~ Bob Evans
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A Friend of Your Mind
from Toni Morrison's book Beloved:
Paul D reflects on how his relationship with Sethe is healing in the same way as the relationship between Sixo and the Thirty Mile Woman.
“She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It’s good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.”
“She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It’s good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.”
Friday, May 11, 2012
Who Is Elect?
"Some people are predestined to believe and teach predestination. Some people are predestined to believe and teach freewill. Some predestinators are predestined to change to freewill later in life. Some freewillers are predestined to become predestinators later in life."
~ Clarence Cossey, Baylor University
comment on the article "Who Is Elect? Arminius Differed from Calvin"
http://www.christianity.com/ChurchHistory/11630050/?utm_source=This%20Week%20in%20Christian%20History%20-%20Christianity.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=05/11/2012/ as of 5/11/12
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Courage
“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.”
G.K. Chesterton
Sunday, May 06, 2012
We need greater virtues
In one of his famous maxims, the great 17th Century French aphorist Francois de la Rochefoucauld said this:
"Il faut de plus grandes vertus pour soutenir la bonne fortune que la mauvaise."
Translated this means: "We need greater virtues to sustain good than evil fortune."
Saturday, May 05, 2012
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten
excerpts from Robert Fulghum's "All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten:"
"All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:
Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Take a nap every afternoon.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the styrofoam cup -- they all die. So do we.
Think what a better world it would be if we all -- the whole world -- had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.
Or, if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are -- when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together."
Robert Fulghum "All I really Need to Know I learned In Kindergarten",
Villard Books N.Y. 1988, pp. 6-8
"All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:
Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Take a nap every afternoon.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the styrofoam cup -- they all die. So do we.
Think what a better world it would be if we all -- the whole world -- had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.
Or, if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are -- when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together."
Robert Fulghum "All I really Need to Know I learned In Kindergarten",
Villard Books N.Y. 1988, pp. 6-8
Monday, April 23, 2012
Isaiah 53 Explained
Isaiah 53 Explained
Dr. Mitch Glaser
following is the Foreword to this book, quoted from
http://www.isaiah53.com/free-book/sample-chapter
Foreword
Dr. Mitch Glaser
following is the Foreword to this book, quoted from
http://www.isaiah53.com/free-book/sample-chapter
Foreword
One chapter really can change your life!
That chapter is Isaiah 53, and the best-selling book in which it is found is the Bible—the Hebrew Scriptures, often described as the Old Testament.
This brief volume is written primarily for those who are not religious. Since Isaiah 53 is found in the Hebrew Scriptures, much of what you are about to read is written with the Jewish reader in mind.
However, this is not intended to be exclusively so. Like Jerusalem—a Jewish city important to many faiths—the Hebrew Scriptures, originally Jewish documents, are considered to be holy writings by Christians as well. The Old Testament is also referenced in the Koran. Therefore, even though this book is primarily written for Jewish people, hopefully it will be read and understood by those of a variety of faiths: Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and those who do not claim allegiance to any formal religion, but are looking to deepen their relationship with God.
There are a number of reasons why Isaiah 53 can change your life. As a chapter in the Jewish Bible, Isaiah 53 is part of the book that describes our history, ethics, religion and the very basis for our Jewish heritage. There is also considerable information in the Hebrew Scriptures regarding God’s love and plan for the Gentile nations. Whether or not you are Jewish, whether or not you are religious, I hope you will discover that reading and understanding Isaiah chapter 53 will change your life.
Allow me to offer a few compelling reasons why I hope you will find Isaiah 53 meaningful:
•This chapter will help you understand some things about yourself—especially regarding your relationship to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
•This chapter will demonstrate that the Bible can be trusted.
•This chapter will introduce you to God, who predicts the future and also brings it to pass.
•This chapter will help shape your expectation of who the Messiah would be. You will discover how this chapter has been fulfilled in the life of the One whom many call “the greatest Jew who ever lived.”
•This book was written by a Messianic Jew—a Jewish person who believes that Jesus (Yeshua) is the Messiah of Israel and the fulfillment of Isaiah 53—and one whose life was completely changed as a result.
Having been raised in a traditional Jewish home, I fully understand the challenges of keeping an open mind to the possibility that Jesus is the Messiah. So many of my fellow Jews are searching for a deeper spirituality and desire an intimate personal relationship with God. Many of us have not found this within the Jewish religion, but we would never consider detaching ourselves from the Jewish community.
When I came to believe that Yeshua was the Messiah many years ago, I certainly had no intention of abandoning my Jewishness. I was looking for an authentic spirituality, and I imagine you might be interested in the same thing. I hope you might be willing to put aside—at least for a moment—the common belief that you cannot be Jewish and believe in Jesus.
After all, if one of our greatest Jewish prophets predicted the Messianic details that Yeshua ultimately fulfills, then we would certainly have the basis to believe that one can be Jewish and believe in Yeshua.
More than anything, I hope that as you read this brief volume, your soul will be deeply touched by God. I pray that your spiritual search for a deeper and more intimate relationship with the Creator will become a reality in your life as it has in mine. There is no relationship in the world more fulfilling—or one that brings greater joy and satisfaction—than connection with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The purpose of this book is not to persuade you to change religions, but rather to discover a new relationship with the One who made you in His image and created you for this relationship. Not knowing God is like not knowing your mother or father; it leaves a hole in your soul that can only be filled by discovering where you have come from. Without knowing God, it is difficult to answer the fundamental questions of life: Why am I here? What is my purpose for living? How should I live my life in a way that gives me the most fulfillment and helps me to be a better person? These are the questions that either plague us or propel us into the arms of our Creator.
May the Lord enlighten your path and give you the insight to understand Isaiah chapter 53—and to find a new and personal relationship with the God who made you and loves you.
Dr. Mitch Glaser
Jerusalem
May 2010
To exalt or subjugate women
"The truth is that male religious leaders have had—and still have—an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation for justification for much of the persuasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world."
~ Jimmy Carter
~ Jimmy Carter
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
The Definition of the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D)
The Definition of the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D)
Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.
http://www.reformed.org/documents/chalcedon.html
Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.
http://www.reformed.org/documents/chalcedon.html
Thursday, February 02, 2012
How Enlightened Are You?
HOW ENLIGHTENED ARE YOU?
IF....
If you can live without caffeine,
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him or her,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, gender preference, or politics,
--Then you have almost reached the same level of spiritual development as your dog!
IF....
If you can live without caffeine,
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him or her,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, gender preference, or politics,
--Then you have almost reached the same level of spiritual development as your dog!
The Truth
THE TRUTH
Once Satan and his demon sidekick were walking down the street, closely watching a man 20 yards ahead who was on the verge of realizing the Supreme Truth. The demon grew worried, and began to nudge Satan, but Satan looked quite calm.
Sure enough, the man did, in fact, soon realize the deepest spiritual Truth. Yet Satan still did nothing about it.
With this, the demon nudged Satan harder and, getting no response, finally blurted out, “Satan! Don’t you see? That man has realized the Truth! And yet you are doing nothing to stop him!”
With that, Satan cunningly smiled and announced, “Yes, he has realized the Truth. And now I am going to help him organize the Truth!”
~ story heard years ago from Indian sage Jiddu Krishnamurti
Once Satan and his demon sidekick were walking down the street, closely watching a man 20 yards ahead who was on the verge of realizing the Supreme Truth. The demon grew worried, and began to nudge Satan, but Satan looked quite calm.
Sure enough, the man did, in fact, soon realize the deepest spiritual Truth. Yet Satan still did nothing about it.
With this, the demon nudged Satan harder and, getting no response, finally blurted out, “Satan! Don’t you see? That man has realized the Truth! And yet you are doing nothing to stop him!”
With that, Satan cunningly smiled and announced, “Yes, he has realized the Truth. And now I am going to help him organize the Truth!”
~ story heard years ago from Indian sage Jiddu Krishnamurti
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
On Learning from Elders - John Cassian
On Learning from Elders. John Cassian:
And therefore by no means let the ignorance or shallowness of one old man or of a few deter you and cut you off from that salutary path about which we have spoken and from the traditions of our forebears. The clever enemy misuses their gray hairs to deceive the young. But everything should be revealed to the elders without any obfuscating embarrassment, and from them one may confidently receive both healing for one’s wounds and examples for one’s way of life. Thanks to them we shall experience the same assistance and a like result if we strive to aim at nothing whatsoever by our own judgment and presumption.
Finally, it is evident that this understanding is greatly pleasing to God, for not without reason do we find this same instruction even in holy Scripture. Thus, the Lord did not desire of himself to teach the boy Samuel through divine speech, once he had been chosen by his own decision, but he was obliged to return twice to the old man. He willed that one whom he was calling to an intimate relationship with himself should even be instructed by a person who had offended God, because he was an old man. And he desired that one whom he judged most worthy to be selected by himself should be reared by an old man so that the humility of him who was called to a divine ministry might be tested and so that the pattern of this subjection might be offered as an example to young men.
~ Conference 2.13.12–2.14.3
And therefore by no means let the ignorance or shallowness of one old man or of a few deter you and cut you off from that salutary path about which we have spoken and from the traditions of our forebears. The clever enemy misuses their gray hairs to deceive the young. But everything should be revealed to the elders without any obfuscating embarrassment, and from them one may confidently receive both healing for one’s wounds and examples for one’s way of life. Thanks to them we shall experience the same assistance and a like result if we strive to aim at nothing whatsoever by our own judgment and presumption.
Finally, it is evident that this understanding is greatly pleasing to God, for not without reason do we find this same instruction even in holy Scripture. Thus, the Lord did not desire of himself to teach the boy Samuel through divine speech, once he had been chosen by his own decision, but he was obliged to return twice to the old man. He willed that one whom he was calling to an intimate relationship with himself should even be instructed by a person who had offended God, because he was an old man. And he desired that one whom he judged most worthy to be selected by himself should be reared by an old man so that the humility of him who was called to a divine ministry might be tested and so that the pattern of this subjection might be offered as an example to young men.
~ Conference 2.13.12–2.14.3
In Evil Long I Took Delight - John Newton
In Evil Long I Took Delight
In evil long I took delight, unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight, and stopped my wild career.
I saw one hanging on a tree, in agony and blood,
Who fixed his languid eyes on me, as near his cross I stood.
Sure, never to my latest breath, can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with his death, though not a word he spoke.
My conscience felt and owned the guilt, and plunged me in despair,
I saw my sins his blood had spilt, and helped to nail him there.
Alas! I knew not what I did! But now my tears are vain:
Where shall my trembling soul be hid? For I the Lord have slain!
A second look he gave, which said, "I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid; I die that you may live."
Thus, while his death my sin displays in all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace, it seals my pardon too.
With pleasing grief, and mournful joy, my spirit now is filled,
That I should such a life destroy, yet live by him I killed!
~ John Newton (1725-1807) from OLNEY HYMNS (1779).
In evil long I took delight, unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight, and stopped my wild career.
I saw one hanging on a tree, in agony and blood,
Who fixed his languid eyes on me, as near his cross I stood.
Sure, never to my latest breath, can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with his death, though not a word he spoke.
My conscience felt and owned the guilt, and plunged me in despair,
I saw my sins his blood had spilt, and helped to nail him there.
Alas! I knew not what I did! But now my tears are vain:
Where shall my trembling soul be hid? For I the Lord have slain!
A second look he gave, which said, "I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid; I die that you may live."
Thus, while his death my sin displays in all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace, it seals my pardon too.
With pleasing grief, and mournful joy, my spirit now is filled,
That I should such a life destroy, yet live by him I killed!
~ John Newton (1725-1807) from OLNEY HYMNS (1779).
Saturday, October 08, 2011
The Single Best Invention of Life
"Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life's change agent."
~ Steve Jobs
~ Steve Jobs
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Don't ASSUME
“When you ASSUME to know
that which you know nothing of
you make an ASS out of U and ME."
~ tweeted by Ashton Kutcher, re Ashton Kutcher/Demi Moore breakup rumors
“When we are offended at any man’s fault, turn to yourself & study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger." — Epictetus
~ tweeted by Demi Moore the day before her anniversary
http://news-briefs.ew.com/2011/09/29/
ashton-kutcherdemi-moore-breakup-rumors/
that which you know nothing of
you make an ASS out of U and ME."
~ tweeted by Ashton Kutcher, re Ashton Kutcher/Demi Moore breakup rumors
“When we are offended at any man’s fault, turn to yourself & study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger." — Epictetus
~ tweeted by Demi Moore the day before her anniversary
http://news-briefs.ew.com/2011/09/29/
ashton-kutcherdemi-moore-breakup-rumors/
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The BRAT Diet
This is the get-right diet, called "BRAT"-- bananas, rice (white only), applesauce, and 'toast' which can really be any kind of bread, even with jam and smooth peanut butter, just not butter.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Three Irrational Beliefs
quoted from:
LeadershipJournal.net
Three Irrational Beliefs ...
that I constantly have to fight
David Slagle | posted 9/26/2011
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2011/summer/irrationalbeliefs.html
Dr. Albert Ellis (1913-2007) was a psychologist ... most widely known for his Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, so named because it is directed at irrationality. Ellis theorized that much of our inner turmoil is caused by our tendency to embrace irrational beliefs, which leads to stress, low self-worth, frustration, conflict, anger, avoidance, procrastination, diminished productivity, and difficulty in relating to others.
He identified three irrational core beliefs that cause the most trouble:
#1: "I absolutely MUST, at all times, perform outstandingly well and win the approval of significant others. If I fail in these important—and sacred—respects, that is awful and I am a bad, incompetent, unworthy person, who will probably always fail and deserves to suffer."
#2: "Other people with whom I relate absolutely MUST, under practically all conditions, treat me nicely, considerately, and fairly. Otherwise, it is terrible and they are rotten, bad, unworthy people who will always treat me badly and should be severely punished for acting so abominably to me."
#3: "The conditions under which I live absolutely MUST, at practically all times, be favorable, safe, hassle-free, and quickly and easily enjoyable. If they are not, it's awful and horrible and I can't ever enjoy myself at all. My life is hardly worth living."
Each of these statements is clearly irrational. In our best moments, we would reject them as ludicrous, wondering, "How could anyone think this way?" but then ...
Fortunately, there are better responses to each of the three irrational beliefs.
etc.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2011/summer/irrationalbeliefs.html
LeadershipJournal.net
Three Irrational Beliefs ...
that I constantly have to fight
David Slagle | posted 9/26/2011
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2011/summer/irrationalbeliefs.html
Dr. Albert Ellis (1913-2007) was a psychologist ... most widely known for his Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, so named because it is directed at irrationality. Ellis theorized that much of our inner turmoil is caused by our tendency to embrace irrational beliefs, which leads to stress, low self-worth, frustration, conflict, anger, avoidance, procrastination, diminished productivity, and difficulty in relating to others.
He identified three irrational core beliefs that cause the most trouble:
#1: "I absolutely MUST, at all times, perform outstandingly well and win the approval of significant others. If I fail in these important—and sacred—respects, that is awful and I am a bad, incompetent, unworthy person, who will probably always fail and deserves to suffer."
#2: "Other people with whom I relate absolutely MUST, under practically all conditions, treat me nicely, considerately, and fairly. Otherwise, it is terrible and they are rotten, bad, unworthy people who will always treat me badly and should be severely punished for acting so abominably to me."
#3: "The conditions under which I live absolutely MUST, at practically all times, be favorable, safe, hassle-free, and quickly and easily enjoyable. If they are not, it's awful and horrible and I can't ever enjoy myself at all. My life is hardly worth living."
Each of these statements is clearly irrational. In our best moments, we would reject them as ludicrous, wondering, "How could anyone think this way?" but then ...
Fortunately, there are better responses to each of the three irrational beliefs.
etc.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2011/summer/irrationalbeliefs.html
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