P5 The Empire we’re in: Individualism & Consumerism

In the previous weeks, the government had made sure that the anti-vaxxers had no reason to demonstrate and/or smash things up.

12-storey floor of retail area inside of Berjaya Times Square shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mainstream churches have also opened their doors to the general public, but as before, the Corona Crisis, the huge shopping centra are and remain the main ‘worship temples’. There, in those shopping malls, people feel most at ease and satisfied that they can buy anything they want to own again.
For them, the big shopping mall is a sacred place to pay homage to their god (Mammon), money.

Consumerism has gone so far that lots of people when they buy something are even not interested in what the ecological footprint might be of what they buy.

Even though most people have become slaves to money, and therefore slaves to their employers, it is up to the Church to make those people realise how they have gone off the rails with their way of life and money-making.

It is up to the believer in the One True God to show people that there are much better ways than the worship of money, by which people are chained.

After the war in the Middle East seemed to have come to an end there was again a new war, the Russians invading Ukraine, we can see that Gog stood up and tries to go south to enlarge its world to get back a Great Russia or USSR. Others wonder who or what that “One World Government” seeking world domination might be.

Many do not want to know about God and His commandments and laugh at the idea of one world government or theocracy. The idea of living in the last days seems for many ridiculous whilst others think we can clearly see the signs indicating we are close to the times of the return of Christ, of experiencing the end of the world, there was something dramatic, inspiring, exciting about it all.

 

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Preceding

Material gain to honour God

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

Looking for the consummation of presents

The Proper Place of Excess

Earth’s pandemic and T-shirts for young people

The meaning of life – Finding purpose

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Additional reading

1. Looking at an era of international “youth culture”
2. Looking on what is going on and not being of it
3. Not everything has to be reciprocated with money
4. An other trait for faith in Jesus and his God
5. Good to make sure that you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy
6. Hamas the modern Philistines
7. The post-Christian world
8. Today’s Thought “Flee these things” (May 24)
9. Today’s Thought “Keep your life free from … ” (June 06)
10. Today’s thought “Flee these things. Pursue …” (November 23)
11. Mark 10 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Mark 10:23-31 – The Difficulty of Money
12. Not created to be on our own (Our world) = Not created to be on our own (Some View on the World)
13. Missionary action paradigm for all endeavours of the church
14. True riches
15. Count your blessings
16. Sign of the Times and the Last Days #1 The Son of man revealing
17. Sign of the Times and the Last Days #2 Wars, natural disasters, famine and false Messiahs
18. Last days and destruction of the flesh
19. Hope For, But Not In, Evangelicalism

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Related

1. P1 This might not be the End, but it sure feels like it / A.J. Hendry
2. What Does Larry Cohen’s THE STUFF Say About How Easily We Are Manipulated and Our Weaknesses Exploited?
3. America’s Shopping Addiction
4. The case against consumerism: Part 1 – The real cost of our everyday purchases
5. Extreme individualism is on the rise
6. Individualism and Individuation
7. Individualism in the Age of Social Media
8. Covid Evidence: Supply Vs Demand Shock
9. Community or Consumption: Social Ecology in Greater Manchester
10. Consumerism’s Effect on Creating an Addictive Society – Pt. 3
11. Time for a radical farewell to overconsumption
12. Is sustainable consumption fundamentally an issue of inequality?
13. The Money Problem
14. The control of money is where the true power lies – but only because of the way we think
15. On conspiracies, apocalyptic Christian nationalism, and how bad eschatology is ruining the world / Michael Frost
16. Tightened Covid curbs spark protests, riots across Europe
17. Be prepared – last-days spiritual warfare is intense
18. Is this how the End of the World begins?
19. What Shall Be The Sign Of Thy Coming? And Of The End Of The World?
20. Food For Thought
21. A Gate out of hell
22. In the Miso Soup
23. Quote of the day (20-Apr-2022)
24. Make more pies
25. Which attitude is better for our society?
26. The importance of the individual and the individual vs the group
27. Relationships help with resilience, not individualism
28. 4/1/22 – Individually Individual
29. Buying Stuff for Stuff
30. Dang, I shopped.
31. The Free Gift!!
32. Green Consumerism: Who Cares About The Environment?
33. faith in Christ for each other
34. A Saviour for the world, the Samaritans, and our individualistic selves (Growing Deeper with John 4:27-42)
35. Saved from what? (And For what?) [Sermon]
36. Breaking free
37. How to Buy Less and Buy Better with the Less But Better Method
38. J.B Mackinnon’s The Day the World Stops Shopping: Book Review

When Lambs Are Silent

This is part 5 in a series where we will be exploring and imagining how faith communities, and our community in general, may need to evolve in order to adapt to our changing times. You can find part 1 here, part 2 here, and part 3 here.

In our last piece we discussed how our society, though regarded as secular, is very much shaped by its own God’s that demand allegiance and require our worship and sacrifice. We named these as Individualism, Consumerism and White Supremacy. In our last piece we dealt with the latter, in this article we will be talking about the former two.

Throughout the lockdown there has been calls to open various shopping centres, lament’s that we have not been free to shop, to browse and buy. And in Auckland last week, as Covid restrictions began to ease, the great Temples of this age…

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Death and rest

Lots of people may fear death and be very unrestful when they think about the dead.

Many long for moments without pain and moment where they can be at ease not having to worry about so many things. They are longing for peace and tranquillity. Many also want some time to recuperate and to get some new enforced energy.

Rest is something that most people desire, but are unable to find. Running from morning until night, seven days a week, people struggle to find rest. {Psalm 62:1 Finding Rest}

There are those who are unable to sleep the following night after they dared to take a nap in the middle of the day. Others do not mind falling asleep in their church whilst the priest gives his sermon. Others find it great to have the Sunday free so that they can have a nap on Sunday afternoons.

Every day we are confronted by the world which demands so many things from us; Having the pressure of society on us we often do not dare to have a rest somewhere in-between.

Rest becomes elusive because of the race that people are in to try and satisfy their soul. They fear rejection, poverty, looking bad, and missing out so they run harder to prevent those things from occurring. When they lie down at night, their minds race in fear for the next day trying to determine how to make something happen or to keep moving forward, thus not getting any rest. {Psalm 62:1 Finding Rest}

Lots of people do think when they do not follow the tred of this fast running world, they shall not be respected or recognized for what they do. They would love to please everybody around them, and by doing so sometimes forget what is really right or appropriate in the eyes of God.

The goals of people are for temporary happiness and enjoyment, but often these are missing in the race. People miss out on life striving to run hard after false things, false hopes and false dreams. {Psalm 62:1 Finding Rest}

Most people do think it are the living beings that can provide them with what they need. They do forget that it is the Most High Divine Creator Who is the Sustainer and Provider of all. They forget that salvation they seek can only be found by God.

Every believer needs to realize that it is God who is the true provider for every need he has. Provision for physical, spiritual and emotional needs. There is nothing that God cannot supply. {Psalm 62:1 Finding Rest}

We should not so much honour the dead when we have the Living God to Whom all honour belongs. In Him, we should trust and not in those who are already death. It is God Who deserves our confidence.

Instead of looking to the temporary things that this world can provide, one must look to God for the eternal things. The things that last are forgiveness, love, peace, joy, kindness, mercy, patience, and God’s presence. When a believer has God at the center of his life, he will know the rest that God provides. This will allow him to lie down at night in peace and sleep knowing God is in control and will save him in the end. {Psalm 62:1 Finding Rest}

Instead of partaking all those festivities for the dead, we should choose for God given feasts and choose for more life than  the life most people see in front of them. Our hopes should not come from those in the graves but from That One Who man can not see. We may be sure of it that He provides the most stable ground under our feet. He is The Rock that shall not be broken in pieces or being destroyed. We can wait calmly for God alone, because our hope and expectations comes from Him. He alone is should be our rock our defence and stronghold.

Trusting in God we shall not be shaken. Him being our high tower we who believe in Him and trust Him shall not be moved.

Are you hoping that those people, called saints, who died a long time ago shall bring peace and salvation for you?

Please do know that our salvation and glory depends on God and not on the dead.

⁸ Trust him at all times, you people. Pour out your hearts in his presence.
God is our refuge {Psalm 62:5-8}

 

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My soul waits calmly for God alone.
    My salvation comes from him.
{Psalm 62:1 GW)

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Preceding

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

Looking forward to a year full of Kindness

Tending to develop a genuine confidence in our Higher Power

Confidence…

Pray to thank God

 

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Find also to read

1. Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people
2. The Right One to follow and to worship
3. As Christ’s slaves doing the Will of God in gratitude
4. God Feeds The Birds
5. When things run differently than expected
6. Today’s thought “That my name might be proclaimed” (January 31)
7. Today’s thought “As wax melts before the fire” (February 5)

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Related

1. Psalm 62:1 Finding Rest
2. Rest Time
3. Message of the Day: Trust and Confidence in God Face of Trouble.
4. June 25, 2019
5. Psalm 62:1: Watching and waiting
6. Waiting Patiently
7. Blessed night
8. Lunch with the Psalms
9. God is my Rock
10. Choosing Far More Life

To will being present in us but to do it not always evident

Looking at today’s reading we do find the apostle Paul who laments not understanding his own actions, even acknowledging that he even comes to do things he more than not likes.

Romans 7:15 (RNKJV)
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Apostle Paul in the apse (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How often do we notice we have done something to some one else what we hate ourselves.  When we loo at our actions we can even see that we sometimes do the very thing we hate, but that we also sometimes have the desire to do what is right but not the ability to carry it out.

Romans 7:18 (RNKJV)
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

It can well be that the will to do good may be present with you and me, but how often we do not have to admit that in us there where more stronger elements that hindered us to do the right thing. We must admit that our flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41 (RNKJV)
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

We know we do have to do good. We do know that we have been given an example and that we should follow him, who gave his life for us. We do know that Nazarene asked his followers to go out into the world and to preach the coming Kingdom of God. But much too often we are too afraid to open our mouth and tell others that we are following Jesus and trust his judgement and look forward to his and his heavenly Father’s Kingdom.

That fear for what people might think lets many not dare to talk about God and His son.

We are confronted with our “will” and our “performance” and must confess they are not in line with each other and often not in balance to.

We must be aware that first of all we must recognise that we can  either live according to the flesh setting our minds on the things of the flesh, or go for the things we might perhaps not see so clear and live according to the Spirit setting our minds on the things of the Spirit, believing what the Word of God brings to mankind black on white and not according human doctrines.

We should know that a lot of people prefer to hold on to human traditions, having the different feasts, not in accordance to God’s feasts. There are lots of people who prefer to hold on the ‘stories’ or ‘tales’ about parts of our body that might go to other places when we die. Lots of people love to have someone else to blame for the faults they do themselves. They like it to shift the guilt from themselves to a demon, they call Satan. They think by doing so they will be found less guilty. Others love to use that figure and places of torture to frighten others, so that they can keep power over them or can have them join their community, where fear preaching is the core business next to the entertainment they try to offer to please people, instead of spending more time to the Bible writings.

Lots of people want to find a church which can bring them worldly pleasures, nice songs and something exiting, like thriller stories, tales about places where people shall be tortured for ever, though they are the lucky ones that can escape because they are saved and should not worry. They love to hear that they do not have to do any work any more and that they can sleep on their two ears.

The majority of people prefer to set the mind on the flesh, not willing to know that it is death, whilst setting the mind on the Spirit shall be life and peace.

When we do know that even a called one of Christ knew the difficulty of what was going on in his body, we should have hope.

Romans 7:18 (RNKJV)
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

We should know that we are better to leave the world for what it is and be not afraid to tell it how we go for the sent one from God and putting our trust in God. There is no “life and peace” until we develop a spiritual relationship with our Lord. Those who do this are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.

In case we do trust God and feel it more important to live according to His Will instead of living according to the will of the people around us that we shall find it easier to live without fear, with at a spirit of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7 (RNKJV)
7 For יהוה hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

With that spirit Jehovah has given us we can move mountains. Setting our minds on the by Christ renewed relationship we are “set free” and experience the reality of the Proverb,

Proverbs 4:18 (RNKJV)
18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

When you find that we are living in dark days please do see the light provided by the Most High and try to take others with you too on the right path of the righteous, being prepared for the day when Jesus is going to return.

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Preceding articles

How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

Facing our existence every day

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

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Additional literature

1. Coming to understanding from sayings written long ago
2. Not or well Ashamed of the gospel and admitting to be a God loving person
3. Today’s thought “Ability to see that God is not dead” (May 12)
4. Today’s thought “Blessed people …” (July 27)
5. Today’s thought “nonsense surrounding the many gods” (July 28)

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Related articles

• The Character of God from the Book of Romans
• Why is it so difficult to trust God?
• California pastor claims Satan is behind gays getting married
• He Set The Course For Victory
• Sermon: When the World Is Against You, Acts 24
• Ex Catholic Provides Materials for Catholics from EvangelicalOutreach.org

9 Adar and bickering or loving followers of the Torah preparing for Pesach

The Catholics may have started their Lenten Season and try to lessen what they normally would eat and cut in entertainment activities. When we look around us we may find a few people who want to take the time to go over to a willing abstinence or reduction from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time.

Many religious observances have fasting in their program.

You should know that it is not bad to have every year some cleaning of the body and mind. Also in the house many may do a Spring cleaning. Abstinence from food or drink or both may be done for health, ritualistic, religious, or ethical purposes. All over the world we can find peoples taking abstention which may be complete or partial, lengthy, of short duration, or intermittent. Fasting has been promoted and practised from antiquity worldwide by physicians, by the founders and followers of many religions, by culturally designated individuals (e.g., hunters or candidates for initiation rites), and by individuals or groups as an expression of protest against what they believe are violations of social, ethical, or political principles.

Since at least the 5th century bce fasting has been used therapeutically. The ancient Greek physician who lived during Greece’s Classical period and is traditionally regarded as the father of medicine, Hippocrates recommended abstinence from food or drink for patients who exhibited certain symptoms of illness.

Northern district, Mevo’ot HaHermon council, moshav Beit Hillel

Detail of the Knesset Menorah, Jerusalem: Hillel the Elder teaching a man the meaning of the whole Torah while he stands on one foot

In almost every rabbinic book we can find mention of 9 Adar as a fast day. Though we must admit that during the last 2,000 years, not many Jews actually observed it. According to tradition, 9 Adar was the day on which initially peaceful and constructive disagreements between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai, the two great schools of thought during the Mishnaic period, erupted into a violent conflict over 18 points of law. The 1st century Jewish scholar Shammai was the most eminent contemporary, an important figure in Judaism‘s core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah, and the halakhic opponent of Hillel, the highest authority among the Pharisees (predecessors to Rabbinic Judaism), founder of the House of Hillel school for Tannaïm (Sages of the Mishnah) and the founder of a dynasty of Sages who stood at the head of the Jews living in the Land of Israel until roughly the fifth century of the Common Era.

Hillel was the head of the great school, at first associated with Menahem the Essene, who might be the same Menahem the Essene as the one mentioned by Flavius Josephus in relation to King Herod, afterward with Shammai, Hillel’s peer in the teaching of Jewish Law. The family of Jesus Christ also belonged to the Essenes.

Hillel and his Torah colleague Shammai were both disciples of Shemaya and Avtalyon as well as the last of the Zugos. (The five generations of Zugos were Jose ben Joezer and Jose ben Jochanan, Joshua ben Perachiah and Nitai HaArbeli, Judah ben Tabbai and Shimon ben Shatach, Shemaya and Avtalyon, and Hillel and Shammai.) Both were fearless upholders of the Torah’s honour, standing up to Herod and brooking no mockery of Judaism.

Due to increased Roman persecution, Hillel and Shammai their disciples were unable to analyze new situations as deeply as Jewish scholars once could. As a result, the emerging scholars broke off into two schools of thought, known as Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel or Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai, and wound up disputing more than 300 cases. This beginning of large-scale argumentation (machlokes) is viewed by the Talmud as a sad diminution in Torah scholarship, which, due to the lack of clarity, had drastic results for the Jewish people.

At first the scholars personally treated each other with great love and respect. But according to various sources 9 Adar was the day on which initially peaceful and constructive disagreements between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai, erupted into a violent conflict over 18 points of law, killing as many as 3,000 students in the fighting which should have been avoided.

We can take 9 Adar as a cautionary tale. There is a timely and pressing need to examine how the model of machloket l’shem shamayim (dispute for the sake of Heaven) between Beit Hillel, which produced 14 generations of great leaders, spanning nearly 400 years, and guiding the Jewish people through some of their most difficult times, and Beit Shammai devolved into a Jewish civil war. The lesson from that occasion is that

if we don’t work to resolve conflict peaceably and in a way in which everyone walks out stronger and the community is strengthened,

notes Nurit Bachrach, director of Mosaica: The Center for Consensual Conflict Resolution.

9 Adar, may be looked at as a day we should recognize the urgency to impart skills for constructive conflict to future Jewish leaders and therefore the Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution has therefore chosen this day to be the international Jewish Day of Constructive Conflict (machloket l’shem shamayim), dedicated to both the study and practice of Judaism and conflict resolution.

People need to have their minds open for different thoughts. They should always try to negotiate with those of other opinions and should always remember that all people are creations of the Most High, in His image, which we should show respect.

As in any community there may be different thoughts or different schools. All created in the image of God should respect the others around them. We also should know that nobody can know everything, but God. We as fallible human beings shall have to try to work things out. God has given us time to do that. He also has given His Word and His Law, which we remembered this last weekend. That Torah or Written Law should be our guide. We should follow those instructions.

There are 18 ways you or your organization can participate in your home, workplace, synagogue, school and community, recalling the 18 matters over which the conflict erupted.

Traditional Fast Day Customs (Minhagim) Fast (ta’anit) Fast from destructive speech (ta’anit dibbur) Contribute (tzedakah) Self-reflect (teshuvah) Pray (tefilah) Cook/eat (se’udah)

Learn/Teach (Talmud Torah) Write Study/Read/listen Give a dvar torah (words of Torah) Teach Announce/share/tell Create

Be a Rodef Shalom for the Day Sign/Create a Rodef Shalom Agreement (Haskamah) Greet others as a rodef shalom Be a rodef shalom in your own conflicts Be a rodef shalom for others in conflict Be a rodef shalom by facilitating a constructive conversation Invite a professional rodef shalom

 

On this day it is also important that we do think about the reason why we received the Torah and how we should use it as a guide to construct our life. If we want to be a Child of God we should behave like one. As children of God we do have to feel like brothers and sisters of each other, respecting and loving each other, trying together to please our heavenly Father.

When we treasure our friendship with the Most High Elohim Hashem Jehovah, we should strive to please Him in every aspect of our life, including our thoughts. Preparing ourselves for the coming period, living up to Erev Pesach or 14 Nisan on Monday April the 10th in 2017 and hoping to have a joyful Pesach the next two days days, we may take the coming days to think how we can better our life and cleanse our inner soul. Fasting, or trying not to be tempted by certain things we so love, is a good way to train our self.

Everybody has to work at himself or herself to come to have “a pure heart”. This has to happen by focusing our minds on what is chaste, virtuous, and praiseworthy. (Ps. 24:3, 4; 51:6; Phil. 4:8) Granted, Jehovah makes allowances for our imperfect nature. He knows that we are prone to improper desires. But we do have to recognize that it saddens Him when we nurture wrong thoughts instead of doing all we can to reject them. (Gen. 6:5, 6) Therefore let us remember those squabbling studious Jewish followers of Hillel and his Torah colleague Shammai, and make sure that we do not fall in the trap of discussing so much smaller things that they grow above our head into something which would bring us to fight and do something against the Will of the Most High.

Going up to the days of Pesach we can take time to meditate on the Word of God plus His Works and to reflect on our way of living. It can be a good thing to avoid being tempted to eat or drink certain things we love, and to stand still by those who were going day in day out through the desert, hoping to find the promised Holy Land soon. We too still have our hopes on the Holy Land and look forward to see it coming to a time of peace. We therefore should take enough time to consider what it is what God wants and to come to accept that Jews, Christians and Muslims should all be partakers of that Holy Land. In the end all the world should know that the Kingdom of God shall be the place for all lovers of God, no matter from which school they came of from which denomination they were part of. Jerusalem shall be the capital of God’s Kingdom here on earth and there shall be place enough for all those who want to do the Will of God.

Doing the Will of God should be our aim. To do that Will of God we may only worship One True God and keep ourselves away form all sorts of heathen rites and traditions. So, if you want to fast, do it, but do it with a pure heart, not mixing with pagan traditions and keep your thoughts chaste or spotless. An important way to show our complete reliance on Jehovah is by making our fight against unclean thoughts and staying restraint a matter of prayer. When we draw close to Jehovah in prayer, he draws close to us. He generously gives us his holy spirit, thus strengthening our resolve to resist immoral thoughts and remain chaste. Let us these days remember that and let peace grow in our hearts and share it with others around us.

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Preceding articles

Happy First Day of Spring: Spring Cleaning!

From the Ramadan into the eid

Your Future

7 Ways To Become A Better Christian

Reactions against those of the other sex

Glimlach raam naar je ziel

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Additional reading

1. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
2. Seeing or not seeing and willingness to find God
3. Gone astray, away from God
4. Creation of the earth and man #3 Of the Sabbath day #1 the Seventh day
5. First mention of a solution against death 7 Human sacrifice
6. Hanukkahgiving or Thanksgivvukah
7. Displeasures and Actions of the Almighty God
8. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #10 Prayer #8 Condition
9. Lenten Season and our minds and hearts the spiritual temple in which God seeks to live

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Other related articles

1. The other way around?
2. A Moment of Bliss
3. Lent
4. Day 0 – The Preparation, The Mission
5. Catholic-Judeo Spirituality of Fasting: It’s all about squealing with joy
6. Why Catholics Observe Lent Uniquely
7. Daily Mass: Fasting for God. Catholic Inspiration
8. Lent is Here and I’m Late Posting This!
9. Five Reasons Not to Observe Lent*
10. What Did You Give Up For Lent?
11. Fasting For… (3.4.2017)
12. Meditation on Lent: Good Gifts
13. Lent – An Invitation to Joy
14. Facebook Fast
15. Soul Food: Lent Temptation cakes
16. Begone, Satan!
17. Why is Fasting So Difficult For Me?
18. Day 3 Fasting & Abstinence: Good Read
19. Lent Day 4: 3/4/2017
20. Day 4 Fasting: Day of Temptations
21. Taking the Other Seriously
22. What Does God Really Want From Us this Lent?
23. The Unbiblical Nature of the Lenten Season!
24. March 2017 Fasting Log
25. “Why Do You Fast?”
26. My Fast is Finished but God’s Not
27. It is well with my soul
28. Lent Day 5: 3/5/2017
29. Day 5 Fasting & Abstinence: Blessed Sunday
30. Healing crisis
31. Fasting Opens Us Up
32. slob days
33. Fasting Echoes Joy
34. Lent 6 ~ Fasting to Repair and Restore
35. Lent Day 6: 3/6/2017
36. Day 6 Fasting: Adjustment Over
37. 1029
38. 100 days to Ramadan
39. Aiming for an outstanding Ramadan The holy month of Ramadan this year is going to start at the end of May.
40. Targets for Ramadan
41. Daily News Egypt: Twitter reveals increase of users’ activities in Ramadan
42. Fasting Tips for New Muslims
43. When Is Laylatul Qadr?
44. Praying Maghrib and Esha in Jamaat in The Last 10 Nights of Ramadaan
45. Prolonged Du’a in Sujood and Tashahud in The Last 10 Nights of Ramadaan
46. Doing Good Deeds in The Last 10 Blessed Days of Ramadaan
47. Tips for The Last 10 Nights of Ramadaan
48. “Better Than:” The Spirit of Fasting
49. Detox

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• How did your Irish ancestors traditionally uphold Lent
• Eat, Pray, Lent: Here’s What Americans Actually Abstain From
• Lent: Enugu Fish Sellers Make Brisk Business On Ash Wednesday
• Cardinal Tagle on Ash Wednesday: Change begins within
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• What To Give Up For Lent: Why You Should Choose Facebook, Social Media

Looking for the consummation of presents

When the end of the year is coming
people are looking for the consummation of presents

the sexy santa assistants were there to take a photo of you in front of the xmas tree or you could just ask them to take a photo with you and pretend that your girlfriend is a sexy santa assistant See where this picture was taken. [?] (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We are coming closer to the Winter holidays and in the down side of this globe the Summer holidays. The holidays can be an unsettling time for atheists and the Christmas holidays may be an stressing times for trinitarian Christians. Those Christians also often want to know how atheists can cope with what those Christians call the Season of the Greatest Gift on earth.

Sarah, a dog-faced atheist currently living in North Carolina, writes

Once when talking to a family member who is aware of my atheism and verbal about it, she asked: “Does it bother you when you get Jesus stuff for the holidays?” The truth, yes and no. {Holiday Shopping For Your Token Atheist Friend}

She, like many other atheists and lots of Christians, does not seem to know that all this Christmas event has nothing to do with Christianity or the real Jesus born in Bethlehem. Christmas is a pagan feast of which real Christians should abstain. But many Christians love to think about the true real Greatest Gift on earth mankind received. That was indeed the saviour or the Kristos, Jesus Christ, who was really born in 4BCE, October 17. So, we could wonder why they like to celebrate his so called birthday on the birthday of the goddess of light and on the pagan holy day for that goddess.

Therefore it is strange that as self-proclaimed resident holiday gift adviser, this Sarah gives her guiding rules on how to shop for heathens as follows:

1. Don’t give your atheist friend anything religious.

2. Avoid gifts that use “Christmas” or “Xmas.”

3. Coffee is good. Atheists like coffee. {Holiday Shopping For Your Token Atheist Friend}

When we look in the shop windows we also do not see much that reminds people of the Messiah and what he has given to mankind and why we can look at him as the best gift the world ever got.

Many may say that

“The Word became flesh.”

but do not really know what this means.

A certain Chandy who is also knowing that she is been given a gift, likes to share it, but considers it impossible. she also seems to see the reason.

No one’s bothered, which is fine. People have their own choices and finally, Jesus does love them. Others possibly communicate their theology but I can’t. And in some senses I wish I hadn’t learnt it. {Despairing Resonance}

This December she writes

Blood, bodily fluids, wordless crying are at the heart of Christmas story. It is icky, joyful and fills the senses. {Christmas fragment 1}

When we carefully look around everything turns around getting presents and just making lots of fun. Naturally nothing is wrong with making lots of fun and giving each other presents. Lovely. But to have stress about it?! And to say it is all for Jesus?!

Chandy at WordPress continues

It is icky, joyful and fills the senses.

This is why with so many objects criss crossing the planet it fulfils part of the spirit of Christmas. The handling of the card, the wrapping of the gift, the prising of the plastic, the eating of food, the drinking of wine affirms our bodily humanity; for God affirms bodily humanity in its messy state by taking on a breathing, weeing, gurgling body. {Christmas fragment 1}

Looking at mankind they all seem to look for their luck in stuff.

Everyone seeking love, joy, hope, peace, contentment and seeking to find it in stuff. Anyone who has an eternal perspective sees how silly this is – chasing after wealth and popularity and power. Still the pull of this world is strong. Smell that cheddar? Don’t worry about that spring loaded wire it’s sitting on. “People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.”  Wealth isn’t the issue.  Idolatry – love of money is.  (But sometimes wealth breeds the other.) {Contented Consumer?}

Even those Christians who say this is the season of peace are arguing that all those refugees better stayed in their country and would leave our developed society on its own, they not coming to take away some food and quality of life. They forget they themselves never brought anything themselves into this life at start, but got everything given to them, life, education, edible plants, sunshine, rain, the earth. Man is so selfish he thinks he has done it all by himself and that everything belongs to himself. To share it with others is difficult. For that reason such a gift season may not be so bad, because than people have to provide something for somebody else, and they have to spend something from their own money for it, which is not so easy for them. but many have fallen in the trap of the ” tyranny of expectations surrounding this so called Holy Day”.

Those who belong to the wealthy better should think about those who have less. This time of gifts should bring them to think about what gifts we all get in our life. Scripture is not against products that make life better for those who produce them.  It is also not against consuming products. but it warns us how we use our money and warns us about the attitude we can take or have to take with the things we can enjoy.

Scriptures does not say at all that luxury would not be allowed, but it gives us an indication that we should be willing to share with others. The Bible tells us the “Love of money” is wrong and corrupting.

Studies show that those with a lot of it are more narcissistic and less generous.  Our tendency is to think – that’s people who are richer than we are – They are self-absorbed and greedy. {Woes and Watch-out Warnings}

In the West we have become a “Consumer driven society”

Buy, buy, buy. Get, get, get. We’re all buyers; consumers of stuff. There are things we need and things we want. Separating our wants from our needs has become more difficult with the growing ideology of consumerism. The encouragement of acquiring more and more stuff at an increasing pace continues to change our society. The “one who dies with the most toys” philosophy has propelled the age of consumerism as our appetite to acquire things has skyrocketed. I wonder though if this is healthy for our society? {Top Risks for a Consumer-Driven Society}

The Spirit of Christmas (short film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The way people want to consume is changing and shopping becomes for some less a social activity, but a lonesome internet action, not really interested were it comes form at what cost, as long as he can get it the cheapest.

Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Distinguished Programs Joseph DeRosa warns

So as we enter the Holiday season – whatever Holiday you celebrate – think about your own gift giving habits. If it’s cheaper online, I get it. That’s simply being fiscally responsible. But if it’s not, I’d challenge you to go to the store, walk the aisles, smile at others and say hello. Let’s not slip so far into our rabbit holes that we forget that the difference between living and being alive is the amount of interaction and experience we have with one another. Would any of us really want to be walking around this planet alone? Would that be alive? Not me. Make the choice to live alive. Connect with someone. Today.

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Preceding

Family happiness and little things we do

Halloween is Satanist Christmas

He who beams never walks in the dark

The Evolution Of Passover–Past To Present

Welcome to Easter 2014

Next: One can buy a lot in the supermarket, but not hope

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Additional reading

1. A season of gifts
2. Holidays, holy days and traditions
3. Focus on outward appearances
4. Irminsul, dies natalis solis invicti, birthday of light, Christmas and Saturnalia
5. Christmas, Saturnalia and the birth of Jesus
6. Jesus begotten Son of God #1 Christmas and Christians
7. Jesus begotten Son of God #2 Christmas and pagan rites
8. Objects around the birth and death of Jesus
9. Christmas in Ancient Rome (AKA Saturnalia)
10. Wishing lanterns and Christmas
11. The imaginational war against Christmas
12. Hanukkahgiving or Thanksgivvukah
13. Thanksgivukkah and Advent
14. Holiday tolerance
15. Exodus 9: Liar Liar
16. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 1: Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet
17. Traditionalists Vow to Fight Charges of Racism in Netherlands
18. Geert Wilders wants mandatory blackface at Dutch festival
19. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
20. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
21. Christian values, traditions, real or false stories, pure and upright belief
22. I believe in you…
23. Ember and light the ransomed of Jehovah
24. Why we do not keep to a Sabbath or a Sunday or Lord’s Day #3 Days to be kept holy or set apart
25. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
26. Nativity scene of the birth of the Bill of Rights
27. Brits believe Santa present at Jesus’ birth, new poll reveals
28. Sancta Claus is not God
29. What Jesus sang
30. Merry Christmas with the King of Kings
31. Weekly World Watch 12th – 18th Sept 2010‏
32. Christmas trees
33. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
34. God’s Special Gift
35. What do you want for Christmas
36. Speedy Christmas!
37. Don’t Envy the World

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Further related postings on the net

1. Christmas Twinkle and Festive Helsinki City Lights
2. You Lived Your Best Life If You Had These ’90s Toys When You Were A Kid
3. 27 of the best 90s toys that prove Christmas used to be way better
4. Five holiday light displays you can’t miss this holiday season
5. The North Poles’ Secret by Zoey Hart #CinnamonTreats
6. Bending History
7. Advent No.12: Gifting guide for friends…
8. Seventh day of Christmas 
9. Joy to the World
10. Advent Day 12
11. 12 Days Of Christmas… ‘This Time Of Year’ by Only Girl
12. The Twelve Days of Christmas: Preparing Families for Emergencies
13. BoyChild Chooses: The 12 Reviews of Christmas, Day 12–McDuff’s Christmas
14. Bear With Me While I Wait For Santa
15. Christmas Gift Guide
16. It’s beginning to look a lot like…
17. How to find the Christmas gifts for your friends and family?
18. Transcending the Financial Border
19. Prepare ye the way of the Lord
20. He Loves to Hear You Pray
21. Christmas prayers for children
22. Christmas 31 Day Scripture Writing Plan: Day 12 – Malachi 3:1-3
23. Advent 2015 – Day 14 – Perfect Peace
24. Holidays for Earth Part II
25. New Bond Street – Xmas 2015
26. The Culture of Excesses- Losing Humanity
27. The foolish man

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Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

In the previous articles we have spoken about the world clinching to material wealth like velcrostrips hoping to have all luck in the world.

The materialistic desires have conquered the world. Those who know were they come from and Who they should honour do know they should not give their love to material things.

15 Do not love either the world or the things in the world.+ If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him;+ 16 because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh+ and the desire of the eyes+ and the showy display of one’s means of life*—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. (1 John 2:15, 16)

In the articles we also could see how many love to be moulded by this system of things. (Romans 12:2) The worldly desires have run high in our society, but at other times people also fell for those distractions and attractions.

It Conquered the World (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The love of money or the desire to amass riches and possess material things can corrupt the heart, leading a Christian to do things that go against God’s will. A few have become dishonest at work, have cheated others, or have even stolen money or objects that do not belong to them.

Lots of people do have many things of which they want to boast of is this. Lots of people also do think man is full of wisdom and that they have ‘most’ wisdom’. They do not want to look into their conscience which might bear witness. They are full of fleshly wisdom.

Material pursuits may bring on anxiety. For example, some complicate their lives by living beyond their means. Others have been enticed by get-rich-quick schemes and risky financial investments. For others, secular education as a means to attain financial success becomes a snare. The Bible warns: “Those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin.”

9 However, those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation+ and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires,+ which plunge men into destruction and ruin.+ 10 For the love+ of money is a root+ of all sorts of injurious things,*+ and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.+ (1 Timothy 6:9, 10).

Essential to not being drawn into a materialistic way of life is cultivating the ability to distinguish between right and wrong when making decisions. This ability is developed by regularly partaking of ‘solid spiritual food belonging to mature people’ and by ‘having our perceptive powers trained through use.’ (Hebrews 5:13, 14) Making sure “of the more important things” when setting priorities will also safeguard us from making wrong choices.

9 And this is what I continue praying, that YOUR love may abound+ yet more and more with accurate knowledge*+ and full discernment;*+ 10 that YOU may make sure of the more important things,+ so that YOU may be flawless+ and not be stumbling+ others up to the day of Christ, 11 and may be filled with righteous fruit,+ which is through Jesus Christ, to God’s glory and praise.+ (Philippians 1:9,10,11).

A materialistic life-style can blind us, leaving little or no time for spiritual pursuits.
How can we examine ourselves and avoid being ensnared by such a life-style?
We need to consider prayerfully how and to what extent we can simplify our life. King Solomon of ancient Israel said:

“Sweet is the sleep of the one serving, regardless of whether it is little or much that he eats; but the plenty belonging to the rich one is not permitting him to sleep.” (Ecclesiastes 5:12)

Does taking care of unnecessary material possessions consume a lot of our time and energy? The more we own, the more we have to maintain, insure, and protect.
Could it be to our advantage to simplify our life by freeing ourselves of certain belongings?

Lennon (right) performing “All You Need Is Love” with The Beatles in 1967 to 400 million viewers of “Our World”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We think life can much be easier when not loving the material things and not focusing on the world and its worldly life.

On the other hand, by cultivating a healthy fear of displeasing Jehovah, loving justice, and being determined to hold a good conscience, we show that we love “purity of heart.” That love moves us to continue to “conduct ourselves honestly in all things.” (Hebrews 13:18)

18 Carry on prayer+ for us, for we trust we have an honest conscience, as we wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.+ 19 But I exhort YOU more especially to do this, that I may be restored to YOU the sooner.+ (Hebrews 13:18

When we act uprightly, honesty can result in a fine witness.

Emilio, an Italian Witness who works as a driver for a public transport company, found a wallet containing 470 euros ($680, U.S.). To the surprise of his colleagues, he handed the wallet to his supervisor, who later gave the wallet to the person who had lost it. Some of Emilio’s colleagues were so impressed by his conduct that they became interested in the Bible and started to study. As a result, seven people from two families have accepted the truth. Yes, behaving honestly from a pure heart really can move others to praise God.—Titus 2:10.

Materialism may not seem to be an issue of loyalty, but it is. Do we trust in Jehovah’s promise to provide what we really need?

33 “Keep on, then, seeking* first the kingdom and his righteousness,+ and all these [other] things will be added to YOU.+ 34 So, never be anxious about the next day,+ for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness.  (Matthew 6:33-34)

5 Let [YOUR] manner of life be free of the love of money,+ while YOU are content+ with the present things.+ For he has said: “I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.”+ (Hebrews 13:5)

Rather than striving to obtain at any cost some of the “better” things in life that are presently beyond our reach, can we do without them? (Read Philippians 4:11-13.) Are we tempted to forgo theocratic privileges in order to get what we want now? Does loyal service to Jehovah have first place in our life? Our answers will largely depend on whether we are wholehearted in our service to God or not.

“It is a means of great gain,”

wrote the apostle Paul,

“this godly devotion along with self-sufficiency. For we have brought nothing into the world, and neither can we carry anything out. So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things.”—1 Timothy 6:6-8.

In a revelation to the apostle John toward the close of the first century, the glorified Jesus Christ delivered a message to the congregation located in Laodicea, Asia Minor. It was a warning message against materialism. Though materially rich, Laodicean Christians were bankrupt spiritually. Instead of continuing to walk by faith, they allowed material possessions to blind their spiritual vision. (Revelation 3:14-18) Materialism has a similar effect today. It weakens our faith and causes us to stop ‘running with endurance the race’ for life. (Hebrews 12:1) If we are not careful, the “pleasures of this life” can smother spiritual activities to the point that they are “completely choked.”

14 As for that which fell among the thorns, these are the ones that have heard, but, by being carried away by anxieties and riches and pleasures+ of this life, they are completely choked and bring nothing to perfection.+ (Luke 8:14).

Time ran out for the world of Noah’s day, and it will run out for the present system of things. The apostle Peter assures us:

“Jehovah’s day will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a hissing noise, but the elements being intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be discovered.”

Neither the symbolic heavens — wicked governments — nor the symbolic earth — mankind alienated from God — will survive the heat of God’s burning anger. Indicating how we can prove ourselves ready for that day, Peter exclaims:

“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah!”—2 Peter 3:10-12.

A key to spiritual protection is contentment rather than the use of this world to the full and the enrichment of ourselves materially. (1 Corinthians 7:31; 1 Timothy 6:6-8) We as such do not have to look so much at the world of mankind or the kingdom of mankind but at the world of the Kingdom of God. When we walk by faith and not by sight, we find joy in the present spiritual paradise. As we partake of nourishing spiritual food, are we not moved to “cry out joyfully because of the good condition of the heart”? (Isaiah 65:13, 14) Moreover, we take delight in our association with those who manifest the fruitage of God’s spirit.

22 On the other hand, the fruitage+ of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness,+ faith, 23 mildness, self-control.+ Against such things there is no law.+ 24 Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus impaled* the flesh together with its passions and desires.+ (Galatians 5:22, 23)

How vital that we find satisfaction and refreshment in what Jehovah provides in a spiritual way!

Some questions we do well to ask ourselves are:

‘What place do material things occupy in my life? Am I using the material possessions I have to live a life of pleasure or to promote true worship? What brings me the greatest satisfaction? Is it Bible study and fellowship at Christian meetings, or is it weekends away from Christian responsibilities? Do I reserve many weekends for recreation instead of using such time for the field ministry and other activities in connection with pure worship?’

Our regularly attending Christian meetings and sharing in preaching the good news are included among the necessary acts and deeds of godly devotion. May we perform them with heartfelt devotion to God while we wait patiently for Jehovah’s great day. Let us “do [our] utmost to be found finally by [God] spotless and unblemished and in peace.”—2 Peter 3:14.

Walking by faith means that we keep busy in the Kingdom work, with full trust in Jehovah’s promises.

58 Consequently, my beloved brothers, become steadfast,+ unmovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord,+ knowing that YOUR labor is not in vain*+ in connection with [the] Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58).

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Preceding articles:

Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

For The Love of Stuff

Learning that stuff is just stuff

Watch out

Thought of the day: We want more, i want more, but why is that?

Mini-MAX-malism: A Bigger Approach to Less is More

Less… is still enough

Less for more

The Art of Doing Less – Your Time is Finite

Why “Selfishness” Doesn’t Properly Mean Being Shortsighted and Harmful to Others

Looking at a conservative review of Shop Class As Soul Craft

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Additional reading:

1. What is life?
2. Greed more common than generosity
3. Some one or something to fear #2 Attitude and Reactions
4. Some one or something to fear #3 Cases, folks and outing
5. Some one or something to fear #4 Families and Competition
6. Struggles of life
7. It continues to be a never ending, exhausting battle for survival.
8. Searching for fulfillment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression
9. Daily portion of heavenly food
10. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late!
11. How should we react against the world
12. A call easy to understand
13. Followers with deepening
14. Come ye yourselves apart … and rest awhile (Mark 6:31)
15. Suffering redemptive because Jesus redeemed us from sin
16. Looking forward to God’s faithfulness
17. Count your blessings
18. God should be your hope
19. Always set a place in your life for the unexpected guest
20. Disciple of Christ counting lives and friends dear to them
21. Be a ready giver
22. Contribution – Contributie, bijdrage
23. Bearing fruit
24. A small company of Jesus’ footstep follower
25. What’s church for, anyway?
26. Making church
27. Meeting – Vergadering
28. Congregate, to gather, to meet
29. Gathering or meeting of believers
30. An ecclesia in your neighbourhood
31. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
32. Breathing and growing with no heir
33. Breathing to teach
34. Reasons to come together
35. God won’t ask
36. Communion and day of worship
37. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #6 Prayer #4 Attitude
38. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #18 Fulfilment

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Further reading:

• What Controls you?
• “Things”
• Properties
• Buy now, don’t think: the urgency trap
• Shopping Addictions – Day 168
• Greed is Wrong, But What About Wealth Itself?
• A Journey Toward Your Goals
• Virtuous egoism
• In brief: Why you should admire and not covet.
• Nothing & Everything
• The Sticky Fingers of Things
• Material girl
• Simple Girl In A Material World
• Pursuit
• Finding Satisfaction
• Less is more or getting rid of the clutter in your life
• What Really Matters
• The 2 Things That Matter Most
• Romans 7:18 – The Struggle is Real
• How is life measured? — from Luke 12:15
• What Jesus ask us to give up is nothing compared to what He want to give us
• Freedom from Minimizing | Personal
• Seek First The Kingdom
• The Minimalism
• The Cares Of This World
• What can I leave behind – A packing guide for relocation
• Quality over Quantity 💖
• The Pursuit Of Happiness

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• The Dollar Store (And Moar) (lunaticoutpost.com)
• China Containerized Freight Index Collapses (financialsurvivalnetwork.com)
• How Utah Became A Bizarre, Blissful Epicenter For Get-Rich-Quick Schemes (talkingpointsmemo.com)
• How Australia’s Big 4 Banks Can Sink the Entire Economy (wolfstreet.com)
• Why Your Financial Goal Should Be to Stop Trading Time for Money (lifehacker.com)
• ZAP / POOF: State Of Confusion Part 1 of 2 (dinarrecaps.com)
• Rich People can Enter the Kingdom of God (idkh.org)
• Creflo and the Dollar Whores (almost) get their jet! (firebreathingchristian.com)
• 1 Timothy 6:1-21 Godliness (jimerwin.com)
• Joy as Fruit (genesisone.wordpress.com)

Material gain to honour God

Front cover of the first edition of Lenin’s Materialism and Empirio-Criticism, published in Moscow in 1909 under the pseudonym “Vl. Ilyin.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Around us we may find lots of material things which can attract and distract us. We have nature, something which can not be made by man but can only be adjusted or changed to man’s desires. We have all sorts man-made things which can be for use or just for being there, one moment to give pleasure, an other moment to be thrown away as useless.

The things from nature, the goods which make us able to create things they all come from somewhere. It is the earth that gives it to us.  But behind it is the Master Hand. What lots of people do not see or do not want to know is that behind everything made there is the Master Creator Who allows others to be and to create such things.

For many it is a very hard thing to believe that everything we can see around us and all things we can have is because God allows it to be there. It is there because of God allowing it but it also belongs to God.  We like to think that what we have is ours and no one elses.  Man wants to have everything for him or herself. Man wants to feed the “I” and wants to satisfy the “I”. Man thinks by taking all things for him/herself he can be and can satisfy the inner person and fulfil his “I am” ambition.

Strangely enough people want to gather as much as they can and safe it, though they will not be able to take it with them when they die. Their possessions will either go to someone else or be thrown away to be incinerated or to go in oblivion on the trash pile.

In this world there are so many who want to flaunt with what they can gather. They are so  proud, but in a way do know nothing, and dote on an argument and quarrel on the use of a word or on the way of life. With their earthly grabbing culture they are the cause of envy and controversy and blasphemy and evil premeditation.

Strife among men whose minds are corrupt and who are cut off from the truth and who think worshipping God is for worldly gain should alert us and make it that we keep away from such things. Those who love God should know that their gain is greater contentment, for it is the worship of God.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

1Ti 6:6-7 HNV  But godliness with contentment is great gain.  (7)  For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out.

Donkey cart in Conlig A change from all the materialism that seems to arise early in December – these children take to more traditional activities, in this case dressing up in Victorian fashion and parading along The Green in Conlig village. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Therefore, let us enjoy the beauty of nature and the God given things and let us be satisfied with food, raiment and shelter. For those who desire to be rich, fall into temptations, and snares, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which causes them to sink in degeneration and destruction.  For the love of money is the root of all evil: and there are some men who have coveted it and have thereby erred from the faith, they have brought to themselves many sorrows.

1Ti 6:8-10 HNV  But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.  (9)  But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.  (10)  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

In case you love God and you want to go for Him, you should flee these things; and follow after righteousness, piety, faith, love, patience, and meekness.  We are told to fight the good fight of faith, and to let the right things reign in our mortal body, laying hold on eternal life to which we are called, having professed a true profession before many witnesses.

1Ti 6:11-12 HNV  But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.  (12)  Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.

1Co 6:18 HNV  Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Rom 6:12 HNV  Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Nothing but the all mighty God, mighty Prince, the King of kings, and Lord of lords,  has immortality or deathlessness, dwelling in the light which no man can approach, and whom no man has seen, nor can see. To Him be honour and dominion for ever and ever. Even Christ Jesus, the son of God had to face death. He really died, was three days in hell and was than taken out of the dead by his heavenly Father, the Only One True God.

Even the son who has received authority from his heavenly Father to judge and to be a king shall have to hand over the Kingdom of God to his heavenly Father in due time, because everything belongs to God.

Like Jesus only did the Will of his heavenly Father, and not his own will, we should try to do also the Will of God. Like Jesus could not do anything without his Father, we should know also that nothing is possible without God as Sustainer of the world allowing it to happen.

As Christians we should know that we live in the world but should not be part of it. We may get many possessions but should take care those things do not take possession of us.
Everything what we gather in our life we should use for the good. Not only for the good of the self but also for helping others.

Let us remember that those things which may life easier for us should be used to to do God’s will and to honour Him by what we do with it. And let us go for the real treasures.

Mat 6:19-21 HNV  “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;   (20)  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal;   (21)  for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

*

Strife: heated, often violent conflict or disagreement; angry or violent struggle or quarrel; Contention or competition between rivals; trouble or discord of any kind; strenuous effort; open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)

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Preceding articles:

Thought of the day: We want more, i want more, but why is that?

Mini-MAX-malism: A Bigger Approach to Less is More

Stop and Think

Learning that stuff is just stuff

Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

Less… is still enough

Less for more

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Additional reading:

1. What Are You Seeking?
2. Souls and Religions with Nirvana and light
3. Finding Beauty Amongst the Trash
4. True happiness, love and perfection
5. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
6. Purify my heart
7. Two states of existence before God
8. A good idea to halt all activity for one hour some day
9. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
10. Rest thy delight on Jehovah
11. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
12. Humbleness
13. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God
14. What happens when we die?
15. Is there an Immortal soul
16. Looking on what is going on and not being of it

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Further reading:

• What is the Root of All Evil?
• Love of money
• Money! money! Money! It has become our goal and our god!
• For The Love of Money Is The Root of All Evil
• Materialism
• Self-indulgence
• Your Business, Your Money, Your Faith
• Money & That Love of it
• Not That Rich
• The danger of riches: Mark 10-11
• the true riches
• How to Lose Your True Wealth
• Loving Money is Spiritual Suicide
• Our world is hell
• The modern prosperity teachings
• Possessions and the kingdom
• Serving two masters
• A Crown Of Splendor
• Watch Your Focus! 1 Timothy 6, March 23, 2014
• 1 Timothy 6:6-10
• Stay Focused
• I’d Rather Die Poor Than Live My Life Without You.
• Generosity
• Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor
• February 18 – Contentment
• Woes and Watchout Warnings
• Materialism vs. Excellence
• Make Your Time Count
• Love not the world

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There can only be hope when there is a will to be and say “I am”

Hope: expect and desire. Without a ‘Desire of fulfilment’ there is no soil for a seed of hope to grow.

When we do want to build up hope we do have to be willing to be, to stand strong.

Therefore we better considered the power of the statement “I am” which we use so many times a day. When we answer the phone or when we are asked if it our us entering the place or when we give others an idea of who we are or how we feel.

You might be surprised what is hidden in those two little words. They also can say a lot to the others, even making them cross, like it happened some two thousand years ago, when the Pharisees asked Jesus if he was that person been spoken of, and he confirmed that he was that man. (Too many Christians today still do not understand the answer nor the question posed that day, and take it because Jesus said “I am” that he is God.) All the people who continue to say “I am” are not all gods and mostly do not think to be a god nor the God. but they have good reason to keep saying “I Am”. Because without ‘to Be’ there is no being, no existence. Jesus existed and therefore he also could say “I am”. He also could confirm he was the person the Pharisees heard speaking about, the one man preaching fervently about his heavenly Father Who would be not only his god but also The God. That was what made the high priests so mad and shouting it was blasphemous. Jesus never did say to them he was God, nor did he say such a thing to the people. He always said he could not do the things he did without his Father in heaven, the God of Abraham, Whose will he wanted to do and not his own will.

First, we have to be, before we can have any hope. Without being there is no hope at all. Thanks to the Creator we can be. Without Him there is no life possible at all. Without the God of gods there is no being no way of saying “I am”.

To many people do forget how these two simple words will determine what kind of life a person lives.

We when we say ourselves “I am” or when we hear others saying “I am” generate an idea of feeling and being. A Christian should be best in being able to say:

“I am blessed.”

Because we are blessed, by the allowance to be in a living condition and by the Grace of God, having become accepted, washed clean by the ransom offer of Christ Jesus. It is in that Jewish man we have found “hope”. In him we should place our hope. He is the one who has presented the world with the most high hope, the possibility of the best possible life on earth, a never ending life in the Kingdom of God. that should be our real Hope.

Knowing that we can live by the Grace of God we should not fear man, but with the fear of God, should also be happy that Jesus reconciled ourselves by his heavenly Father, the Only One God “The I Am Who Is”. He is the Most High Being, the Supreme Being. It was the son of the Elohim who gave his life to the One and Only Who gives life. He is it who can make us weak or strong, slow or fast, stupid or wise. It is Him Who can make us say:

“I am strong”. “I am healthy.”

Or,

“I am slow”. “I am unattractive”. “I am stupid.”

The “I am’s” that are coming out of our mouth will bring either success or failure. Not enough people are aware how the thinking about themselves shall decide how they themselves shall be or become. Unconsciously and for some consciously, all through the day the power of “I am” is at work in our minds. And there is the problem of denial. The will not to see the “I am” in ourselves. Many people also place the “I am” in the wrong phrases or in the wrong context, making life for themselves more difficult.

Too many people are not aware how they themselves can use the “I am” for them selves but also against themselves. Mostly they have no idea how they use the power of “I am” against themselves and how it is affecting their future.

In the Bible the answers are given. It tells us clearly how we are to be ‘in-breath’ with the “I Am”, the most High God. all being created in the image of God, having received life from God “The I Am”, should be willing to have The Elohim living through their “I am”. According to the Holy Scriptures The “I Am Who Is” (The Elohim Hashem Jehovah) is always there for His Creation. He is always looking for us, and as such our “I am” is also always looking for us.

Each individual has given the breath of God, i.e. life, because otherwise he would not be living. This breath of life, i.e. the soul, is our being our possibility to say “I am”. Without life we shall not be able to say “I am”. When death, you also shall not be able any more to say “I was”. Others shall be able to say that ‘you were’, but once the light of life has gone out, it its finished with the being, the “I am” shall not sound any more.

Therefore, as written in the Holy Scriptures, it is in the “Now,” that we have to make it. It is when we live and can say “I am” that we can be and that we can do things. Jesus gave several parables as examples of what happens when we do not follow the good direction as the “I am” and do not make work of being the right “I am”.

The “I am” expresses a hope, or it should do. When you go through the day saying,

“I am blessed,”

blessings come looking for you. The same way when you say

“you are blessed”

you give the expression of the I am who wants to bring over the other blessings by your loving-kindness for that person.

In case you want to build up hope in your life you first have to believe in yourself and secondly have to believe in the Most High “I Am” to get you there where He wants you to be and to succeed. but you have to be willing to give yourself in the hands of the “I am” to get the feeling of growth in assurance you can do something. as such you, yourself have to believe in yourself and have to dare to say

“I can”

And continuing to think you shall be able to reach your goal and as such to be able to say:

“I am talented.”

Only when you are willing to go for the hope in succeeding you shall be able to succeed and to become talented.

Let blessings and talent come looking for you. Let health come to you and come to say

“I am feeling fine”, “I am healthy,” “I am strong.”

You might be surprised how much the “I am” can do wonders in yourself. How good feelings, good health and strength shall come on your way. Are you willing to surrender to your own self? To surrender to the “I am” in you?

Vicki Flaherty rightly writes:

Not to be ‘be good’ or ‘do better’ but to surrender to the amazing person I am and what I might create with a deep appreciation of all that is abundant in me. {Hope}

Your “I am” has to start tracking you down, by your invitation into your life.

Get up in the morning and invite good things into your life. Declare

“I am blessed. I am strong. I am talented. I am disciplined. I am focused. I am prosperous.”

And always make sure God’s truth follows “I am”!

Are you able to say:

I feel complete with who and where ‘I am’.

What is your answer when asked: Is it you, Pete, John, Mary, Sonia, Vicky, or ‘so and so’? “Are you him or her”?

….

What is your answer when asked: “Are you feeling all right?”

….

Are you believing in the power of perspective and positive outlook?

….

Are you willing to choose to live into today with hope in your heart?

…..

Are you able to honour all aspects of your being and let go of any judgement and attachment that might divide you or leave you feeling broken.

…..

Are you willing to be whole in all your imperfection and brilliance.

…..

What would be you you answer when asked “Are you a Christian”?

…..

Do the give your answer in big capitals, to this question:

Are you a believer in the Son of God, and willing to follow this Jewish man who gave hope for a better future? Are you a follower of Christ Jesus, the son of God, accepting he really did die for the sins of the whole world, and who now has been made higher than the angels, though he was lower before, in the knowledge that God is was and always shall be the Most High?

…..

+

* Note: If you could not answer every-time with “I am”, than you have a problem and should reconsider your way of thinking and should go to examine your self and your believes. If you could answer  all questions with “I am” than we want to invite you to continue your way with us, helping others to find their “I am”.

++

Find also to read:

1. I am that I am Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh אהיה אשר אהיה
2. Hashem השם, Hebrew for “the Name”
3. Creator and Blogger God 7 A Blog of a Book 1 Believing the Blogger
4. Pluralis Majestatis in the Holy Scriptures
5. Marriage of Jesus 8 Wife of Yahweh
6. Accommodation of the Void
7. Does He exists?
8. Wishing to do the will of God
9. Looking for blessed hope
10. 8 fears caused by the fear of Man
11. Fear of God reason to return to Holy Scriptures

++

Additional reading in Dutch:

1. Ik ben die ben Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh אהיה אשר אהיה
2. Heer, Yahuwah, Yeshua of Yahushua

+++

Find also on other websites:

1. Wholeness
2. Radiate
3. Hope ( by Vicki Flaherty)
4. Focus

+++

Related articles

• Self-Righteousness and Hypocrisy: Closing the Door to the Kingdom of God (theeyesoffaith.wordpress.com)
  Jesus begins to warn us of being like the scribes and Pharisees, who trusted in their religion instead of having faith in God.
  +
  The Pharisees, who were the religious leaders of the day, refused to recognize that their thoughts were evil and they were unrighteous.Like the religious folk of every generation, they failed to acknowledge that they were prideful. They failed to acknowledge the fact that they had evil attitudes towards one another and others.
  +Jesus came to establish His righteousness, and then to give us His righteousness in exchange for our sins at Calvary. He came to give us a new spirit, a new heart, a new attitude and will.

  “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:” (Eze. 11:19)

• Today’s Gospel Reading (luke 11:42-46) (prayers4reparation.wordpress.com)
  A lawyer then spoke up. “Master,” he said “when you speak like this you insult us too.” “Alas for you lawyers also,” he replied “because you load on men burdens that are unendurable, burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.
• Jesus and Christianity (theinternetpost.net)
  Jesus shared meals with outcasts, which annoyed the Pharisees, strong supporters of the laws and traditions of the Jewish people.
  Jesus said: “Be on your guard against the Doctors of the Law, who like to walk about in robes and be saluted in the streets… who devour the livelihood of widows…”
  +

  The Bible is like the curate’s egg – good in parts.

  The Bible, like the Koran, is a very human attempt to describe what life is all about.
• Why You Can’t Read Scripture Alone (christianitytoday.com)
  Some Christians, and not just new believers among them, take this “me and God” approach to reading Scripture. They have learned from Matthew 15 not to be like the Pharisees, whom Jesus said exalted human tradition over God’s Word. They also try to heed Paul’s warning not to succumb to “philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition” (Col. 2:8, ESV used throughout). They have concluded, therefore, that Scripture teaches that church tradition—and all the perspectives and human-derived interpretations that it carries with it—should not color our reading of God’s Word.
• Being brave and smart to tackle danger (Part 2) (disciplesofhope.wordpress.com)
  When in faced with danger, do not cower in fear. Be like Paul, who kept his eyes and mind open to use the situation to his advantage. He didn’t have to lie but took advantage of the truth. He tackled the high priest Ananias who illegally tried to get Paul slapped. Paul didn’t use foul words but used clear logic that the high priest was trying to judge as per the law and yet himself was going against the methods of the law. Only later when Paul was told that Ananias was the high priest that he didn’t go ahead with rebuking him any further.
• how to tell a sheep from a pig (thedaysman.com)
  Jesus himself called some people dogs and pigs, not the kind of judgment normally valued in our tolerant and indulgent age.But I don’t think he was just referring to the Pharisees. Or at least not all of them. In fact, he was not referring to any class of people; black or white, male or female, gay or straight—there is no categorical intention.
• Tuesday, 2 December 2014 : First Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections) (petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com)
  let us all strengthen our faith, devote ourselves wholly to the cause of God. Let us show love to our brethren in need around us, those who need our help and our love. Let us show our Lord, that we truly believe in Him and have faith in Him, so that when He comes again, we may be counted among those who are saved, and be found worthy to receive the inheritance promised by our God.

Restitution

We are bounded by time and our actions in time. We can stay chained by them or being liberated in time.

In our life we always shall encounter easy but also difficult situations and shall get moments that we can get trapped in our own stupidity, making faults, hurting others, coming into arguments leading to nowhere and getting us in problems, but also getting ourselves being hurt by others.

When something went wrong and got us in anger, we either have the choice to stay in that anger or to be more smart and not let this anger ruin our life.
We better let go of our anger, grudge, and desire to get even with the person(s) who wronged us. forgiving does not have to mean you condone with or minimize the harmful words or deeds. Forgiving is your willingness to take a strong position by humbling yourself before the other and showing your willingness to come closer again to him or her. It is your willingness to show that you are willing to take a deliberate decision to release any negative thoughts towards the person(s) who hurt you.

We all should know that “Forgiveness” has many benefits.

Considering these seven (classic) benefits could motivate you to actively choose to forgive someone who hurt you deeply. Forgiveness:

1. Enhances your emotional well-being. When you let go of grudges it relieves you of stress that could sabotage your emotional health.
2. Frees you from the hurt. When you don’t forgive, you are hurt first by the pain of the offense, and then by the bitterness you carry that impacts your emotional and physical well-being. But forgiveness reduces the emotional pain.
3. Gives you peace of mind. Genuine forgiveness replaces feelings of anger, bitterness and resentments with a positive feeling of compassion for the person who caused you harm. This gives you a sense of calm and peace.
4. Improves your physical health. Research indicates that forgiveness could lead to lowered heart rates and blood pressure which could have a positive effect on your overall health.
5. Builds stronger connections. When you learn to forgive you are better able to act in a positive way to people even though they disappoint you. This makes it easier to build healthy relationships and make connections with other people, for example, in your family and at work.
6. Improves your marriage. It is much easier to resolve conflicts in your marriage if you have a forgiving spirit. Relationship expert, Dr. John Gottman, explains that forgiveness sustains long-term relationships.
7. Makes your happier. People who forgive are happier because they have learned to let go burdens of resentment and anger. This restores their freedom and sense of well-being leading to true happiness.

+

Preceding article:

Time Has A Way Of Healing

++

Find also to read:

1. The business of this life
2. Oh god, this is never going to end!
3. Patient waiting
4. A time for everything
5. Malefactors becoming your master
6. Putting your feelings into words and sharing them
7. We all have to have dreams
8. Doest thou well to be Angry?
9. A man who cannot forgive others
10. He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass
11. Be ye angry and sin not
12. Be holy
13. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
14. Growth in character
15. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
16. Love is like playing the piano
17. Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives
18. He who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger
19. Allowed to heal
20. See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory
21. Singing gift from God
22. Unconditional love
23. Your Sins Are Forgiven

+++

Related articles

• The Cycle of Thorns &Roses part 2… Getting to the roses… (trilovespeaks.wordpress.com)
  We can be angry at other things, other people and other objects, not knowing it comes from bitterness. All our energy and mind are set in an anger-mode, and we’re affected mentally. There is no joy, no creativity, and no positive power flowing through our lives, because there is resentment there.
• Forgiveness: 5 Reasons Why You Should Let Go of Resentments (bloguvib.wordpress.com)
  To forgive is somehow associated with saying that it is all right, that we accept the evil deed. But this is not forgiveness. Forgiveness means that you fill yourself with love and you radiate that love outward and refuse to hang onto the venom or hatred that was engendered by the behaviors that caused the wounds. ~Wayne Dyer
  +
  Deep down inside you know Why you should let go and how to let go of it all in order to find peace of mind and be happy. Allow yourself to receive this gift, because forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself, first and foremost. The moment you tell yourself: I had enough, this pain no longer serves me, that will be the moment you will actually understand Why forgiveness is power and why you are the first one to benefit from it.
• Why Forgiveness Is Worth Fighting For (news.peacefmonline.com)
  There are still scars in my mind and heart, and in the minds and hearts of others who were involved. But for the most part, they are just scars.

  They are no longer gaping, open wounds. They are not as sensitive as they once were. And while I still tread carefully — the memory of the pain is still there, even if the pain itself is not — the effects on my everyday life are minimal.
  +
  focus on what I have, and not what I don’t have or what I no longer have. It’s important for me to work on my own issues and not worry so much about what other people are doing to work on theirs.

• Why Forgiveness is Power (earthweareone.com)
  I know it’s a lot easier to give back exactly what you receive, and in this case, a lot of negativity, but we don’t want to do what’s easier, but rather what is best for our health, our well being and that of those around us. I know that people can be really mean sometimes, and that they can do horrible things to those they come in contact with, to those they love and care about, but I also believe that people can change, and this is why it’s so important to give up on your personal history that you might have had with those people, and allow them to show you just that.
• Learn Forgiveness from Your King (Matthew 18:21-35) (christoursaviorchurch.wordpress.com)
  It’s hard to forgive when someone has hurt you, and I mean really hurt you. It’s hard to look someone who just hurt you in the face and forgive them from your heart, as Jesus tells us to do today, with no trace of lingering bitterness, resentment, or anger.

  It’s hard to forgive when, often, the person who hurt you isn’t just some stranger on the street, but someone near and dear to you. It’s hard to forgive when sometimes the people who hurt us in the past seem to misuse our forgiveness as they keep on hurting us, over and over and over again.
  +
  Our King’s forgiveness changes how we answer that question, doesn’t it? What we don’t do is act like this wicked servant in Jesus’ parable. We don’t come into church here on a weekly basis, sit in front of God’s word on a daily basis, hear him tell us that our innumerable sins have been completely forgiven and forgotten, and then walk out that door and refuse to forgive the comparatively small and insignificant sins that others may commit against us. We don’t hold comparatively little sins over the heads of other people when we have had 10,000 talents worth of sins removed from our heads. There’s no more room for grudge holding in our lives. Petty arguments and stubbornness have no place in our relationships.

• How To Forgive and Speed Up Your Healing (conqueringfearspiritually.com)
  How many times has somebody you know held a grudge against someone for a really stupid reason? “She didn’t bring me a present when we had our housewarming party”, “He said he’d take my son to football, but he never offered to”, “She told me she’d phone me, but she forgot”. Little resentments like this build up over time. When they happen they can be seemingly inconsequential- you can brush them off and put it down to them having a busy day. When you find yourself feeling irritated by the person however, recognise this feeling and know that it is hindering you moving forward, creating hidden negativity, but it is more importantly a huge energy zapper.

Source of Inspiration

Part of cleaning our past
as we move forward on the
path of love, is to make
restitution to those we
have harmed by our
actions or inactions;
our failure to act
with integrity and love.

Examine your conscience;
return what you have
ruthlessly taken, make amends
however you can. Go beyond
paying in kind; be generous, give more,

When those whom you’ve harmed
can forgive you, it is a glorious
day indeed. But even if they
are not able to forgive and
trust you, wish them well,
pray for their healing;
then forgive yourself, last
step of making amends.

We all have failed at times;
restitution is a key to healing;
hand in hand with
forgiveness to all,
including you as well.
Do not wallow in self-hatred
for if God forgives all to
those who are sincere,
sshouldn’twe forgive
ourselves as well?

View original post

Watch out

Expectations have to be build on hope, believe and faith. Without believe in him or herself a person shall not be able to get somewhere hoped so easily.

Believing in yourself is the first requirement to get forwards. Having a positive attitude and willingness to dream is the second requirement to get somewhere. Every human being shall have to face difficulties. It is how he or she can cope with it which is going to influence his or her life in the positive or negative way. Going through quite a lot of struggles even can make somebody stronger, more resistant. What is important then is ‘to never give up!’

Others may consider you to be a clown, a swaggerer, a dreamer, or a loony or stupid one. Let no negative reactions stand in the way and go for what you want to achieve. Without dreams nothing can be build up.

If things would not go how you want it, you should try to adjust them so that they can work for you. No matter what you try, how it works out, how negative reactions may be, keep trying, keep going forward trying to pursuing your dream.
Whatever happens try to see the positive in it and always be ready to pursue your happiness. That is the positive lesson in our life where we should keep at.

There always have to be motivation to may the dreams work, but some kind of realism is also necessary to not fall to deep in a well. We always should be careful not pursuing our goal out of greed or lechery. Leering at something materialistic can bring us in a spiral where we do not have an eye for the human thing and spiritual matter. A person can become overtaken by the power of money by the desire to have financial gain, more than spiritual gain.The desires of the flesh can break a person instead of building him up to become a better person. We always have to be careful where we want to set our priorities in life.

Today we can find more people who love wealth and modern gadgets? Wealth has become their biggest motivation. when they are young it may be working very well, and they can love it to swim in their fulfilling dreams of material wealth. But what about their spiritual wealth? Are they interested in that also?

It is not by going to have the latest model of phone or pc tablet a person is going to find the real luck and staying happiness. Soon the phone shall be an old model and the person shall be feeling again not so happy because he has not the newest model any more.

It is good to see and to know you need your “best friends” for ever, around you, because they will be there at the more difficult times and they shall be ready to catch you when you fall down. Because each person has to grow up and learn things by falling and standing up again. And that last bit is very important. Never to get so frustrated that you do not want to get up any more. Everybody can mess up things. To start over again is what you have to dare. Do not stand still by what happened, but get up to try again and go every-time in a new adventure.
You have to keep believing in your dreams and aspirations, no matter what negative things may happen or others may say. But never forget also to be realistic and be taken in account others around you. Never go over death bodies to reach your goal and always stay honest to make it come true.

The biggest difficulty to conquer when trying to build up a financial wealthy life, shall be the ‘sharing bit’. Without willing to give also to others, without allowing others also to have part of what you have, no real happiness shall come into your life. Around the corner shall always be the material egoism and the avarice, which by some even can turn in the acquisitive and stingy. We always should be careful not to become so greedy or money-grubbing. That is not going to bring happiness, though it may be very attractive at a young age. the jealousy of others can also bring bullying with it, making you feeling so alone, being cast out. And people do need other people.

By changing yourself to fit in for others it never is going to work. A person has to stay his Own. You have to believe in yourself, accept yourself for who and what you are. Without the love for yourself you can not give the right love for the other. Also be sure that in case the others only would become your friend because you changed yourself to their way of thinking, than they would not be the right friends. Good friends are those who are willing you for what you are and respect your own personality, your real ‘I’.
Adapting to people is not the right way and shall not bring the solution. Trying to impress people is what many today try, with their gadgets, their capital gain, their way of clothing and their loose way of living. Presenting their world better than it really is. Look at so many Facebook postings which try to present ‘the would like to be’ people and would like to be ‘friends‘. Always try to stay your own self, being honest to yourself and being honest to others, respecting them, also if they do not fit your plan or dreams, or would not agree with your personality. By time they will turn by and get to know your true self and shall come to respect you too.

Without dreams, hopes and aspirations no new worlds can be build, so keep dreaming, keep going forwards, and above all always stay positive.

+

Please do find also:

1. Greed more common than generosity
2. Misleading world, stress, technique, superficiality, past, future and positivism
3. Intellectual servility a curse of mankind
4. Gender connections
5. Within despair
6. Preparedness to change
7. Getting fate in your change to positiveness
8. Helping to create a Positive Attitude
9. With Positive Attitude
10. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
11. Your struggles develop your strengths
12. Pain and Suffering is inevitable but Misery is optional
13. Your struggles develop your strengths
14. When discouraged facing opposition
15. Begin your day by, Living your positive attitude
16. Science, scepticism, doubts and beliefs
17. How we think shows through in how we act
18. Don’t be the weakest link
19. Be a ready giver
20. 30 things to start doing for yourself – #6 is vital.
21. Count your blessings
22. God should be your hope
23. Always set a place in your life for the unexpected guest

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Other articles of interest:

1. Celebrating diversity by looking the same?
2. Gender Roles & Self Sacrifice
3. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.
4. Positivism and The Quantity Theory of Money
5. If you’re afraid to do it, do it afraid.
6. Positivism for Millennium 3

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Related articles

• Global education and the ‘American Dream’ (universityworldnews.com)
  Put most simply, the ‘American Dream’ is the belief that everyone has a reasonable chance – although not a guarantee – of achieving success through means under their own control. It is the assurance that personal qualities such as hard work, frugality, honesty and self-discipline can make for a good life, however you (or I) may define that.
  +
  Poorly conceived, however, global education, like the American Dream itself, can overemphasise the pursuit of material wealth and leave learners ignorant of how systemic and structural inequalities in most, if not all, societies frustrate so many dreamers and so many of their dreams.
  +
  The recent movement by some scholars to calculate the gross domestic happiness of a country, in contrast with a simple financial measure, both expands the universe of goods constituting success and allows for cultural variety within this expanded universe.Other cogent criticisms of the American Dream focus on the socio-economic and institutional obstacles to the achievement of success by disadvantaged or disenfranchised groups, which may include women, racial, ethnic or religious minorities, the poor or their children.

  From this perspective, the American Dream offers a false promise of fair and equal opportunity to achieve success by ignoring the many ways in which the social order fails to recognise and reward merit.

• What is your dream job ? (beautiful69.wordpress.com)

  Most people I know have a dream. In fact, I’ve asked hundreds, if not thousands, of people about their dream. Some willingly describe it with great detail and enthusiasm.
  Others are reluctant to talk about it. They seem embarrassed to say it out loud. These people have never tested their dream. They don’t know if others will laugh at them. They’re not sure if they’re aiming too high or too low. They don’t know if their dream is something they can really achieve or if they’re destined to fail.

• A Journey Toward Your Goals (robertjrgraham.blogspot.com)
  Too many of us assume if we just have a larger goal in mind and work towards it then success will follow. Well, guess what?! This rarely works in practice. All of us have dreams, but to be truly effective at goal achievement we need to focus on the path toward the goal and let the ultimate dream be our motivation.
  +
  Set realistic goals. This doesn’t mean that you should not aim for the stars. However, keep a realistic state of mind, taking into account your level of talent and capabilities, as well as, your individual situation. If you presently don’t possess the talents or qualifications to reach your goal, make sure that one of your short-term goals is to acquire some of those skills so that you can reach your long-term goal.
• Sebastiano Serafini 030 – Dream a little every day – (sebastianoserafini.wordpress.com)
  In order to live our lives without limits we must be willing to never let our imaginations die, and we must never forbid ourselves from dreaming at least a little bit every day. Without our dreams we have nothing in our lives to reach for or to go after.
• 10 Habits Of People Who Follow Their Dreams (theunboundedspirit.com)
  People who are true to their purpose and are really successful didn’t always get there because they had the financial means to do so or were just lucky enough to have been brought up in a confidence boosting environment. There are actually a few common habits that have helped them get to where they are.
  People who are true to their purpose and are really successful didn’t always get there because they had the financial means to do so or were just lucky enough to have been brought up in a confidence boosting environment. There are actually a few common habits that have helped them get to where they are. The best part is that these are habits that anyone can attain! – See more at: http://theunboundedspirit.com/10-habits-of-people-who-follow-their-dreams/#sthash.lfFd7SzI.dpuf
• Greed is Wrong, But What About Wealth Itself? (palamas.info)
  Is it morally wrong to pursue wealth? The question was asked because both of my conversation partners had heard from different priests that in fact, yes, the pursuit of wealth is wrong. Christians especially, we are frequently told, should not seek to become wealthy but focus our lives on more noble goals.  On the one hand I agree with this. Wealth is not an end in itself and to make becoming wealthy the sole, or even central, goal of one’s life is not compatible with a wholesome human life much less the Gospel. While granting that working to become wealthy simply for the sake of becoming wealthy is immoral, does this mean that is it morally wrong to pursue wealth? In other words, it is sinful to want—and so to work to become—wealthy?
• Virtuous egoism (profitableandmoral.com)
  Egoism is virtuous because it makes possible the achievement our long-term well-being and happiness without initiating physical force on others. The moral justification of egoism is that it makes it possible for us—who don’t have automatic knowledge about the goals we should pursue and about the means to reach them—to achieve our values in the long-term: to survive and to be happy. It is a moral code for living and flourishing.
  Starting from the premise that the pursuit of self-interest is moral and necessary for our well-being and happiness, Ayn Rand identified seven egoist virtues—principles that define the actions required to achieve long-term self-interest: rationality, independence, integrity, honesty, justice, productiveness, and pride. Rand and others have written much about these virtues, so here I focus only on rationality, the primary virtue on which the others rest. Rationality guides us to use reason—to adhere to reality through observation and logic—as “our only means of knowledge, our only judge of values, and our only guide to action.”
• Chasing Your Dreams (landeniv.wordpress.com)
  

  “Go after your dream, no matter how unattainable others think it is.”

  “Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them.”

  “It’s not enough to dream your dreams. You’ve got to pursue your dreams.”

• Don’t Give Up On Your Dreams (sarahcolevaondemand.wordpress.com)
  Every day you are faced with a choice and that is, do you pursue your dream with determination and zeal or do you sit and wait for that dream to materialize by itself?  I believe in taking action steps every day in order to be a participant in the realization of our dreams.
• Pursuing the Guyanese dream (guyanatimesgy.com)
  Hundreds of Guyanese are now in a position where it is possible for them to pursue the Guyanese dream, regardless of their socio-economic circumstances, ethnicity or political beliefs.The Guyanese dream refers to a situation in which nationals possess the ability to access equal opportunities to work and recreation. It also refers to the ability to achieve prosperity and a higher standard of living through hard work and determination.

  The Guyanese dream is founded on the principle of a realistic society where there are high levels of religious, political and social tolerance. It contemplates a situation where a largely mixed, plural and diverse cultural and ethnic society can co-exist with little or no conflict.

Anthony's au pair experience

I realized something.
It came to me rather slow.
I was pursuing a thing,
I barely even know.

Living up to people’s expectations.
Doing what others think is best.
Handling a lot of limitations.
Maybe this was all a test?

I must say, by all means,
Realizing this is not the way.
Living other peoples dreams,
While mine are slowly fading away.

Missing out on opportunities.
Missing my life because others take it away.
Being part of all those communities.
Being part of something where I have nothing to say.

Time to step up my game and live my life.
Not the one other’s tell me to live.
Time to step it up and go all in on my thrive.
Believe me, I have a lot to give.

My motivation is enormous,
My dedication is grand.
Watch out for my performance,
‘Cause everything is going as planned.

You can be…

View original post 128 more words

A bird’s eye and reflecting from within

Can you imagine flying birds travelling for miles and miles, crossing habitat regions and places where nearly no human being tramples on the ground.

metropolis (Photo credit: jonfeinstein)

From high above those birds can see how those earthlings destroy their own habitat. They see them wanting to live in their own dirt.

Those birds look down at those creatures who so often dream about what they can do and worry so much about the day of tomorrow. They do not imagine the life those people want, though many of them might imagine wonderful things.
Those beings down there spent lots of their time focusing on gathering all sorts of material gadgets. Their world seems to turn more around money than on getting food. Though we must be honest lots of them also focus their intention toward realizing their deepest desires and dreams.

How many of those people dare to go up in the sky and go forward to that one goal, thousands of miles away?

How many would begin to believe those dreams, aims and goals were possible?

A Soul Talk questions:

If you gave your attention to those things in your mind that spoke of your great beauty and talent, would you start to believe and have confidence in yourself again?  If life all around you is simply a reflection of those thoughts you most focus on, wouldn’t you be more careful of what you repeated over and over again to yourself?

When we look in nature we do see that the seasons decide what shall going to happen. The animals do not doubt. They are not going to wait and see if it will be worthwhile to take off or to settle down.

The birds can often see man as a fish which fails to see the water it swims in. They have a brain but use it strangely and are so often more concerned about figuring things out. they all think they are able to make and control their own world. Most of them want to play for God. Everything they do becomes calculated. Modern mind has become more and more calculating.

The calculative exactness of practical life which the money economy has brought about corresponds to the ideal of natural science: to transform the world into an arithmetic problem, to fix every part of the world by mathematical formulas. Only money economy has filled the days of so many people with weighing, calculating, with numerical determinations, with a reduction of qualitative values to quantitative ones. (“The Metropolis and Mental Life” p.412)

They all look for consistent and reliable formulas to how life works. For them formulas are re-assuring, such as

“be a banker/lawyer/accountant/doctor, because these jobs translate into big numbers, and these big numbers mean success”.

Success is something which they can count and measure. They have their eyes focused on those pieces of papers with heads and figures on it, but do not see where they are flying at.

Eddie Tay on Hong Kong lucida writes:

Of course, there are many successful bankers/lawyers/accountants/doctors who lead meaningful lives and who enjoy their jobs. I’m only arguing against the confusion between quality and quantity. Quality cannot be easily quantified. Sometimes we play this soundtrack too readily. {The Metropolis and Mental Life}

Hong Kong Kowloon Panorama Victoria Peak 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the birds it may look like life for man is oh so infinitely easy, and everything seems to lie at their fingertips. They have their big nests,  buildings which want to compete with the trees and air around, hoping to be the tallest one. They have their educational institutions, in the wonders and comforts of space-conquering technology, in the formations of community life, and in the visible institutions of the state. They offer themselves fantasies and create fro themselves an overwhelming fullness of crystallized and impersonalized spirit that the personality, so to speak, cannot maintain itself under its impact. From all sides they allow ideas coming up to them, in the hope they can become a personality like by the others. From the others they want to receive stimulations and interests. They all are consumed by time.

They carry the person as if in a stream, and one needs hardly to swim for oneself. On the other hand, however, life is composed more and more of these impersonal contents and offerings which tend to displace the genuine personal colorations and incomparabilities. This results in the individual’s summoning the utmost in uniqueness and particularization, in order to preserve his most personal core. He has to exaggerate this personal element in order to remain audible even to himself.  (“The Metropolis and Mental Life” p. 422)

Eddie Tay finds this to be rather depressing.

The modern concern with the uniqueness of our personality emerges out of an anxiety. Now that everything is for sale, we’re compelled to be “unique”, “autonomous” and “individual” so as to differentiate ourselves from other cogs in the giant capitalist machine. “Look at me I’m so unique and interesting,” I tell myself and others, knowing that there are tens of thousands of people around me (and many with blogs like this) saying precisely the same thing. {The Metropolis and Mental Life}

Many more people should be aware that

We are surrounded by things we buy with numbers. And these things, whether tangible or intangible, which we buy and sell, turn us into who we are. {The Metropolis and Mental Life}

Photo from Eddie Tay, Honk Kong lucida

We make ourselves, by what we consume for our mind and for our mind. Stomach and brain take up the food what we present it, we can either make it healthy or poison it. When you look at certain markets, it seems that people can not get enough of material, but also are drowning themselves by it. Too many people forget what impact all those things around them can have on their life.

We all should better take a moment to transfer ourselves in a bird and look at ourselves from way up there in the sky. We should take some distance, now and then, from what we do and want to do, and reflect on what we did, want to do and on what we would like to succeed and which goal we would like to make.

With Spring time we should not only do our Spring cleaning but we could take a new start. You too, can start today to believe that you can impact your external world by placing your focus on images of love, kindness, and joy and you will truly be surprised by what you attract to yourself.

Start today to live in consciousness as to what is happening within you, you will then have the grand opportunity to create what is happening around you in a more remarkable and enjoyable way. {Simply a reflection from within!}

The mother of Soul talk has learned her lesson from the wise song of her toddler which continues to ring true- in the face of adversity “Never give up never never give up!”.

Keep the faith and you shall persevere- I have learned this very difficult lesson recently and can tell you your only choice is to keep the faith and move forward-the alternative is not so appealing- I can promise you that-your biggest break can be just around the corner and if you did not move towards it you would never know. {Never give up!}

Every year again the birds make their nest. They never seem to be tired to do it over and over again. We should also continue trying to do the things we really want to do.

There are millions of people who do not know they have a security key in their own hands. They themselves have been given, by birth, the key to knowledge and inner peace. All being created in the image of the Divine Creator we do have elements from this Eternal Spirit. He acknowledges our being, but we ourselves are not willing to see our own being in relationship with Him. There lies the biggest problem of humankind.

In case we would accept the Creator of our being, and accept that He has to be the Most High Master, than we could find fulfilment and guidance by following His instructions which He has given to the whole world.

In the Garden of Eden He has given man the right to take care of the world himself. But He always was prepared to help those who wanted Him next to them. Those who want His Guidance He is willing to give.

As adults, we build upon the hopes of our parents and the fertile imaginations of our youth. We continue to foster the dreams that were born in our hearts on our first day of life, yet now have the tools to bring those dreams forth into our realities. {With courage, our dreams become reality!}

That is not bad. We all should have dreams and continue to make dreams. We should try to build up our life by dreams coming through. We have to foster our dreams and have to build up courage to see them through.

The courage to step beyond our fears of failure. The courage to meet doubt head on.  The courage to pursue the ideas that were born in us, given to us, to be discovered by us to enjoy the fantastic world that begs for us to explore. The courage to make all our dreams come true. {With courage, our dreams become reality!}

In case we would accept the Guiding Hand of the Creator and dare to ask Him to help us, He will be there for us.

If we ask, believe, and have the courage to act, and begin to receive, the life we have imagined can be the life we are living.  When we start to believe and have faith in all that is possible for us, then we align with the hopes of our parents, the child within who dared to be whomever she wanted to be, and the adult whose courageous acts of faith allow those dreams to become a reality. {With courage, our dreams become reality!}

We often forget just to take some time to be with that Mightier Being. We mostly trust to much those who are of this earth, instead of counting on the one in heaven.

Why not trying to take a turning point? Why not simply taking the time each day to focus on those positive attributes and intentions that give you great happiness? Putting on the right mind shall help us but also those around us, on the right track and bring them in the right mood. When we do take a positive attitude we may rest assured that people and things will start to show up in your life that will greatly add to your happiness.

Let it be said that a person who feels good on the inside will experience that good on the outside.  A person who looks at life with a glass half full mentality, will eventually have their cup runneth over.  Your world is but a mirror of what is happening inside of you. So before you start your day, promise yourself that you will take a moment or two to reflect on what you are grateful for to charge those positive emotions, then set out to experience your own something wonderful  when you start from that joyous place within. If your world is simply a reflection from within, wouldn’t it be in you best interest to make it the best reflection of a well lived life that you could ever imagine!   {Simply a reflection from within!}

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Preceding articles:

Birds, Birds Everywhere

Birds’ Eye

Food for Thought-Birds of Caution

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Additional reading:

1. Searching for fulfilment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression
2. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
3. Some one or something to fear #2 Attitude and Reactions
4. God Feeds The Birds
5. Food as a Therapeutic Aid
6. Men as God
7. People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life
8. People Seeking for God 6 Strategy
9. Religions and Mainliners
10. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
11. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
12. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
13. A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
14. A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus
15. Some one or something to fear #7 Not afraid for Gods Name
16. Texts, writers, accessibility and willingness
17. Rest thy delight on Jehovah
18. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
19. A goal is a dream with a plan
20. A treasure which can give me everything I need
21. Opportunity!
22. Count your blessings
23. By counting our blessings we not only feel good, but we multiply our good
24. Set free from any form of mental torment or self-condemnation
25. A good idea to halt all activity for one hour some day
26. We should use the Bible every day
27. Come ye yourselves apart … and rest awhile (Mark 6:31)
28. God does not change
29. See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory
30. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
31. A New Perspective
32. The Paradigm of Instinct, Intuition and Intention
33. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
34. Looking for True Spirituality 2 Not restricted to an elite
35. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
36. How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice
37. Points to remember of philosophy versus spirituality and religion
38. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
39. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal
40. Try driving forward instead of backwards
41. Life is like a ten-speed bike.
42. Suffering produces perseverance

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Related articles

• Chris Packham: Malta is a bird hell (theguardian.com)
  When Chris Packham announced he was heading to Malta to report on the island’s annual spring bird shoot as if he was a war correspondent covering a conflict, even his admirers probably thought he was guilty of hyperbole.But after a week in which the naturalist has detained by police for five hours, shoved to the ground by gunmen and witnessed the illegal killing of dozens of endangered birds, his mission to raise awareness of the annual slaughter of migratory birds has been more like a battle than he imagined.
• Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (gardenwalkgardentalk.com)
  Since Earth Day just passed, I was thinking why can’t everyday be Earth Day? You visit places like this and wonder why can’t there be more wild spaces to enjoy. After all, without these wild and natural spaces, we would not have much of a world.
• Birds Slam Into Windows, Leave Long Island Couple Lying Awake (newyork.cbslocal.com)
  It has been a full week of rude awakenings for a Long Island couple, who said their home has been under siege by a group of birds slamming into their windows over and over again.As CBS 2’s Elise Finch reported Monday, the problem that Peter and Lisa Kersich of Holbrook have been experiencing is common at this time of year.The loud thumps have been waking them up morning after morning.
• Fly like a bird (lovingmefirstblog.wordpress.com)
  1) how do we know the bird hasn’t flown (are we worried about other’s achievements more than our own and we view this bird as a solitary soul who hasn’t taken the leap of faith?)
  2) what if the bird has flown but it feels most comfortable where it sits now? (maybe the world isn’t as amazing as we think it is)
  3) what if the bird is hurt, alone, lost or perhaps needs a push?
• Dream-Like Song Created From Birds Perched On Electric Wires Proves Nature Is Perfect (fromthetrenchesworldreport.com)
  “Reading the newspaper one morning, I saw this picture of birds on the electric wires,” says video creator Jarbas Agnelli.”I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.”
• Garden Birds – Indigo Bunting (roadsendnaturalist.wordpress.com)
  If, as Thoreau says, the bluebird carries the sky on its back, the Indigo Bunting may sometimes be carrying storm clouds. These common open space birds are now arriving back in NC from their tropical winter homes and the males have dressed for the occasion.
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  I see them every year along the power line corridor, but I hope to spend a little more time this summer listening for their distinctive calls (the male sings all day, even in the heat of summer) and enjoying their brilliant blue attire.
  +
  Garden Birds – Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  I often describe these active birds as looking and behaving like a tiny mockingbird. They are always fun to watch as they hop through the branches, or hover beneath one, snatching an insect meal. And their small size, white eye ring, blue-gray coloration, and exaggerated tail, make them easy to identify.
• Not Just Sparrows and Pigeons: Cities Harbor 20 Percent of World’s Bird Species (allaboutbirds.org)
  Rock Pigeons, House Sparrows, and European Starlings are widely known as “city birds,” and with good reason. These three species (plus Barn Swallow) occur in more than 80 percent of cities according to the first-ever global study of biodiversity in urban areas, published earlier this year in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. But there’s more to cities than this narrow cast of avian urbanites: cities also retain more of their region’s native diversity than previously thought, according to the study’s analyses of bird and plant census data. So take heart, your next city stroll has much more to offer than just a few ubiquitous species.In fact, at least 2,041 species—20 percent of all known bird species—live in the world’s cities, according to the research. Unlike previous studies, which have focused on single cities or regions, this study spanned six continents, compiling data on birds from 54 cities and plants from 110 cities. The researchers themselves hailed from North America, Europe, Australia, and South Africa.
• Look to the skies to spot the bounty of birds returning to Saskatchewan (metronews.ca)
  This is likely the most exciting time to cast our eyes upward and behold some of the beauty we take for granted in the skies.The birds that soar above are not here by chance. Indeed, it is of their own will that they come back to Saskatchewan.
• Two Birds 114/365 Side A (theyearofdreamingdangerouslymardilinane2014.wordpress.com)
  two birds / floated over / the canyon / floated in circles
• 10 Incredible Bird Photography Tips for Beginners (digital-photography-school.com)
  What is the most important factor in getting your bird photographs noticed by a large audience? Is it the camera or the lens or the bird?

Depression Is and When

Depression 1

depression is loving someone with nothing in return,
depression is slowly living instead of jumping head first,
depression is acknowledging the mistake but without learning,
depression is not trying, giving into your life’s curse.

depression is cutting and cutting thinking you cant stop,
depression is staying quiet thinking no-one will care,
depression is floating around with the desire to drop,
depression is ignoring the people who always seem to be there.

depression is trying to end the life you’ve been given,
depression is watching other people watch you,
depression is giving up instead of being hard driven,
depression is depression, do you feel it too?

Depression 2

depression
a state of agitated depression
now facing the depression
like a closed session
needing medical attention
making my agitated confession
depression my obsession
depression my only material possession
years of oppression before the recession
see the expression of my depression
depression leaving a facial impression
at it’s own discretion
like a rapper at a rap session
and a singer in a jam session
or a poet at the blog talk radio session
you can’t forget the internal impression
the repossession of my depression
it’s a new life i’m now facing without question

Depression 3

depression is the looks that lie
depression is the tears i cry..

depression is the mistakes
that one person makes..

depression is the sad song
where no one sings along

depression is where i have no friends
depression is the cut that mends..

depression…
just a feeling that gets everyone sad
and maybe to the point where you go mad

but depression is sad but true..
because it is my life without you…

Depression Is

depression is my life without you,
depression is the darkness taking over the light,
depression is the thoughts of suicide
depression is isolation from the outside world
depression is where no one loves me
depression is where i have no friends
depression is where everyone looks at me and rolls there eyes
depression is…….

Depression Is When

depression is when you hate everyone around
depression is when you don’t want to make a sound
depression is when all you want to do is cry
depression is when you feel like you’re dying inside
depression is when your thoughts wonder all the time
depression is when you can’t sleep even though you’re tired
depression is when you don’t want to go on
depression is when you can’t stop shaking outside
depression is when you hide who you are
depression is when you put on a mask to hide what you feel
depression is when you feel weak all the time
depression is when you give in to everything around
depression is when you don’t care what happens anymore

depression is just another day in my life

Depression Makes Me

depression makes me feel pain
depression makes me stupid
depression makes me feel low
depression makes me mad
depression makes me sad
depression makes me forget the world
depression makes me tensed
depression makes me lose self control
depression makes me hate everyone
depression makes me think over and over
depression makes me feel lonely
depression makes me think wild
depression makes me worthless
depression makes me sick
what does depression give me?
when it runs high…
it will make me die – rest in peace…

– Tashi Coote

Depression 6 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Related articles

• 10 Things I Wish People Knew About Depression (worldobserveronline.com)
  Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain—a deficiency of either serotonin, dopamine, adrenalin or noradrenalin. Just because it’s an invisible illness, doesn’t mean it’s not real.
  +
  It can make you feel exhausted. It can make you hate yourself. It can make you self-harm. And worst of all, it can make you feel suicidal and drive you to carry out those thoughts. Depression is a word many people throw around carelessly (“I have to go to work on Monday, that is so depressing”), but when used in its clinical sense, it describes a debilitating, gut-wrenching illness.
• Different types of depression (tersiaburger.com)
  Clinical depression goes by many names — depression, “the blues,” biological depression, major depression. But it all refers to the same thing: feeling sad and depressed for weeks or months on end (not just a passing blue mood).
• Depression lies. (zerofoxgiven.wordpress.com)
  Depression is awful. It whispers in your ear. It rattles in your head. It steals your joy. It disrupts your sleep. It brings storm clouds to bright sun-shiny days. And it fucking lies. Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad (hurtful) lies.
  +
  I wrote this as a “sort of” end when I started down this country path: And if you’re suffering from depression, please know that you’re not alone. I know how difficult it is to look for help, I’m there right now. (I hate asking for help. I hate talking about myself in any way.) Talk to someone. (For a great list of people who would love to help you, go here: Getting Help.) Take care of, and be gentle with, yourself. You’re only human, this is a terrible illness and the people who tell you that you have nothing to be “sad” about and should “buck up” are assholes (some of them mean well, they just don’t understand).
• Dealing with depression (confusedinfj.com)
  What we need more of is understanding, compassion, and just being there for our dear loved ones who suffer. Depression is just as debilitating as anything I can think of.
• Depression is Often Called the Common Cold of Mental Health (modvive.com)
  To the nonprofessional “mood disorder” sounds like a passing phase, however, depression goes beyond just a passing phase and right into a life-altering disorder. If left untreated depression becomes chronic, meaning it sticks around for a long time. Some studies predict that by 2020 depressive disorders will be a leading cause of disease burden second only to heart disease.
  +
  Heart disease, an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and substance abuse are just some of the health risks associated with depression. Untreated depression can lead to the most dangerous health issue, suicide. It is estimated that two-thirds of all suicides are linked to depression. This risk increases when substance abuse is part of the mix.
  +
  Whether you have the blues, the blahs, or something much darker, take that first step to get help. Go to your doctor. Find a counselor, your doctor or clergy can help with this. If you have a friend or family member suffering from depression do not close the door, reach out and help them. Go with them to the doctor; maybe even go with them to the counselor’s office.
• Somewhere Someone Loves Us: Depression Stories, Vol. 1 (powderroom.jezebel.com)Depression is like being in that well in The Silence of the Lambs. That light’s being pulled up and I just see the evidence of all the attempts to crawl out before, and in my head, it’s evidence that the cloud won’t lift. The weight on my chest is never going to let up; the pressure I can feel on my brain is winning.Of course, I know on an academic level that that’s just not true. Things will get better, and I’ll be happy again. In fact, I’m probably happy more often than I’m not. But even when I’m thinking clearly, I fear my depression, because it’s just so oppressive.
• Is Depression Just A “Rich Person” Problem? (thoughtcatalog.com)
  the National Alliance on Mental Illnesses says that 64% of young adults who are not attending or no longer attending college are doing so due to mental illnesses, and that 40% of students with diagnosable mental health conditions did not seek assistance because of the concern of stigma.
  +
  I am not depressed because I get too fixated on a concept and can’t see the other sides to any given situation (although I do have this problem as well). I am depressed because I medically lack the normal amount of serotonin that people need to be functional. No amount of therapy is going to make me better because all I really need is my daily 60 mg of Prozac.  I am disgusted when I have to spend time with people who lecture me on how depression is a fake disease.
  +
  Maybe one day people can be successful and public about their depression. But until we decide to actively alter our prejudiced and exaggerated attitudes about depression, that day will never come.Never forget what the impact of your words are on the people around you. We’re everywhere.
• Controlling Your Black Dog (canislupuspc.wordpress.com)
  I did this through a mixture of the following things. They worked for me but may not work for you.
  1. Education and awareness
  2. Music
  3. Identifying the cause and doing something about it
  4. Exercise.

  I will briefly explain each of the four stages and how it has helped and is still helping me to control my black dog in hope that somebody might benefit from it and begin to gain some control over their own black dog.

• Open Letter Re: This Morning Feature on Depression (madinamerica.com)
  Regarding Nicola, you again pushed the use of long-term drugs, saying it ‘gets you back to normal.’ Drugs cannot make you ‘normal’, as their very mode of action is to impair true normal brain functioning.  You are making yet another recommendation for drugs to correct an imbalance that has never been consistently found and shown to cause depression. Quite the opposite in fact: Research has shown that psychiatric drugs do indeed create ‘perturbations in neurotransmitter functioning’ thereby affecting normal homeostatic mechanisms that exist in the brain, which in the long term can cause permanent neural dysfunction (Hyman 1996). As a result, we feel Nicola would clearly have benefitted more from intensive talking therapy to explore her underlying fears and anxiety, and certainly from the support of caring friends and family rather than resort to long term ADs.The notion of a ‘chemical imbalance’ is now a fairly outdated view, and it is irresponsible and unethical to continue to indicate to the public they suffer from an imbalance where non has ever been consistently found and replicated within the peer reviewed professional journals.
• Confessions of a depressed comic (thesecretkeeper.net)
  Television, the news, media, fictional films and stories, distort how people are who suffer from depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, agoraphobia, panic disorders, the list is so long the DSM-5 has over 300 diagnoses. Before anyone judges anyone, be sure you are not amongst those who have their own mental condition in which to deal.

sinking world….

So many people may feel betrayed by this life, or by the life their parents presented them. We can find many people who have been wounded by the people around them and by the traps they fell into.

.

Many have lost hope in the One Whom they call From Above. But they forget He is and always shall be with them. But He knows, because humankind doubted His right to rule, that His Light shall be able to shine in the darkness and to touch some feeble souls. Those who are willing to look for Him shall be able to find Him.

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Preceding articles:

Responsibility for children who were molested by clergy

Getting out of the dark corners of this world

Darkness’s Pain

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Other Articles of interest:

1. Pain
2. Dreams
3. blindness
4. Desires
5. Refuge
6. Darkness, light, burning fire, Truth and people in it
7. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #1 Listening Sovereign Maker
8. Praise the most High Jehovah God above all
9. We all have to have dreams

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