Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. (Proverb 12:25 - NKJV)
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but an ENCOURAGING WORD makes it glad.
(Proverb 12:25 - AMP)Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because I am receptive and attentive to words of encouragement coming from God Himself, communicated through my spirit and processed in my mind — words that will incite me to acts of bravery and valor — words that dispel discouragement and dare me to defy the darkness of depression. I will be made glad by a good word today (“I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure” – Psalm 119:162).
Today I will plant seeds of encouragement into the life of someone else in order to receive my own harvest of encouragement.
Today I will derive confidence from knowing that God has spoken to my situation. My confidence is in the Word of the Lord and is manifested in my life in many ways and on many levels. This kind of CONFIDENCE is:
C - ourage - (2 Tim 1:7)
O - ptimism - (Jer 29:11)
N - onconformity
F - avor - (Proverb 3:4)
I - ndividuality
D - irection - (1 Jn 3:8)
E - ducation - (2 Tim2:15)
N - erve - (Prov 28:1)
C - onviction - (2 Cor4:13)
E - ffectivenessToday I will look at my current circumstances from God’s perspective.
Today I will not be passive when I hear negative news. I will refuse to just accept a bad report, by aggressively affirming the authority of the Word of God.
Today I will disconnect myself emotionally from people or things that produce anxiety in my life.
Today I will be enlightened, because the entrance of His Word gives light! I will walk in that light today, and today I will live in the now!
Father, help me to agree with Your Word today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Encouraging Word!
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That's a great word today Bishop. The pictures are really interesting as well. The one second from the bottom seems to be a fractal. I’ve come to think there is a real description of God’s ways in a fractal.
Fractal: any of various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part is similar in shape to a given larger or smaller part when magnified or reduced to the same size - Websters
A fractal is generally "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole," a property called self-similarity. Because they appear similar at all levels of magnification, fractals are often considered to be infinitely complex (in informal terms). Natural objects that approximate fractals to a degree include clouds, mountain ranges, lightning bolts, coastlines, and snow flakes. However, not all self-similar objects are fractals
Fractal patterns have been found in the paintings of American artist Jackson Pollock. While Pollock's paintings appear to be composed of chaotic dripping and splattering, computer analysis has found fractal patterns in his work.
Decalcomania, a technique used by artists such as Max Ernst, can produce fractal-like patterns. It involves pressing paint between two surfaces and pulling them apart.
Fractals are also prevalent in African art and architecture. Circular houses appear in circles of circles, rectangular houses in rectangles of rectangles, and so on. Such scaling patterns can also be found in African textiles, sculpture, and even cornrow hairstyles.
-Wikipedia
Sometimes life can seem extremely irregular. Things going this way and that. But God’s hand is in the beauty of all His creation; replicating His love in us, as we are maturing in Christ. God is outside of, and larger, and even more complex than what normal geometry can contain or explain. Neither can our knowledge ever fully grasp God or contain Him. That is why it is better to love God. Tune in with our built in "lover" not always our "knower". We will never fully know God. He in unknowable and will never be contained in the boxes we try and place God inside of. But we can love God if we choose to respond to the call of His love. And we are loving Him. God is their in it all. Our existence is in Him. Making a beautiful enduring work of art out of our lives.
Are you “Shackers” out there feelin’ this one?
Continuing with the Introduction Chapter:
In such a climate, those in search of a mystical guide could do no better than to turn to the anonymous fourteenth century author of “The Cloud of Unknowing”. Here is an Englishman, at once a mystic, a theologian, and a director of souls, who stands in the full stream of Western spiritual tradition. A writer of great power and of considerable literary talent, he has composed four original treatises and three translations; and in this book his two principal works, “The Cloud of Unknowing” and “The Book of Privy Counseling”, are rendered into modern English from the original texts. I believe that the reader who surrenders himself to the author’s mystical charm will find in their perusal a truly contemplative experience.
The two books complement each other. “The Cloud” is well known as a literary work of great beauty in its style as in its message. Widely read in the fourteenth century when it was written, it has never lost its honored place among the spiritual classics of the English language. “The Book of Privy Counseling”, on the other hand, is less famous. It is the work of the author’s maturity; and, as so often happens, the older writer has lost some of the buoyant charm of youth. This makes his later work more difficult reading; but any loss of charm is more than compensated for by a theological precision, a spiritual depth, and a balanced authority that have come with years of profound experience. Now he is self-confident, convinced beyond all doubt that, whatever anyone may say to the contrary, the contemplation he teaches is of the highest values. This later book is in many ways a book of counseling as we understand its word today. It is the work of a man who is friendly, anxious to give help and counsel – a man endowed with keen psychological insight, who knows the human mind, who is aware of man’s tragic capacity for self-deception and yet is endowed with a delicate compassion for those who suffer as they struggle to remain in silent love at the core of their being. But his counseling, it must be confessed, is not the non-directive type about which we hear so much. Rather is it authoritative – the guidance of a man who has trodden the mystical path himself and offers a helping hand to those who will hearken to his words. If this edition now offered to the public has any unique value, it may be because of the inclusion of “The Book of Privy Counseling”.
~ William Johnston
Hey, SOZ, I'm not a Shacker yet but I'm ENCOURAGED by the fragmented part of fractals--my fragmented thoughts MUST have patterns. Thanks.
I like the Red, White and Blue pic...it reminds me of the stars after a cartoon character gets smacked!! and added to these Dr. Seuss words,
"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"
And since this morning I kept singing the Am. the Beautiful line, "who more than self their country loved" and thinking about givers who more than self their CITN love...with AYITN's "refusing to just accept a bad report".
I see
SMACK! Right out of the park!
Fractal...I know, but it speaks to me--smile!
And the first pic makes me sleepy. G'night.
"To get something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done." "When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something bigger and better."
I received an email today and the aforementioned statement was within it (of course, I deleted it so I suppose I won't get that "special phone call" that would have come had I forwarded it to 7 people in 5 countries with 2.5 children and/or pets and...yada, yada, yada...). It did not contain the author's name but when I Googled it I found it is used quite prolifically in venues that are both diverse and ubiquitous. Both are also stirring something deep in my spirit that is not yet done...but I hope to share it when it is complete and when I discover if it is something I am to share or just to chew on myself. For now, I hope it at least stirs something in you as your posts/comments have in me.
And it's interesting to me that you, SOZ, spoke of 'fractals' (I saw a show based on the Mandelbrot set on one of those "high-brow" shows I sometimes like to pretend to understand...) and found how closely it mirrored (get it? hahaha) some of the Buddhist information I have also been perusing of late (some of that is definitely relates to tithing and Spirit and sacred life, etc. that I hope to share someday soon). Then I went to the page on Wikipedia and of which you spoke on fractals and guess what I found? Yep, there are links to things such as the "Butterfly Effect" and "Chaos Theory" as well as "Sacred Art" (which relates to all things spiritual including Buddhist and Christian and Muslim and Jewish...etc.). I suppose it just goes to show you how right our Bishop is when he reiterates Paul and tells us that "ALL really does mean ALL."
Ok...this may not make much sense to anyone but me...but it does make sense to me...for the rest of you...please just indulge me...again...my mind does kinda wander sometimes...it usually gets to where it’s going but I don’t know until I get there later...
Bishop...I just keep hearing the statement "THE TITHE IS HOLY"...Yes and Amen...I began with 20/20 Vision (where I’m sure I will remain for quite some time) then I also pulled out Dr. Varner's Chosen For Greatness and read your foreword which contained a line that struck another chord. You said, “Remember who you are...” and I recalled the words of Mufasa and went to You Tube and watched that scene. A large part of it follows:
Simba: You knew my father?
Rafiki: Correction. I know your father. He's alive! And I'll show him to you. Look down there. (points down to a pool of water )
Simba: (disappointed) That's not my father. It's just my reflection.
Rafiki: No. Look harder. You see, he lives in you.
(Mufasa's image appears in the sky behind Simba.)
Mufasa: Simba ...
Simba: Father?
Mufasa: Simba, you have forgotten me.
Simba: No! How could I?
Mufasa: You have forgotten who you are, and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life.
Simba: How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be.
Mufasa: Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. Remember who you are ... (the image begins to vanish)
How spiritual that movie is! The lessons we can learn from an animated (neo)classic! It is one of the best ever and I never even realized it...until my Bishop quoted Mufasa “Remember who you are” in his best James Earl Jones impersonation...maybe not so JE Jones but I’ll take Bishop JE Swilley any day!
There are also several great songs in it...once again I had basically ignored them until...you guessed it...Bishop put one of them on his playlist and I listened...really listened for the first time...(have you ever read the lyrics to “He Lives In You” or “Circle of Life”? Here’s your chance...)
He Lives In You:
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala [Here is a lion and a tiger]
Night
And the spirit of life
Calling
Oh, oh, iyo
Mamela [Listen]
Oh, oh, iyo
And a voice
With the fear of a child
Answers
Oh, oh, iyo
Oh, mamela [Listen]
Oh, oh, iyo
Ubukhosi bo khokho [Throne of the ancestors]
We ndodana ye sizwe sonke [Oh, son of the nation]
Wait
There's no mountain too great
Oh, oh, iyo
Hear these words and have faith
Oh, oh, iyo
Have faith
Hela hey mamela [Hey, listen]
(Chorus:)
He lives in you
He lives in me
He watches over
Everything we see
Into the water
Into the truth
In your reflection
He lives in you
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala [Here is a lion and a tiger]
The Circle of Life:
From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round
It's the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Til we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle
The circle of life
It's the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Til we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle
The circle of life.
We MUST ALL “Remember Who We Are”! When we do, Our paths unwind in the Circle of Life and He does, most certainly, Live In Us and we will ALL 'GET IT'! THE TITHE IS HOLY!!! HALAL TO JAH!!!
Thank you, Bishop...for showing me that God really does speak in everything, in every place, and through everyone. Bless You, Bishop, and thank you for teaching us how to study for ourselves in addition to all the great feasts you have prepared for us week after week (and if I may be so bold as to ask you to read something...after reading the “He Lives In You” lyrics about the “lion and a tiger”, I did a Bible Gateway search for “tiger” and found it in The Message translation; I then read Joel Chapter 1 and 2...WOW! Thank You, Lord!
I hope everyone got some little bit of something out of this, if not, just pretend will ya? LOL!
Blessings Blog Fam!
Av...I have to agree...this has been a great blog day...Boom De Ya Da...and Goodnight Y'all.
Oh and DBA...I think it must be Mel Blanc. ;-)
PS Legalise: *All Lion King scripts, quotes, lyrics, fractals, remarks, and any otherwise procured ideas and stuff are the property of their respective owners.
Ya'll feel that? There it is again.
CITN is beginning to turn around.
We're gonna make it, but we gotta keep doin' what we're doin'.
Thank You Jesus, thank you Bishop and Pastor Debye, thank you everybody.
Full Steam Ahead.
NTL
YOUR word is a lamp to my feet
and a LIGHT unto my path...
Interceeding today
A list of encouraging words:
Pic 1 - A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold set in pictures of silver.
Pic 2 - Beneath the wings of the seraphim
Pic 3 - The King's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
Pic 4 - The range of the mountains is His pasture, and He searches after every green thing.
Pic 5 - And I will make your seed multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give to your seed all these countries; and in your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed.
Pic 6 - Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow
Pic 7 - The light of the eyes rejoices the heart and a good report enriches the bones.
Love the Pics.
It's time to Turn It Around.
See this day in a whole new way.
The things you think are holding you back are really just your blurred vision of what really is happening for you.
Use your faith as a mustard seed and see what the Lord wants you to receive.
HI Everyone, Just want to say we must all do our part and that also means being ITB (In the building). I am saying that to say, I am behind Bishop totally and am glad we had the family meeting on Sunday. I wanted you to know that Spencer and I are attending MANDATORY MEETINGS with his school tonight and next Wednesday, as well as the Next 2 Mondays. So we will miss service and Real Woman. I will have to get the cds on Sunday. God Bless you guys and have an awesome blessed week. CITN has been a great blessing for Me and Spencer and I thank God everyday, for having the honor and privilege to be a part of what God has in store for us and his Kingdom, to reach others, by individuals, city, by state, by nation, by continents. We have the power within us to reach the world for Christ. Don't take for granted the gift God has given us in CITN, and Bishop Swilley and Pastor Debye. I love you guys, Pamela
Wow...interesting, amazing...very cool stuff here, people...Mystic, I should post yours for tomorrow's article...beautiful...unfortunate-ly, Mel Blanc is on the other side now, too. I've been to his grave in Hollywood, and the tombstone reads, "That's All Folks!". For real.
Hope to see lots of you tonight...
Bishop you are so awesome!
What an amazing group of sisters - I too want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Three teenage sisters that base their mission and life's work on Ghandi & MLK Jr. - WOW - there's some current generation revelation on eternal truth.
Check out this site.
http://www.truthonearthband.com/history.html
Democrat or Republican
God Bless the USA!!!
NTL
DITTO, NTL!!!
LET FREEDOM RING!!
veri word "noids"- just a funny word!
2nd veri word "momxp"- (mom xtremely proud 2 be one 2night)
I just got through listening to Gov. Palin's speech.
For the first time in my voting life I am not totally sure about who the heck I am going to vote for.
Let's see, there was something else I wanted to say,...oh yeah, that was a powerful word tonight Bishop!
Thank you, Bishop...you don't know how much that means to me. Please feel free to post or repost it wherever you like or if you'd rather, I will be glad to delete and repost it...just let me know.
Really amazing service tonight! It fits so well into so many things that I have been researching regarding ours and other beliefs...Dhamma/Dharma from Buddhism or Taoism or Hinduism, Mysticism (I may fit in that category...lol)...or nearly any other "ism" that teaches peace and love as THE WAY to enlightenment. As you have said...many know His name but don't know Him; many know Him but don't know His name. It is so easy to see why those who have searched for Wisdom, Truth, Peace, and Love have found that Jesus is indeed The Doorway to everything. Fractals, isms, He is truly ALL in ALL.
Blessings Bishop and Blog Fam!
(PS...I am aware of Mr. Blanc's unfortunate passing in 89--are you familiar with the litho, Speechless? It's one of my all-time faves and I once painted my own version--but I thought DBA was pondering who might be speaking on his behalf at his entrance "there"...I apologize if I misunderstood the inference...it's all good. RIP Mr. LaFontaine.)
Oh...and what a perfect epitaph! I can really appreciate that one and George Carlin's desire to have his read: "He was here just a minute ago..."
Ok...one more then it's off to bed...again it's after 4AM...hmmm...well...tonight's service was just SO Wonderful! I can't stop thinking of it...except my eyelids keep closing...just a short one...
To “The Cloud“...I'm really enjoying this reprint, too...once again, it fits so well into...well...everything! It's transcendent and that is exactly the point to which we must get in order to even begin to have the mind of Christ, or to be “as He is, so are we in this world”, and to come into the unity of thought that will bring about the manifestation for which the whole of creation groans. It’s just as Paul said in his 2nd epistle to the Corinthians: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We must get past our thoughts to get to His...past our ideas of love to get to His...to perceive all that is as opposed to what we think, feel, have learned, believe, idealize, or theorize...putting off the “old man”...putting off the knowledge of good and evil and perceive that we are of the Tree of Life.
I’ve become very aware of the meaning of my chosen pseudonym (Mystic--one who practices mysticism...if you check wikipedia for mysticism, you may be surprised)...and I’m enjoying it very much. In other words, I will not be conformed to this world or it’s ideas or religions, but am being transformed by the renewing of my mind...putting away childish things...manifesting love instead of wondering how, manifesting Christ without thought...just being...the essence, I believe, of Sonship.
I was going to leave it there for now but feel the need to say one more thing that I have also been discovering in my search...Bishop has spoken of this before but I believe I am finally getting some revelation about it. I never really think much about the Law of Gravity...I am not a physicist and cannot quote Newton’s Laws, but, like most of us, I have a miniscule understanding of gravity because I understand that what goes up usually must come down (Oooo...please, give me a moment...I’m having a Blood, Sweat, and Tears flashback...cool... :o LOL!)
When we roll over and put our feet on the floor and get out of bed, we have no doubt that we will be able (barring any physical limitations) to walk across the room without floating away. We know that...we don’t have to think about it, we don’t have to pray about it, we don’t have to believe or theorize about it...we just know it IS. That’s how it’s supposed to be with our having the mind of Christ and manifesting the Christ in the earth, healing the sick, raising the dead, making the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf to hear...why isn’t it? Well, there is certainly nothing “wrong” with God...He’s got His part covered, so maybe it’s my “thinking” that’s caused the trouble. Once again, I’m back to “Cloud’s” entries...I must get past the natural--no, not ignoring or denying it, just getting through it--and get to the SUPERNATURAL...past the tree of knowledge of good and evil...God simply IS...I AM.
I’d also like to share what I found when researching some additional information on Buddhism (no, I am not becoming a Buddhist, just please read on and I think you will see what I saw...at least I hope you will). Tonight our Bishop spoke of continuing repentance and changing as revelation comes...it is not new. The following is an excerpt from Buddhism and Thai Society and is part of the Following the Path Foundation, a Thai language site dedicated to Buddhism:
Buddhism is an old religion. Through the course of its long and complicated history many different schools or sects have come into existence, each offering seemingly different views and interpretations on the Buddha's teachings. New modes of training have also been introduced, each claimed to have enriched the original system and made the practices more accessible and meaningful. Some schools have continued to grow, while others were little more than passing phenomena. We may regard this as a natural manifestation of events, especially since Buddhism is very much a living religion, dynamic and open. However, never has Buddhism lost its essential character, which is common throughout all its sects and denominations. Most of the apparent differences find a point of unity on a higher level of understanding, and Buddhists have no difficulty in perceiving its real message amidst the many later ramifications and developments.
The Dhamma* is one, it is often stressed, but different teachers may give more emphasis to certain aspects of the Dhamma, depending on their predisposition or training. Just as the ocean has but one taste, so does the Dhamma have but one flavor, the flavor of freedom. It is possible, however, that different seekers of truth may find it more convenient to approach the Dhamma through different ways. Thus there may be more than one way to explain certain doctrinal points. At times the various approaches may give rise to confusion and uncertainty, but this state of affairs will come to an end when the Dhamma is realized on the experiential level. Just as there may be different ways to arrive at the same destination, so there may be different paths to arrive at the same truth. Once the goal has been reached, it becomes pointless to argue about methods. The best approach to solving doubt and problems is to practice and experience the Dhamma for oneself. When the Dhamma is realized, all doubts will dissolve.
(*Dhamma or Dharma means the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment; and the constituent factors of the experienced world. In another explanation of this word it states: Alternately, "dharma" may be seen as an ultimate and transcendent truth which is utterly beyond worldly things, somewhat like the Christian word (from the Greek) Logos, seeing the dharma as referring to the "truth" or ultimate reality or "the way things are".)
Is that cool or what! And didn’t that sound like “everything that can be shaken...will be shaken?” Maybe we’ve misunderstood other things...maybe the tenants are unchanging (mostly) and everything else is “up for revelatory renewal“? If we are, indeed, being renewed and becoming/manifesting...then every idea, theory, everything must be fluid and changing...not static and stagnant. Stagnant is death...Fluidity, flow, movement, is life and health. We should be upset only if Bishop NEVER changed (or if we never changed)...he’s simply leading us to greener pastures and along the flowing River of God. Thank you again, Bishop...and thanks, P Debye, and thanks Pastor Jimmie and NOW Band and Praise Team...y’all were right on and just so great tonight!
Another excerpt (just skip over the terms if you‘d like and please peruse it only for the idea): The Buddha himself might have envisaged this issue. In the discourse called Mahapadesa he gave a broad criterion on which to judge if a teaching is the true Dhamma. This discourse can be used as a gauge to verify the authenticity of a teaching, and we may apply it to the instruction and practice as found in many Buddhist centers around the world. According to the Mahapadesa, if a teaching is claimed to be the word of either the Buddha, the Sangha, a group of learned monks, or a single elder (thera), such teachings should neither be welcomed nor rejected without due consideration. The teaching should be compared to the doctrine and the discipline (Dhamma-Vinaya) to see if they perfectly agree with one another. "If, after thoroughly comparing them with the Discourses and the Discipline, the words and meaning fit not with the Discourses and agree not with the Discipline, then you may rightly conclude: Certainly, not from the Blessed One is the teaching, and it has been wrongly comprehended by that monk (who makes the claim). Then you should reject it. If, however ... they fit with the Discourses and agree with the Discipline, then you may rightly conclude: Certainly, from the Blessed One is the teaching, and it has been rightly comprehended." This means that we should take the Dhamma-Vinaya as the ultimate criterion for judgment of matters concerning differences in the teachings.
In a discourse given to Venerable Upali, the Buddha similarly delineated a criterion to verify the true doctrine and discipline. According to that criterion, the true Dhamma is that which, when practiced, leads to disenchantment, detachment, the extinction of dukkha, calm and peace, direct discernment and knowledge of the truth, enlightenment, and Nibbana. Thus it can be concluded that the true Dhamma, no matter what label we give to it, is that which is conducive to the development of wisdom and understanding, and leads the practitioner to peace and happiness.
Would you not say that the ideas stated above might coincide with Jesus’ own words in Matthew 18...“in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established...”? And furthermore, does it not refer to “rightly dividing the word” and "if the prophesied thing happens, then the prophet is of God..." as well is "it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness".
This is only food for thought...I’m NOT a Universalist or being pulled “to the dark side of the Force“...I’m a seeker. I don’t need to be persuaded that Jesus is the One and Only unique Firstborn of God...I simply enjoy the journey, the treasure hunt, and the fact that Jesus IS THE TRUTH and everything comes together and is fulfilled in Him...whether Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, or Jew...whether we know it or not. If that don’t light your fire...your wood’s wet! (I could have sworn this was going to be a short comment. Bless anyone who has actually read through this essay...lol.) I just love seeing His plan come together! You know, Jesus did say that “All the prophets and the law hang on the two greatest commandments”...do you think he might have been referring to ALL the prophets that would ever exist? I’m not trying to pick a fight here but Mohammed spoke of Jesus, Buddha simply meant “enlightened one” or “awakened one” or “blessed one“...perhaps Jesus meant ALL of them...He is ALL IN ALL and fulfilled EVERYTHING, right? I’m just sayin’...so what do y’all think? (Maybe I shouldn’t ask? Go ahead...I can dig it...it’s all good!) The heavens declare the glory of God...the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and the knowledge of Him covers it like the waters the sea! It shouldn't be so hard to come to an understanding when we see how similar we truly are and give everyone the respect that is due them, and strive to live peaceably with ALL men...can I get a witness!
Dennis...I feel for ya, man...and I’m praying for you...pain, too, must bow to His name. There is another woman in our CITN fam that has been having back trouble and may have surgery...I pray for you both...and for all the needs in the body in which answers have yet to manifest...it is all already here...like gravity...we cannot see it, but we must not doubt that it is here...let us continue to Seek His Face from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. (Believe me, I’m speaking to myself here!) And NTL...keep on keepin’ on, Dude!
Oh and JB...Congrats on the new addition to your fam and thanks so much for your kind comments...and for your great posts!
Peace, Love, and Blessings Blog Fam!
Mystic,
"Bless anyone who has actually read through this essay"
HaHa, I've felt like that before. Sometimes you've just got to type it out. Let er' rip. I figure if its not for you , you can skip on to the next post. I could see a day here when their could be to many comments each day to read. What will we do then. Maybe start another blog, haha, I hope not. I'm sure its hard work setting the table here everyday. Although I've noticed sometimes the most active days dialog wise are when the Bishop says the least. Don't take that the wrong way Bishop I'm just sayin', haha. It's a strange phenomenon.
Anyways Mystic,
I'm the "cloud" poster. I'm not trying to be secret about it, I just want to post this first chapter of the book because I believe theirs something in it for us corporately and the "cloud" name gives the posts some consistent clarity. And just hang on because its about to take off and get even better! This is no joke. You stop just dialing God up like some type of Wizard of Oz and start loving Him for who He is just to love Him and look out!
I just want to post a little bit of it each day to chew on because it is so rich and deep. But its certainly Christ centered and practical. I see it as a glorious application of our revelation. Their is so much significance to revelation in many aspects of our life, including prayer. You can't love God until you can trust Him. We can trust Him now. He's not roasting our loved ones, never has been. :)
I know those with certain good/evil perspectives; honest saints can think we might be drifting off into some new age phooey, but I'd beg to differ. I'd argue we are learning how to literally tap into the source of all good things. Without our minds getting in the way. Kind of like praying in the Spirit, but from the seat of a place where their is no need for words. Love calling unto love. Us finding our existence in the Christ. But we need counsel as to how to do our part. How to let go and tune into Gods heart. I know it sounds really 60's, but its actually very holy. I'm learning more and more what the Bishop means by it not being about hell, but being about seeing the Christ. Beholding Him. Loving Him. That's what changes a heart. I know I still need work on mine.
I'll see you past the clouds my friend.
I hear ya, Donald…again I say, the whole thing is verrry interesting (I’m saying that in a German accent a la Artie Johnson peering through the bushes)…
Mystic, as soon as I sent that, I realized what you were saying. You are obviously very “aware”, so I would have assumed you knew he passed (you even knew the year!). I do remember the lithograph. There used to be a Looney Tunes store at Lenox Square, and I would go in there a lot and look at all the framed cartoon cels, and contemplate buying one, but never did…
I appreciate the balanced way in which you explore spirituality. Very thoughtful and well executed…good stuff. By the way, how do italicize on the comments page?
SOZ…thanks for that. It’s interesting you mentioned about the heart…I keep hearing that theme come up in conversations…even in our board meeting last night after church we were discussing how our present situation at CITN (as it appears in the natural realm) is not a money issue, but is rather a heart issue…
Thanks, everyone…
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