"On our inbreath, we should concentrate on receiving life from God. That inbreath is life sustaining. On our outbreath we should give everything we have back to the universe.
Our outbreath may be the last we ever take, and, at the end of our life, we want to make sure we have given everything we have back to the world."
it's as though the overload of emotion gets
(seen at Doc-Martens.net)
"I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief."
---Gerry Spence
(from They Blinked in this post)
cycles of disconnection are fearful times. they are fearful because we have a hard time not projecting out the present across all that we take to be the future. for many of us change is an unwelcome kindred that cannot be dealt with gracefully. we fear what might be outside of the paralysis of frantic motion that has no traction--behind the pain; ahead the unknown; the moment a stunningly painful marriage of the two.
it takes great courage to be of faith in such times. it tests our metal; asks us what we are made of; makes us worth our salt and all of the old adages that stand in for a lack of language to hold the moment.
it takes great faith to be of courage in such times. we are left with nothing; nothing save our last wit and what seems to be too many regrets for the time yet stretched out ahead.
Be careful with gifts (like people) that are abused or damaged, since they need to be restored and cherished...
Then I saw her: a girl, about 15 or 20, standing on the ledge on the wrong side of the fence, a hundred feet above the East River, trying to escape from the three people who were pulling her in. After a bit of confusion, I called 911 from my phone and tried to convey to the clueless-seeming dispatcher that THERE WAS A PERSON JUMPING FROM THE BRIDGE and YES, they should send help. And call the Coast Guard.
(seen at Abyssal Mind)
Perhaps the purpose of the web, and particularly blogging, is to share clues to the solution of the Enigma. By interbroadcasting our special clues -- our unique ideas, questions, and ways of seeing the world -- we may provide each other, and our union, with the missing pieces of the Puzzle. The more quickly, completely, honestly and directly we share these pieces, it encourages others to do the same, and the sooner we will complete what we've come here to do.
(seen at Jordon Cooper)
There's an enormous amount of our rage in the world that's converted into angry plans of attack and destruction. A great deal of social action and political reform is fueled by anger; the results are nearly always worse then the conditions that provoked the action. If we're going to do something about what's wrong with the world--the spectrum of wrongs stretches from marital fights to world wars, from disobedient children to the destruction of the rain forests--we have to acquire a better base to work from then our anger.
from Leap Over a Wall : Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christians
by Eugene H. Peterson
What if...?
(seen at The Holy Observer in this article)
TIKRIT, IRAQ – In another shocking development in the unfolding story of Saddam Hussein's capture, sources in Iraq have informed The Holy Observer that the former Iraqi dictator converted to Christianity shortly after being taken into custody.
Numerous accounts of the raid that led to Hussein's capture corroborate the story that upon being removed from the "spider hole" in which he was hiding, Hussein spotted a WWJD bracelet on the wrist of a 4th Infantry Division soldier and began pointing at it and yelling excitedly. Witnesses relate that the soldier then walked Hussein through the four spiritual laws with the help of an interpreter and a pocket-sized Arabic translation of the New Testament on the way to the undisclosed location where Hussein is being interrogated.
Sources tell THO that Hussein then prayed the prayer of salvation and related to the soldier that he first became interested in Christianity when members of his regime presented him with materials being circulated by Southern Baptist missionaries who were expelled from the country for proselytizing. The materials were specifically targeted to Muslim men, and they explained the many similarities between the Southern Baptist and Muslim views on the role of women, abortion, homosexuality and other social issues. Sources say Hussein was fascinated by these materials, and expressed interest in becoming a member of the Southern Baptist Convention.
(seen at Mind's Eye)
This love that exists for us to experience acts as a double edged sword. Love cuts deep, and it doesn't make sense. To continually love something that, at times, appears unlovely, or has no love to offer, is illogical and irrational. It isn't easy for me to wrap my brain around this kind of love . . . .I don't think I can. I can't understand a love that invites me and loves me when I run from it. One that runs after me, and begs to hold me, kicking and screaming, cussing and running.
(seen in this post at Doc-Martens.net)
I find that even if I am not the least bit excited about a certain issue, if I spend time with someone who is truly passionate about it, excitement begins to build within me as I hear their vision and their dreams. Passion is contagious....
Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark. (Henri Frederic Amiel)
(seen at Clay.Humanclay.ca)
What is it that seems to corrupt kids? Why is it as they get older, they seem to enjoy everything less? Seriously, grade sixers are still stinking young. They should be able to still jump up and down singing a song and have fun with it. But kids these days seem to worry too much about self-image at such a young age. When I see those little grade one kids I can't help but notice how much life they have inside them. Most of them had no clue what they were singing, but they didn't care. They were jumping and making noise. What would happen if we, as adults, would look at life the same way.
What do you give people who have everything? Blood...especially when they least expect it!
For every holiday, wedding, funeral, or birth of a child, families gather for what are supposed to be times of celebration or remembrance. But often these gatherings create more stress and conflict than joy and connection. When Difficult Relatives Happen to Good People speaks to those who look forward to family gatherings but also dread being around certain relatives. [from the inside flap]
Overall, this is a book that offers an abundance of insights without faltering into self-help clichés or specific how-to advice. Instead, Bridges examines the events that bring about transition (marriage, death, change of vocation, tragedy, and crisis) and why it's so important to fully experience these transitions and how they offer opportunities for closure as well as launch pads for enormous personal growth. Readers of The Way of Transition will find an author who manages to be humble, accessible, and highly intelligent as he weaves the writings of Tolstoy, Herman Hesse, Emily Dickinson, Carl Jung, and Anäaut;is Nin into his personal reflections. [from a review by Amazon.com]
An insightful look at the misplaced faith we place in things, and meaningful advice on achieving material and emotional well-being. "Getting what you want" today is increasingly linked to buying something. But is the purchase always enough? Picking up where "simplifying" may not satisfy, Dematerializing acknowledges the pleasures, along with the pitfalls, of living in a material world. With a sharp reporter's eye and a wry sensibility, Jane Hammerslough encourages readers to explore how a consumption-crazed culture affects their own relationships with objects. [from book description at Amazon.com]
(seen at Random Segues)
..., perhaps we should give gifts to people who cannot return the favor.
I am not saying that we should never give our friends or family members gifts. But maybe it would be more of a gift if we gave it to them at unexpected times throughout the year, when they do not have the opportunity to turn it into an exchange.
(seen at In-Trud-ers Mind in this post, referred by tahoe :: pilgrim)
Consider these three scenarios:
Scenario #1: People are busy. It is a modern day sin to inconvenience someone. It will inconvenience someone if I ask someone to help me. Therefore, I do projects myself and do not ask anyone to help me.
Scenario #2: People are busy. It is a modern day sin to inconvenience someone. If I drop by unannounced at someone’s home, that person might be in the middle of something. That would be an inconvenience. But if I schedule some time to meet with this person, this might be a burden and an inconvenience because I know how busy this person is. Therefore, I never get together with anyone.
Scenario #3: People are busy and have their own financial worries. It is a modern day sin to inconvenience someone. I am dealing with this financial burden, but I cannot ask anyone for help because that would inconvenience them and they might think I am a dolt for not managing my finances better. Besides, charity is for people who are down and out not for us regular middle class types who have access to credit. Therefore, I accumulate a massive amount of personal debt rather than letting people know I have a financial need.
The only love and care we accept willingly is the kind we know we can reciprocate. You give me a Christmas present, therefore I give you one. Never would we want to be beholden to someone.
The sum total of these responses, made little by little over time, is that we never connect to anyone meaningfully. If we never have any true needs, no one can ever minister to us.
(a poem I wrote today)
Serendipity
Upset by doubts that scapegoat
Like an angry mob yearning
To torch my sins at the stake
...smouldering ruins
Left behind on an altar
Like a sacrifice nobody wants
After being burnt through and through
...just neglected,
Never quite welcome anywhere,
Like a fugitive forced to roam
As an easy life has gone
...purged,
Vulnerable to any enemy
Like accidents have audiences
Relieved they're not the victim
...so seductive,
Exposed to opportunities
Like charisma tends to grab
Until a stalker hits the target
...unexpectedly
Humbled without mercy,
Like a disaster giving up
A generous dose of crisis
...overwhelming,
All in the face of transition,
Like a hidden talent finds
Revealed within a hopeless cause
...dwelling here,
Faithful through a constant struggle
Like kisses of affection
Brings out the best in some
...returning again!
(seen at Been There...Still there)
Pain is what I walk through.--anonymous
Misery is what I sit in.
(seen in The Door Magazine from the Last Word called "Surprised by Joy")
Blessed are the poor and the powerless? Apparently so.
This would explain why my intuition about using my cane was dead wrong. Why my expectations about tomorrow always set me up for disappointment. Why imagining some possible good event in the future robs me of the pleasure when or if it ever arrives. Why worry is stupid. And why thinking about myself in any respect always leads to despair.
Fame, fortune, really great sex -- maybe those'll cure all your ills. But beautiful famous people with loads of money are just as confused and miserable as anyone else. Spend your whole life chasing after wealth and power and you end up with nothing more to show for it than bleeding ulcers and a heart condition. You can master tantric yogic poly-orgasmic Wonder Sex but you're still gonna die alone. There has to be something more.--Brad Warner
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