<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2912" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><B>
<P>DATE:</B> January 18, 1997<BR><B>LOCATION:</B> Pittsburgh, PA,
USA<BR><STRONG>T/R:</STRONG> Gerdean</P><B>
<P>TEACHER TOMAS <BR>TOPIC:</B> <B>Your True Parents</P></B><I>
<P>Lord Michael, we seek your presence. We seek your embrace, your
companionship. We call upon you to be with us and to give us your blessing on
our coming together. Our hearts join in gratitude for you in your wondrous gifts
in this life that you have bestowed upon us, and in gratitude to the Father who
dwells within us. Help us to stand firm in your presence, knowing that you are
with us, that when we feel alone we can come to you in the blink of an eye and
feel your warmth and your light and your love.</P>
<P>Beloved Maker, we gratefully acknowledge your teachers who have come to help
us walk the path in this most difficult while most exciting time on your planet
of nativity. We flounder as individuals, but as people in your family we are
strengthened, knowing that we represent you and that you work with each of us
and abide with us all.</P>
<P>Give us, Brother, the willingness to hear with ears to hear those words,
those nuances of truth that will help us understand you better; indeed, that we
may understand you so well as to walk shoulder to shoulder with you, comrades
with you in this work of Kingdom-building. </P>
<P>Bless us as children, Michael, but help us to grow up to be pleasing to you
and Our Father in heaven. Be with us now today in our gathering, that our hearts
may open to your love through each other. Sanction and bless our studies, our
learning, our fellowship, our growth, and our week as we leave here fed by the
spirit that you bring by your gracious nature. Forever more. Amen.</P></I><B>
<P>TOMAS:</B> Good afternoon, my friends. I am Tomas. <BR></P><B>
<P>Group:</B> Good afternoon.</P><B>
<P>TOMAS:</B> My heart swells with appropriate pride in your diligence and your
loyalty, you who venture forth in search of companionship in the spirit and
understanding of your spirit nature, in hope of harmonizing your dual nature for
greater personality integration and expression. We are most pleased with your
efforts and with your faith.</P>
<P>My friends, last week we discussed the aspect of childlikeness as
occasionally compared to childishness and I know that you have all reflected on
that quality of childlikeness that places you in the hands of the Eternal
Parents, that small one who is made secure in the love of the Divine Parent. You
who pray, pray as a child of the Father, and you who seek comfort and healing
pray as a child of the Mother, and you who pray for harmony and fellowship among
yourselves pray to the Eternal Son, and in your youth, in your seeking, you are
a child.</P>
<P>Even Michael, when he walked upon Urantia, could be equated/aligned in your
mind as a child, in-as-much as he always came to the Father for guidance and
inspiration and companionship and direction. Always was his prayer, "Even so,
Thy will be done." His faith was childlike. He trusted the Father in all things,
even as a mortal child trusts its human parent to provide all things. Let us
look at your childlike aspects.</P>
<P>As you have observed your behaviors this week and the behaviors of others in
terms of childishness and childlikeness, you can quickly ascertain that some
children are more pleasant to be around than other children. Some children are
delightful by their very being, while some wreck havoc on their environment by
their very being. And the parent, the adult, may well wonder, "What will this
child be like when it has grown? Will these same characteristics still
prevail?"</P>
<P>And thus begins the process of formulating the behavior of the child that it
will then conform to the standards of its societal role and societal
expectations for how it is that a good child comports itself. Disciplines enter
into the picture. Sharing is a lesson to be learned, and relearned. Various
punishments may be meted out in order to impress a certain behavior
modification, and so the child ultimately becomes molded into a cultural mold
for the betterment of the whole.</P>
<P>You are, of course, all the products of such molding, and it is necessary
that this guidance take place in order for the young and unruly child to learn
how to function in and with its peers for eventual civilization. But I am more
interested today in looking at a child and ascertaining what it is about the
child itself that makes it "compatible" as compared to being "well-behaved."</P>
<P>And I envision a child now, which you may do also, who is sheer delight. You
have heard it said in your scripture, "Out of the mouths of babes," and you know
that as the Thought Adjuster comes to a young one and before the young one is
overmuch conditioned by behavior patterns outlined above, they have a relatively
free and unhampered access to their perception of truth, beauty and goodness.
They are guileless. And herein is the joy, for they can be sincere in being
their self.</P>
<P>There is a quality of devotion in a child who is sincere. Now this child may
not intellectually understand all there is to know, but when you are invited to
a tea party, when you are invited to visit the clubhouse, when you avail
yourself to listen to the child's point of view, you will be startled and
impressed by the degree of sincerity they allow their self. And that sincerity
remains as long as their integrity remains intact also.</P>
<P>It is the sincerity of the child, both little and big, that makes this child
pleasant, bearable, and loveable. And so as you perceive yourself as a child,
with your snits and temper tantrums, with your unwillingness to share, with your
fear of things that go bump in the dark … rather than hide your integrity, allow
yourself the gift of sincerity, for when you are sincere, you are close to being
real, and responses to your condition are more likely to be kindly and
beneficial.</P>
<P>Sincerity comes from the inner Core of the self. It is the soul speaking. It
is speaking for itself its own feelings and interpretations and not what it has
been taught by another. There are variations on the theme of sincerity to
include lesser values (such as, for your understanding, sincerely angry,
sincerely greedy, sincerely evil), but those are not my focus, nor yours, for
you understand that you attain perfection by your sincerity and your decisions,
and you make better decisions, more real and aligned decisions, when you take
your own sincerity into account. And even when you share yourself sincerely with
others (for in sharing yourself sincerely with others you get feed-back), you
can see if it is the feed-back that feeds your soul or if it is something that
has been taught and learned as a behavior modification to societal expectations
and cultural expectations rather than your own soul's expectations.</P>
<P>Reflect sincerity outward and recognize it when it is reflected back to you.
This tool for your childhood is a gift. Everyone has it. And when you come
together, like you are now, today, in sincere faith and appreciation of your
spiritual growth in this family of believers, you are allowed to be sincere,
encouraged to be sincere, heartened to be real. It is not necessary to be glib;
it is not necessary to be clever; it is not required that you be politically
correct; but only that you <I>be yourself</I>. And that may include your
discomfort and your growing experiences, but in this arena, in this growing
environment with your peers in the Kingdom, you will be regarded lovingly and
nurtured graciously.</P>
<P>And so I say to you today to learn to trust each other as children, but not
products of your mortal realm; rather as products of your Eternal Parents, your
Father, Mother in Paradise, and allow your behaviors, your needs, your growth
experiences, your questing, your happiness, your sorrows, your confusions, be a
reflection of your relationship with Them. Align yourself, children, with your
true Parents. Allow Them to raise you up.</P>
<P>I will speak further regarding your stature as a child of God at another
time, in other lessons. I am eager now to engage in conversation with you. How
shall we commence? Are there questions?</P><B>
<P>Kate:</B> I have a question, Tomas. If you could just clarify one of these
terms for me?</P><B>
<P>TOMAS:</B> I will try.</P><B>
<P>Kate:</B> The words are-- Grace. What does grace mean? And what does
"ministering grace" mean?</P><B>
<P>TOMAS:</B> You almost ask for a lesson on the fruits of the spirit. Grace is
a state of being when it occurs in you and it is a gift when you are aware that
you have received it. Grace is indeed like a yellow blanket that covers you and
gives off a soft glow of warmth and light. Grace is a connection with spirit so
viable and real as to literally alter your electro-chemical structure. It pulls
in the morontia realm of existence and so you can walk in grace consciously,
knowing you are walking with the spirit and in the spirit.</P>
<P>When you are not walking thus, but seek to know it, you then seek the touch
of grace which comes through the Master, through the spirit, to bless you, to
bring itself to bear upon you, in you and with you. Grace is a reflection of the
Trinity. You can see grace in those who carry it comfortably. You can wish it
upon those who stumble and fall. You can call upon it to wash over you, and, if
you are willing, it will do so.</P>
<P>Ministering grace is grace by its very nature, for it cannot help but
minister by its very being. As illumination relieves the darkness, so does grace
minister to its surroundings. Does that clarify?</P><B>
<P>Kate:</B> Yes, thank you.</P><B>
<P>TOMAS: </B>You are welcome. I appreciate your question.</P>
<P><B>Hunnah:</B> This is Hunnah.</P><B>
<P>TOMAS: </B>Yes, daughter.</P><B>
<P>Hunnah:</B> We have a small group this morning and it's cold outside and we
have our warm hearts. Can we take a break for a moment to see if some of us have
a question?</P><B>
<P>TOMAS:</B> We shall have one of our infamous intermissions, then.</P><B>
<P align=center>[Intermission]</P></B><B>
<P>TOMAS:</B> Welcome back. Happy Intermission. Indeed, it does provide you that
safety valve that we referred to earlier, for you find yourself focused and fed
and "get out get out get out" comes along to rid yourselves of all that which is
blocking your sincere childlike faith. I am tolerant of your hiatus into your
psychological and your emotional understandings of yourselves for that reason as
well as others.</P>
<P>It is important to socialize. It is important, as I said earlier, to trust
each other, and you evidence your trust of each other when you share in these
ways, and the sanctity of the teacher platform allows you to experience this
unabated, unfenced. Your discourses are sometimes even productive of soulful
understandings of your own experiences.</P>
<P>I will add to my earlier remarks having to do with the sincerity of a good
child, of a child, remarking now that this enchanting and delightful child's
sincerity is a matter of the heart. And, as you have discussed in your
intermission, albeit from far-flung points of view, your appreciation of reality
is in the heart's manifestation, not being the romantic heart so much as the
heart of truth, beauty and goodness, the soulful appreciation of your integrity
and reality, your imagination, your beliefs, your appreciation and your
adoration.</P>
<P>Sincerity in a child is like poetry. This week, as you continue to observe
yourself and others as children, observe also the poetry of sincerity. Be
advised that it is difficult for the mortal to be sincere. Many individuals run
from sincerity for it is too real for their "comfort zones." Many times people
shun genuine sincerity for they are at once vulnerable. They have exposed their
heart; they have been real and they feel vulnerable. And so sincerity is truly a
rare commodity. </P>
<P>You would serve yourself, your peers and your Master if you were to be able
to gently enable others to know sincerity, and you can encourage their sincerity
by being sincere yourselves. Being sincere does not preclude having a sense of
humor. Many people regard sincerity as onerous and burdensome for its tonal
quality, as if you had to be mature in order to be sincere, but I tell you, as
children, you have the biggest heart, the most guileless faith, the most sublime
trust, the most radiant joy, and these are light-hearted, bountiful and
beautiful, appealing and charming and loveable, and so exercise yourself this
week by being sincere in your childlikeness. It will help you to continue to be
childlike while restraining you from being childish.</P>
<P>Were there any questions formulated during the intermission or have any
emerged for discussion? Or in the alternative, are there comments or
collaboration to offer?</P><B>
<P>Celeste:</B> I don't know, Tomas, but I just love the story that Leah just
told. I liked that story; it's so real and so human. I just wonder what you
thought about it. [Ed. note: Leah related an altercation in a gas station
wherein an aggressive driver was verbally assaulting his highway prey. Leah
angrily confronted the aggressive man, in defense of his victim.]</P><B>
<P>TOMAS:</B> She has been working in the field. She has been up to her knees in
mud and her sleeves have been rolled up that she may face the furrows of life
with enthusiasm and gusto, for truly that is a situation, that which she
described in her "altercation" at the gas station, that is a rightful matter for
Correcting Time. </P>
<P>It was courageous of her to take this on. It is only fair to add that the
circumstances of her life at this time and her emotional condition also at this
time, her growing and developing willingness and readiness to act upon her light
of truth has enabled her to thus respond to the situation toward correction. It
may not have been possible a week ago and it may not be necessary next week, but
it was indeed a valuable learning experience for Leah and the man and the boy,
and all indeed will reflect upon value, although there will be great denial and
thoughts of retribution in the process. The truth was demonstrated physically,
dramatically and succinctly. Blessed be those who fight the good fight of
faith.</P>
<P>The scripture about "swords and plowshares" wafts to the surface of the
mental bank of Gerdean, but she is not well-versed in scripture and so it is
alluded to for those of you who have that frame of reference for understanding.
Alas, the plowshares, having risen to the surface, refuse to submerge and so I
am drowning. One moment please. </P>
<P>[Ed. note: An intermission discussion arose regarding emotions, to-wit, one
person contended that emotions are exhausting and are therefore to be avoided;
the other person construed this to be an unhealthy attitude. Tomas now responds
to that issue.]</P>
<P>Yes, I also would like to reflect upon your discourses having to do with the
emotional realms. And that experience at the gas station, the altercation in
defense of truth, cannot be construed as less than an emotional experience, one
which could be regarded as exhausting, but also could be regarded as
invigorating, and so these emotions of the mortal realm are not as well defined
as you would like to have them be.</P>
<P>Fear, for example, is not altogether unwholesome, for there are reasonable
and unreasonable fears, given your evolutionary plateau, and other emotions have
a wider range of value than you may like to think. There are also healthy kinds
of love as well as unhealthy kinds of love. There are beneficial constraints as
well as negative controls. The emotional range is, as I have described before,
much like the Everglades of Florida. It is a wonderful place, exotic beyond
description, and even though it may be dangerous in places, especially for the
unskilled, it may also be awe-inspiring and breathtaking and exhilarating in its
majesty and mystery.</P>
<P>It is indeed difficult to live a day in the life without benefit of emotion,
for you are emotional creatures, but as we discussed, being allowed to walk in a
unified personality, a well-balanced individual, human and divine, the emotions
are not all-consuming. As you allow the spiritual outlook to light the way for
you, you can sometimes see an emotional pitfall coming and sidestep it. If you
don't see, and you stumble or get caught in the quicksand of, say, jealousy or
rage or worry, you can call upon the forces of will, which will enable you to
regain your footing.</P>
<P>Even in looking back upon your emotional escapades, you can look upon them
and see what you have learned and what you have experienced as a result of
having allowed yourself the experience which is constructed in and with emotion.
An experience is good if it brings you closer to the Father, if it gives you
increased understanding of your fellow beings, if it encourages and supports
truth, beauty and goodness in the end. Do not avoid going to the Everglades.</P>
<P>I must ask if this has been helpful. (Pause) I am also asking my transmitter
who originally posed the question having to do with the emotions as a realm to
eschew, for emotions can be exhausting, and she is availing her response to me
that, yes, she is pleased with my response to her. </P>
<P>Very well. Have we covered adequate ground that you will gaily go into your
more academic study? Are you ready to embark upon a cerebral and perhaps
morontial appreciation of "The Nature of God" in your text?</P><B>
<P>Celeste:</B> It is wonderful. I love that part of the text.</P><B>
<P>TOMAS:</B> We, too. Let us then commence and I will bid you adieu for today,
we who watch you lovingly and carefully. Be well, be adventurous, be joyous
children.</P>
<P><B>Group:</B> Love you, too, Tomas. </P>
<P><B>TOMAS:</B> Sincerely yours. Farewell.</P>
<P><STRONG>TEXTUAL STUDY:<BR></STRONG>Urantia Paper 1, Concluded<BR>Foreword,
Concluded</P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P></DIV></BODY></HTML>