later that I began to get the hang of it and find it was fun, so you who are having a hard time with some of your mortal contemporaries, next time you see one of them you might remember your old buddy Lester and remember that there is hope.

LESTER: Well, they didn't underestimate me there. I'm sure I rubbed shoulders with your soul on occasion in that context, honey.

Leah: Yes, I hit a deer at 65 MPH. I am very astounded that I am still here. I'm grateful.

LESTER: It is nice that you're grateful. I'm not surprised. It's not so astounding, considering you had the Big Guy at the wheel with you. You have not finished your work here, it seems, and so we have to make adjustments.

You know, there are a lot of the crew who spend a lot of time getting themselves into situations that they might be able to check out early. You would be amazed at how many there are who actually set themselves up for such situations -- trying to get an early release from your joint, but it's not happening that way, in-as-much as you have signed up to do double duty here -- you who have caught on to the gist of the program ? Of the Mission. It's certainly appreciated that you have gotten with the program, 'cause God knows Urantia needs the help.

Ann [Giggling]: Well, I had a pretty big disappointment today, about somebody that I thought I could trust. It seems I couldn't trust them. And I was very disappointed. I'm still wondering what to do about it.

LESTER: Well, I'm not allowed to tell tales on you, you know. I have eavesdropped on your day (It's a smart thing to do), but I'm not going to spill the beans and I'm not going to give you any advice, either. Except to tell you that when I was a man among men, I was a real dawg. And a lot of dawgs really get a kick out of pulling the wool over the eyes of trusting females.

You would think that a planet as highly evolved as yours would have more to say for itself, but unfortunately the status report is such that there's still a lot to be desired. You can't go hangin' your shingle on porches that are collapsing. If you're gonna hang your shingle up, hang it up on a post that's firmly planted in the ground.

Disappointments are part of life, and, God knows, there's enough of them just in the regular run-of-the-mill day in the life without gettin' yourself involved in situations that lend themselves to handin' them to you on a regular basis. You gotta try to take better care of yourself, girl! It's not like you were born yesterday. Some of these things are difficult because you keep hoping.

I don't want to have to admit some of the awful things I did when I was walking around as a dawg on my world without -- as some people would say -- a spiritual bone in my body. The fact that I disappointed a lot of people for a great many years, not to mention my own spirit guides and helpers, not to mention my own Lord, my own Father in heaven -- gives me no sense of satisfaction today, I can tell you. But it does make me more appreciative of this loving universe.

I just wish that somehow I could make amends for not only my own misbehavior but for the misbehavior of all those other ill-begotten sons of God that haven't yet learned how precious you are, Puddin' Cakes, and how sweet it is to be alive and to learn how fun it can be to live a life spirit-led. It's just pitiful. It's just pitiful. You gotta feel sorry for 'em. You just got to.

Leah: Well, could you offer Gerdean a lively, uplifting remark about her lamentations today?

LESTER: Oh, girl, you know better! You been around the block. You been up and down the freeway. Several times. What are you getting so all-fired excited about for this podunk little town? You can't expect too much. You know that. You can consider that line that you heard run around before about Nazareth. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Well, you can hang that one out to dry and say, "Can anything good come from Butler?" and you know darn well something can. You did. And don't go undermining yourself in terms of your worth, your value, and your contribution to the Father himself. You're no slouch. You work hard. Now don't let these country bumpkins get in your face and ruin your day.

There're just a lot of slick SOB's trying to pull a fast one on you and don't let it happen. You know you got the Big Guy pullin' for you. Just keep a stiff upper lip and if it gets to you, shut the door and hang a sign on the door that says, "Gone fishin," or "Gone prayin'" or "Gone crazy!" It doesn't matter. Just get away from it. Don't let it get to you, girl. As you know, you read this evening in your Book, what does it matter? You who have found an association, a relationship with the King of Kings, with the Big One, with the All-Fired Father himself, shouldn't be gettin' all riled up over these Mickey Mouse rinky-dink little fellers. Like I told Puddin', it's pitiful. It's just downright pitiful.

So what're you going to do about that vehicle of yours, girl? How many times are you going to beat it up?

LESTER: Well, we've been carrying on for awhile but it ain't that late. I am going to sit back and watch for awhile and then I'm going to hightail it down the road because there's a party going on down the way that I need to check into. I promised some of my midwayer buddies that I would come by and check out some of the guys and gals that they've been workin' with over in this neighborhood that doesn't yet have a teacher. They are all the time tryin' to stir it up so that somebody will generate some spiritual hungers, so I think I'll go see if I can drop a line and work with them for awhile. I guess I'm going to be makin' amends for awhile now, so I might's well enjoy it. And so might you. It's been real. Fun. Hanging out with you for awhile.

LESTER: I will come again now that I've been here and Gerdean has recognized my personality. She was definitely afraid of me at first and I don't know if it's because she has this thing about dawgs or what, but I'm really harmless, Gerdean, and I'm one of the guys just like you are in terms of one of the apostles, one of the followers of the Master. We're all in this together, honey. Hang in there. I love you. I love you all. I'll see you later. Bye.

MESSENGER: I am a Solitary Messenger. It is a role you will never truly have to play, but it provides a fascinating vantage point and a life that is perfect for me. I am happy to be here. I am delighted to be invited into your environment and to spend a moment with you in the hope that we can gain greater understanding of one another in terms of our various natures and our various environments.

I am intrigued by the challenges presented to you, and with the almost overwhelming array of opportunities in front of you. It is overwhelming to me! I am so glad that it is not my nature to live your mortal existence, but in fairness I need to say that I have also observed how it can be when these many obstacles are overcome and these opportunities are met and this incredible and seemingly overwhelming tapestry of life's opportunities and challenges begins to fall in place and weave harmoniously into itself and present a stream of consciousness and spirit reality that could be construed as/ interpreted as a . .. carpet . .. a [what is it called?]

MESSENGER: ... a magic carpet that wafts and lofts high over the dreary travails of the low-born life of un-evolved humanity.

You have heard it said that your world is watched over, that you are not cosmic orphans, indeed, that an archangel circuit is present in your . .. on your planet, and that your world is the . .. that your planetary prince . .. (excuse me) . .. your world is home to the sovereign . .. natal home of the Sovereign Michael, Planetary Prince. (One moment) Machiventa focusing attention and . .. attentions on your world. You are not alone.

Your efforts are constantly being monitored and watched over. When you have a day such as you have had, a series of days, when you have had a LIFE such as you have, which is testified to in a day such as today, with your disappointments, Aniela, with your frustrations, Gerdean, and with your trauma, Leah, you must realize that your experiences are all recorded. Your reactions and your decisions, your responses, your feelings, your thoughts, your effects, are all on record.

I do not tell you this in any manner to infer a judgment, but to let you know that nothing that you do is overlooked, that your reality is an integral part of the reality of the greater cosmos. You cannot see from your perspective, but you need to know, or you would do well to know, that your experiences are not for naught. What you go through is not for nothing. Your experiences have value. They provide value not only for you but for others.

It is as if you were in the chorus, in a play. Your voice is a part of the voice that carries the message. It is not only one voice in the chorus and therefore an indistinct and impersonal voice, no, although that is part of your contribution, but your personal decisions and impressions and reactions affect your environment, affect your world. Whenever you are angry, your anger gives off an energy; whenever you are frustrated, your frustration gives off an energy, and when you are traumatized, your trauma is broadcast out from you, affecting the swirling eddy of reality all around you, as well as others.

From here you may say, "Oh, my God, I am nothing. I am one of the many, many drops of water in the ocean of life. My personality is not even noticed; it is just one among many, one insignificant drop in the ocean of eternity." This is true. And yet you are one? unique? And personal . .. child of God . .. with potential . .. and actual . .. and individual . .. reality. Remember, if you can, when you have a day like today, that you have individual . .. reality.

TOMAS: You have had quite an evening. I am glad to see that you have experienced some diversion, some recreation. I especially enjoyed Lester's suggestion that you put a sign in the door that you've "Gone crazy". [Group laughter] I know the feeling.

You know, I do want to suggest to you, particularly you, Gerdean, in the face of your frustration, remember, dear, that you are integrating your personality. Your feeling that you are losing your mind sometimes is an indication that you are indeed letting go of certain mental control factors, for you are spiritizing your thinking more and more. That is to say, your ego-identified personality is merging more harmoniously with your Father-bestowed personality and a little give and take is necessary in order for this marriage of the minds, so to speak, to take place. You are experiencing severe agitation in your mental realms; do not allow this to undermine your peace of mind. Accept it as part of the homogenizing process. It is not permanent; this is a mere growth throe. Perhaps the message could hold true for others as well.

Leah: Well, we were thinking of asking the Solitary Messenger [not clear; muffled tape] about the energies that are generated and where do they go. Are they -- do they affect the environment? Where do they go? What happens to them?

TOMAS: I will attempt an answer without calling in the visitor, but you might compare it, to some extent, to the adjudication, and that is: they become as if they had never been. They dissipate into non-reality; however, on their way out, they can leave a residue negative vibration. You may recall from some of your psychological studies that it is possible for you, the human, to experience a general feeling of malaise or sadness or grief without any particular reason, even anger or other emotional condition without real justifiable basis. Sometimes this is a result of energies wafting past that you get a whiff of like an unpleasant scent, and so don't take all of your emotional reactions so personally, for many of them are not even yours.

You are truly very sensitive, and some of you are more sensitive than others. Those of you who are ultra-sensitive have a debilitating gift (and that is certainly a paradox, a dichotomy). You will balance. You will out-grow it. You will learn to live with it. In the meantime, be gracious with yourself and be patient with yourself.

May I also add that you be patient with your Creator and his helpers, for I have seen some of you call upon the Father and make demands, when you are stressed, that are impossible of response. Your distress becomes urgent and you expect everyone in the universe to drop things and come to your immediate aid and it is not always possible. You must appreciate that there is a pattern of perfection to be followed and, alas, a certain adult approach is necessary and so I ask you to be more forbearing, even with those of us who are supposedly your helpers when we cannot help you under certain circumstances. Are there other questions, my children?

TOMAS: It is difficult to say, Leah, for you understand there are many entities, even though we are in session and the personalities are of different orders, and so it is hard to ascertain which may have been the one who stirred your awareness of its presence. It is not recorded that any mortal being other than Ann, Gerdean and yourself was present at this session this evening and so no one came in the building.

There are, incidentally, a number of spirits who linger around in session with themselves and each other while we are in session. You hear a noise here and there. The midwayers are regarded as material beings, even though they are outside your vision, and they are able to move things around, although they don't normally move things just to make noise for your entertainment. And last but not least there are two cats on these premises, and so, as you are sensitive, you may be picking up on any one of the above-mentioned life forms.

I want you to be assured as to your safety and the safety of your peers here. You are in a sacred space when you come together in confidence of spirit guidance and companionship. In your lives, however, in your environment, do latch the door when you are engaged in "other-worldly" realms, in your mental super-consciousness, in case some unsuspecting mortal should blunder into your environment and be surprised and frightened by the energies he or she encounters, for they too (they = unsuspecting mortals) can become poignantly aware of energies they are not accustomed to and they can become uncomfortable with your positive energies and spirit associations as you are of their density and the more negative aspects of human feelings.

TOMAS: I thank you for your attendance. Each of you are dear to us. You are not alone. You are a vital part of the promenade into infinity, into light and life for your realm, and into peace and harmony for your fellows tomorrow. You are important to us and to each other. It is always a pleasure to spend time with you. I hope that you feel more comforted and light-hearted since we joined earlier this evening. Your burdens were left outside, and, to the extent possible, leave them there.

Go gently, my daughters. Remember also our friend Lester's description of those who would undermine your faith and your energy, "It's pitiful; it's just pitiful." You are loved. Until we speak again, Merium and I embrace you on behalf of Michael, Nebadonia and the staff of the Teaching Mission, indeed, the Father himself. Amen and farewell.

TOMAS: I thought I'd best jump in early and enliven you all. It was deemed you could use some coaching on meditation techniques. Not only in terms of quieting the mind but also in quieting the body and, indeed, even quieting the spirit.

The mechanical aspects of your planetary existence bring forth a mechanical response; that is to say -- shall we call it "the machinery of living" and machinery can become rusty and clunky. It requires a well-oiled machine to run smoothly and for the most part your material existence is not a well-run machine but a clunky one, and so your general existences are constantly being disrupted by stop and starts and most of your days and lives are reacting to these mechanical fits and starts. It is no wonder then that you have a hard time attaining stillness, indeed, that you have a hard time aspiring to attain it.

Your lives are part of the material machinery. The energy patterns of the material life have, indeed, and rightfully so, a life of its own, and you must make a conscious decision to step aside and apart and away from that mechanism of life in order to be well-oiled in the spirit realm. The lubricating aspect of the living water removes you from the mechanical realm. If you wait for life to provide you the moment, the opportunity, it will seldom present itself. You must, through a conscious decision, through an act of your will, determine that you need to have time to connect with your other reality.

Perhaps we can begin the evening with an assignment. How about this week, effective tomorrow, you allow yourself three distinct and separate occasions to remember to step outside of the mechanical flow of your material existence and step into the living waters. Whether it be for a moment of brief refreshment or for a ten minute respite or for an extensive opportunity to bathe in stillness, allow yourselves three distinct and separate, unique and priceless, occasions to consciously remove yourself from this life in the flesh and embrace the life in the spirit.

It is a conscious decision. Eventually your yearning for quietude and fluency of spirit will make it easier for you to step outside of the material mold, but for now, youngsters, try three times a day. Call it your spiritual breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[During the foregoing discourse one of the domestic cats had a temper tantrum for not being given the T/R's undivided attention, and raised quite a howl.] I see that the season of the witch is upon us and that the black cats have indeed made their appearance this evening. I am happy to see that Gerdean has secured your safety in locking the door; the streets will be alive with pranksters trick or treating, and you do well to approach the spirit life in good faith of God-consciousness. You have come a long way in your evolution from the days of ghosts and witches. There are still many residue superstitions and false belief systems but we will not dwell on those today.

How are you all? I am eager to hear from you. Merium, I understand you are also invigorated and eager to engage our flock in an attempt to elevate their understandings, and as I hear your transmitter/receiver testify, some good humor.

MERIUM: My microphone has a pause. Good evening, everyone. You may peek inside your heads to see what's going on because I know that during sharing there is frequently a layer of sharing of issues that are beneath your politeness and your thoughts are not having enough time to share some things or you're not accustomed to releasing personal experiences that have you distracted. However, our network of investigation is an ability to free concerns that you have that you did not expect to hear and I hope that this talk this evening will also be effective in that area.

I am going to sit here and practice my smile for a while. Which reminds me: I want you to pay attention to just how much you do smile. Do you remember, those of you who have been with the group, our wonderful teacher, brother Andrew? Andrew used to ask you to smile and of course you were a little more diligent, but it is easy not to smile, to be pre-occupied, but when you smile in a manner of good will, it will have powerful impact.

He also liked to have you wink and that stirs things up, and Hunnah had an opportunity today to wink at a gentleman in the lobby of the hospital. She was surprised that she did it and wondered if he noticed. Something else that Andrew liked to do is joke, so you all have permission now to wink, joke and smile and that should get the evening on a relaxed note. Have you brought questions? Or should we ask Tomas to reach in the bowl and pull one out?

Leah: I don't have a question but I just remembered Andrew had a series of words on smile. I can't remember all of them, but one of them, I think, was Serve Mankind In Life Eternal or In Love Eternal and I think they're called acronyms or at least S-M-I-L-E: Serve Mankind in Love Eternal.

Hunnah: That certainly does put a "smile" on a whole new category. Thank you for remembering. I think the scientists in your land have labeled it as an act of surrender. You may elevate the definition to see that when you surrender you are releasing yourself from the mooring of human habits to an uplifted state of surrendering to your true reality, and allowing it to enter, so you can have what I call in my friend here the Mona Lisa smile, a smile of knowing.

TOMAS: I have been working on teaching Gerdean to smile that smile. It seems, however, that my smile is more radiant than hers. I have, even so, taught her an acronym for REST, and this is an acronym that can bring a smile and indeed ultimately some spontaneity to a working person's life. I will state that it is an acronym I gave her when she was very much into a workaholic mode and I use that word freely for there are so many, many mortals in this material mechanical mold that are caught up in the work syndrome as a rational and justifiable way of life and they forget to smile, they forget to live spontaneously, for their method is to be productive.

The acronym is R-E-S-T: Relax, Enjoy, Savor and Trust, for it is not necessary to grab life by the coattails and hang on for dear life lest it pass you by. Life is an experience that occurs and you enjoy it more when you take time to appreciate it. It is not something that you manufacture, but that is available for your enjoyment and so R-E-S-T: Relax, Enjoy, Savor and Trust is an acronym I enjoy promoting. It will lead to S-M-I-L-E. Aren't we clever?

MERIUM: I think it's called the teaspoon of sugar that makes the medicine go down. Do we have any medicines? This is trick or treat night.

I will suggest a game. A game that you can play with yourself when you think you cannot get settled in. There are several. One is to go through appreciation and gratitude. You may start out writing or you may read something inspirational before you meditate to get yourself focused. It gives your mind something to do.

Hunnah had a teacher that reminded her group that when you enter meditation you should enter in an attitude of expectation. Why are you meditating and what are you meditating to? Or are you putting yourself on a lesser level of simply having a quiet mechanical realignment? Or are you just allowing your mind to become more orderly? Or are you willing to travel beyond that and anticipate open arms, an open door at a table prepared in your welcome favor and in joy of an embrace of someone who is very, very pleased to see you and whom you recognize.

You can get off the train at any point. You can get off after you feel your heart rate relax. You can get off when your thoughts get sweet. Or you can stay in the thought form and argue. Or you may journey on and find out that you haven't a thought about your body or your mind because you have entered the door.

Be creative. If you have to imagine yourself waiting for a bus, waiting on an elevator, waiting in some capacity that you know in your physical self you have patience waiting for, something to grow or for the phone to ring. You have a wealth of abilities to design new and creative ways so that you don't become stale and repetitious. Every time you go into the quiet, or the stillness, or whatever you call it, when you go Home, it should be with a fresh approach, not a routine, or you'll be as guilty of yourself as you think others are in their ritualistic way. I encourage you to keep it fresh so that you will be refreshed. Thank you.

Gerdean: I was going to follow up a little with that, Merium. You were saying along like what Tomas was saying, like about -- You make the decision of where your mind wants to go. You can go into stillness and say, "I need comforted today, this moment," or "I need to get my mind organized; I don't know what to do about this situation." It's almost like . .. those three times a day that we're supposed to take our pill, our meditation pill.

No matter what we're doing, if we need to do it then we can say, "Alright I'm going to give thanks because that was really a swell moment and I'm going to let this pill be a pill of gratitude." And the next time maybe it was a very frustrating altercation with somebody and you can use it as a moment to realign yourself or offer a prayer for direction or a moment of forgiveness, or . ..

I think what you're saying just reiterates what Tomas was saying that we have the ability to put our brain in the place that we can best grow from, or, on the other hand, we can use our mind to be destructive or be argumentative or be obstreperous, difficult, that that is the decision-making process. If we get to heaven by making decisions, it is by making decisions like those that will put us in heaven or hell, so to speak, and it will also affect the people around us, whether we will be positively or negatively influenced or influencing. Right?

MERIUM: Indeed. Also, as we are talking about meditation this evening, I will encourage you, if you are at home, to pick a particular place and make sure that that is where you go. Your body is just like leading a horse into the stall; it will get the message. If you can pick a particular time, do so; take the phone off the hook; keep the date with the Loved One that we have been discussing.

These truths are written in books because they are for the whole world. You frequently stop reading them and forget how to keep things fresh, so don't hesitate to share with a friend a technique that brings you in most gracefully. Music is comforting and it will travel with one and it will disturb and distract another, so you have to make your own choice; design your own holy place.

TOMAS: I have a remark for the one who laments the fog of her mind when she attempts to attain stillness, her mind, your mind, Leah, you say, will not be still. I would encourage you to not berate your mind. If it will not be still, don't begrudge it it's activity; look to see what this activity is about. Perhaps it is trying to lead you into a concept and not merely confuse you by intrinsics.

It is an eventuation, of course, that you not be troubled by thoughts but that you bask in the essence of spirit purity, but that is an attainment, child. It is not something that is attained without practice. If your mind is in the way, listen to what it says. See if it is being your friend. If it is being a nuisance, then master it, train it to be still, to wait in the corner, to stand in the corner until such time as you choose to release it to play again.

There are many ways that you humans can use to master your mind, but most of you are not aware that you have the ability to do so. I have taught for weeks about altered states and I am happy to see that many of the altered states are being recognized, although there are still many altered states that you all experience that are yet running rampant without your awareness. When they do come to your awareness, however, and you are able to control them or eliminate them, you have gained mastery over yourself and therefore you have given the spirit greater realm in which to function.

Leah: Well, I'm appreciative of all the remarks made tonight. I seem to go from an understanding in my head like "abide with me" and so I seem to get there, maybe 12 minutes or so. I do the stilling my body, stilling my mind, I do some praying, I do some worship, and then I get into the like STILLNESS, and I just balk. And I think, well, "Okay, I'm just going to abide" and, as Merium said, there are many books that have been written. Some of them say "just allow," so I say, "Okay, I'm just going to allow," then it doesn't seem like anything is happening, although probably nothing should be happening. I get the sense that nothing's happening. -- Actually, that's what I want to do, isn't it?

I just get too impatient, then I just say, "Well, I'll just imagine God embracing me" and I can't even fathom that so I just give up, and I say, "I'll do it later. I'll do this part later," and then I never get to it. And then at other times, it's just like when I get pretty much what I'd say still, then I have these rambling thoughts, some of them not too attractive. It seems like my mind gets still enough to replay some of the situations in my life that I wasn't too happy with, and I know that's not where I'm supposed to be, so . .. I'm going to listen real intently to this tape. See where I can go when I . .. If you want to make any comments, that's fine.

TOMAS: I am certain we both have comments. Would you like to go first, Merium?

MERIUM: I think not. I think I'm going to let Hunnah have something to drink.

TOMAS: Let me take the microphone, then. Let me suggest that when you are in stillness, and I am glad to hear you have acknowledged that you have attained stillness, that you have indeed gotten your mind stilled, that you have talked your talk and have experienced thanksgiving and worship. In this place it is not necessary to imagine what the embrace would be for the embrace is there if you allow it. It is perhaps your sense that you are undeserving of this bliss that blocks the experience and that brings to your mind those life experiences that you have yet to resolve.

When these occur, daughter, take note of the message that you are receiving. The process of leaving behind that which is old in order for you to embrace that which is new involves an acceptance of that which must be let go, and it is often necessary that you learn to forgive in order that you may -- what is the phrase from the Course that you understand? -- "Embrace the pain" and let it evaporate in the light.

This is a healing process. It is a way of letting go. It is a way of cleaning house on the inside, for when you are with the Father and these things do not come to your mind, you have unfettered association and you have become, as St. Francis would say, "a channel of his peace" for you are not blocked by damage or error or residue of the past. That is all.

Hunnah: Because of my background, and it is true that background of others, I have noticed a reluctance for the group to address scripture, and even though we embrace the truth in all religions, our particular gathering does not have a representation particularly of a vast, large variety of religious faiths that have brought us to the point where we are, and I really miss it, and I was thinking that when I had my turn in the other group to prepare a lesson, that I would reach for scripture and go down a friendlier path and allow a new interpretation or a refined interpretation of the truth through some of these appropriate packages.

I know that we have been reluctant to copy church in our group, but it surprises me that this doesn't happen more often. When we dealt with the front of the Book where we are in the cosmos, there isn't even any connection with the truth and the faith that brought us to the place where we are studying that lesson, and I don't really know that I have a question, but in regard to meditation and my friend, I was thinking of -- there sometimes are a line of a hymn or some words that will drift our way and you should take advantage of them and let them act as supports to get us to where we're going.

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands." If you take something like this or if you read these words before you go into meditation, you are preparing your mind to go into a different level, and perhaps you'll have found that it is more subservient and supportive for you.

Tomas, you may make a comment if you wish, but that just occurred to me. Since we're talking, I did my homework about gratification and celebration.

TOMAS: Shall we talk about homework or shall we talk about what you want to talk about?

Hunnah: I forgot what I wanted to talk about. It sort of pops up. Getting stuck, I think, is sort of what prompted me to think about that.

TOMAS: I would like to respond to what you said. You suggest that we do not lean openly toward the teachings that have got us here.

TOMAS: There is no constraint imposed in the Teaching Mission against truth from whatever source. Your Master, when he was here, frequently used scripture, but he used the best of the scripture and would sometimes select carefully a part of a scripture and leave the other part unidentified, for in this way he would bring forth the truth. This same skill can be used by anyone in any way to bring forth truth.

Remember that the truth-seeker can find truth in any wise saying, and the world religions, great religions of the world, are filled with wise sayings, many of which are similar to biblical scripture; many of which are similar to pure spirituality. Any of these can be utilized and are not disdained. The format, of course, of the Teaching Mission is based upon the revelation; however, Correcting Time is planet-wide and is embracing all of humanity, all of the belief systems en route to Paradise.

Indeed, it is good to bring forth your truths. These are not always from religions. There are many lines from poetry or music that are firmly ensconced in sensitive minds. The Beatles affected millions of people, as did Bob Dylan. These names are revered in the mind of Gerdean. I do not refer to them in my lessons, however, Gerdean in her teaching practices, is free to call upon the Beatles or Bob Dylan to embellish her teachings in her ministry.

This is a simple refinement based on our different personalities, and so I suggest to Leah, who has studied the Course in Miracles, that she can find truth there; as you, Hunnah, have found value in the Holy Bible, your meat is sometimes found in scripture; and each individual has found value in their path en route to today and no doubt will find yet more value in your path tomorrow, no matter what source. Yes, Leah.

Leah: This doesn't have to be on the transcript, but in my meditation, in the worship part of it, I send up a couple of songs, like "How Great Thou Art" and "Oh Most Holy Trinity, Undivided Unity, Holy Thou Art, Mightily Thou Art, God United be Adored" and another one, "Holy God we praise thy name, Lord of All we bow before thee. All on earth thy scepter claim, all in Heaven above adore thee. Infinite, thy vast domain. Everlasting is thy reign." I'm saying this in my head in the worship part, but as soon as I'm done with that, that's when I kind of lose it, so . .. I'm aware of these things. I just get all frustrated.

MERIUM: The human mind has to have something to do. Because we brought that song to your attention, the sound of your heart, imagine that Hunnah has had to step off-stage for me. Imagine yourself holding the hymnal or the sheet music. Your mind is so impersonal; it is sort of like a little tentacle, living amoebae that has to have something to do all the time. Holding its mind. Give it some sheet music to hold for you.

It's sort of like saying, "Heel!" or when you're quiet, or being still, hold your tongue against your front teeth and pay attention to it, although you've focused in your heart and in your outreach previously your intent for being there, but your mind will be thinking about, "Oh, I've got to hold this tongue against these teeth." It's kind of like giving a baby a rattle.

But you'll get creative and think of new things; don't do the same one all the time! But there are so many various ways to appease it until you feel yourself lifted into the lighter state and then you will not be aware that your tongue is resting against your teeth, so to speak. I hope that doesn't sound too nonsensical, but you'll have your own version of solving that problem.

But the other problem I see here for you is your habit of having a nice talk and then going about your way, and this is normal enough at certain states, but we were talking about being mature enough to carry through. Tomas?

TOMAS: I have appreciated your remarks, Merium, and the sensitivity of this discourse. Leah, your song of praise to spirit reality is truly moving. I know you well enough to know that you are sincere in your song and it is not merely words, but that the sentiments are sung by your heart, from your soul, in truth. The mantra that you have presented to yourself through these words of these songs is scaffolding that has enabled you to rise up into the superconscious realms, that realm of space that abuts into spirit reality and contact with infinity. It can be attained even without the words, but having attained the heights, experience the heights you have attained and accept that as an embrace, even if it is not one which would be construed as (this is Gerdean's word:) a spiritual "rush".

Leah: Well, I really don't think that there are many days that I don't attempt this, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to say these things because I'm sure I'm not the only one that is frustrated.

TOMAS: I must tell you, child, that you are succeeding! And your growth in this skill is very apparent to us. Give yourself credit for you have already succeeded. You have grown by leaps and bounds in your soirees into stillness. Your appetite has increased, you seek stillness longer and deeper, you go stiller and farther, and what is more important, you have grown in your faith, in your active, living, viable faith. Indeed your soul reality has expanded accordingly, and so give yourself credit. Give yourself a pat on the back for having attained what you have attained.

If you are not sitting in stillness for two hours, that is certainly no fault, no blame. Remember that the Father will send you back out into the world when you have attained his presence, when you have spent a moment with him, when you have enjoyed his presence, gained strength and comfort from his presence. He will send you forth into the world to serve, and so we are not meant to stay in the presence of the Father forever.

You may parallel these words with the lessons from the early part of the Book that we have studied, that your entire ascension is toward that time when you stand before The Father in Paradise, and what becomes of you after you have attained this perfection? Yes. As a member of the Corps of the Finality, you return to the realms of time and space in service. And so you are experiencing a microcosm of the eternal and perfect plan of Paradise when you seek stillness with the Father. You aspire to be with him, you allow for the embrace, (tape turned) his reality into uncharted spheres; and this is the adventure. This is the challenge. Are you not having fun?

Leah: Sometimes I am. Sometimes I just feel like I used to write. I really don't want to write because I feel this is a duty and it's somewhat like I feel it's a duty, and it's a privilege, and like I want to do this thing that you suggested first, the three times a day. It reminds me of when I was younger I used to do the angelus for the bells on the church and I always kind of enjoyed that when I was a kid, even though I can't remember exactly how it went right now, but . .. so I do want to venture into this adventure and it's like my mind is so rebelling, it's saying, "Ah, that's just a bunch of duty. You don't really want to do all this."

TOMAS: Let's talk about that for a minute, because it is certainly true that you don't want to approach your spirit life as a duty for that, as you fully well know, puts you in the position of being servant minded and the Master would not seek that you be servant minded but that you willingly and lovingly experience your life.

Now let us take those onerous words "duty vs. privilege" and put them aside. What you are looking at is a discipline, and a disci-plane can be an ugly and distasteful experience and herein I do not want you to do even a discipline if you cannot find value in it. Spirituality is not to be a habit, as we discussed early this evening. If it is a habit, it is unreal and has become crystallized and gray and lacks reality and if there is anything we want to encourage is the LIVING aspect of your spiritual life.

The discipline, however, of remembering to stop three times a day to make contact with spirit reality is not to be approached as a duty. Approach it, if you will, as a discipline, eventually to become a beneficial habit that will lead to reality experiences and herein is the adventure. If you do not want to, for Heaven's sakes, don't do it! It's not a command performance. It's not required. It is, however, a suggestion since so many of you are trapped in the mechanical mold of your existence and cannot ascertain the difference between your material energy patterns and spiritual energy patterns.

In order for you to ultimately become mature adults in the spirit realms, in order for you to be able to walk among men without becoming angry at their ignorance, in order for you to have the fruits of the spirit, the forgiving tolerance, the confiding trust, the merciful ministry to even unlovely mankind, you must attain a certain spiritual maturing, even though you would like to think of it in terms of being childlike and spontaneous. And so this is a suggestion on my part to help you attain those levels of function-in that will give you greater spiritual peace of mind and material ease of functioning. Has that been helpful?

Leah: Yes. I appreciate this discourse and I just wonder. I'm just curious, but Hunnah often says something to the effect that, you know, it's like school or it's an assignment, and maybe I'm just caught up in that, and I'm not -- I'm really looking forward to the adventure, but . .. I feel like a pendulum. My thoughts just . .. Okay. We're trying to achieve balance. That's probably why I just go from one end to the other. And I really think that I've had enough. I'd like to give other people a chance. I'm very appreciative of this, though, I really am.

TOMAS: As are we for your input daughter and for your diligence in your own growth. Your filiality is important to us all and we love you very much. It is good to see you again, Erata. It is good to feel your presence. Have you been pondering the prospective reality of these beings who have recently come into your life as introduced to you by your co-worker?

Erata: Yes, I have. It's kind of an awesome thought, that there's others involved in me... although I haven't been able to differentiate anything as of yet. I just keep saying, "Teach me. Just teach me."

TOMAS: Is it not incredible, however, to realize that the universe is so loving that you are associated with beings of a reality that is beyond your vision and beyond your comprehension but that is here solely and singularly for your upliftment and your ultimate happiness? Can you not appreciate that the universe is devoted to your ascension into perfection?

Erata: Yes. I can understand. Since I've been introduced, it's like I can understand why things are the way they are and how things in my life work -- more than just perchance -- as if I'm being taken care of in a way because I have an ultimate trust in my dear Lord because I've gone through so much in the last few years that it seems fairly natural just to trust everybody else that wants to help me. You know. The last couple weeks -- last week I was very sick with my back and my friend Hunnah directed me to where I had to go and things just worked out for me and I just like let it happen for me, and needless to say I felt that I was 16 because I was taken care of. And that put a smile on my face because I felt good. Trying to make other people feel good, too.

TOMAS: These are wonderful experiences you are having, and it is gracious of you to share them with your peers in the spirit and in the flesh. We enjoy hearing how the spirit works in your life and I enjoy returning to you the truth that you have been walking in living faith and it has been unfolding as it should.

MERIUM: I see some imagery here that would be effective in a human scene. There is a difference between white water rafting, feeling without a strong faith, and there is white water rafting when you have the faith. They are equally stressful and physically taxing, mentally draining and it feels dangerous, but when you have the True Pilot, you know that in spite of the fact that the waters are very rough, that you will soon be upon the calm waters, and our friend here is witnessing a settling down to the swift current so that she may recover physically and mentally.

That does not mean that the water will not be turbulent at different times, but it makes such a difference when you know you have the Pilot and you have all this feeling that you have been in very turbulent waters and had forgotten that you have the Pilot and you have been in the water when you have remembered, and the latter is far preferred, even though there is discomfiture involved.

So when you come to these new places, where you are able to rejoice and sing, by all means do not miss the opportunity to do so, keeping your eye of course on your opportunities to serve. Isn't it interesting to see a meeting develop when you do not think that there is any particular subject in hand? See how creative it can be and how gently the need of a lesson in a particular hidden area in yourself is allowed to be gently coaxed out and we are able to attend to it, and then those who read the transcripts will benefit by it as well. Creative administration for your development is a skill that is not a skill. It is simply a natural way to pursue your goal, and it is called the art of living, with faith. Yes, Tomas.

TOMAS: I would like to jump upon your river raft here for a moment and discuss the dangers of becoming caught on a sand bar. It is not meant for you to become trapped on a sand bar, to get your ship up on a coral reef and stuck there. The living water is flowing and intends for you to be ever moving gently towards your goal. When you have this living faith you are kept out of the stagnant by-ways, you are brought back into the flowing path of living water.

There are always occasions when you can become so fearful of the rapids that you allow yourself to become entangled in a seeming safe place along the shore, and this safe place is occasionally a place of rest and recuperation, occasionally it can be regarded as a picnic on the banks, but it is necessary that you continue your journey on the river and so if you find yourself snagged in a quagmire, in a stagnant pool, or on a sand bar or coral reef, you must see to it that you put yourself back into the living water.

It is possible, by calling out to your Source for help. It is never discouraged that you ask the Master for assistance in your path. It is only natural that you as imperfect beings will find yourself in situations that confuse you or that you felt in your judgment was the right move, but if you find that you have made an error, be kind to yourself, be kind to everyone concerned, and ask for guidance and get back on the water. Get back into your living faith, and indeed you will be skipping over those lily pads in no time.

MERIUM: It has been a very enriching evening. My charge is tired and she has asked to sign off. I am very pleased that she was able to come this evening and be with her loving family and I welcome you to the next beholding and we are looking forward to seeing you again. Thank you.

TOMAS: Thank you Merium and thank you Hunnah. I am very respectful of the configuration of teacher and transmitter, as you all well know, and am very pleased to honor the needs and wishes of this configuration. I will follow suit and join Merium in bidding you a fond good evening. It has been, as always, a privilege and a pleasure to be with you. In keeping, however, with our inclination, is there one final question for the evening? (No) Then we will look forward to speaking with you soon and we will enjoy also observing you take your medicine and you will indeed feel better three times a day. Farewell.

TOMAS: I am Tomas, your friend, your teacher and your companion in the spirit. It is wonderful to be here with you. Merium and I rejoice in your abundance this evening, in your good humor, your good cheer, and your good spirits, indeed. We had rather expanded the berries to note that canning season is upon us and there should be enough berries now to sweeten your palate throughout the long winter months ahead. The preserves of spirit truth and the marmalade of companionship can fatten you for months.

It is indeed wonderful to feel your delightful presence here this evening and in particular it greatly rejoices us to see you, Evangel, with us. It has been a long time since we were in the flesh, as it were, together, and you are, as you well know, a most integral part of our teaching platform and it is so wonderful to have you return to the fold in the flesh for a time. It is also wonderful to again see you here with us, Iyana, and how marvelous of all of you to bring your sweet presence to the fore.

I would like to make a commentary or two regarding the quality of companionship. We have spent some time in discussing the value of a friend and this in terms of the spirit, and recently in terms of the Master who has called his apostles friends, but I would like to speak with you in terms of companionship, for you many times have associations that are not consciously born of the spirit, but that are closer than mere associates. These companions are often spousal in nature or school mates or working buddies or pals of one sort of another that enlivens and enriches your life.

When you think of companions, remember that your associations in the spirit realms are your companions as well. Not only do Merium and I regard ourselves as your teachers, but also as your companions. Now you know that when we say we will be with you throughout the week, we aren't kidding. We associate with you and pal with you even when you are not aware of our presence. This is particularly true of midwayers who delight in your company, who are your close first cousins in the spirit and who know you well and rejoice in your good humor and in your spirit strivings.

Merium is my current and closest companion, and in that we companion each other and other teachers, and other entities, just beyond your vision. There are, as you know, many here this evening. I will pause in my remarks to allow for Merium's greetings.

MERIUM: Greetings, everyone, and welcome to our gentleman who has come far. It is good to be with you again and we all seem to be in very good spirits. They are all twinkle-toed. Refreshed, I hope, and our banter will become joyous revelation. What do you think we'll party about this evening, Tomas?

TOMAS: I would ask for questions for starters. Often that will tell us where we're going; otherwise I have to dictate, and I opt not to on such warm and frivolous occasions, so let me hear from you, group. Have you questions? Have you an awareness of your own development? And in what context? Have you conflicts you have not yet resolved? Or have you challenges you have not yet faced? Opportunities you have denied yourself? Or enrichment you are unaware of? [No response]

Let me ask it this way: Have you, in a review of the many, many transcripts that have fluttered past your attention, had a question that arose that lodged in your deep mind that has not been set to paper but, if you were prompted, you could fish out and present to the companions at large?

Hunnah: I have an observation that I have made the last couple weeks that in spite of being very physically taxed, I have had a joy companioning me and I must say it's been wonderfully reassuring and it makes me more convinced that my life is something that is not the job that I do nor the home that I live in (even though it is very nice when you're getting along with the people in your world), but it has been a lightness of heart that has nothing to do with this world and I must say that I really have been blessed with having been able to identify it.

One of the things I observed, and I caught it in a transcript, was that we do not seem to know how to slow down. And if you have any suggestions on how to slow down, they would be most welcome. And it is not just me; it's so many people who are in the same boat.

TOMAS: I have a response and a follow-up. I would like to indicate that your experience of walking in joy of late has been a vivid reminder of your expanding faith. Your faith walk has become more viable and real for you. Your opportunities and challenges have been more readily available and handle-able as a result of the growth you have undergone of late, and think not, Hunnah, that you have not been growing. You have been growing at a remarkable rate!

It is good for you to experience this leveling off and walking in a joy with your feet on the ground. It provides your associates and your companions with the reflection of your faith. Let me say that your faith has grown in proportion to your dedication to worship. Indeed, I will say to you all that your worship creates your faith and your faith allows you to worship, which creates greater faith, and so when you feel yourself faltering or stumbling or becoming confused or becoming back-lashed, back-washed into the material existence, you only need to up-step your private time with the Father in order to ground yourself again in spirit reality and your faith will grow to accommodate you and the needs of your life.

Now I would like to follow up and discuss for a moment your concern that the speed of life has accelerated beyond your comfort zones and agree with you fully. It is very difficult for the human to perceive his pace when he is operating in pace with others in an accepted reality. Now, that is deserving of some dissection:

Let us look at one extreme -- and that is you in Stillness, where there is essentially no motion, there is at once no time no space, it is at oneness as you are at complete peace; there is no pressure and no hurry. Now as you venture away from this sanctity, you enter into your material environment, and to the extent that you have some "control" over your environment, that is to say your pace, you can continue to maintain your own graciousness and personality presence in and through the spirit, which is well grounded and totally functional, but as you step out even further into the arena, wherein you have lost "control" and step into that which is "of the other" then you are caught up in the energy patterns of another reality altogether.

This is why it is very important that you begin to learn how to carry your Stillness reality with you into your environment, out into the world, for it will then provide an anchor not only for you but, if you can maintain your strength in your spirit reality, it will ground others who are sensitive to your reality base, even amongst them.

Let me point out to you as an example the arena of the theater on one hand and the arena of politics on the other. In the theater, the actors, the stage managers, the manuscript writer, all the creative energies have gone into creating an atmosphere and a reality, an artistic presentation of a point involving emotions and thought and so on and so on that they would like for you, the audience, to entirely appreciate and become one with. This is theater; it is art. It has swept you away and you have gone willingly with it, knowing full well that at the end of the evening you can return to your reality, your own home, your own companions, your own life-style, and your own pace.

In the arena of politics you have also an energy pattern, and this energy pattern is a reality in your world that assumes a life of its own and it is for many the ultimate reality, and so it has a great influence in your human realm, in your material realm. And, I will add, around election time, this political madness can become very intense. And I will delete the word madness and call it magic. This political magic is a reality of its own that can carry and does carry individuals into its power-pattern for as much as a lifetime and more. It is very, very gripping, very emotional, a great reality, and when the participants go home, they do not leave the theater. They bring that reality with them; they live that reality.

Now these are two extremes of an energy pattern that become a reality for either a temporary period of time or a long-range period of time, and as you understand how energy patterns operate because of people's impetus, their belief system, their emotion, their urge and so on into this reality, you are either going to contribute to it or resist it or respond to it or something in your own fashion. Most of the time people get swept up into it. It is the drift, you see, of the evolutionary wave of the age -- whatever that may be.

"The drift of the worst." Look up The Adjuster's Problem [Ed. Urantia Book, Pg.1223] and read that, if you will, for an understanding of some of the tumult of the personality in growth. But perhaps my discussion here this evening of energy patterns as personified by the short-term and the long-term drama of life can give you an idea of how and why it is that you begin to act faster than you would like to. Your involvement itself contributes to your increased speed. If you were not allowing yourself to become party to the movement of the drama, you could become a spectator and go home at the end of the evening. Has that been helpful?

Iyana: May I say something, please? I wanted to add to the first part of your dissertation, that joy is, to my way of thinking, a fruit of the spirit, that joy is something that you cannot make but it is something that you will receive. Also, I have been reading about anxiety, how if you were up in heaven there is no anxiety, so here I find, with myself, that I can't get worked up over things. I'm having some health problems and I just can't get worked up over it. So is this what you would say, letting the Father take over?

TOMAS: Iyana, yes, in many regards I would say that, and I speak to you particularly. You address me, I answer you and this is person-to-person, and I say this because you are a mature woman of deep faith. It may not be that easy a reaction in someone fifty years younger or involved in other circumstances, but you have great love for the Father and great joy in knowing him. You have great trust for his plan for you and in his overcare.

Indeed, the difficulties that you experience in your physical realm are understandable to your wise mind and so you are tolerant of your limitations and merciful of your own limitations and are not angry with the Father for any reason nor will you blame life for the vicissitudes that are presented in your existence at this point. You have a good attitude. You're a good sport about your life. You have a good attitude and it is carrying you and your fellows far.

TOMAS: Yes, Iyana. Thank you. Do not think, however, that your discomfiture goes unnoticed. You are cared for deeply. Your precious Han is an invaluable aide and constant companion to you, as I know you understand and appreciate. Remember, too, that the midwayers are your loyal friends, and that should you need assistance, you will be aided. You will be amazed and I know that you are and have been amazed in the past when incidents have occurred wherein you found that although life's experiences were untimely or uncomfortable, it was, even so, overseen by some magnificent cooperative that provided you with comfort and care almost at once. And this shall continue to be the case, for you are a member of the family of believers and you are well attended.

TOMAS: I would like to know, Hunnah, if the analogy of the energy systems of the theater and the political arena have given you any insight into how it is that you feel that individuals get caught up in a speed trap that they don't understand.

Hunnah: Well, I just think we've gotten ourselves on a conveyor belt and we don't know how to get off. If you're a young couple with children, you're in the same mode with just different configurations. It seems to be that way everywhere. I can only speak for myself. I don't know what to do about it.

TOMAS: There are a number of things that can cut down on the excessive stimuli, one of which is the incessant input of noise: radio, television, traffic, conversation. This is stimulation. All of it is stimuli, and stimuli can over-stimulate you to the point wherein you do not know how to relax and you must have constant stimuli in order to feel comfortable. It is an aberrated state; it is an altered state, such as we have discussed.

Another thing is light. It is a natural function of light to provide you stimulation. In the daytime you wake up, you do your job; at night when the sun goes down, you rest. This is very elemental but very true that as you surround yourself with light, you are aroused and stimulated. The more you are around light, the more awake you are becoming and if you are around artificial light night and day, you do not get appropriate rest. You do not allow your body to relax to its more natural state. Again, it is an induced, artificial reality that you become accustomed to -- another one of those altered states. And it's based on something as simple as light.

And so you see how the simple elementals of sound and light can affect you. These are two of the senses and your fundamental senses can be great indicators to you of something amiss.

Hunnah: I appreciate this comment about light. A couple of us here work in an office where there is light and I've noticed at work the girls are in the office late and it is so dissipating, even to being unable to get away from it. I guess it's just a form of making a commitment to yourself that there are certain things that you are going to do for yourself because you just absolutely have to.

I would also like to comment that I have felt as if I have been coming to the meetings because I had a responsibility to Merium. I've read some of the transcripts and both of you have had such beautiful, eloquent discourses and then I feel guilty when I humanly do not take the time to accommodate the service. But I see all of my life as a service! All of my life is an expression, and it gives me a feeling of conflict, of guilt, I guess, in a way, that my very daily life is just a different expression and I have trouble holding this above other choices.

TOMAS: It is not asked of you that you hold your transmitting/ receiving services above anything. Indeed, I suggested years ago to you, in this very room perhaps, that the act of transmitting/ receiving is/can be regarded as an abstract art form, and your life is an act of artistry in-as-much as you are in co-creation with the Master, and so your work at work is important, your work with your spouse is important, and your offspring; any and all your endeavors are also artworks for the Master.

You are not expected to regard this service as superior to other services that you perform for Him. Indeed, it is well for you to realize that even though your vocal chords are vital to a transmission and appreciated very much by any and all teachers that can access you and utilize you for their purpose of teaching and preaching, you are also encouraged to remain the student and to ask questions, for it is as important that you ask as that you teach, and this is a fundamental lesson throughout eternity.

Do not feel that you have to teach or that you have to accommodate the teachers, for you are also a student and it is also something that Gerdean can remember, that she can also step down and allow Merium to take the wheel or even to defer an evening here and there in order to work through her own situations with me in a question/ answer format such as has been observed by the group on former occasions.

Perhaps, Hunnah, it might behoove you and the others to accommodate each other in this way, that on irregular and perhaps alternate occasions I will utilize Gerdean while you remain a student and on alternate occasions you can hold down the fort while Gerdean and the others provide questions and a learning experience, and again on occasion it can be a dual lectern. Either of and any of the above are amenable to Merium and I.

Indeed, we are, of course, eagerly anticipating that others will come on-line and our format will alter again and still. It is entirely possible and looked forward to that we can have many more teachers and many more opportunities for different configurations.

It has been a wonderful growth step for our community here that Merium has been able to function so beautifully and so quickly. It is a testimony to your true spirit character, Hunnah, that this has come about, for even though you have balked at many of the intellectual teachings from The Urantia Book, your spirit is such that you have been amenable and successful in allowing the spirit truths to permeate your being sufficiently for Merium to operate fully.

It has been a reward for all of us to hear her teach and preach -- and very well at that! -- And so we look forward to developing others in this community. As you know, it can be done. And to the extent possible, it will be done. But remember -- and I go back to our early words -- it is not a requirement. It is not a responsibility that should be an onerous responsibility. Indeed there is a responsibility to this process. Indeed there is! But it is not an onerous responsibility.

Erata: Well, I'm just curious whether you can tell me the names of my angels.

TOMAS: Ah, you ask such an interesting question. It is the favorite curiosity question and yet it is a matter of more than curiosity, certainly. Let me tell you first of that, no, I cannot give you the names of your angels. Your angels are indeed unnamed. They (and I assume you mean the name for your guardian seraphim) are not names that I distribute.

I have a transcript kicking around here somewhere wherein I discussed this with your sister Ruth who had asked for the names of her attendant seraphim, and as I explained to Ruth I will explain to you, that the visage and the personality of your angelic seraphim are so beauteous as to preclude a mere mechanical nomenclature and I for one am not inclined to bring them down to the human level of comprehension by attaching a name to them.

However, I am becoming more willing to attempt to ascertain your personal teacher and their nomenclature, for I have found that in working with your personal guide, your personal assistant, you are inclined to take more seriously the fact that you are in association with spirit and begin to regard spirit reality as something you can grab hold of and so I will attempt to grasp your personal teacher or teacher's presence if you will bear with me and if you will bear with Gerdean for a moment. Is that all right with the rest of you, since it does take a moment?

TOMAS: Alright. One moment. (Long pause) I perceive you have two teachers, a male and female teacher. It is not often that a mortal is invested with two teachers but it is not rare, either. I am not able to clearly discern, through this mind, their names nor your spirit name. One moment.

I can see your soul. I hope I have not insulted you by saying such a thing, for it is sometimes difficult even to ascertain some souls, but I can see your soul and that encourages me, for if I can see your soul then I will be able to identify it, you see, and when I can identify it then the name will be prevalent and will prevail.

It is not something I assign to you, you see; it is who you are, and so I look to you to see who you are, and you manifest to me who you are and I can identify that then through an understanding of you and apply your nomenclature. Do you understand how it works?

TOMAS: I will suggest then, my child, that we allow our friendship to develop a little longer before I again aspire to ascertain your name and/or the names of your teachers, but I am greatly encouraged that I can convey to you that I do perceive you are flanked by a pair of personal teachers and you may take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. I am sorry if I have disappointed you.

TOMAS: It has taken us several months to get to Aniela's nomenclature, and yet her personal teacher, Philomena, was eager to make herself known right away. It is an interesting configuration, this being born of the spirit. Indeed, it is a full house this evening. We have enlarged troops. Jay-Orzh is indeed radiant.

Ahl is glad to be here and is enjoying the association and companionship of fellow teachers, his associates. I say "his" in lieu of "hers" for your teacher is so androgynous as to be almost indistinguishably one gender or the other, Evangel. Indeed, your teacher is extremely well balanced and this is neither flattery nor evasion but a truth.

TOMAS: It is an amazing observation to note the assignment of the various personal teachers with the various mortal beings. Each one is entirely unique, as are you, and each Teaching Assistant has been or have been hand-picked, custom made, idealized for you, not only in your current circumstance but in your past and in your future, as if to say that the Father knew you before you came to be and knows what will become of you in the eons to come.

It is amazing to see how it is that the teacher that you behold today in your life and who works with you so intimately and so lovingly is indeed custom made for you in your life's circumstance and you can anticipate that your relationship will be enhanced more and more as time evolves and as the eons commence.

Hunnah: "Your soul is as an expandable fiber that can be inflated and filled with each response to the truth of your being; it is a depository of your Thought Adjuster's conquest in the name of him who made you."

TOMAS: A good intermission as usual. I am not feeling further along, however, so we must be taking up where we left off and I believe we were discussing personal teachers. It is not imperative that we continue along that theme, but are there any lingering curiosities in that vein?

Leah: Yes, I wanted to ask: Are the teachers plugged into our mind circuit or are they in actuality, like, behind us or around us or with us, or where? I know we had a transcript about "where are you?" but . .. Do you understand my question? The guides. Of our teacher guides, like Jay-Orzh.

TOMAS: Are you asking are they visible or invisible? Are they material or mental? I'm not certain. Ask me one more time about the guides, what it is you want to know.

Leah: I've heard you say on occasion something to the effect of Merium is to the side of Hunnah or you are to the left or the right or above or some location.

Leah: Okay. Now, is that literal? Or is that like . .. Is that a mental thing? Or . ..?

TOMAS: Oh, no, this is a literal thing, and I am speaking of your morontia self, and of course your morontia self is encased within your physical form, and so I need to explain their juxtaposition to you in terms that you understand, i.e., to your left, to your right and so forth. They are not a figment of your imagination, if that is what you think. They are a real entity and they are able to interpose themselves into your circuitry and also are exterior to you.

That is to say, their energy pattern flanks you, as I have said before; they stand outside of your morontia form, but inasmuch as your morontia form does not have the barriers that your physical form has, they are able to contact your spirit reality readily and that can involve being associated with you through circuits as well as being adjacent to you, and so I guess you could say they are in you and around you at the same time. Does that help? Or does it make matters worse?

Leah: Does that mean, um . .. We were kind of joking tonight about four of us being in the car and, like, what did our teachers think and were they right there...

TOMAS: We were not right there, but your personal teachers were right there. Merium and I were in our, I will use the word "boardroom" having a "staff meeting" and your personal teachers were accompanying you to our gathering here at this teacher base where we met up with you and them, having been briefed by a quick glimpse at your personalities and -- what shall I say? -- your program. We can see much of you without being constantly with you because of the circuitry, your personal teachers, the midwayers, and so forth.

There are also times when we are with you, literally, but not always. We are not like Michael. We cannot be in all places at once. Yes, your teachers were with you and they enjoy each other's company. I want you to know that Gerdean's companions, Trieste and Adrian, are quite closely associated with, very good friends with, Aniela's teacher, Philomena, and Leah's teacher, Jay-Orzh, and Hunnah's teacher, Jasmine, and so forth.

They know each other and have an association above and beyond your human relationships, so even when you as mortals, as siblings, have spats among yourselves, your teachers are conspiring to work with the healing of the relationship and the growth of you so that we might resume our filial path together. All of the spirit realms are involved in uplifting you and enabling you to learn to love yourself and one another more.

Erata: What does a soul look like? Because, raised in a religion, per se, they showed us pictures of white souls with black marks on them. And that's the truth. I mean, that's the interpretation and/or the control of how the Church will teach you to be good, so when you say you saw my soul, what does a soul look like?

TOMAS: I will relish answering that, or addressing that in a moment, but I am at first intrigued by the black and white scenario presented. It reminds me of a piece from the text, The Urantia Book, that discusses the visualization of the human who sees the state of the world as perhaps white dots on a black background -- in other words, a few good people or a few good qualities on a background of sin, evil, iniquity, darkness and blackness, as compared to the enlightened soul who sees all light and a few black spots; that is the viewpoint of one who sees in terms of light and life and spirit reality: truth, beauty and goodness, and the few black spots are imperfections that will be vanished in the light.

Now that obviously portrays a perception, does it not? And it is entirely your perception that counts, not what you have been indoctrinated to perceive, but what you decide to perceive, and that arena of choice is in your mind and that mind that you use to choose good over evil, to choose truth over falseness and deception and to choose beauty over darkness, is the arena that will build your soul. As your mind chooses to work with The Father and makes decisions accordingly, your soul is developed and it becomes more and more real as a result of your making those decisions that feed the reality of your soul. Now there is a responsibility!

But let me discuss for a moment, now, the appearance of the soul. I must say that I can only answer that from my perspective because as I just indicated, everyone sees as they will see depending upon their perception, and so perhaps we can share a perception, for you can learn to perceive the soul of others around you as you learn to perceive the presence of God around you, for the soul of another is a reflection of The Father, inasmuch as the individual that you perceive who has a soul and who has developed his or her soul, has developed in their relationship with The Father.

So when you behold a soul, you behold a facet of The Father, and that is an entity who manifests the qualities of The Father, and we return full cycle to the fruits of the spirit. And the fruits of the spirit are loving service, merciful ministry, confiding trust, forgiving tolerance, undying hope, enlightened honesty, unfailing goodness, enduring peace and so forth. These are qualities of God-likeness what you will manifest inasmuch as you are beginning to work with The Father and reflect his reality in your life.

Now, how it is that I perceive your soul? When you say, "Look at me and tell me who I am," (as many people will do, if you think about it) I look at you and I see your soul as a reality, as a shimmering form of reality. It has energy, it has warmth, it has light, it has heat, and it has more. It has a morontia aspect that transcends the physical realm. It is palpable. It is something that I can reach out and caress.

I can identify your soul when I can see nothing else around you or of you. If you did not have a soul, I would not see you at all. And so from my perspective, that I can see you speaks well for you for you have evidently made a number of decisions which have enabled you to become a reality, not merely a potential reality but an actuality. Energy, mind and matter in conjunction with God-consciousness conspire to create a living soul.

TOMAS: Thank you for your question. It was most -- it required some engineering on my part to convey to your mind how it is that I perceive you.

Leah: I'd just like to make a comment about the "three times a day" meditation which I did not do very well at but I did remember, quite frequently, that I forgot. I think that was a little progress, that I remembered I forgot.

TOMAS: I am proud of you, even so. If you forgot, it means you remembered, is that not true?

TOMAS: I like it when I am not totally ignored and that often happens. I know that Merium and I have given you perhaps thousands of assignments over the period of time that we have known you, and your percentage rate is maybe five or ten percent, but I tell you my beloved flock, you scramble to keep up with the assignments that we give you, even though many of them go over your head or you can't keep up if you wanted to.

It is okay, for we are fully cognizant that we give you more than enough to do, for you will just keep aspiring to accomplish one thing or another. It is not necessary that you grow your spirit reality at our command, you see. We are only here to offer suggestions and to stimulate your urge to advance in spirit reality. As you choose to and/or can grab a thread and pull on it, you develop your reality according to your capacity and that is a gratification for us and a celebration for The Father. Are there other questions?

Iyana: Will some of us be able to contact our teachers so that we will be able to transmit? Or will we be able to talk to our teachers and have our teacher answer us?

TOMAS: I am not certain how to answer that because in a way it almost seems as if you are asking me to be a crystal-ball-gazer and tell you, "Oh, yes, I see that in the future you will be speaking to your teacher on-line," and yes, of course, you can and perhaps you will, but that is a decision that you can make only.

Iyana: Perhaps I worded it incorrectly. If we are thinking -- we have a question, say, and we go into the silence, and we get an answer, is that answer more or less from our personal teacher? I mean, the idea would come....

TOMAS: Let me discuss it for a moment. Thank you for your question. You know you go into the Stillness, you talk to Jesus, you praise The Father, you've discussed your situations in life en route, maybe directed to Jesus, maybe directed to The Father, maybe just mulled over in your mind as your mind is busy on your way Home and on your way back.

The things that come to your mind may lead you into action, they may lead you into discourse and receptivity with your indwelling Thought Adjuster, they may be worked out through an experiential situation brought on through the answer to prayer, through the angels and midwayers, and again it may be brought to your personal teacher's attention to work with you in the in-depth realms of the human personality, to work through the issue that is presented for doing.

Iyana: I was going to say that I find oftentimes that when I am about my household business or something, all of a sudden things turn up. I'm looking for this -- it's right there. I need that -- it's over there. It just seems as though everything is put in my service. It's wonderful!

TOMAS: Yes, my dear, but remember, too, that much of the harmony in your life is because you live, for the most part, in light and life. You live in harmony with yourself and your environment and you are in "control" of your environment and you are at peace. You are not disheveled or disorganized and so it stands to reason that there would be harmony and order in your extended life as well. It comes as no surprise to me to find that all of life is at your fingertips. You are indeed experiencing the abundance of a harmonious life in the spirit.

The Mother is the pinnacle of order. In her house are the patterns of perfection and you are a daughter that has learned how to manage her affairs much as the Mother manages Her affairs in Paradise.

TOMAS: Your personal teacher is involved much in correcting your emotional twists of thinking, based upon the peculiar configuration of your planetary status at this time. The untruths and the betrayals, the deviousness of people and your feelings of having been betrayed, your suspicions, your human condition as a result of your experience here on Urantia -- this is the realm of the personal teachers for the most part.

Once your personal teacher has been able to work through these things with you, you are then free to share your joy in harmony with your Thought Adjuster, and so much of the work of the personal teacher is to bring you closer to your Thought Adjuster. In some ways it is an extension of the Thought Adjuster, in concept, for your goal in life is to become one with your Thought Adjuster so that you may fuse, and your personal teacher is devoted to bringing you to that point wherein you may work with your Thought Adjuster that it, too, can celebrate this ultimate victory.

As I said before, all of the universe is conspiring to enhance your spirit nature and bring you Home to the Father.

Iyana: When you think that they work on each one like that, what a tremendous task.

TOMAS: This is the Kingdom, my dear. As you work with yourself and with your teachers, you then, like that diamond with its many-faceted light, reflect the light to other personalities who in turn have been working with their teachers and their Thought Adjusters to hone and polish up their own light. Indeed, in time all these lights are going to be giving off great and light diadems of praise and wonder to the Creator and all therein are going to know perfection.

That even can be done here in relative status, and as you help your brothers and sisters to learn to know this living love, you have contributed to their growth and to the growth of the Supreme for The Father as The Father has in his many celestial helpers designed to foster your growth.

Iyana: Tomas, do you celestial teachers go to other planets and do the same kind of work?

TOMAS: I cannot speak for the path of other teachers, for there are many opportunities in the cosmos to be of service. I will say however that there are many of us. Not all of us, but many of us in the Teaching Mission, who have been selected as teachers in order to come here for our own benefit in some regards, for our backgrounds involved having come from such worlds as were more advanced toward light and life than this, and it gives us an opportunity to help our younger siblings in terms of you being far more primitive than we were.

We have not that personal frame of reference, and so it is to our benefit to understand how the more primitive races can evolve, and in your case it is exacerbated or complicated or made even more unique by the consideration of Urantia's history of the default and the rebellion and its particulars as we have discussed a hundred times before, and so this is a large down-step for many of us, since we have not had this experience, and herein is where it is valuable for us.

We have said how many times that we learn by being here with you. We are not here only to learn how cute you are, you see, but we are here also to learn how it is that the spirit can prevail even under extremely difficult and trying circumstances, and it is in that context that we praise your efforts. Even in the face of your ignorance (you will excuse me, please), you still allow for the spirit to guide you and you do allow for your own growth, and it is impossible of your comprehension, but we are amazed, astounded and impressed.

Leah: We were having a discussion about whether -- as I just heard you speak, I understand you to say that you receive an education, but -- again, this is a curiosity question perhaps -- about your attitude -- Is ministering to beings such as us a joyous thing? And please don't answer quite yet. Or is it extremely difficult and exasperating? Or is it a mixture?

TOMAS: I will try to give you an example that you might be able to understand. Now I could easily suggest to you that you ask yourself the same question as regards to, for example, Mother Theresa, who devoted her life to ministering under extremely difficult circumstances, but who did this for The Father as she has testified, and determine through her experience what her motivation was and what her experience was in doing this service in experiencing this mission of hers.

But I will rather ask you, as an individual, considering your circumstances in life and your, shall we say, comfort zones, let us then take you from where you are and through your voluntary service, put you into a very backward and primitive situation, say a neighborhood that merited supervision -- children in need of supervision and soap and water and order and discipline and cleanliness and praise and prayer and medication and comfort.

Put yourself in a position of working in a ghetto or in a Third World country, perhaps in a country that did not believe in God or that believed in a God that you don't understand for it's different-ness. Even as a citizen, a person such as you are, if you were to allow yourself to consider working in a village along the Nile or in South Africa or in Bangkok or some strange place as Mother Theresa did in India, it would not take you long to understand that you would be deriving an education.

Am I missing something here? Is someone leaving? (A flashbulb just went off). This is part of the education.

Leah: However, I've thought about Mother Theresa and the nuns and the things that they do and have been very strongly drawn to consider doing something like that and as much as my heart would like to do it, I just don't think I could do something like that.

TOMAS: I would suggest that you discuss it with The Father, that you allow Him to guide you, for if indeed it is your calling, you will act in the face of your fear and have courage that what you are being guided and directed to do is His will for you. If you are feeling these things, my daughter, do not discard them immediately as frivolous. It well may be that you are intended to minister to the poor and the hungry, as so many have, as they pass by. Take a look at it before you discard it as an unworthy concept, or foolish.

Leah: Well, I never felt that it was unworthy or foolish. I'm just saying that I -- as I was asking, do the teachers find it difficult and exasperating, I think I would find it extremely difficult and exasperating.

Leah: But I . .. of course you teachers are not on our physical level, so . .. I . .. just wondered what your attitude is. We had a discussion about whether you might kind of look at us as we look at cats or something, or other animals.

TOMAS: I am not denying it immediately, for there are certain similarities, you see. You are of animal nature. But I want you to know that whereas -- what is her name? -- Bridie [Iyana's pet poodle] is so comfortable and so much a part of your social life here, that it is easy to find the similarities. Indeed, recall that five of the seven adjutant mind spirits are shared with the animal realm. It is only as you manifest worship and wisdom that you are set apart, and it is not necessary for me to remind you that much of your life is lacking in worship and wisdom, and so you are greatly resembling your animal affiliates. But you are loved and we have great affection for you.

It is when, as Erata brought to the fore, when you bring your soul and a cognizance of it, that we begin to function, and so although we know that you are en route to the teacher base in your van in your culture with your music and your companionship, we have not yet seen and felt the adjutants that would conspire to trigger us to seek to teach.

Only as you are willing and eager to absorb truth lessons are our words receptive to you, do they fall on fertile soil, and this is also why we are very appreciative of your coming together, your approach to spirit reality. Even though our work is curtailed according to your comprehension, it is even so highly appreciated that you do aspire to grow in the spirit and to manifest the spirit reality in your existence in your world.

It is very important that your world become spiritually activated and enlarged. It is spirit reality alone that will bring peace to Urantia, that will feed the hungry, that will end strife, that will provide compassion for your neighbor and bring world peace, that will lead to light and life. This is our goal and The Father's goal and it is helpful when it can be your goal also.

My children, I perceive that we have had a full repast. I am, as always, concerned that we not carry on too late and not outstay our welcome perhaps, but extend ourselves beyond what is appropriate.

MERIUM: Good evening. I am glad to be here and glad to be vocal, as you know. I have been constrained in my pal Hunnah who has outdone herself in the human realm today and I am not angry with her but I am glad too to be able to say a few things. It is very frustrating for me and so thank you for suggesting that I can come use this telephone, for I am always happy to speak a few words of love and peace or whatever is appropriate.

I have missed out on the question/answer period and am not going to quit, even though Tomas has suggested that we have gone on long enough. I am going to be a glutton for punishment and allow you to share in this gluttony and ask if there is another question that perhaps might give me an occasion to expound somewhat inasmuch as I had been promised that this was a co-teaching platform, so what do you say, kids? Have you got a question for me this evening?

Leah: I asked Tomas about the teacher's attitude towards us, and he went into some lengthy dissertation about our animal origin. I wondered -- I know this is going to sound very strange -- if it was ever distasteful for the teachers to have to deal with us. Of course, you said you weren't here for the question/answer period, but one analogy that's been given was (not publicly) that perhaps working with us would be like us trying to train maggots.

Leah: And I was wondering if it's really that terrible! I always wondered about it.

MERIUM: Tsc Tsc. Not a viable comparison in my eye. Now, I can embellish that somewhat and call to your mind -- if you will un-revolt yourself for a moment -- you will remember that the little critters are eggs en route to a greater reality, and if you can accept yourself as being eggs en route to a greater reality, I will allow that comparative analysis, but only in that context, for you are not repulsive in any -- Well.... [Laughter] You are non-repulsive students.

Now what you do outside of class is none of my business; I let that fall into the realms of your personal teachers, and I am not employed by the Melchizedeks to eavesdrop into the realms of the personal teachers, so I can speak from my dais as a teacher in the Teaching Corps and find that you are truly delightful children. I will not even begin to equate you, as Tomas does, as affectionate critters, but as full-blown human beings, albeit, diapered, burped and so on, on occasion.

I jest in one way, but in another you must understand that we who have lived for many, many thousands of years beyond your existence have had some perspective on things. The wonderful thing is that we truly, truly love you and we love you not just as interesting creations of Michael, but as personalities, as human personalities and as spirit personality.

That is the wonderful thing, and it's much like you. You may look at someone askance and not really like them or understand them until you've spent some time getting to know them. Once you get to know someone, once you begin to understand them, then you can learn to love them and this is a truth that you will get also from your textbook. This is the brotherhood of man: that you are all human beings, but that you are all indwelt with a fragment of God and that you are all lovely personalities, creations of The Father. It is in that context that I focus on you.

I could sit and see you as perhaps your personal teachers have a chance to glimpse you, but I choose not to, and even when Tomas speaks of you as sharing five of the seven adjutant mind spirits, it is an academic appraisal, and I know Tomas well enough to know that he adores you. He adores each one of you as being indwelt by The Father and therefore adorable and unique in and of yourself. Would he tell you he thought you were adorable? No. That is not Tomas' way, but it is my way and I have done it and so there.

TOMAS: I am Tomas; I am here. Are you settled down sufficiently to focus on our more pedantic aspects of our communion together? Your party this evening has been quite the social event of the season! It is extremely gratifying to perceive your rejoicing in each other's company and in the chocolate. Your affection for each other is renown. We are glad to be your friends; we have enjoyed your party; we are glad now to be in a more vocal stance.

You can imagine, since you are such social creatures, how it is that on occasion we observe and are impatient to interject our commentary, much as you are in your social occasions often impatient to interject your commentary. It is convenient for you, however, that you have us well trained. You have us on the end of a microphone and are able to call us in and say, "Tomas? Merium? Speak! Heel! Sit!" [Group giggle]

And so we cannot interject often when we would, but you may be assured that those comments that we would share with you are held in trust for the proper occasion/opportunity and that we do not make these house calls for nothing. You may be assured that in due course your lives will be enriched and expanded because of our attendance at your social portions of the evening.

Hunnah: I have a question. Could we experiment and have you ask us questions? We will not give you discourse, but perhaps you have questions of us. I don't know if we've ever done that before.

TOMAS: You are funny. I am an active querant. That is to say, I have asked you questions since the first day we met, and oftentimes you will even respond to my questions on the record, but I have noticed that you are more inclined to develop your responses in your own time and space and, yes, it is a method of interchange, in particular a method of teaching that the Master engaged in, that he would, as you remember, ask questions and thereby gain footing in his ministry. Yes.

Hunnah: Could you give us an example? You will always say to us: "Are there any questions?" -- which immediately shuts down the thought, but if you were to say something, for example, -- I hope I don't lose this -- How would you apply a . .. particular virtue? I don't know. The thought came to me, if you would ask a question that was not a just How are you? Do you have any questions? Because that's what you usually say. I don't know that I'm making sense. You may have to chuck this.

TOMAS: And I do feel that making remarks are easy and you well know that you, in your lives, make remarks incessantly -- and they may or may not have great merit -- but they do lead the conversation along, and so when I say "Are there questions?" it is not always to hear your well-formulated thought processes with a question mark at the tail end, but rather an avenue of saying, "Let us engage in some sort of interchange; commentary is acceptable; discourse is encouraged." It is however important that you ask questions, even if you do not ask me. It connotes a willingness to accept that you do not have all the answers. Basically that is what is meant when a teacher will say, "Are there questions?"

It infers "Are you interested in learning? And if so, what field of learning is to your liking?" And this can relate to how it is that you are perceiving an emotional condition, how you are regarding a social dilemma, how you are reacting to a political problem, how you would like to minister better in your arena, and any number of areas of interest. That you ask questions indicates that you want to know something, and this is obviously an important aspect of your learning experience, and since I am a teacher, I encourage you to be open to learning.

Now, even were I to ask you questions, it would be to stimulate your attitude regarding learning. I am willing to go along with the program that Hunnah has suggested, but before I do, I thought I would ask if there were any questions, since sometimes you come with a question. I am willing to present a question to you but it will be along the lines of the format that I just discussed and that is that it will be to promote a learning experience for you, either in your personal development as an individual or in your personal development as a teacher. Are there questions?

Erata: The other day I was meditating and a vision came into my head of a hand extending -- a lighted hand extending to me. After that, I was reading a book and I -- it was one Hunnah had given me on Reiki and I knew a lot about Reiki but it was just different things about people and their spirituality and things like that -- and I got . .. real sorrowful feelings because . .. I felt like in this world there's so many people that . .. I felt like, that need to be touched by us? And that no one is doing it? And I was over-whelmed with all these thoughts running through my head, like, "How can I be a part of that?" And I had it in my mind for a couple of days, you know? And then I kind of like shelved it because I wasn't really sure . .. that I'll be told what I'm supposed to do later or was it just something that . .. I don't know. Was it just a feeling or was it a communication to me?

TOMAS: My daughter, you are beloved. You are sharing with us a state of prayer that you experienced for an extended period of time. Your vision that you described as impressing you as a hand reaching to you is a lovely imagery and it immediately calls to mind the Master's promise that he will hold your hand if you but reach out to him. He will take your hand and lead you Home and show you the Way.

As he has held out his hand to you, as you have taken his hand, you have availed yourself then of some of the views that He sees and indeed some of these views will rent your heart. The vision of those who languish without knowing him is a sadness indeed. The individuals who seek to know a greater reality and yet do not know how to find the very God who lives within them, is a poignant prayer to address. How indeed can we help them to see the Father within? Help them to see the relationship that they inherently have with their Creator if they are but willing to observe and see their connection?

If they would but be born of the spirit their eyes would be open, they would no longer feel isolated and so many of the individuals are sincere in their longing. It is so simple, you see, the truth of the gospel. It is so terribly, terribly simple and people keep trying to complicate their religious experience and their theologies. The sweetness of knowing God is poignant and pure, not at all complicated, but you are such complicated creatures; you make everything so much more difficult than is necessary, as if in your attempting to make it complicated, it gave you some intellectual justification for having an acknowledgement from the Creator, or some peculiar quirk of the human constitution that disallows for immediately embracing the understanding that you are an integral part of life.

Those who find life in and through the Reiki experience, either in applying themselves to those energies or receiving those energies, are making contact with greater reality and it is gratifying to them for they can put it in a framework that is acceptable, that they can acknowledge. That they have been touched by the spirit is wonderful because they have been able to couch it in terms of physical wellness. I will then ask you a question, daughter.

How do you feel, in your ministry, and in your desire to serve, and in your relationship with the Master -- how do you feel you can utilize your skill as a Reiki practitioner to bring to the awareness of your people the healing touch of the living God? Was that question clear?

Erata: I think so. I hope that I can give the people who I deal with the aspect of love that God the Father offers us, more so in maybe not even with the Reiki or even simple Reiki positions that I might use whenever I'm dealing with the public that I deal with, but I hope that I leave them with an impression of love and peace whenever I touch them and I'm with them, and I'm not sure if that's all that the Father wants me to do, but that's what I'm doing right now. And that I also give them time. Because so many of the people that we deal with don't have someone to give them time.

My dear, what happens is that you develop within yourself, and already have, this total acceptance of our Brother's love and his purpose of mercy and compassion. It filters into every aspect of your being, from the look of your hair to the movement of your persona, your timeliness in conversation, the appropriateness of suggestion, the timing in which a client will allow himself to hear himself because you have cued and given him, as you have pointed out, permission to have your full and undivided attention which makes him feel safe and accepted and then he can trust himself to speak.

There is an intimacy in this type of service. There is no place where you turn it on and then you turn it off. When you leave the home it becomes your time and your safety and it's almost like an all-purpose tool, this state of consciousness that is ever-expanding within you. It is the human tendency to be mission minded and to think that they have to take this pearl of good fortune, this Spirit of Truth and carry it like a football off to a particular area in society and apply it, but in our teaching we are really encouraging you to weave it into your on-going experience so that it is, as scripture describes, you never leave it or forsake it, you see.

Our Father/Brother Michael taught that I will never leave you nor forsake you, and when you turn this around the other way, you will have bonded so completely with that concept that you will not want to leave your precious relationship with this high standard and this high calling and you will want to carry it with you 24-hours a day, and that is when you are really feeling like you're on-track and it will continuously rescue you when you are diverted from others, and I don't want to talk on, but do you understand what I am saying? There is no separation?

MERIUM: You also implied … Is there a different arena for this to be applied?

MERIUM It goes where you go. If you were suddenly deciding to go to Chicago and to work in a soup kitchen, you would take all that you have and take it with you. You would only go through the physical adjustments of making that change. If you won a lottery ticket and you decided to take this state of consciousness that you are nurturing and allow it to be the administrator of your good fortune, it would simply be an opportunity to expand materially because you have the seed mentally and spiritually. Do you understand?

MERIUM: I hope in a way that it has promoted another question in you, for it is the sort of question of applying this in daily life that we like to deal with because it involves the virtues. Tomas?

TOMAS: I was intrigued with the idea that you had suggested a lottery winning. I would like to ask Aniela how it would be if she were to win the lottery and how would she carry her mental and spiritual reality, which she now knows and loves, into an expanded arena? I ask in an affectionate mode, for I know she has spent time pondering how she would change her lifestyle if she were to win the lottery and I would be curious to see how she would remain the same in terms of that which has eternal value. Have you given that some thought, my child?

Añiela: Well, I expected that to stay the same. I guess just change my surroundings. It makes things more accessible that are not accessible at this time.

TOMAS: You are speaking of things. How do you feel that winning the lottery would affect your non-material reality?

Añiela: Well, it would allow me to do things that I've wanted to but couldn't because of my financial circumstances, to contribute to some particularly favorite charities and a few other "things."

Añiela: [Giggling] I'd have to go down the list of the "things" that I want to do.

TOMAS: As you peruse your list of attitudes and behaviors, ascertain those which are innate in you without relating to your material environment and your material things, that which will last forever, or at least last into your mansion world experiences. We are speaking here of the true riches, the fruits of the spirit.

This is an abundance that does not hinge upon your financial holdings or your material environment. In consideration of these "things," remember to be grateful for your good fortune, for the many, many benefits that you have and experience in your daily life, your freedoms and your abundance that many do not have, do not share. The relative wealth that you know today, in terms of your richness of association, mental capacity, emotional fruition, material goods, friendships and wherewithal of one sort or another enables you to be counted as one of the more fortunate.

MERIUM: In Hunnah's memory she had a very, very lovely friend who was on the spiritual journey who acted as her mentor; she was very wealthy. By your standards she would be considered very wealthy. So it was an opportunity for Hunnah to observe how one with money and things and opportunities to travel, et cetera, fares when they are on a spiritual journey, and what she observed is that there is no peace, regardless of your circumstances, because if you are not about the Father's business or attending to your own personal fire, then you will fail to appreciate and benefit in that environment through a developed consciousness.

You have something in common with the wealthy and that is time to yourself. When you are not allowed to be out running around (which is a thing), which gives you permission to play in a different manner, you will find out that it will steal your time for your prayer, your contemplation, for your service to others because your wallet is fuller and your appetites are recreational change. You will find yourself shopping and it will be gratifying to your lesser aspect of yourself, but when you are in a learning mode and you are in a state of appreciation and gratitude, then you will covet your time as Hunnah's friend did.

She considered it her greatest prize because she used it for writing and for contemplative activities. This was a privileged individual who had priorities, so there is wealth that has been with a person from early years, there's wealth that is laboriously acquired, and there is wealth or financial reimbursement that comes from many other sources, so let yourself consider the pleasures of life.

People who are without funds in this day and age of materialization do suffer indeed by feeling left out, but it is a challenge to your spirit to say "look at the wealth that I have because I have allowed my spirit to swell, and to be my all in my all!" and then you can respond receptively to the time that you have and be selective of the people who keep company with you.

I think I'm on a tangent, but I also hope that I have stimulated your thought about what you have in your house, that you have within yourself to make your day most pleasant and free. This will take us back to gratitude. Tomas?

Gerdean: I'm off-line. I'm jumping ship because I am so chocolate imbued my feet itch and I keep losing Tomas and I feel like perhaps you have not been attacked by the chocolates so I'm going to let you handle it.

MERIUM: Well, "It's your party and you can do as you want to" [Group laughter]. I cannot be accused of being on a roll if I am the only one speaking. Please feel free to challenge me. You are allowed to humanly come to your own defense and then I will try to bring you back to another view of what it is that you don't agree with.

Gerdean: Is sugar one of the things that the teachers have been talking about? They've been talking about "altered states" and they've been talking about drugs and medications and the moon is full and various and sundry things and have said that there were other things that we had used to alter our consciousness that we had not yet become aware of. Are they talking about chocolate?

MERIUM: Let me tell you about that type of problem. It is involving the human world, and while you have it to hold and to adore you will stay right down there with it. Enjoy! And when you want to put it down, come on out and play.

Gerdean: I understand. The same thing could be true for any one of those addictive things.

MERIUM: Or there's not getting your nose out of a book. Iyana very amusingly said to Hunnah one day, "You know, I read all these things and I suddenly realize that it's just a lot of nonsense and I should be using my time differently." So the light bulb that comes on and then goes off is like the candle here; they're off and on, they're in and out as you develop. Be patient and don't worry. If you're going to eat chocolate, enjoy it. There is something about eating cake?

Gerdean: That was Marie Antoinette. [Group laughter] "Let them eat cake! If they can't have bread, let them eat cake." Uh. Merium, I wouldn't trust that subconscious if I were you.

Well, we had some interesting discourse before we got started this evening, as you probably eavesdropped on, certainly, portions of it. About those who become dependent on the graces of others and then don't know how to stand on their own two feet; we talked about the social changes that were going to be necessary to elevate the racial strains; we talked about cloning -- all kinds of bizarre things. We talked about the Sedona group. Vegetable soup of stuff we brought to the meeting tonight. I think we're still scattered and all over like a rash. Gerdean's brain certainly is. I guess it's my party and I'll be scattered if I want to but I still feel like I'm not making a proper use of the time we have with the teachers when I . ...

MERIUM: My dear, you are so very seldom truant that it could hardly be of any significance, but let me take advantage of this. In spite of the various degrees of intensity of your attentiveness you are, on another level, receiving and sharing a great deal. There is always more than what appears to be when you gather because it's like the tip of the iceberg. Your sociability is sitting out here and, as you remember now, there wasn't any real quiet time. If we had taken a break for some quiet time, it would be not too unlike getting on the elevator and going up several flights to where it wasn't so noisy.

As you lift, these things that you have been talking about would disburse and it would get quiet and then the quality of your attentiveness or your absorbency, I guess you could say, would improve, but it has been a party atmosphere and believe me we have enough guests here to knock the socks off of you if you would be inclined to settle down. There will be a goodie in the toe of your stocking, and it is your birthday, as you remember, and it is indeed perhaps a time for a treat for you.

I am going to ask you a question, but I am not going to ask it until we have a little bit of stillness. Are you all bright and awake? Do I have your attention? Shall we be quiet for a few moments and I will resume my talk.

MERIUM: This evening, at this moment, it is not necessary to venture very far into the stilling of yourself because it has been sufficient.

I would like to give you a surprise this evening, and I am going to indulge in some visualization exercises and I would like to have each of you in your mind's eye imagine that you are allowed to take something that burdens you, something that is as if it were unfinished business within you, that didn't seem to ever want to be done with itself. You may even have difficulty deciding which of the distractions it might be, but that's all right, because within the greatness within yourself there is an understanding of which it shall be.

This distraction from your development takes up a great deal of space within you. It is a human misunderstanding, a control, or a puzzlement of sorts, and I would like to have you lift it out and let it slide to the center of the room. And in it's place I would like to have you allow the precious freshness of the living waters to fill that area of your being. You will never miss the space that it took; you will never miss it. It is a wasteful form that will be recycled, and in its place the ingredients of these living waters will be the development, the on-going growth of what truly belongs to you, that it may serve the living Christ of your being.

This evening is special and you are being given a gift that will open and show itself to you in its own time. You will have a joyous time recognizing it. It will become brighter in your mind and in your heart. It means a great deal to us to have been able to see you come so faithfully because you have a dedicated heart and you have allowed yourself to embrace each other in spite of your social differences and your values. This is a far greater accomplishment than you can realize. You have been distracted, but we are well aware of the beauty and the goodness and the generosity that has blossomed forth from all of you.

MICHAEL: I ask you to continue in your private time to go and empty out to make room for the new. I will leave the lectures and the explanations to the teachers. All I can tell you is that this is a job well done. Your loving me in return is what I am concerned about. How dear you are. And every time you go to another, you take me with you that I might attend to my beautiful, beautiful family. Every time you assist anyone, I am assisting them with you. Birthday. I think I know more about that than you, my little party hounds.

Let us just hold this gentle moment and savor it. It is the nectar in your chalice. Drink deeply of it. Drink deeply from this collective quiet. I return you to the teachers. [Drinking deeply]

TOMAS: I have picked up the microphone, Tomas your teacher, but I do not feel as though I am the only teacher here. Indeed, you all are teachers. As you go about your daily lives, you impact those around you, you teach by your reactions to life itself, and so carry on, my friends, my children and my pupils. We will enjoy watching you as you carry on teaching and preaching as you pass by.

Bring your experiences to our next gathering and we will share reactions, responses and approaches to those life circumstances that you stumble upon or that you become curious about or that you bleed over. We wish you all a happy birthday, and will look forward to our next get-together, our next party. Good evening.

TOMAS [Gerdean]: We are here and as you know we have been here for quite some time, enjoying your communion in the human realms, one with the other. You understand, and last week we rejoiced in, how good it is that you enjoy each other's company, and find laughter and camaraderie among yourselves, even with your many differences of character and background. Now this evening we are again rewarded to see another level of oneness among you, and that is in your emotional realms as women in the experiential mode.

There are obviously many, many responses that are available in the realms of the mind in response to your many emotional sharings this evening. The category of subject matter pertaining to spousal association is one that has carried humankind over the hills and dales of discourses and behavior for more centuries than we have been apprised of Urantia; but it is not our intent to give you an elongated dissertation of the human condition as it relates to spousal relationship, in particular not when the subconscious realms of you all are rife with the inherent emotional and sentimental mainstream of the situations presented and reflective of your cultural values.

What I will however do is inform you that your sharing this evening was of an ilk that is invitational to Morontia Companions. I would like to bring one of the Companions in to visit with you briefly, and in its association in socialization with you, you will feel elevated and rise above the rich emotional tapestry of your evening's discourse. I will return, of course, and Merium is also with me and will witness the effect of the Morontia Companions upon your souls and your personalities. We will visit with you then after the Companion has concluded his time with you.

MORONTIA COMPANION [Gerdean]: Gracious listeners, peace be upon you. How fine you shine. Your lights are steady this evening. Your emotional currents have subsided from the tumult earlier. You are similar to a pond, a pond of water. Each of you is a pond of water, individually, and your ripples are in accordance with your association with your core, and so when your core is at peace, your ripples are still, and you are reflective of peace, that peace which passes all understanding; you are serene and approachable, and it is then that your mouth is able to spill forth those pearls of divine wisdom which enlighten and enrich lives of those around you.

When you are in your emotional eddy, which is part of the flow of the water, you are like a washing machine that has its agitator activated and your waters splash! You make waves. You spread your moisture on the banks about you, and this is a way of allowing the stagnancy to dissipate. It churns the water for a purpose. The emotions are here for a purpose, and they are not to be eschewed. It is a wonderful opportunity for you to feel and experience the bounty of life as a creation of the divine Creator, and this occurs in and through your emotional composition.

And yet, when the tumult has passed, the ripples subside and your waves lap gently upon the shore, your ripples allow for a rocking, gentle movement for those lily pads you are familiar with, that your little frog kingdoms can find harmony in croaking to one another across the pond. And I have observed your storm at sea this evening and have observed the waves subside. I have seen you assume your place upon your lily pad and assume, too, the lotus blossom that accompanies you in your sphere. And now we sit in the larger pond altogether, in the living waters indeed, appreciating the lull of tranquility in the waters that have been purified of the algae and stagnancy of non-action.

We are now free to commence the art of communication, and so I have made my appearance as a Morontia Companion and for those of you who are not familiar with a Morontia Companion, you may read about us in your text. We are companions; we are companionable. We are not full of advisements. We are not here to teach or preach, but to companion you.

Now, the art of communication between mortals is a hard art to develop. Your culture has given us a panoramic cinema of engagements to observe and wonder at, but only as you elevate your awareness of reality into those realms of morontia reality that is that level of mental appreciation that abuts and bridges the realms of the spirit, can you appreciate the full nature of a morontia communication and at that time begin to appreciate and savor the concept of the association of a Morontia Companion such as myself.

It is not, at this point in your evolution, a diet you would choose to have night and day, for it is still desirable that you have some agitation and tumult in your emotional realms, as it is a natural part of growth that these throes take place. You splash in the water as you make these changes. It is necessary. It is only when you have allowed these things to subside that your appreciation for a morontia communication or association is appropriate and allowed.

These kinds of communications will continue, advance, accumulate and increase as time goes by. It is our hope, our purpose, our intention, in exposing you to some of our personality aspects, that you will find a certain degree of dignity and poise and ease of being, that you will find a morontial way of life enticing and comforting.

In your association with your teachers, both a personal and a group teacher activate you in terms of your growth -- your cosmic, emotional, intellectual, psychic and so forth growth -- but when you associate with a Companion, you are not striving, you see, you are being and sharing your being with others who also know how to be.

I will come back and visit you another time. It has been a pleasure and a rare occasion for me to express myself this way. Adieu.

TOMAS: Merium, as my colleague, I am eager to hear from you and to hear your remarks to the class regarding our associate and any other remark that you would make.

MERIUM [Hunnah]: Good evening, everyone. I hesitate to introduce myself in the evening talks because I like to hear Tomas and I like to hear him say it all, and then when he winds down, then I'm allowed to come in. Hunnah plays Scrabble with a friend and she likes to be second also; it gives her something to build upon, and I would like to take this evening's sorrows and make a little fire out of them, and we will burn them, but not without knowledge of the fact that there are growth lessons in all relationships.

My dear, do not hasten your feelings. Be kind to yourself. Get your rest and treat yourself the way you would treat someone else or you would want to be treated. There are times when we need a little pampering and this is a loss for you, and it requires some tender patience, so just know that you are not alone and that the picture will look pretty to you again in the not too far future.

I do not feel inclined to give a lesson because I can see the maturity that is here in this gathering, but I would like to expound and take advantage of something Gerdean talked about regarding loving many. You are designed to love, to interact, to remember the good times, and to be considerate. You are allowed to have pleasant memories and moments of remorse. You have feelings and you should allow yourself to know that it is good and that they have to be expressed.

There will be a form of grieving. Grieving can take place in changing jobs, in relocating. There are many reasons to grieve because the human condition likes to have things in control, and I want you to be patient with yourself. Tolerance has been the fruitage in this group -- tolerance, acceptance, understanding.

Hunnah was telling a friend recently about this group and said that she was enriched because "if we hadn't gone beyond the superficial niceties of getting along and having The Urantia Book material in common, we would not have become empathetic in a healthy way."

There is always a continuous challenge of fear in the human condition, fear of change, and it is not a welcome guest. It is turning and going backwards. You have all been exercised in the subject of trust. Trust is a forever lesson. Trusting that which you truly believe in, from On High, like the powerful structure of your consciousness as it has been developed, you cannot see the strides which you have made. You have gone from house to temple. You have gone from the clutter of an interior home to the beauty of the inner temple. As usual I will continue to spend more time there.

I am inclined to ask you for a question this evening, but it is all right not to have one. [No response] Could we have quiet for a while, please? I feel that we are being brought into preparation. Shall we be quiet?

MERIUM: In the Thursday gathering, Hunnah asked to be allowed to read the 13th Chapter of Corinthians -- and it was an amusing discovery that a proper Bible was not available, and we did not decide that this was a growth or error, but it simply was not available -- so she asked that the group read the 13th chapter of Corinthians as homework. I am going to ask you, who did not attend that group, to read this chapter because if you do, it will give you a fresh perspective of what your destiny contains.

Humans are so used to doing things and then giving a report on how it was done. Our lessons are about the recipe of simply Being. B-e-i-n-g. Being yourself. Friendships and companionships, the backdrop of familiar faces, come and go, but being yourself can only continue to develop. Every situation that comes into your life is an opportunity for you to redefine and allow yourself to be in and with a new situation. If you are living in a situation that seems stagnant, then you are allowed to ask to have us stir the waters and revitalize your ability to appreciate that which you have, and it is on-going even though it appears to be at a very slow pace.

The 13th Chapter in this Letter to the Corinthians will bring forth an attitude of you that you can carry out into your daily life. It is true in your human condition that you need to vent and you need to stand firm for your principles and your definition of what is to be and what is not to be. This homework will remind you just what you are about, and that when changes come into your life, as startling as those that have been discussed this evening, that means that you have an opportunity to be free to develop and become what you might not otherwise be allowed to do if you were bonded to your situation that has been at hand for a long time.

Relationships can become a corral and they are not (meant) to be. They are to be fluid and graceful and supportive and generous. Watch yourselves for negativity. It is like stale air; it will leave you ill and you will be gasping for breath. Nip it in the bud. I sound like Abby, but I would really like to throw the windows open and have you rejoice at your very being here together, that you are in a place that you understand what a candle light represents.

We love you when you're happy and we love you when you're sad and we love you when you're full of foolishness or filled with questions or chasing away inertia.

TOMAS: This is your trusty companion Tomas and I have in mind to take you on two trips, and the first trip that I would like to take you on is a trip to the Everglades. This is a trip that I have been on before, and I have spoken of the Everglades as the equivalent of the emotional realms. The Everglades are quite fascinating, quite dangerous, quite beautiful, very deadly, exhilarating, incomparable, sticky and any number of descriptive adjectives and they are very much like the emotional realms.

If and when you go into the Everglades, it is well to have a guide. Indeed now you know that you have your personal teachers that can go with you. Most of you do not know you have been to the Everglades until you have come Home and are safely on shore, whereupon you look back in your movie at your photographs of visual imagery and realize where you have been and it is your personal teacher then who can help you interpret what you have seen and what you have experienced.

After you have become familiar with the Everglades, that is to say, after you have been there a time or two, you become adept at navigating your way through the many, many variations of this terrain. You learn how to avoid the quicksand and the quagmire of many feelings that will suck you down and gobble you up. You will learn when to grab hold of a vine and swing across, as compared to when it is free for you to jump and swim in realization of the safety of the water -- or is it filled with crocodiles?

The sticky aspects of the Everglades is reminiscent in your frame of reference to a humid place filled with mosquitoes and other little gnats and bugs and you are all certainly familiar with the gnats and bugs of life, those irksome irritations that do not amount to a great lot worthy of an emotional pique, but are so irksome over a period of time they are enough to cause you to have a tantrum. This is an aspect of the Everglades -- the emotional realms.

The wisdom of having been to the Everglades on a number of occasions and having learned how to traverse the path, allows you then to go there well-equipped. You have now your knife, your rope, your knapsack, your boots and your know how to deal with life as it is lived in the dense humidity of the Everglades of Urantia, of the human experience, and now equipped with your insect repellent and so forth, you can enjoy the path.

You know where to step. You know what will hold and what will give and where to sit and have lunch. You can enjoy the incredible music of the many voices: the birds, the croakings, the crickets, the 'gaters, the snapping, the buzzing, the howling -- all of these incredible noises that you are familiar with on your planet are echoes of the Everglades. The colors, the smells, the richness, the pungency, the fragrance, the aromas, the greenery, the vibrant flowers, flora and fauna, the incredible wonders for the senses are all part of the emotional Everglades.

And in this paradise, safe from the 'gaters and the skeeters, you can enjoy your life immensely, and even learn how to be a guide for others who, in their naivete and their innocence, blunder in for an adventure and find themselves up to their neck in quicksand.

I bring this analogy to your attention because you are emotional creatures, and it is not for you to avoid an emotional state, but to appreciate that it is an emotional state and that you are guided in and through your experiences, and as you master your life and your experiences, realizing that you will come out on the other end of the 'glades in one piece, that you can enjoy the adventure, it makes it much, much easier, you see, to appreciate that you are a dual nature being.

Your indwelling Thought Adjuster, your God fragment, your spirit guide inside, is the one with the experience, is the one who can help you go through this emotional morass without succumbing to the many toxins and bug bites available. The animal of you is that which hurts, is that which runs to eat the fruit that will poison you, that sees the berries and gobbles them up before realizing they will upset your stomach, the many, many things that the human will do in a realm such as the Everglades without knowledge, without guidance.

And so as you walk through the experience of an emotional Everglade of life, take your Guide with you, and ask Him to sense for you whether you should step here and if you should step there. Should you step quickly? Should you stand and rest here? Or should you move on before it sinks, before it moves underneath your feet? Only your internal Guide knows for sure, and inasmuch as you are in for an adventure in this existence, and in your many existences to come, you will be provided the occasion, the opportunity to experience as much and more than you would like, as long as you are in a learning mode and enjoying the process.

I would like to also take you on another trip and this trip is not to the Everglades but it is into another realm of the imagination. It is into (and perhaps you can help me in this one, Merium) it is into your own superconsciousness that allows you to make contact with your own spirit guide, into a mode of reflection and meditation that provides a universe of sensitivity and it is all behind your closed eyelids.

It is not in the emotional realms, not in the Everglades of existence. It is not "out there" but it is inside. Remember it is said that The Father dwells within you and that to attain Paradise, you go inward and upward. What does that mean? I will ask you now to come with me into those interior realms of reality that will enable you to make contact with your own spirit guides and find that firm footing on the realm of spirit reality that will keep you from sinking into quagmires of emotional unreality and difficulty.

The practice of stillness, as we have discussed many times, is a practice of stilling the body and, as the Companion spoke earlier, in your emotional state your waves are splashing on shore and you are not in stillness, you are not at peace. Occasionally you will allow yourself a steady ripple as if you were seeing a faucet drip into your pool and it was just enough movement to keep the pool alive, feeling that you had attained Stillness, adequate Stillness, for by comparison, see how quiet it is! You can barely, barely ascertain that there is a ripple. Only you know that you have not truly attained Stillness.

In order to attain this at-oneness that is effective, you need to become perfectly, perfectly, still. Physically quite stone still. Do not allow the Stillness to frighten you, and you must not think of it as being bored. It is en route to a rapturous adventure in the cosmic realms of your morontial existence.

After you have become perfectly still, you will feel certain physical realities, you will be aware that you feel grounded, that your limbs feel heavy. Your sense may be that you feel warmth. There are any number of side effects, physical side effects from Stillness, all of which are beneficial to your health, all levels of your health.

We have experimented here before wherein you feel that your mind is not willing to hold still and yet it is imperative that you allow your mind to learn Stillness, for as long as your mind is churning, you might as well be dropping water into the pool.

It has been said in your psychological realms that self-mastery involves mind over matter, and this is true, but that is not all there is. In order to attain full self-mastery and attain full-fledged Stillness, contact with divinity, person-to-person, you must allow for spirit over mind over matter. And now you have, as you say, your ducks in a row. Your spirit can accommodate you if you give your spirit permission to take over your willful mind and assure your willful mind that it can resume its adventure as soon as you have had a moment with The Father.

This place of Stillness is vast. It is as large as the cosmos. As vast as space. It goes all the way to Paradise. I am not going to encourage you to go surfing on the cosmic Internet, no. I am going to encourage you to stay here, for it does no good for Urantia to have you playing in the fields of the Lord in Orion or Sagittarius. It serves more purpose for you to begin to understand how it is that you have a relationship with the First Source and Center that accompanies you night and day.

Your relationship with the First Source and Center is your key to your understanding the purpose of your life and in finding supreme happiness in your life. Not the happiness that you feel that you will find when you go into the Everglades, no, but the happiness that you will find when you go into Stillness with The Father, when you sit in His presence and obediently await His time and His prompts and His direction for you in your life. He will tell you how to feel; He will tell you what to do; He will tell you where to be. His is the agenda of eternity.

It will make you happy, children, if you but believe that you have a right to know happiness. It is only your reluctance to know this sublime happiness that interferes with your attaining it.

MERIUM: Bravo. Well done, Tomas. Well done. You do not need any ruffles or curtains on that wonderful discourse.

Perhaps we need to close. Brother Michael has been in the wings. He wants you to know He cares very much for your little group and He is joyous at the prospect of companioning you more because you have learned to invite Him. I think you have plenty to tend to and we should recess, then, if it's all right with you, Tomas.

TOMAS: It has been a pleasure to be with you this evening. Be at peace, little ones, devoted flock. Anticipate the wonders of the days ahead wherein you will observe the Everglades of your surroundings, the cacophony of sounds of the birds and the beasts of the realm, and understand that you may step firmly upon the lily pad of your faith and you will not fall for He is with you.

It is a comfort to be with you this evening. I say "a comfort," for I have sat back in my easy chair and seen your comfort and closeness with each other and have found great comfort and joy in your friendship, in your feminine bonding processes. Indeed your sharing this evening is exemplary and would that all womankind could know such sisterhood of the spirit and the flesh.

Your own personal teachers are rejoicing in the revelations of the evening, in your emotional unfolding and in your spiritual refreshment. We did also enjoy your progression into the dry, high ground of spirit reality when you had emerged from the lowlands of the emotional condition. Well done, one and all.

I would like to offer my greetings to Merium who is here with us and to your individual personal teachers as well. It is apparent, even to those of us who are without clocks, that your evening has already been replete, and by your standards it is altogether late. I also know that there are a couple of questions in the jar and well may be some on the lip, and so I will ask you if there are questions, and I will open the door to admit any of your personal teachers if indeed you have a specific question. It is late and we really ought not be visiting superfluously but making use of the rare time we have left. Are there questions you would direct to any of us this evening? We are all here in readiness to be of support and assistance.

Leah: I would like to know -- and if Jay-Orzh would care to answer that would be excellent -- if I am being properly forthright in my discourse with my husband. What little there is.

JAY-ORZH: Yes, I am here, my precious. I am your companion, Jay-Orzh. Good evening, all of you. I am pleased to be here with you and truly honored to be asked to speak on-line. I would like to make certain for you, my dear, as to your desirability of having this be on the record.

Leah: That all depends on what you're going to say! If it's overwhelming, we'll just edit it.

JAY-ORZH: I will not overwhelm you, I am certain. You ask if you are being appropriately forthright. I will say this about that: I am in deep admiration of your sincerity, and one cannot ask more of an individual but that they be sincere, for in your sincerity you are as forthright as the soul can be, and all the true needs will be taken care of in this childlike sincerity.

You have approached your friend, with whom you have shared a great portion of your life -- a significant time and an important role -- with poise and equanimity. Your divine nature has enabled you to be incredibly mature through this very emotional process, while at the same time, the human being has been able to honestly peruse the character make-up involved.

You are doing fine. You are going through one of the most difficult passages in the life of any mortal being: the alteration of a major and meaningful relationship. There are so many who would offer you psychological portraits for you to study, and each of these sketches will present, no doubt, an interesting portrayal of the situation for your perusal, but your own core reality will see most clearly the path ahead for you.

You must trust the Master, my child. You must! And I am aware that I am saying that word: must. Hold out your hand and ask him to lead you through this maze, for you are not equipped to walk this journey alone. Do not . .. correction. (One moment) Merium instructs me that I am not to sound like one of your well-meaning friends who has painted yet another picture for you to follow. I will paint you, then, the only picture that we can paint in these circumstances, and that is to hold the hand of the Master and to not exclude him from your processes.

I am working with you night and day, my child. I am with you always. I have been in your psyche and in your heart, working with you on those issues and those feelings that you are relieved to release. We are making giant steps together. Be patient. Be kind to yourself and to your friend and remember to allow the Great Friend to hold your hand throughout the entire process, indeed throughout eternity.

I would like you to know that I am with you. I am glad that you have sought me this evening in words that I might convey to you that you can hear through another with your own ears that I am with you. I am not a product of your imagination. I am not a phantom of your psyche. I am your spirit helper, and I care deeply for your unfolding.

These growth experiences such as this one will launch you into greater dependence upon the Greater Reality. You will begin to perceive more and more your dependence upon the Lover, the Bridegroom. You will need more and more to feel His divine embrace. Walk firmly on your path, child. I am with you, and we will leave that which is past behind, in faith and hope of tomorrow.

Yes, and yes. You are infinitely loved. You are warmly embraced. I kiss your brow. I stroke your hair. I am so close to you. We are so close to each other. You are so well loved and so treasured for your beingness. Your sincerity is getting you into heaven, and these decisions that you are making -- these very, very difficult and soul-wrenching decisions -- are helping you also to clarify your own purpose and your own path in light and in life.

TOMAS: I convey to you that we are all glad to be here and we are all glad to be with you, daughter and sister.

Erata, your teachers' name . .. [some delay and confusion on the part of the T/R] You may call your teacher . .. You [Erata] are Erata. Heath is your male companion. Wheat is your female companion.

TOMAS: You are welcome. Your teachers are jubilant. I might say they are waving! How delightful. Añiela, have you forgotten your friend Philomena?

PHILOMENA: Añiela, my child, my heart runs to greet you. You are so precious to me, child. How I enjoy being with you and having time to spend speaking with you and playing with you. We do not spend enough time together. You must be with me more often. You are my best playmate, you know. You remind me of a child I once was, and it gladdens me to be invited into your life that we can share again our childhood joys.

There is a myth about sonship with God that I am calling to your attention, my sister, for we are indeed playmates, we are children. We do not have to grow up yesterday. We are entitled and allowed to take as much time as is necessary for us to grow our own religious experience. We do not have to have a lot of big words; we do not have to have a lot of complicated psychology or philosophy; we only need a firm belief that we are loved by our Friend, Jesus, by our Papa God. We are his rosy-cheeked children, free to bounce on his lap and know that he will see to it that we are raised according to his will and his purpose.

How delightful it is to be a child of God! Those who are in a hurry to grow up, to be of service, to do great works in his name, have our undying support and indeed we have our own moments of divine madness, but we -- you and I, Añiela -- are comrades in our own right, in our own time and space, and ought not worry about the growth of others. You and I are where we are supposed to be, except that I don't get to play with you as often as I'd like.

Be a good friend to me, my friend, and invite me into your life to play. You often go "to the movies." Can you sometimes come to my house and we can watch movies together that perhaps the Father created?

Añiela: I do have a question. I was wondering what my name, Annie-Ella meant.

PHILOMENA: I will tell you a little bit about your name. You are not pronouncing it right. It is not Annie as in Annie Oakley. It is not Yellah, like in the Yellah Rose of Texas. It is Añiela. It is like caramel; it is like froth on the waves; it is Ahn-niella. Añiela.

PHILOMENA: Añiela. It is a lovely name. It is a mantra, and it is not a little name. It is not Annie-Ella. It is Añiela. I don't know if I can convey to you what Añiela means, for it is who you are, it is who you will become, it is who you are becoming. Añiela. You are a daughter of divinity. You will be great. You will be creative. You will be a servant of many. You will be a singer and dancer of joy. You will be a handmaiden of the Lord and you will scamper in the heavenly fields with angels.

You will bring music and great comfort to millions of personalities throughout your existence. You are an untested and untried tribunal, yet you will develop and grow in so many, many ways. Much of who you are to become has not even yet been determined, for you are only a bud, you are only a little flower, but you will become great. You will be robust and spread your influence far and wide. These may not happen in this lifetime, Añiela, but in time, in the course of eternity, your name will be heard as harmony in the realms of space. Has that been helpful?

PHILOMENA: You are a lot, my friend. I am very happy to have you for my playmate. We will learn to play many wonderful games together. We will teach each other many things. I will teach you how to dance and then you can teach me how to fly.

I am always happy to be here with you in the format that you can hear my voice and sense my presence more readily than when I am around you and you are thinking of that which is in your material life and I am relegated to the shadow world of your imagination, but it has been fun today.

It has also been fun to be with my friend Jay-Orzh and to also be with Trieste and Adrian and now I am the companion of Wheat and Heath. It is wonderful. It is wonderful. If you could but see the many, many, many helpers, the many personalities that are even here, even now, your wonderful spirit companions and guides.

All you have to do is turn on your light and the entire universe reflects your reality by showing up and honoring your very presence. We are alive with love and laughter and we are glad to be here and we are glad to be acknowledged by you as you are glad to be acknowledged by us. Farewell my little darling, Añiela, until we speak again.

MERIUM: I am Merium. I am not going to miss out on a party such as this! How I love to see love affairs taking place, and how I enjoy being part of this love affair of the Butler Berry Teacher Base. How I love the love that comes from the Divine Minister and her Bridegroom. How I love the love that wafts down from Paradise and that rises up from the greatness of the smallest flower in creation. This universe is so wrought with love, you have no idea.

You cannot see the depth and breadth of the love, but consider the harmony of the seasons, consider the molecules of your storms, consider the veins in the leaves and tell me that you do not see living love, that the universe is constructed and organized in such a way as to manifest the symmetry and the choreography of Paradise, even all the way down into these dense realms of time and space.

You are a party to and an observer of an endless array of rendezvous. Indeed a love story in action. Have you observed how much love there is in your life? How much love there is available? In a gray day, look at the shades of gray. Look at the color, the balance of light and dark, the harmony of the branches and their shadow on the wall. See the movement of the wind. Hear the rustle of the leaves. Observe the movement of the clouds. All of this, all of this, is a love story for you. It is a creation for you. An environment for you.

You know, sometimes children will play. They will create a situation for their dolls or their pets. Sometimes -- I have seen little girls take their kitty cats or their puppy dogs and put dresses on them and put hats on them and make homes for them and treat them as if they were real babies; and they would hang umbrellas and they would put fruit on the table and in their imaginations they would create these incredible environments, and The Father has done just such a thing for you!

No, it's not that He has dressed you up like puppies, but He has put fruit on your table, He has put clothes on your back, He has put an environment around you and He shows you his love. He has given you a sky overhead and pillows for your head at night. How loved you are. Consider how loved you are and all the wonderful things you have to appreciate the fact that you are loved.

Your companions, the music you hear, the food you eat -- all of life is a love affair. If only everyone could appreciate that they are having a love affair with their very existence and that each was a reflection of the love affair that the other was having right next to them, everyone would realize that there was a love affair going on everywhere, with everyone! An infinite and eternal expression of divine affection and appreciation. Indeed, how we would dance and how we would sing.

You see, we do! We do for we realize that this is true. We work together, we appreciate the work of each other, and we appreciate the differences of each other, the creativity of the service of each other. It is remarkable, this universe that has been created. The love of the Father needs no testifying to for we experience it on a daily basis, but those of you who cannot see, who forget to realize, perhaps could use a reminder of how permeated this universe is with the love of Michael for his creation.

I love you, Tomas. I love the fact that I am here helping you. I am loving my experience in this assignment on Urantia. I love Urantia. I love my job. Isn't it wonderful! Yes.

TOMAS: I am Tomas and I tell you I love my colleague, and is it any wonder? She brings such a vivacious approach to my arena. I have enjoyed her companionship since even before she arrived, and this is another attitude that you might consider entertaining when you entertain how wonderful and how well loved you are in your life -- that there is yet another opportunity and experience around the corner, that you are yet unaware of, that you can be in love with already, before it even gets here, so that when it arrives, you will already know, you have been looking forward to it, because it is of The Father. It is life itself.

It is yet another experience in your ascension career. Another opportunity to express The Father's love. An opportunity to be The Father's love in action, and to know The Father's love from the gift . .. of service, to you and from you.

Well, my friends. We have had a full evening. You have certainly had a full evening. We have run the gamut you could say. We have trudged along in the quicksand, we have swung from a couple of vines, and we have plowed through some cerebral stimuli and danced on the clouds. Perhaps it is time to find that pillow and curl up upon it, knowing that we are loved. What say you kids, shall we go to bed now?

[Part of sharing included a reading of the October 4, 1997, Teacher Session from the Southeast Idaho Teacher Base in Pocatello.]

That was quite an exchange you had this evening. It was wonderful to hear you share. The confidence that has developed in all of you is acknowledging your true self and that which banks your fire. You have many embers to share on your daily journey.

How is it with you all? I know how it is! You are just chatterboxes who had a lot of sharing this evening. It pleases me to be back and to be able to say both "welcome" and "good-night" because you said you wanted to at least say "hello".

MERIUM: Can you feel the renewing of yourself this evening? Do you feel as if you have been fed? Have you been aware of the wonderful group that we have here with you? Have you been aware of the companioning that has been with you during your week in spite of the appearance of your yea and your nay moments? It is there. It will not abandon you. It will see you through the most tedious moments and it will spare you some wrenching moments, if necessary. If you stay in tune you will be allowed to take the short cuts that love allows. Our blessings even travel to the phone call, to the road that awaits you on the way home, and it is the sunshine of your tomorrow.

There are no pearls of wisdom to dent the human skull. There is just warmth and renewing this evening. You have been up on the rack for repairs: broken hearts, painful insides, releasing of memories that are no longer contributing anything fruitful. A clearing of your field. Hunnah was amused when someone asked her if she wanted to sell the laundry disc. She said, "Oh! A clearing agent!" Indeed.

I love to see you pick up the baton of the new definition. It brings satisfaction to you and it helps you to know that you are listening and you are very much united with your teacher when you are allowing yourself to do that. I just wanted to come in and give you an embrace. Tomas will say "hello" to you also. Be alert to the blessings of your days ahead and if you feel fears, remember we are here and will remind you of the truth of your being. Thank you. Tomas?

TOMAS: Thank you, Merium, for your visit with us this evening and for your font of joy and enthusiasm in the spirit for these daughters. I am not going to carry on this evening, either, since it is late in your time frame and you have already been well fed by your own relationships and by the words of our Father Melchizedek and the words of Teacher Daniel.

The experiment that you participated in, that Teacher Daniel brought to you will give you food for thought over time. I am going to encourage you to continue your investigations into your personal growth through your personal teachers. When you see "the tear in your persona and the light leaking through" call to your personal teacher and ask for assistance in mending the rip.

I greet your personal teachers this evening in appreciation for their steadfastness. It is not apparent to you, of course, how steadfast your teachers are. It is perhaps a close analogy to you to understand that your Thought Adjusters are always on duty, are never absent from you, are always working with you to spirit-ize your thinking. Many times you mortals are not even aware of your spiritual nature until such time as you leave Urantia and wake up in the Resurrection Hall, whereupon you become aware of the untiring efforts of your spirit helpers and become aware of the steadfast ministry of your Thought Adjuster which has waited your entire life for this moment, to greet you.

You who have become aware of your indwelling spirit guide, your Thought Adjuster in advance of your resurrection are indeed fortunate, and you have given your Thought Adjusters a great gift by your acknowledgement of them and their efforts on your behalf to spirit-ize your thinking. And there is a parallel here in your relationship with your personal teachers who are waiting in abeyance of your willingness and cooperation to work through those issues and those personal crimps and glitches that stand in the way of free-flow spirit within you and within your relationships with others.

The universe conspires to bring you into ways of perfection for your own joy, for the benefit of your peers in the flesh and in the spirit, indeed for The Father himself who would radiate his perfection further and further into the universe of time and space. And so this evening I acknowledge and honor your personal teachers. Are there questions this evening?

Erata: Sure. I want to know what "Erata" means. And also, could you give me an idea of what Wheat looks like.

TOMAS: One moment. I will tell you first, in discussing your name, that Gerdean is too aware of the similarity between your name, E-r-a-t-a and the word "erotic" and so I must apologize for her coloration here and try to set that aside. Your name indeed is, however, vibrant and wholesome. It is lively. These are representative of your personality, you see. When you say, "What does my name mean?" it means nothing without you, for you are the issue. You are that which has value and worth. It is you that has vibrancy, that has wholesomeness. It is you that is vibrant and is wholesome. And so these qualities, these and many, many more are manifested in your personality.

MERIUM: The celebratory nature of your joy is in essence part of this name. Your ability to rejoice and celebrate in the name of Him who created you. It is a lovely definition and should be received with great joy. It is a lovely name, Erata.

TOMAS: Indeed. It is celebratory and joyous. It is a dancing presence, as you are. Your reality along these lines will refine and grow and develop and yield fruits as time goes by. It is a delight to know you, even in your neonate state, for you show the promise of a very vibrant life, one which we look forward to as it develops, as you develop in your work with your indwelling God fragment. Your personal teachers. You asked about them. You want to know what does your female teacher look like.

TOMAS: I will tell you that she looks different to me than she looks to you because we see with different perceptions. I do not see her with your human eyes. I will tell you what I see when I look at her. I will tell you in ways that your eyes cannot see but your mind might understand. I see her as golden; I see her as free; I see her as well-grounded; and yet I see her wafting in perfection. Now this is an interpretation that can be applied to the grain, wheat. It is grounded and yet free; it is golden and fruitful. These are attributes of your female teacher.

You may look at her and see a field of wheat and that would be symbolically a picturization of your spirit helper, your personal teacher, and it would suffice as well as it would if you were to apply your own appreciation of a persona. You may see her then with hair the color of golden wheat and with eyes as blue as a summer sky. You may see her fruitful and radiant, ripe and pink-cheeked. You have envisioned her a trifle too formally and stiffly when you see her as a shampoo or hair spray commercial; she is not a Breck girl, she is much freer than that. You would not find your personal teacher wearing hair spray; her hair is floating like the wind, and so you may loosen up your understanding of how it is that she and you can associate together.

She is like the wind, truly, and can embrace you even into your inner reality. It is not that she is outside of you and apart from you, for since she is aware of your inner reality, both your psychic (your emotional) reality and your spiritual reality, she can come and go into these realities as you allow her and is not limited to standing outside of you, as if she were a mortal friend, you see.

TOMAS: You have asked a very good question, and your learning this process is already begun and will continue, even throughout eternity, but your relationship with your personal teachers will develop if you work toward this end in such a way as to provide you with endless companionship and inexpensive therapy for a long time to come.

It is primarily in the deep mind that the teachers make contact with you. You may find the trigger point in your psyche or in your emotional realms, but their true work will take you into the realms of the soul, for in there you have the nurturance of spirit to comfort you as you work through your human processes of personality development.

Allow for time for this process and trust that it is a reality. If you make light of their existence, your relationship will be ineffectual, but if you allow yourself the opportunity to accept their assistance, and if you realize the growth that they will lead you into, you will realize how invaluable as associates and companions they are. Begin then to trust and you will see. You will begin to perceive their work with you, for you will see the improvement in yourself as proof of their efforts.

You may carry on discourse with them. You may develop this through the journaling process. It's a good place to start. You might want to think in terms of carrying on discourse with your inner child; that is a good way to find your teachers.

Leah: Tomas, could you give a clarification? When you first spoke about Erata's teacher, you made a statement and you said something like, "I see her wafting . .. in perfection? or imperfection?"

TOMAS: I gather that from a picture of a perfect summer day, with the wind blowing through a field of wheat and a summer sky overhead. This view of perfection is, to me, a personification, if you will, of a personal teacher. A personal teacher will not lead you into dark shadows unless, of course, there is a lesson therein to be learned.

TOMAS: I can, for this may give you even more insight into the in-depth work of a personal teacher. A teacher, in order to show you a true lesson, may lead you into a dark alley of human experience for you to see how to behave or how to relate, how to choose or how to identify, in a way that manifests greater wisdom and God-consciousness than the way heretofore taken.

Let me put it this way: you have learned certain lessons by way of your life experiences. Through your conditioning you have been taught certain values, you have therefore made certain decisions based upon what you have been taught by imperfect humankind. As you have given yourself over to be brought up anew ("behold all things are becoming new"), you are being raised now by your Father in heaven, your Mother in the spirit and not [by] imperfect earthly vessels.

In being reared by The Father you may need to relearn that lesson and so you may be brought to re-experiencing that point wherein the lesson was originally learned so that you can/may make another decision under the guidance now of higher reality, greater reality; and so if this has been an experience or a lesson that you learned under stress, under duress, under difficult circumstances (and shall we call it a dark alley of life), you may be brought again into a visitation in that dark alley of life to see the circumstances, the existential circumstances, that now give you an opportunity to ask The Father how He would have you go.

He may not have you go, you see, in the way that your human way would have you go, and so you are being brought up anew. You are learning the better way. But many times, in order to find the better way, you need to see where it was that you made that decision to take the lesser way. And so your personal teacher, you may trust, will go with you if and when it is necessary to take you to that point wherein you may make a new decision for the betterment of all concerned. Has that been clarifying?

TOMAS: I reiterate that your personal teacher knows perfection and would have you go there also, but as you have imperfections that can be healed, behavioral imperfections that can be healed through your decision-making processes, they may help you make a new decision. Trust the process that they are helping you and that you will benefit from the experience and from their guidance.

Those of you who have two teachers, as compared to one, are still in line for the same personal guidance, but there may be some additional external work that you will be doing and so you have that other teacher as a counterpart to the internal work that your personal teacher will do with you. I would like to say, in that context then, that if you are in line to alter your course significantly, you can ask for and be given another guide to accommodate you in your ventures.

TOMAS: Let me, as an example, reference Gerdean's teachers, Trieste and Adrian. Adrian is an external guide; he leads her into public places and public situations. His is more of a public ministry guidance than Trieste's which is very much personal ministry guidance. Trieste works on Gerdean's inner psyche, emotional twists and so forth, in order to clarify her thinking and her feeling. But Adrian is outside of her and relates more to her path, you see, her ventures outside of herself.

Now Hunnah is adequately associated with Jasmine, for her exterior efforts are not at issue here. If she were to alter her course, if her course were to be altered and she found herself into external/ exterior ventures, she could be given another associate, a male guide, if it were necessary. As it is, you see, it is not necessary, for that is not part of her path. Her path is well tended to with Jasmine. Do you see what I'm saying?

TOMAS: By and large, yes they are. They are personality perfectors; and a personality is integral to your inner life. Yes. Your personal teachers work with your personality.

TOMAS: It is not a simple matter of asking and receiving. There needs to be a purpose. It needs to be approved, of course, but if it is necessary, if it is needed, it is immediate. There are many among you on Urantia who have only begun their spiritual path; they are not even ready yet for a personal associate, but there are those who are waiting in line to come and help, and when they reach a certain point, the teacher will come to them. Some have been with their mortal for a long time already. There is no hard and fast pattern.

There are different personalities; there are different degrees of experience; there are differing degrees of Adjuster experience; there are many, many factors involved in how it is that you relate to your personal teachers and guides. And of course, as you would say, there are always exceptions to the rule, but by and large your personal teacher is assigned to you and associates with you in order to help you perfect your personality presence, and it goes from there.

Leah: Erata was asking if a request could be made for a male. It isn't necessarily male, is it? I mean, there's probably androgyny sometimes, or . ...

TOMAS: This is very true. This is very true. In fact it is erroneous to assume that the male always is the exterior and external teacher in the field. I have to say, along these lines, that there are male mortals who have female teachers. There are women mortals who have male teachers. Elyssia has a male teacher and Roland has a female teacher, and so it depends upon the constitution of the mortal and what their needs are and what their destiny is. I trust that The Father knows what He is doing.

Leah: Well, I would like to ask, if it is The Father's will, that I have an additional teacher or companion or compliment to Jay-Orzh, that I receive that, if it's in the destiny, or however you say it. If it's just a matter of my requesting it, I can use all the help I can get!

TOMAS: I understand your situation and I am not the one to send up the request but it is certainly noted that you would like to have extra assistance and if it is in keeping with His will, I am certain you will be made aware of the new presence and one which is situationally associated with Leah, yes.

ALKANON: Has it not been said, "Seek and ye shall find. Ask and it shall be given unto you"? I am assertive, am I not? I am assigned to you. I am Alkanon and I have been in the wings, as you might say. I have been awaiting our meeting. Your personality presence is part of my awareness, has been for some time. You are assigned to me and I to you. Jay-Orzh and I are already well acquainted and have been prepared to conjoin in our efforts in working with you, daughter of the realm. Your new circumstances and the growth that will evolve as a result of your new freedoms will give rise to yet new decisions, adventures, opportunities, responsibilities and occasions, indeed, to call upon higher and more assistance and direction, and so we are glad to provide these needs on behalf of you, Leah, son of God, daughter of the Lord.

MERIUM: Hunnah is aware of Alkanon and came through at the very mention of the name and she wants me to tell you that he bears the gift of discernment and courage, and that you will be thrilled as he brings you to an experience of harvesting that quality that is yours. It will have a timely expression in you and there are many of the virtues of strength and goodness that are about to make themselves known, dear. You are indeed blessed to have such a champion at your beck and call.

TOMAS: How is it that we are so fortunate to have such an assembly in four humble women such as yourselves? It is because of our Father/Brother Michael who has such deep love for his children and is so generous in his care and overcontrol and concern for his workers in the field. The work is in earnest and it is you who have heeded the call, that have great challenges ahead, and it is truly to our benefit that you are assisted and that you are aware of how much help and direction and guidance you are given. It is not for naught that we are here, that the circuits have opened and that the circuits of your minds are being pummeled with spirit pulses of awakening energies in order that we may elevate, and as quickly as possible, the slumbering dragon of Urantia. "Dragon" appears to connote negative pictures and so I will delete the word dragon. I do not mean to . .. revelations . ..

MERIUM: Tomas, I must comment. Perhaps we can make our dragon very much like the Barney the children have made a dinosaur into a friend. Dragon is not understood in this hemisphere, but in this case, we may Barney-fy it.

TOMAS: I am glad we have the ability to expand definition. There are so many ways of looking at things. It is unfortunate that humans or other life forms become so limited that they see only one point of view. It is a constant effort now to keep that door open to the farther view.

Let me now make my way out of here. I am always glad to be with you and always fascinated by the results of the evening. No matter how it is that we come in the door, it is always a pleasure to visit with you and a source of discourse and amazement and stimuli when we leave and discuss our evening among each other. It is our privilege and pleasure to know you, to work with you and to help you advance in your spirit reality. Merium?

MERIUM: Well, I was just getting my fun and games box out, but it is late and that reminds me to remind you that you must allow some portion of your day to be playful. The other evening Hunnah played monopoly with Ruth and Iyana and it was so hilarious that was almost shocking to Hunnah because she had not laughed in that manner for so long. Do not let yourself forget to laugh and play and allow the opportunity to be a beholder of play as well as the wonderment of solution.

You have all gone around like detectives with your spy glasses looking for the next clue of how to solve the dilemma at hand, and I'm going to ask you to turn your magnifying glass over, turn your hat around or wear it sideways, and go out into the day like a cockeyed optimist, knowing fully that there is pleasure at hand, so it pleases me that I can close this evening with this playful attitude because it is a balancing for the human condition.

Hunnah recalls the precious words of the prophet Edgar Casey who said that humor is the hinge on the door of life, and believe me, we won't have the cartoon dragon carrying around the oil can, not to make more fire, but to keep your hinges well oiled, and I hope you will have a lovely report for us the next time we come together. Blessings to you all and may you have a precious sleep.

Leah: I thank you both for your assistance, but I want to ask: will I have this discourse with Alkanon like I do with Jay-Orzh?

GROUP: Hunnah, Donna, Gerdean, Añiela and Erata. [The sharing was dominated by "shop talk" and concerns regarding the working environment]

MERIUM: This is Merium. I am going to go ahead and greet you because I just love to come to be with the girls, and Tomas will be along any moment. I am enthusiastic because we have a new guest. I am enthusiastic because each of you has come, because you want to be renewed and strengthened. I am enthusiastic because I am about the Father's business, just as you are, and even though in your physical realm and at the state of consciousness that you have attained you do this in partial knowing and partial understanding, your loyalty is not overlooked nor is your trust, because in your heart of hearts you know that this is the living waters. We have the fountain and we are allowed to be filled of the thirst that has not been recognized and the thirst that is evident can both be satisfied. We are your friends and we wish to share the challenges of your day as well as your celebration. Are you ready Tomas?

TOMAS: I am here. Indeed, I am delighted to be here with you all and to play leapfrog with my colleague, Merium, who has launched already upon a large lily pad. I am delighted to be here and extremely pleased to feel the very real presence of our new friend. What a delight you are, child. It is refreshing to feel God's presence within you and in the course of time you will recognize the essence of your own God-consciousness to the delight of your own reality and the refreshment of the souls that you serve. We have awaited your arrival as we await the arrival of all those who wait in abeyance of the Lord. Waiting upon His time is one of the greatest arts in the art of living.

We are going to carry on again, I can tell, and yet before we launch upon any lessons and/or questions, I am going to step aside and allow for a recess that you may touch base with each other and understand the process so that we can continue if you are inclined and we are certainly eager to embark upon our agenda for the evening and so do hurry back, dear friends. We are in recess.

TOMAS: I am Tomas; I am back. I have an analogy for you, a picture of a train going down the track and your cars, each one connected to the other, have been rattling along and tearing up the countryside, seeing many scenes pass by swiftly. But now that you have gone around the bend, so to speak, I can appreciate the energy involved in that locomotive and stream of cars that are carrying good will and good goods across the continent. Indeed, across town, at least.

Your material energies and your emotional aspects are indeed mortal aspects, and they are understandably aspects that we in the more ethereal realms are not fettered with. You will excuse my personal jubilance at not having to be subjected any longer to the electro-chemical system of mortal existence. I am personally glad to be out of the realm of material life, but I want you to know in full appreciation of your mortal condition, that when I was a mortal, I attacked it with gusto, much as you attack your lives with gusto.

I had an adventurous family and rambunctious boys, a liberated wife, a demanding career that took me into fascinating realms of research and, indeed, lifestyle on occasion, and so I fully understand the involvement of the material and mortal existence. You, indeed, must also be in understanding of yourself in your mortal realm and what it is that you do with your awareness.

It is perhaps fair to admonish you all that the work is wonderful and necessary and fulfilling in a number of regards. In the beginning and the middle and the ending, the work is important. But remember children that you are important, too, for you are the individuals who will serve one another into eternity. Your friendships are important; your relationships are important; your time with the Father is important; your very lives are important. And so, appreciate yourselves as well as the work you do.

The truth is that play is my preferred approach, and one thing that my colleague Merium has brought with her and impressed me with is the aspect of play. You know, for those of you who don't know us well or who have not known us a long time, Merium was a very playful mortal, basically a play-girl at heart, and a child at play, and even now she continues to embellish her assignment here as if it were yet another stage performance, another recital or ballet performance, and regards the entire matter of enlightenment as fun and games. But I have begun to realize the merit of this celebratory attitude and so I will commend her approach, even though I insist upon my own more pedantic and, if you will, mature approach, but the fact of enjoying your life and even your work is of paramount importance.

It goes back, if you will, to the fruits of the spirit and that one in particular of loving service. If you serve out of a sense of obligation it is a duty and not a joy and it loses its savor and is not fit for consumption, so I would urge you to continue to enjoy your involvements, indeed, to find your life as playful as possible, as enjoyable as you can, for there are many, many things in the world that are enjoyable. Even in difficult circumstances there are things to remind you of the wonders of creation and the beauty of God, and so I will not carry on but allow for that tidbit in response for your almost overwhelming energetic outpouring having to do with your employment and other types of work. It is my response; no moral intended.

MERIUM: The outpourings. I welcome the outpourings because they can hear themselves talk, just as Hunnah did this evening when suddenly she had this light bulb going off and she had the magnifying glass in her hand looking at the wrong place. When she was a little girl they played a game at home called "hide the thimble" and in a sense you have hidden thimbles of misunderstanding within yourselves and it is your instinct, your human instinct, to go looking for the loss, for the cause of whatever is hidden within yourself, but I am here to help you, with my friend Tomas, to remind you that you are indeed a new and living creation and as these little flaws are discovered in the movement of consciousness, they will be tossed aside, and if they have caused things to be in disarray, they will also be renewed, whether it is through the help of many, one, or an attitude.

So when the Master said, "My yoke is easy, my burden is light" he truly meant it, and he meant it in such a way that he wanted you to be lifted into the understanding that he had when he made these words, because this is a little bit also like the expression "effortless effort." When you tend and care for something that you love, you do not expect that which you have created to be burdened with the tending of a creation that is of another level of awareness.

Remember we were talking about the light coming through! [Editor's note: Teacher Daniel's 10/4/97 exercise] You are not makers of light, you are light! So you do not need your first aid kit to take care of these rends, you will be beholders who will discover that the rend is being made whole, and that you have one job and one job only and then you become, as you said, addicted to it, and that is to the celebrating of the wonderment of the reality of your life as you discover it anew each day.

If you have had one experience, then you can be like the cock-eyed optimist and say, "I know there will be another! I know. I have experienced this one and there will be many more and I will be looking forward to finding them," like berry pickers, not worried, just confident. So you will be approaching your day in confidence and that which was formed in you before the Christ consciousness entered you to your awareness, these are the tears that will be left and you will not concern yourself.

I am pleased that you had the conversation that you had and that you are able to recognize the joyous appreciation that you feel within yourself. Hunnah has a friend who wrote poetry and there was one line which is outstandingly remembered; she has used it often: "An appreciation dawned in me." You all, several times a day perhaps, have had a moment of "appreciation dawned in me," and that is your new career. That is your real work! To allow appreciation to dawn in you and to let the new words come with it, the new interpretations, the new empathetic understandings, the new largeness of your soul.

And another line in poetry which is appropriate at this moment is: "And no one ever knew!" You have this inner housekeeping, but it is not a bucket and scrub brush type of housekeeping; it is a discovering of a living inheritance that is yours. It will be as if you had a hundred thousand dollars in the bank, but no one ever knew to tell you that you had it! As in when you discovered you had access to that which you had need of. You would know how to respond and allow it to come to you, and it will come, your provision, in a timely way. But of course it is the human nature to suppose, imagine and then forever be distracted, so all I really wanted to say is that you do have a new career, one of beholding how loved and how provided for you really and truly are.

And I sound now like something that happened -- Hunnah gave a book to a man and he handed it back and he said, "I have read that man's books before. He speaks of the same thing all the time." Well, I am a bit like that author. I am related to the author. But we do talk about the same thing all the time, but it is a tireless and a wealth of joy to speak of what it is like to live in the kingdom.

I love you so much. You are so individual. If you put a hundred people in a room, I would say, "I love you so much. You are so uniquely individual." Not only in your humanness, but in your completeness. So enjoy your surprises as you serve the One Source. Thank you, Tomas.

TOMAS: Thank you, Merium. And thank you, you who have come to listen to us and now how may we serve you? Are there questions?

TOMAS: However, I cannot tell you for I have not been there. I have not yet attained Paradise. I am ascending. I am still within the confines of this local universe. I have not yet extended my growth into the superuniverse at large, much less approached the shores of Paradise, but I, like you, have heard that it is wondrous indeed, and I, like you, eagerly look forward to a time when I will arrive there, but I cannot tell you.

Erata: [Papers shuffling] This teaches me to write my questions down, I think.

TOMAS: There are some very, very simple lessons in life that are so very, very difficult of learning, one of which is to make a note of it and then not to lose the note.

Erata: Yes. I guess I was reading the phenomenon of death and the Adjusters after death and how all that all takes place.

TOMAS: I do have some understanding of that, inasmuch as I have experienced it and I have beheld it on a number of occasions. That is, I have beheld the roll call. Is that what you're talking about?

Erata: Well, I was kind of wondering. Is it more if we progress further in our understanding, maturity, and acceptance of what we must do? When we do die, could we find ourselves further into the different places, working our ways towards Paradise? You know what I mean?

TOMAS: I understand your question, child, yes, thank you. I have many things that I could say in that context. I need to ascertain what would satisfy you without ruining your appetite. I will, however, say that, yes, whatever you can accomplish here toward developing your morontia reality will certainly augment your status after you arrive in Mansonia. After you have resurrected, you will be assigned according to your actual reality and there are some who are more advanced than others. Indeed, one of the initial differences that might interest you is that it is generally the case that the mortal who does not take an interest in his or her spiritual life, is only awakened at the time of a dispensational roll call when thousands, yea millions of souls are awakened together.

Yet, those who have applied themselves to their spiritual growth here, consciously attaining certain degrees of spiritual reality, are often ascended into Mansonia within three days time, without the delay of the many sleeping survivors. This immediately embarks you upon your career, and after having been resurrected, depending upon your development -- and I must say also depending upon your native sphere -- you will be assigned depending upon your advancement status.

Let me point out that Urantia has been most unfortunate. This precious planet, upon which Michael lived his seventh and final bestowal, is victim of a major setback in the context of the Lucifer rebellion and so is quite retarded. It is also further retarded by the Adamic default, and so there are many deficits in your upbringing here in your natal world that you are subjected to that millions of other evolving men and women are not subjected to because they come from a normal planet. It is very possible that those on a more normal world, will not even need to spend time on the First Mansion World, but all of you will have to touch base with the First Mansion World, at least temporarily, even as the sleeping survivors are awakened at a dispensational roll call.

There are some who are more advanced than others because they have consciously or unconsciously contributed to their own development in identifying with their soul, their God-consciousness, and accordingly, they will be guided and directed into areas of development, but for all intents and purposes, my answer to you would be that you take up there where you leave off here. Has that been helpful?

Erata: Yes. Now, my next question is, how do you advance yourself then? Is there some way to help ourselves?

TOMAS: Yes. By supplying conditions that will contribute to your own growth. And there is a direct quote from the Urantia Book that outlines and sets forth those conditions quite specifically. It involves developing certain beneficial habit patterns, maintaining certain neural stability; it would have to do with associations and providing fertile soil for yourself and these types of things, but yes there are indeed a number of ways that you can contribute to your own spiritual growth.

I will indeed ask you to be assigned . .. (correction) I will indeed assign you the assignment to find that quotation, that directive, that gives you fairly good guidelines as to how to develop yourself and your spiritual nature while you are here in the flesh. I will give you a clue: it is on a bookmark that Elyssia has distributed, along with one that lists the Fruits of the Spirit. [The item located] I am very impressed with how quickly you fulfilled the assignment. I am glad that you now have on hand the instructions, the recipe, for spiritual growth. Are there other questions this evening?

I am told that Gerdean has a question. One moment. (Pause) I have seen her question; I will defer answering. I will refer it to her personal teacher, Trieste.

I am eager to make contact with my friend Añiela who has been active in her superconscious realms. I understand, Añiela, that you have been in contact with high intelligence.

Añiela: Yes, I have, but I don't know who. They just said, "Good morning" and they said, "Johnny-L." I was very shocked.

TOMAS: I am very pleased, and I am pleased that you have heard the universe greet you and say "Good morning." It is a very encouraging approach to welcoming you to the universe, for when you emerge from a dark, long sleep, the favored greeting is "Good morning!" and so welcome to the dawn of a new day. Your walk in and with the Son. That you clearly heard the word Johnny-El . ..

TOMAS: Thank you for the clarification... that you saw the word, the name Johnny-El is significant, for it is a personal encounter, a one-on-one reality, and I would suggest that you go with that one as the one that matters, for as we have said many times, when you operate with and through a transmitter, you are operating through a faulty vessel, even though their integrity is high and their experience may be significant, nothing beats the real McCoy, the real thing, and if you have been called by name, by all means respond.

I am very happy for your progress, child, and am looking forward to further guidance and contact from intelligence in the spirit realms, as I am certain you are.

MERIUM: Perhaps you could help me introduce our guest. Do you feel the name or the presence here, Tomas?

TOMAS: Thank you, Merium. I have been aware of guests this evening and had hoped that we could speak with one or two. I am very glad of your sensitivity, Hunnah, and your willingness, Merium, to further our evening in this context. One moment. I am observing that Anatolia is here. She is the Teacher from the Columbus [Ohio] group.

ANATOLIA: I hesitate to speak, as I am a guest, and I would like to have your friend introduce me. Good evening, friends. It is my pleasure to bring you greetings from my arena and it always is a pleasure to see how others in the groups that are assembling interact with each other and observe the transmission/receiving sessions. If I can be of assistance in any way, I have no particular specialty, but I am willing to partake in this party that you have had, and am rather fascinated at the explanation of the human discernment that is taking place through divine prompting.

This prompting that is a part of you, that will companion you in your day, does not need a particular definition. It simply needs to be acknowledged in the same manner that Hunnah has indicated my presence here this evening. I would like to have you be alert to this impression that something more is available to you, and to allow yourself be receptive to it.

I cannot tell you what your lesson will be because you are opening the package of your own adventure, and as you attend to the matter that is brought to your attention, then the wisdom and truth that are appropriate will come to you just as they do in conversations here with the T/R's in your sessions here. There does not have to be an identification like a folder removed from a file stating, "We are about to deal with trust this week." That stimulates your physical intellect and will hinder you, but in your adventure, as you travel, you may discover that you are allowing yourself a new level of trust and in so doing, you will be trusting and then realizing that you have trusted and you will ponder the wonderment of it.

I am what you might call a stanza, in the stanzas of the anthem. I am bringing you the stanza of Merium and Tomas' talk, and I am helping you to allow yourself to know that when any issue comes forth, there is a vanguard of appropriate definition to go with the apparent challenge, and it will trigger and release solutions within you to attend to whatever challenge is at hand.

I speak of these things in the group where I am. I am very much appreciating the ease with which I am able to talk to you this evening through this T/R. When the feminine speaks, she is bringing the overtones of Mother Spirit with her, for that is where she has been groomed. I am feminine. I like being feminine. And it is only natural that I am drawn to a group of people who are receptive to the feminine solution or point of view in the sense that it is in a refined way. I think that's all I wish to say; thank you for letting me join you.

DANIEL: I am Daniel. I am also visiting here this evening. I just arrived, but I have been aware of your group, of course. I have been here before. I am glad to see you are still clustered together. I am pleased to meet you, Erata, and your guides. I am a teacher from the Southeast Idaho Teacher Base. I am a friend of Gerdean's. We have worked together before and Tomas and I went to school together, and so you are meeting an old friend. I enjoyed also the experience of meeting up with Anatolia here this evening, who also trained with me in the classes pursuant to coming here in this capacity as teacher.

It was interesting to eavesdrop on your discourse about the status of your planet and how it was that the teachers came here. We come from a vast array of backgrounds. The selection process is still on-going. There are volunteers who have come and tried their hand at it and decided to pass on the opportunity, and yet there are others who find that the assignment fits them to a tee. For what it's worth, I have enjoyed my stay and continue to loiter on Urantia even though I could leave at any time.

I am impressed with the work that has been done by your mortals in your blind faith, and I say blind faith because you are acting as true agondonters and I will tell you, if you have not recalled this from the text, that an agondonter is a status experiential, and it denotes one who can believe without seeing, who can persevere in the face of insuperable odds and difficulties, and those of you who are on such a world, such a planet, that must function on faith, are agondonters and you always will be agondonters.

It is an exclusive identity, in fact, and one which provides you with that essential experience that enables you, will enable you in future, to be chosen for certain assignments that require one who can persevere in the face of darkness, who can see with eyes to see, and so you who have this difficult assignment of being born here and serving here are well blessed, far more than you realize or that you can realize at this point for you have only this world as a basis of understanding; you have no comparison with other worlds, other lives, other peoples. In time, however, you will realize what an asset it is that you have as a result of this unique, albeit difficult experience here as a fledgling soul on a planet such as Urantia.

At any rate, we have been, we in the Teaching Mission have been impressed (as well as amused!) by your unstinting efforts to help Urantia along the path of God-consciousness toward Light and Life for Michael, our Lord, and our Creator. How He reacts, responds, resounds to your efforts is also apparent for he continues to ask about you on a regular basis. We are quite enthralled with our assignment and, again, are very impressed with the work that you have done, that has helped us along in terms of bringing and solidifying a higher degree of awareness, consciousness, and destiny to your mortal existence and to the general milieu of your planetary life.

It is my privilege to also advise you that you are making a difference. I tell you this not that it should go to your head, no, and if I felt that it would I would tell you anyway, but I can tell you because of your integrity and your humility, in truth, and that is as you develop your reality and manifest God's reality through yourself, indeed, your own God-consciousness, your own Godlikeness, you bring a visible illumination to your realm.

We are glad to see the dawning of the new age on Urantia, and grateful indeed for your assistance and rejoicing, in fact, with you for your accomplishments; and so I say to you, do not be discouraged. Do not allow for the seeming overwhelming need to get you down. I realize you cannot see from this vantage point, that you are not in attendance at our "staff meetings," that you are not able to reach across the table and make contact with Ham in Nashville or Abraham in Woods Cross, myself in Idaho or Anatolia in Ohio, but we are there, and if you but reach for us, we will come to you. It is not like we have to call United Airlines to make contact, and we are not on a limited budget. We are well supplied with whatever it takes to assist you in assisting us in assisting Michael to bring Urantia around to its rightful place in the cosmos, this beautiful emerald isle of Urantia.

Well, my friends, I am going to leave. I have enjoyed my visit. I thank my friend Tomas and my gracious colleague Merium also for their hospitality. What a privilege it is to be part of this family of God, this fellowship of believers, this band of teachers. How honored we are and you are, too, truly. It is my pleasure. Thank you and good night.

TOMAS: My transmitter Gerdean is such a romantic girl. She gets crushes on her teachers, you see. I will confess to you a very human thing about Gerdean, and she believes that in a future existence she might be able to develop a successful romantic liaison with a midwayer. I tell you I relish her faith that she will live so long and that she will still want to fall in love after all that time. What a delightful associate she is! Even though she has been told at least a dozen times that she loves us too much, and that perhaps she should reserve some of her untiring devotion for the Master himself, who remains apart from her, the Lover only of her soul and not of her personality, so we see this child has some growing yet to do and some richness yet to discover.

How about it, daughters, are there other richnesses we can discover together this evening? (Pause) Merium, I believe they have had their fill. What say you? (Pause) Let us take our leave.

MERIUM: You thought that I was not going to say good-bye. My transmitter/receiver friend here is drowsy, but she has enjoyed this wonderful exchange and was feeling honored to have brought in our guest for the evening. Have a wonderful week. Enjoy your discoveries.