Optimism or pessimism: Which is better for you?

If it would be up to us to say, we would assure you that optimism is the best way to live longer. We advise you to do away as much as you can from negative influences.

In these dark Corona days and time of Climate Change, we are pulled back and forth by the many changing reports and many feel very insecure. Today, for the umpteenth time in a row, the government is coming up with new tightening corona measures that will again restrict us in so many areas. (Positive thinkers will rather look at the new or renewed measures with an attitude of “ah, we can still do this!

Negatively you could say “what the heel, again a lockdown”. Positively you could say

“Is it only the fourth wave of the pandemic, or is it already the fourth lockdown?”

For many it almost has become part of their everyday life.

Somehow it is everyday life. This pandemic reminds us of what we like to ignore: life is unpredictable. Now it’s just being taken to the extreme. {Another Lockdown}

Thanksgiving Day and weekend is already behind us, but soon we shall get some other days of family gathering and happiness. For some Christian it is now Advent (peculiar to the Western churches) and a time to prepare for Christmas. In the old days that period was a time of fasting and meditation. For Catholics with November 30 (St. Andrew’s Day) it is the beginning of the liturgical year. So, when you think of starting a new year, hopefully, you would not do that with a grim, dark mind, but would look forwards with a lot of good ideas, positivism and hope. In many Eastern churches, the Nativity Fast is a similar period of penance and preparation that occurs during the 40 days before Christmas. Normally having a ‘Fast’ a person would take such action to clear the mind and to do away with all bad things. As such in that period a person should also do away with negative thoughts and come to see the good things in life, appreciating again all the tiny bits.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ have the advantage, that there is hope for them for better times. Therefore, there should be no reason for a Christian to run around with the chin hanging on the ground. Our faith provides the foundation of courage to assist us when we have to endure that difficult ‘walk of life‘. Even when the days are becoming shorter and darker, this does not have to make our mind darker and has to stop us from dreaming or going further with our bold adventure and directs our steps to greatness. The light in the darkness Christians may see, they can show also to others, to bring them some positive news in these darker days.

The coming of Christ in his Nativity was overlaid with a second theme, also stemming from Gallican churches, namely, his Second Coming at the end of time. Some people are convinced we have already entered that time of the end. For others, this interweaving of the themes of two advents of Christ gives the season a peculiar tension both of penitence and of joy in expectation of the Lord who is “at hand.”

In life it often goes the wrong way with people when they have too many expectations. We typically do demand too much from ourselves. At the same time, we create borders for ourselves thinking that we shall not be able to do this or that. By setting such limitations in front of us we collide with a bare wall. We should know our feelings have all to do with our attitude to ourselves and to others. But it also has to do with what we want from ourselves and how we want to project ourselves to others.

Some of us are afraid to have some dark thoughts or see such pessimistic ideas as a threat or danger to our well-being.

Studies suggest that around 80 percent of people have an optimism bias, or tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive events. But does that mean they live happier lives?
Marnie Chesterton – accompanied by Hannah, a CrowdScience listener and self-proclaimed pessimist – investigates how we form our views on what the future holds, and whether it’s better to always look on the bright side of life.

‘If we think things are gonna be good for us in the future, we tend to put in the effort’

Can CrowdScience answer your question?

Let us not forget even when we are becoming restricted, we can use this time of more isolation, to think more about ourselves, what we have done and what way we shall continue to go. Now it is time to think of ways to go forward, even when we have to face certain times to draw back, and considering that tis moment may be totally different from the moment and time of someone else we know. Not comparing ourselves with others all the time shall make life much easier.

In this darkness, dare to step forward at your own speed and with your own capabilities!

Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.com

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Preceding

In October-November People often too busy with death and the dead

Misleading world, stress, technique, superficiality, past, future and positivism

What kind of attitude do you have?

don’t look at me in that tone of voice!

Some Hope for 2021

Expectations

Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself

Getting up to bring changes into your life

On Positivism

Benefits of Positive Thinking

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Additional reading

1. Unlikely silence
2. CoViD-19 Curation
3. No time yet to relax the CoViD-19 restriction measures
4. Another Lockdown
5. The importance of utopia and how to get there
6. Utopian dreams
7. Thoughts for the day (Our World) = Thoughts for the day (Some view on the World)
8. Thanksgiving wisdom: Why gratitude is good for your health
9. Good time to sort out your friends and contacts
10. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement (Our World) = Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement (Some view on the World)
11. Offering words of hope (Our world) = Offering words of hope (Some View on the World)
12. God, let me be a light in these dark times

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Related

1. Punch Through: Harsh Life and the Problem of Positive Thinking
2. When You Make A Mistake
3. Seeds, Roots and Shoots
4. Changing World
5. Confidence in the Lord
6. 🤗 A Better Life ~ Sing a Happy Song
7. 👊 Today’s Power Thought ~ Yes, Good Things Are Headed Your Way
8. 👊 Today’s Power Thought ~ You Have Undiscovered Potential
9. Review of “The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis”
10. Throwing of the Gauntlet: Quotes for Philosophical Dads
11. The Walk down Memory Lane
12. One Lesson From a 100 Day Tweet Challenge
13. Dancing Lights 

Beginning of a festival of lights

Next Sunday is a double celebration. The Jewish people begin the Festival of Lights — Hanukkah, the Dedication of the Temple, and many Christians will light the first Advent candle in preparation for Christmas.

The Winter-season started to give signs it is on its way. We did not get the Autumn storms, but temperatures went already under zero. We also got already very gruesome days were we did not see much of the sun. and when we got some flashes of sun-rays in the afternoon it became already dark around 5pm.

As we enter the last couple of months remaining in 2018, our thoughts turn to giving thanks for everything the year has brought.

Sometimes, many forget how lucky we are to live in a wealthy country where there is no war and where there are not so many real problems. After Thanksgiving lots of people went mad and invaded shops like they had been without food and goods for months. Their greed brought them even to fight with each other to be first and about getting certain goods. We could see many video’s of people shrieking, being grabbed, poked, whistled at, yelled at and stuff fought over.

In many American families Thursday turkey was on the dish and in other countries on Sunday nice food could fill the stomachs after prayers were said. Though looking around and at social media more eyes where fixed on Black Friday and Cyber-Monday trying to get some stuff cheaper. Already a few days before Black Friday through Cyber Monday our inbox was flooded with discount announcements even from Christian organisations. They did not seem to dare to go against that American consumerism that got infecting West Europe as well.

A few years ago Thanksgiving was a day of free and meditation time and when it was on a Tuesday or Thursday a bridge was made giving the employees some extra free time to celebrate with the family. Today capitalism and consumerism lets employers to call their employees to work for Black Friday. It is as there may not be a moment of silence and meditation considering what blessings we do have, living in our industrialised world.

The world wants also to give a picture and the feeling that man can not have enough and that those who are happy with not much are fools. Those who don’t feel the need to constantly be buying the latest and greatest stuff seem to become an exception. Those who spend more time being careful about what they purchase and those who prefer to save their money for fewer things that they can enjoy much more, seem to become “strange birds”.

Society is pressing to consume and the majority of people are loving others to see that they can be better off without god and limited ways of living. They do forget that perhaps that minimalist way of life can be a much better and a much happier life. The moral of today seems to have gone far away form from real ethical moral ways and for sur far away form the Law of God.

Coming to the close of the year 2018 at out Christadelphian ecclesia site we present an overview of some important matters.

Starting with “The Way of the LORD” we want you to give some keys to open the way to a better living, much more filled than with the worldly goods. It goes from the “Eagerness to learn and to teach others” to ” The Call of Christ” looking at the Book of books and why Jesus had to die at the stake. giving some time to explain why we have to live a certain way and why we have to look for a certain future and and a certain king. You also shall find reasons why we do have to  be a believer in Christ and should look forwards to his return.

The coming days let us also look at the many religions and their festivals. Look at their power and authority. Nothing of God does tell we may not enjoy life. Nothing of God does tell us that we may not come together with family to enjoy the blessings we can find around us. The only thing God requires from us is that we abstain from the heathen rites and feasts and live according to His Will.

The darker and colder days may have us looking for more warmth. You may do that. Do so with pleasure and with gratitude for what you receive from God.

Let the coming festivals of light bring light and warmth to your soul which you shall want to share with others.

Let us this coming Sunday dedicate ourselves to God, like Jesus did in ancient times. When you eat potato latkes on Sunday remember that such a holiday treat traditionally fried in oil is to remind the person who eats them of the miracle that God performed with the oil and the dedication of the Temple. Let us these coming days think of the black period in Jesus his life. Let us see how he had also his weak moments, asking his heavenly Father for help, even at one time asking why God would have abandoned him. We in our weakness are materialistic, spoiled,and often forget what a wonderful Gift God has given us . It is that only begotten son of God which is the most precious gift we ever could get. And for that we should be most thankful.

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Related

1. A Day of Thanksgiving (2018)
2. Thankful for a wonderful Thanksgiving
3. One small voice – 26: Be Genuinely Thankful
4. Family Thanksgiving + Black Friday 2018
5. Knock Knock – Morning Meditation
6. Holiday retail observations
7. Black Friday?
8. The Real Black Friday
9. Is Black Friday compatible with minimalism? (Minimalism, post 13.)
10. How Minimalism is Improving My Life
11. Red and Greed: Condemning Capitalism at Christmas?
12. ‘Grinch bots’ are ruining holiday shopping. Lawmakers hit back
13. Brands That Were Anti-Black Friday in 2018
14. Black Friday down, Cyber Monday up. But the shopping never ends.
15. Ebay says that Cyber Monday and Black Friday set sales records for the site (EBAY)
16. Cyber Monday: New Record, Tough Comparison
17. Amazon Logs Its Best Selling Cyber Monday In Company History
18. Brands That Were Anti-Black Friday in 2018
19. Earlier Sales and Late Christmas Dent Thanksgiving Weekend Turnout
20. Back to routine
21. It should again see light
22. Hannuka 2016
23. Hanukkah, a Time to Remember
24. Hannuka history and customs
25. Preparing: are you?
26. Happy Hanukka!

A voice cries out: context

In many countries a new year heaving started in September or October, with the advent, they take time to think about the Nazarene man who was given by his heavenly Father. God can not be tempted nor die, but his son who had a beginning, more than 2000 years ago, was born, was tempted more than once, was tortured to death and was taken out of the dead by his heavenly Father, the Only One Divine God.
The gospel of Marcus let us see the importance for mankind of that figure born in Bethlehem, without his willingness to do not his will, but the will of his heavenly Father, we could not have salvation and the Grace of God coming in this way, he took care of.

We may not overlook the beginning of Mark’s Gospel where we can discover, not the manger scene, but the meaning of a gospel as proclamation, and the importance of the titles “Christ” and “Son of God.”
As the writer of the article says:

“Mark reminds us that gospel originally meant “good news.” “

Too often Christians forget to look at the older books, the Old Testament. By doing that they also miss out very important knowledge and do not come to see clear who Jesus really is and what he really did.

As a Jew Jeshua (Jesus Christ) did not want to bring a new religion. and his disciples did not begin with a “new book”. Though the evangelist John might have looked at it as starting a new Book. At least he wanted to start a “new Chapter”. He looked at the world of Christ as a new world or Renewed world, given by God, made possible by Christ Jesus his ransom.
John started his book as Moses did, by the Voice of God. God speaking made everything in existing. Now the world could hear God’s Voice again. In the Garden of Eden God had already spoken and given His promise that a solution for Adam’s sin would come. As such that speaking from God, in the beginning of the world was also the Word of God which came unto mankind some 2 millennia ago,

Jesus was the fulfilment of that Word from God. As such the evangelist in his gospel (John 1:1) begins with an unmodified “theos” without the article, writing:

“In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” (NWT)

Denoting Jesus was a special person, like Moses and Pharaoh, who are also called gods (=high placed person). Jeshua, though a simple workman’s son, was so important because he was the only human person who managed to keep the commandments of God and to do only the will of the Most High Elohim. He, as son of man and son of God, knew very well how we human beings felt but also how we should all come closer again to the Creator of heaven and earth, the God of Abraham. Jesus clearly showed the world who is God was and why we also should come to honour only this One and Only True God. He also showed the world his God was a God of Love, prepared to give the world a “New Start” a fresh “New Beginning”. With Christ Jesus the world was given a 2° Adam. This second only begotten son by God brought us a “New Message”, the one that salvation was at hand. He showed us to the Way to the Kingdom of God. We either can keep our ears and eyes closed, or hear the message and see what we can do, to become partakers of that Kingdom of God. It only demands of us making the right choices.
Advent is the time to think about those matters, matters of importance, priority and matters of eternal life.

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Please do read also:

1. Only one God
2. God is one
3. God of gods
4. Plain necessary food of the gospel
5. God’s promises
6. Jesus begotten Son of God #8 Found Divinely Created not Incarnated
7. Jesus begotten Son of God #13 Pre-existence excluding virginal birth of the Only One Transposed
8. The Beginning of the life of Jesus Christ
9. Jesus Messiah
10. Who was Jesus?
11. In the death of Christ, the son of God, is glorification
12. Kingdom of God what would it be like

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Related articles

• The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices:” (mydelightandmycounsellors.wordpress.com)
  John, after seeing a throne surrounded by a green rainbow, with God’s glory shining forth as a jasper and sardine stone, now sees the presence of God manifest by lightnings, thunderings and voices.   This scene is very similar to the display of God’s greatness that was seen by the Israelites in Old Testament times…
• The Messiah (mylordmyfriend.com)
  The Hebrew word means “anointed” a rescuer, sent from God to save His people.

  The Greek word for ‘anointed’ is ‘christos’, from which we get Christ.

  People only need saving when they are in peril, and many times in the history of the Old testament, God people were constantly under attach and oppression. between the New and Old testaments, God’s people were under occupation of foreign powers. Their cries for a Messiah to come, became more and more often.
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  Jesus was recognized by many as the Messiah. Jesus tried to play down those expectations and was reluctant to apply the term to Himself. This was because He was not the figure they wanted Him to be. Jesus had no intention of being connected with violence and insurrection. Jesus preaching was a revolutionary message, and He was setting up a New Kingdom, but it was not the way the people were expecting.

  It was through Christ Jesus crucifixion and resurrection, that His followers understood that He was the Messiah.

• What Is The Gospel? (dailytwocents.com)
  The meaning of the word “Gospel” simply means Good News. A good news for a very bad situation and predicament.

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  It is often confused with the entire Bible. No, the Bible contains the good news, it is not the good news.

  It is sometimes mixed up with the commandments of God. No, the Gospel is Good News. It’s not a good command.

  It is often associated with the gospel records of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Nope. Not everything written by these four writers is the Gospel. They contain the Gospel, but not everything they wrote about is the Gospel.

• Christ in You, the Hope of Glory (theeyesoffaith.wordpress.com)
  Throughout the Word of God, the Bible refers to Jesus Christ with several different comparative names or descriptive titles to help us know and understand Him better.

  The Bible tells us that He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Redeemer, and the Savior.

  Jesus is the Messiah because He is the anointed and consecrated prince whom God promised through Daniel’s prophecy that He would send.

  He is the Christ because He is the anointed fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the New Testament.

  Jesus is the Redeemer because He is the kinsman who purchases back the lost possessions in the Old Testament and He is the fulfillment of the kinsman in the New Testament.

• Reading the Old Testament with Martin Luther (cwoznicki.com)
  Why should we read the Old Testament? It seems pretty obvious to us today, but  in 16th century Germany there was a tendency to look down upon the value of the Old Testament. (No doubt Luther’s Law/Grace dichotomy had something to do with this…) Nevertheless Luther advocates for a figural sort of reading of the Old Testament, in other wrods he asks us to read the Old Testament in light of the New

friarmusings

Mark 1:1-8   ¹The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ (the Son of God). ² As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. ³ A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” ⁴ John (the) Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. ⁶ John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to…

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