A culture of “democratic cleansing” – Elders and youngsters versus respect

The generation born between 1930 and 1960 had no choice but to listen to father‘s law and do as we were told.

Father’s will is Law!

When we asked

Why?

We got a very short but very well to understand answer.

Therefore!

Now those generations from before the 1960s have become the “oldies”.

We live with the thought that we taught some good and interesting things to our kids, but sometimes seem to wonder what they did with what we taught them and what went wrong with the present generation.

What did we do wrong?

For sure, though we did not always agree with our parents, and dared to go on the streets in 1968 to question our way of living and our society, we always still showed respect for our parents and grandparents. In many cases, there were no great-grandparents. Our grandparents, to us, looked already

so old

at an age that we now already survived a few years.

Unlike our parents, we taught our children to dare to question everything and not just accept or consider everything.

John Humphrys in the Daily Telegraph of 26 December 2022 wonders if he perhaps had a ridiculous dream.

Well yes, and a bit of a nightmare too. I can’t think of anything much worse than my kids sitting in respectful silence while I bang on.

At home and at school we learned courtesy rules. But what is left of it? Some of the things we learned, such as keeping the door open for ladies, are not always anymore appreciated but are viewed as a sexist attitude.

Humphrys writes

If I’ve taught them anything at all – pretty unlikely I know – it’s that healthy scepticism beats the pants off reverence. Always has. Always will.

And yet… maybe just the teeniest smattering of respect might not come amiss? Possibly not boys doffing their caps to ladies in the street as my school ordered us do. After all, who wears caps nowadays? (And is ‘ladies’ sexist? What if they’re trans?)

But perhaps an acknowledgement that we oldies just might have picked up some useful stuff during our decades of experience on this planet that could come in useful? That’s tricky in today’s climate. Just that word “experience” is fraught. It has to be a “lived” experience now and I’m not sure I know what that is.

We have also been brought up to check the past and present and to seek the truth each time.

Our parents taught us that if we did not know something, we should go and look it up in the encyclopaedias provided. Those writers were expected to have undergone sufficient schooling and presented well-founded articles under editorial authority to inform the reader and provide further knowledge. We found it great to find such reference works that contained information on all branches of knowledge or that treated a particular branch of knowledge in a comprehensive manner.

For more than 2,000 years encyclopaedias have existed as summaries of extant scholarship in forms comprehensible to their readers. But in the last two decades, we saw several well-known encyclopaedias disappearing from the market.

At our house, the 1968 Encyclopaedia Britannica, as the oldest English-language general encyclopaedia, was just one of the many other encyclopaedias we could use daily.

The researchers and authors and publishers of encyclopaedias had to face technological changes, beginning in the 1980s with the development and spread of personal computers. It really became a world that opened up, making it possible to look up documents from all over the world. The computer business evolved so fast, quickening in the 1990s and 2000s through the Internet and widespread diffusion of broadband access, it radically altered the publishing world generally and the encyclopaedia business in particular.

The 15th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica (1974), was designed in large part to enhance the role of an encyclopaedia in education and understanding without detracting from its role as a reference book. It represented very much the way we were brought up, finding it necessary to educate and to spread knowledge. Its three parts (Propædia, or Outline of Knowledge; Micropædia, or Ready Reference and Index; and Macropædia, or Knowledge in Depth) represented an effort to design an entire set on the understanding that there is a circle of learning and that an encyclopaedia’s short informational articles on the details of matter within that circle as well as its long articles on general topics must all be planned and prepared in such a way as to reflect their relation to one another and to the whole of knowledge.
For those who wanted to learn more or wished to delve deeper into a particular fact or topic, the Propædia became a great help for self-study. The propaedia was a reader’s version of the circle of learning on which the set had been based and was organised in such a way that a reader might reassemble in meaningful ways material that the accident of alphabetisation had dispersed.

In 1981, under an agreement with Mead Data Central, the first digital version of the Encyclopædia Britannica was created for the LexisNexis service. In the early 1990s Britannica was made available for electronic delivery on a number of CD-ROM-based products, including the Britannica Electronic Index and the Britannica CD (providing text and a dictionary, along with proprietary retrieval software, on a single disc). A two-disc CD was released in 1995, featuring illustrations and photos; multimedia, including videos, animations, and audio, was added in 1997.

John Humphrys seems to find it a waste of money that his parents scrimped to pay a weekly shilling to the Encyclopaedia Britannica door-to-door salesman so that they as kids would always have the world’s knowledge at their fingertips.

He gives the impression that those modern machines and the evolution of artificial intelligence is one of the many reasons why respect between the generations matters.

We do admit that many young people do not understand how the elderly can or cannot handle today’s modern gadgets.

Millennials (born 1981-1996) tend to put the boomers (born post-war) into a category. Specifically, men. Usually “old white men”.

How come that usage is tolerated? Substitute “women” for men and it wouldn’t be. It would be sexist. Substitute “black” for white and it would be racist.

He observes

Those who once wore the badge of old age with a certain pride must now carefully guard their tongues less they cause offence, even when it’s patently obvious that none was intended. Was it necessary to humiliate Lady Susan Hussey when she was seemingly too curious about the origins of a black woman who was wearing a vivid tribal dress? Her offence, it turned out, was being old.

Getting old happens to all of us. How we deal with it is very different. But it is also very different from how outsiders deal with elders.
Especially in recent years, there has been an unpleasant skew there, with many viewing elders as a burden.
Similarly, few can empathise with the world of understanding of those elders who have been brought up with certain ways of thinking, some of which are also sometimes difficult to distance themselves from or continue to think stereotypically.

We all pursue dreams and shall one day be confronted with that older body, becoming aware that there is not only a tendency to forget people’s names, but having more than once looking for the right words, having forgotten (for a moment) certain things. And then in confrontation with the youngsters, they not always understand or want to give some time to get the memory back.

For some elderly it is also not evident to have to rely on others. And the children are not so pleased anymore to be a safety net for their parents, as we looked after our parents when they were already starting to reach a reasonable age. Some may be annoyued that those above 65 do not want to retire. It might be those in their 60s whose mind is fooling them in which case they will rely on others around them to let them know that it is time to retire.

How many times do those who passed the 50s have to hear from the youngsters that their ideas are old fashioned or that they are not anymore from these times? Many younger people find it not appropriate that the elderly are still pursuing ideas and aspirations. Is it a form of respect to accepting that they express their feelings as well as their dreams and aspirations?

Most young people don’t sense time as being a high-speed train, because for them it often looks ages, before there is another hour, another day. That makes them also to express their impatience so often. But then again, the fact that some elders become a bit too slow bothers those younger ones, in that it seems that that time is taken up by that elder, who then keeps them from renewing moments. Some younger ones do not mind letting the older ones know that it is time to retreat, or to get silent.

At a certain age, it can be that we feel that there has come a time we need to withdraw from the hurly-burly of the life we once knew. But it does not always feel so nice, when those younger people say it in our face. (We never would have dared to say such a thing to our elderly.)

In his book, The War On The Old, English literature professor John Sutherland wrote about what he called a culture of “democratic cleansing… a state-condoned campaign against the nation’s old”.

He describes an overwhelming sense of blame that younger generations attribute to “the wrinklies” who voted for Brexit, comfortable in the mansions they bought for a pittance. The once-dignified badge of seniority is becoming synonymous with “narrow-minded”, “outdated” and “incipiently senile”.
The elderly are bed-blockers, job-blockers, pension-drainers. {We used to respect our elders – whatever happened to that? by John Humphrys}

Normally, one went from one generation to the next with improvements, but today that no longer holds true. Today’s 30-year-olds have it much harder than their parents did. The age-old argument over which generation has had more advantages has been settled – at least where finances are concerned.

Adult life is harder to afford now than it was 30 years ago and it has forced today’s young to delay big life events, which tend to happen around this milestone age. Today’s generation are buying their first home two years later, having ­children three years later and getting married six to seven years later than they were in 1992. {Six reasons why boomers have it better than millennials by Jessica Beard}

Due to the pressures of the outside world, those in their twenties and thirties may have become a bit “shorter” in their statements, and it is not always easy for them to be patient with those older people who are, as it were, still watching them or ready with criticism.

Dependence on two earners can make taking time off to care for children ­trickier, and to care for older people, even more, trickier or not so wanted. So it should not always be viewed so negatively by the elderly when those young people now show a little less time than their parents who could make more time for their parents and grandparents.

Many today are so engrossed in their work and the expectations of fellow peers that they have little time left outside their work sphere for their own spiritual formation, religious pursuits and many family activities outside their own families.

It can well be that certain actions and reactions of youngsters are sometimes unjustly interpreted as respectless, or not showing enough respect. It must not be disrespectful, but just because of these other times with much more pressure on the youngsters, that the gap between young and old has widened somewhat today compared to previous decades.

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Preceding

A more recent discrimination: Old Age

A Cranky Old Man

Readers, likes and comments

Thought on the birthday of an encyclopaedia

Available information for the youngsters and readers of my websites

Redeeming Our World

The Way You Live Your Life

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan back with a bang

Mishmash of a legal code but importance of mitzvah or commandments

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Additional reading

1. Ageing and Solidarity between generations
2. Who is considered Old
3. Man in picture, seen from the other planets
4. Subcutaneous power for humanity 1 1940-1960 Influenced by horrors of the century
5. Justififiable anger or just anarchism
6. A trillion words
7. Looking at an era of international “youth culture”
8. Did the picture change for Working dads
9. Living in this world and viewing it
10. Hippies, a president, a damaged ozone layer and knights
11. This Week Twenty-Five Years Ago: The Velvet Revolution Succeeds, December 1989
12. Our brothers in Kyiv’s northwest suburb Irpin
13. Russia not wanting it neighbours countries to cooperate with the West
14. Left behind for economical emigration
15. 2014 Social contacts
16. 2014 Human Rights
17. Time to consider how to care for our common home
18. Welfare state and Poverty in Flanders #7 Education
19. Martin Luther King’s Dream Today
20. This fighting world, Zionism and Israel #5
21. Another Jewish Voice on Trump’s plan: No peace without equality and mutual respect
22. The truest greatness lies in being kind
23. Agape, a love to share with others from the Fruit of the Spirit
24. Approachers of ideas around gods, philosophers and theologians
25. Cleanliness and worrying or not about purity
26. Today’s thought “Teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others” (December 09)
27. Perspectives
28. Hungarian undermining of European freedoms

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Related

1. A reflective Morning
2. Time Hobbles On
3. Beautiful, she said
4. I am old.
5. Learning to be Old–5
6. The effects of just being you… Age.
7. When You Grow Old
8. The Age Old Question…
9. Ageism in the workplace
10. Life is Short
11. Pursuing dreams to stay young in mind
12. What We Need, in Order to, Age Gracefully
13. I Can’t Breath Through It All
14. Thirty Five Years and Old.
15. How to be Old
16. 75 And Counting
17. Age 90+
18. Stillness
19. Dealing with Age Discrimination: Workers’ rights and strategies
20. “The best gift you can give your children, is the love and respect you demonstrate for their mother.”
21. Respect for life…
22. … the taste of respect
23. life will teach you to honor and respect balance.
24. I do respect people’s faith
25. High recognitions . . . Honor and respect them, though you no longer worship them
26. Paris attacks darkning the world
27. Holidays break – Day 7

Verlangens van hedendaagse jongeren

Voor hen die Abraham gezien hebben is er een terugkijken naar wat zij van hun verlangens konden waar maken. Velen van hen zochten in de tweede helft van de vorige eeuw mogelijkheden om het beste van het leven te maken. Maar ook verschillende levenswijzen werden beproefd. Hierbij ging het er telkens om hoe wij konden omgaan met anderen en liefst met elkaar in gemeenschap konden leven.

De latere generaties begonnen zich meer op zichzelf te richten en stonden ook niet zo stil, zoals wij deden, rond geloof en onze verhouding tot de Schepper en schepping.

Vandaag lijkt het alsof de wereld haar best doet om de mensen zoveel mogelijk te prikkelen met materiële zaken. De winkels brengen schreeuwerige uitstalramen en om de zovele minuten worden wij in de media bekogelt met allerlei weerkerende reclamespots, die wij tot vervelens toe zo maar hoeven te slikken, lijkt het wel.

De oorlogs- en childboom-generatie wenste wel tot de top te geraken en succesvol te zijn in het leven, maar vandaag wordt iedereen gepusht om hoger en hoger te klimmen en meer en meer te hebben, want zonder de allernieuwste gadgets lijkt men niet geslaagd te zijn in het leven.

Ook het verlangen van hen die zich ‘christen’ noemen dreigt soms te seculariseren. Er zijn er niet zoveel meer die nog de oude christelijke notie beamen dat we genade ontvangen van God en dat onze identiteit in Christus ligt. Nog moeilijker is het om daarnaar te leven.
In onze samenleving ligt het zo veel meer voor de hand onze identiteit te ontlenen aan status of aan producten. Ten diepste bepalen anderen je identiteit dan, niet het geloof in Christus of wie of wat dan ook. Al willen de mensen nu heel graag opscheppen met allerlei trends waarbij zij aan anderen willen duidelijk maken dat zij daar ook al aan hebben mee gedaan. Het gaat niet meer om zich niet aan de trends te binden, ook al vervliegen die ook zeer vlug. De achterkomers worden dan ook maar ‘vies’ bekeken of als ‘achterlijk’ aanschouwd.

Ergerlijk is dat de wanende kerk als maar meer moeite doet om mee te gaan met de vele trends, niet beseffend dat zij meestal achteraan hinkt en hierbij veel te laat komt.
Kerken die zich niet als een bedrijfje presenteren met een passend product voor mensen met spirituele behoeften vallen uit de boot. In 2014 bracht het Researchbureau Motivaction voor de Nederlandse Protestantse Kerk al een rapport uit waar het volgende in staat:

‘De kerk kan inspringen in de onaangeboorde markt van religieuze behoeften’.

Het besef dat geloof door God geschonken wordt, verdwijnt in zulke taal snel naar de achtergrond. Men mag niet vergeten dat God roept, maar men moet mensen ook de kans geven die roep van God te horen. Als leek of gelovige moet men de kans zien de Woorden van God te horen en ook de resultaten van dat Woord te zien. Hiertoe dragen zij die zich Christen noemen de verantwoordelijkheid om duidelijk het verschil te tonen tussen een gelovige en een ongelovige. Het is namelijk zo dat elke atheïst ook in staat is zeer goed werk te leveren en anderen ook goed kan helpen en bijstaan in moeilijkheden. Als gelovige in God komt het er op aan je persoonlijkheid zodanig naar Zijn hand te zetten dat zij als bijzonder wordt ervaren door anderen.

In deze voornaamste periode van het kerkelijk jaar, de hoogdagen van ons geloofsleven, moeten wij naar buiten durven komen om die liefdesdaad van Christus Jezus te tonen, maar ook om anderen een bewijs te geven van het grote verschil tussen een gelovige en niet-gelovige.

Gelovigen hoeven geen taskforce catechese van verlangen in het leven te roepen. Veel belangrijker is de liturgie of de uitoefening van ‘kerk zijn’ of ‘kerkgemeenschap vormen’. In die kerkgemeenschap moet dat Woord van God de draagkracht van de gemeenschap zijn. Als gelovigen moeten wij laten zien hoe dat Woord ons leven schraagt en ons verbindt als broeders en zusters. Waar het mogelijk is om in gemeenschap liederen te laten klinken kunnen deze bijdragen tot de gezelligheid van een samenkomen waarbij dat Woord altijd centraal moet staan. Daarnaast kan de exhortatie of prediking meehelpen om de gemeenschap te ondersteunen. Zonder bellen en toeters, hoeven wij niet de allernieuwste snufjes in de gemeenschap. Wel hoort elkeen zijn zuivere persoonlijkheid te durven tonenen. In de kerkgemeenschap is er geen plaats voor de vervalste Faceboook timelines en voorkomens. enkel het echte ik moet er naar boven komen en moet zich bereid geven om gelijkwaardig met elkaar het brood en de wijn te delen.en de sacramenten. In dat samen zijn, samen de bijbel lezen en samen over dat Woord van God nadenken en bespreken is God zelf aan het werk.

Laat anderen voor onze bijzondere bijeenkomst op 14 Nisan proeven van onze gastvrijheid maar ook van de geest die in elke christelijke gemeenschap hoort te vertoeven. Laat het dan ook verder een aanzet zijn om buitenstaanders uit te nodigen om andere bijeenkomsten van ware volgers van Jezus bij te wonen, zodat zij de essentie van zulk een broederschap in Christus kunnen waarnemen.

Continued nostalgic Christmas memories

In Christmas in the 1950s we looked a first time at the way we and Equipping The Saints experienced the Winter holidays and enjoyed watching the movies.

When Equipping The Saints had started sixth grade in Gretna, Louisiana to spend the next three years at the same “Grammar School” his life was common to those of his school mates.

Cover of one of the books of the Robert L. May story by Maxton Publishers, Inc. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Like in our country he had also real Christmas holidays, and had real Christmas programs at school. When we do hear our grand children and see what is done at schools for the Christmas holiday we do not see such nice activities like we had in school. Though, Today there are more people stressing that this is the Season of the Year, and several Christians are shouting that Christmas should be the Reason of the Season. But when they want to celebrate the birth of Christ, not much seems to remind people to that birth of the Jewish rabbi who is our saviour. On the streets and in the shops the so called Christmas songs do not really mention Jesus Christ but go on about reindeer, Santa(s), jingle bells and present, though not that special present or precious gift you could call Jesus Christ. The winter-related songs celebrate the climatic season, with all its snow, dressing up for the cold, sleighing, etc. and with the years all the pagan elements came more and more to the forefront, new mythical characters created, defined, and popularised by these songs; “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” both introduced by Gene Autry a year apart (1949 and 1950 respectively).

In the previous century we gathered and special presentations were offered to sing carols.

Equipping The Saints remembers

We would sing Christmas carols, which included biblical songs. The school would give the children song sheets that showed the words to those biblical songs. Teachers were free to talk to their classes about their church lives. {120714 – Christmas Of Simpler Times}

Today lots of teachers are not allowed to speak about their religious life. They are not allowed to talk about Jesus Christ being the saviour. church live and talks about God are in many schools not authorised any more.

The kids have also nothing to share about church life, because most of them never go to church or just have some periods of church activity to prepare them for the first and/or second communion. they are not really interested in anything to do with church or with religion. The talk of the day is the new smartphone or any other new electronic gadget, plus laughing with one or the other posting on Facebook. Television lost grace in the hand of our grandchildren. The present generation does not watch so much television as we did or do, but have their eyes focused on the computer screen, watching al sorts of postings or games.

Most of my friends watched the same television programs. {120714 – Christmas Of Simpler Times}

writes Equipping The Saints

We didn’t have cable tv or dish types, so our selection was limited to traditional network programming. The programs were family oriented and were not restricted to “church and state” limitations.The Cleaver family went to church and Sunday School. Andy, Barney, Aunt Bea, Opie, and Gomer were shown in their church, even when Gomer might fall asleep and snore during the “Reverend’s” sermons.
The Christmas programs that were produced and shown by ABC, NBC, and CBS did not hide the fact that “Jesus was the reason for the season.” Television hosts did not omit “Jesus” from their discussions when they were talking about Christmas. Jesus was truly “God with us” during those programs. {120714 – Christmas Of Simpler Times}

Jesus nor God are the subject of this season. It is time that those who call themselves Christian and find that this should be a time to think about Christ Jesus, perhaps should do better to have others thinking about that special man who was sent by God for a specific reason.

In Belgium we listened, behind frosted windows, to songs like the one of Frank Sinatra who sung about the songs for you and me, but were told that this was all about that heathen character the Americans loved so much, because their country had become slave of consumption. Today we in Europe are not better off. Most people are slave of money and consumption. As in the previous article told, they even get so much stress that we have already time spend in the media about that ‘Christmas stress‘.

Of the time when every one falls in love there is not so much to see. In some American writings we hear that it is now fashionable to have a divorce around Christmas. Many have new years dreams of having some extramarital adventures with some delicious unknown and some even think it can be good fun to have some extra sex with somebody of their own gender. Those same gender relations are also promoted extra in this time of year. This week for example we had on television some gays who prepared meals for each other and talked every episode about the ‘Christmas kitsch’.

Merry Christmas (Bing Crosby album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the 1950ies and 1960ies from the States we got Andy Williams and Bing Crosby who be the must haves and must hears at the Winter holiday season. You may wonder what glow it is when snow would appear these days. But even the snow has given it up and Winter does not want to let see her face. Bing Crosby reminded people about what happened in Bethlehem and asked people to remember it not just in this particular season but the whole year through.

Judi Harbin remarked

Just as we cannot benefit from a wrapped gift under the Christmas tree until we open it, so gratitude can be seen as our way of opening the gift of God’s love intended by all the small and big positive events of our lives

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One of the Biggest Christmas hits in several families for years

“White christmas” by Bing Crosby (1942) Original

Later he made a more fluent, faster version, which I like more

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O Little Town Of Bethlehem – Bing Crosby

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Bing Crosby “The Secret Of Christmas”

“The Secret Of Christmas” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn for Bing Crosby, and was first performed by Bing in the 1959 film, ‘Say One For Me’. Bing recorded “The Secret Of Christmas” with an arrangement by Frank DeVol for a single that year released by Columbia Records. Bing recorded the song again in 1964 for the album 12 Songs Of Christmas with Fred Waring and His Orchestra.

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It may well be that after World War II our families had to overcome the shocks of the Great War and the last atrocity which showed the cruelty of man and made it so much more important to focus on the better soul of mankind. Perhaps it was truly a much simpler time of Christmas in our nation’s not too distant history.

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Preceding articles

Solstice, Saturnalia and Christmas-stress

Christmas in the 1950s

The Proper Place of Excess

Looking for the consummation of presents

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

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Additional reading

1. Creator and Blogger God 11 Old and New Blog 1 Aimed at one man
2. Objects around the birth and death of Jesus
3. Our love for Jesus – A Christian Science perspective
4. Isaiah 55-56, Revelation 11
5. God’s wrath and sanctification

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Further reading and listening

1. Celebrating 365 Days of Legends, Folklore & Spirituality for December 17 – 23 – Saturnalia
2. Countdown to Christmas 17: Saturnalia
3. War On Christmas Memes: Saturnalia
4. Christmas: it’s all about money, not messiahs.
5. Why Did He Come?
6. What Really Happened?
7. He Loves You So
8. 10 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy, Happy, Glow Over Christmas and Into the New Year
9. Cancer survivor supports others battling the disease with massive Christmas light display
10. Giving money for Christmas: When and how to do it right
11. Carols by Candlelight
12. “Hush, now listen…”
13. Hymn, ‘Mary, Did You Know?’
14. Carol, ‘I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing on Christmas Day’
15. Joy to the World, Not Just Another Christmas Carol
16. Christmas Carol Day 17
17. Jubilation
18. Manifestation
19. “For hate is strong and mocks the song”–A Civil war Christmas carol
20. Celebrating Christmas as a Family
21. Holiday Decoration: Celebrate Christmas in Style
22. Dec 18: My somewhere peaceful is Christmas magic
23. New trending GIF tagged 80s christmas vhs 1987…

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Related articles

• Bring Crosby and David Bowie Sing ‘The Little Drummer Boy’… Together
• Countdown to Christmas: Little Saint Nick Plus the 1957 Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby Christmas Special
• Yello80s Advent Countdown day 19: G-d Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
• When Hollywood Celebrated Christmas And Marriage
• Christmas Home Tour {Part One} – and a $500 Giveaway!
• Movie Review – White Christmas with Bing Crosby (1954)
• Unkind not to point
• You’re a good show, Charlie Brown Christmas!
• You need God
• How the world looked when Jesus was born, according to Roman geographers…

The Proper Place of Excess

The Word of God given to us in the Bible or Holy Scriptures tells us to know Who we should worship and what we should not worship. Idolatry of money has crept into the soul of mankind and has poisoned their hearts.

The wisdom teacher of Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for all things under the sun, no to agree with the excess man loves so much, but as a warning how to behave and how and to what to focus.

For those who want to celebrate Christmas for whatever reason they want to give, Christians should remember that it is originally a pagan festival and should better abstain from it. But we do agree in Wintertime it is ideal to socialise at the dark hours and it may be lovely to exchange presents around the turn of the year.

When we provide presents for others they should be given with joy and when it brings such a stress like we hear many tell on television, than there is certainly something wrong.

In so called Christian countries, we also see lots of Christmas markets, but at those ‘great events’ there is not much to see about what they call would be the “reason of the season”. At most Christmas markets there are not many stall about the nativity of the Nazarene Jew nor about that man’s ransom offering. Jesus Christ his birth they often call the reason for the season, but we can not see him much in that season or in people’s homes. Also the attitude of those people gathering at those markets does not speak of such an attitude that master teacher asked from his followers. Most people strolling around at those markets are more concerned about the food and drink opportunities and in buying (ridiculous) gadgets and not to expensive presents.

So many feel obliged just to find an other gadget or an other extra surprise and do hope they themselves also will receive many presents.

In this society where excess has become a way of life, for many it might well be also a way of understanding the world, a way of being and interacting in the world, but for sure many chapters in the bible warn for such an attitude and ask us to focus on the more important immaterial things.

Those who call themselves Christian should wonder where they fall in the consumer trap of the capitalist society and why they do not keep to the festivals ordained by the Most High? the festival for the goddess of light and a celebration for a Santa Claus for sure are no part of those.

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To remember

Thanksgiving here + gone > too much to eat + drink = Excess = regular part of natural order

Excess > consequences = plays important role in survival process

Survival of the fittest + the fertilized

Northern Hemisphere winter = season of rest + recuperation

ancestral winter seasons > forebears rejoiced in gathered harvest, savored freshly slaughtered meat, + delighted in new beer + wine.

Northern Hemisphere ancestors celebrated = winter solstice = December 21 = marking the rebirth of the sun = traditionally been associated with feasts + festivals replete with excesses => secular Christmastime holiday = direct descendant of these revelries.

Roman Saturnalia + misrule, centered on feasting + gift-giving > societal role reversals where servants + peasants became lords + ladies for a day or short season => usually steady tables of fortune turned for a moment

misrule (common in European societies and colonial America) individuals of low socioeconomic status demanded wealthier neighbors + patrons treat them – the servants + peons of society – as if they were the wealthy + deserving

Puritans of Massachusetts infamously outlawing Christmas in late 1600s =/= legendary anniversary of the Savior’s birth > simultaneous misrule celebrations that exalted excesses, some acceptable + others decidedly distasteful.

1800s, misrule evolved > new type of social inversion > persisted to our own day => Christmas made for children

children = miniature adults = occupied bottom rung of social hierarchy along with peasants + servants

Modern secular Christmas – family celebration – created at this time with children becoming focus of charity + goodwill

starting with Black Friday Eve (used to be called Thanksgiving) + continuing through New Year’s Day celebrations = unmatched devotion to consumerism, materialism, consumption, waste, and over-indulgence.

+

Preceding

The Culture of Excesses- Losing Humanity

Learning that stuff is just stuff

Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

Looking for the consummation of presents

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

 

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Additional reading

1. A time for everything
2. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
3. Irminsul, dies natalis solis invicti, birthday of light, Christmas and Saturnalia
4. Holidays, holy days and traditions
5. A new year with hopes and challenges
6. Opportunity!
7. A season of gifts
8. How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace
9. Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

+++

Further reading

1. Presents, Presents, and more Presents.
2. Christmas Stress
3. Buying All the Gifts
4. Christmas time!
5. The spirit of Christmas
6. Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. ~J.L.W. Brooks
7. It’s the Thought that Counts?
8. 30 Ways to Have Yourself a Thrifty Little Christmas
9. 17 Things Only Girls Who Hate Shopping Understand
10. How The Garden Grinch Saved Your Christmas
11. 2015 Holiday Gift Guide
12. My Christmas Gift Guide 2015
13. 15 ways to get into the Christmas Spirit
14. A Special Package
15. The Gift & the Giver
16. Baby Jesus Brings the gifts
17. Blogmas Day 14: Christmas Gift Guide 2015
18. On the 14th day of Christmas…
19. Dear Santa
20. Secret Santa!
21. Why we don’t do Santa
22. Nativity?
23. Christmas Blogging Challenge Day 2 – My Favourite Christmas Tradition
24. The Gift That Keeps on Giving
25. The Holiday Gifting Struggle
26. Do you search? BlogMas
27. Finding God
28. Why Not Do Something Different This Christmas

+++

Related articles

• Autumnal Equinox
• Autumn Serenade: The Fall Music Puzzler
• What Exactly Is the Autumn Equinox?
• Watch: Man surprises girlfriend by proposing to her on roller coaster
• Christmas Traditions around the World
• Christmas comes earlier for Toronto Bay shoppers
• This Day in History: September 21st- There is a Santa Claus
• Sneak Peek: Do You Hear Jingle Bells?

The T. Carlos Blog

Thanksgiving, once again, is here and gone. I know I had too much to eat and drink. How about you?

Excess is a regular part of the natural order. Our bodies turn excess calories into fat cells – technically, stored energy for later use. Most excess weight, however, is simply lugged around serving unwittingly as a contributing factor to health problems. Alcohol, on the other hand, is eliminated by the body. But a morning-after dehydration headache, caused by excessive drinking, lets you know you overdid it. Long-term excessive drinking, of course, will kill you.

Excess has its consequences.

Excess, nevertheless, plays an important role in the survival process. You and I are here thanks to an excessive amount of spermatozoa, from which emerged one little victor to join forces with an ovum. Survival of the fittest and the fertilized! And not only that, some of the plants which provide food, oxygen, and beauty upon the earth produce seeds for their own reproduction numbering in excess of hundreds…

View original post 687 more words

Looking at a conservative review of Shop Class As Soul Craft

Some might think we are

“constantly striving to develop lives of meaning without any outside recourse. The soul is increasingly insulated from the world outside our heads.” {Against Kant and Consumerism}

but today lots of people strive to enrich themselves with material wealth and consider their live worthwhile when they can be more wealthier and better showing off than others. Lots of people think they miss enough money or enough gadgets to enjoy fully life. For many everything seems to turn around the gathering of as much money as possible.

Lots of people do not look for the depth of meaning of life and are not so much interested in the others around them and the influence or necessity of them for them.

The American Conservative in the May/June 2015 article speaks about Matthew Crawford his books “Shop Class As Soul Craft” plus “The World Beyond Your Head” and looks at ‘the subtitle to his latest book which promises a look at our “age of distraction“.

The article says:

The premise of Crawford’s book is that our distractedness is merely symptomatic of a deeper cultural defect, a misrepresentation of the self that has permeated our society. He traces this back to Enlightenment philosophy, especially the thought of Immanuel Kant. Enlightenment thinkers of the late 17th and 18th centuries presented a view of the person that contrasted drastically with medieval and ancient thought: they put unprecedented emphasis on the rational individual as separate from society or community. They posited new theories about freedom founded upon reason and self-determination, with epistemological roots in ideas such as Descartes’s famous claim that “I think therefore I am.” Kant believed that knowledge and ethics must necessarily be situated within the mind—that existence must be interpreted through the autonomy of the individual.

The writer thinks

The soul is increasingly insulated from the world outside our heads.

Whereas in the real world, Crawford writes,

“we are subject to the heteronomy of things; the hazards of material reality,”

and continues

what Kant has given us is our modern identification of freedom with choice, in which choice is a “pure flashing forth” of the individual will.

that identification of freedom with choice has been there already from the period of the beginning in the Garden of Eden. Man had the choice either to follow his Creator His Will or to go his own way. Man choose the latter.

Thousand of years later, many think the world around them limits them and nature is to  block  their leg.

dumb nature is understood to be threatening to our freedom as rational beings, it becomes attractive to construct a virtual reality that will be less so, a benignly nice [reality] where there is no conflict between self and world

How many people do not want to be on their own and have the world turning around themselves. For many it is most important that everything turns around their own “I” so that they can say with proud: “I am“.

The associate editor of  The American Conservative Gracy Olmstead writes:

Consumer culture tries to destroy the discomforts and imperfections that are necessarily part of life.

Is not there one of the greatest problems of our present society, which has put most of its hopes on the material things it can require to make its own. It is not that they want to hoard things, but they love to gather all the newest things so that they can show off against others who have to do with older things.

Though the writer of the article finds that modern cars are designed in an insulating and distracting way, we more see them as copies of each other not having any more the specific personality or difference as the cars had in the 1950ies, when each car looked so specific and really could get its fans for one or another model and each model with its own flashy personal colours. to us it looks like that car owners lost the interest to have a car or any other object (clothes, houses) that look very personal and have their won story to tell. People do want all the same and are willing to cue for the latest gadget. Everybody else has to be able to see that they have this or that brand and can afford this or that mobile or i-pad, which has to be of the latest and newest ‘invention’.

Concerning the cars we could agree with the idea the  critic has

Everything within a car is constructed to give a sense of isolation and ease.

When the author would mean that the person who is driving the car would like to have the feeling to being his own world, having his own little world where nobody else around is being part of it. When the music can play loud it does not matter that others can hear it in their bathroom or are whipped out of bed. It is there music and everybody else should have to hear that is the best music to listen to.

Naturally the cultivation of “me-worlds” extends beyond auto-mobile design, but form men this might still be the thing to make their ‘me’, though the i-pad has taken a lot of that place.

Olmstead finds that Crawford spends a good deal of the book arguing that an Enlightenment approach to epistemology leads to narcissism: an understanding of the world that revolves entirely around the self and writes

The narcissist “treats objects as props” and struggles to comprehend them as objects with a reality of their own. The fantasy of autonomy, when full-grown, results in a “project of open-ended, ultimately groundless self-making.” {Against Kant and Consumerism}

Interestingly, Crawford identifies our treatment of others as the root of online narcissism in the age of Facebook:

“We increasingly deal with others through representations of them that we have,” he writes. “This results in interactions that are more contained, less open-ended, than a face-to-face encounter or a telephone call, giving us more control.”

Automobiles, the reviewer says

“can foster circumspection—literally, looking around for others and regarding oneself as an object for others in turn—or a collection of atomized me-worlds.” Our experience becomes ever more “mediated by representations, which remove us from whatever situation we inhabit directly, as embodied beings who do things.”

Throughout the ages the world has received its many distractions. The tools may have changed but the aim and way has stayed the same. Today “virtual reality” allows many to find back lost friends or schoolmates and gives the opportunity to interact with more, and more diverse, people, not fewer and not more homogeneous.

For American society to emerge from the distractions of consumer culture and virtual existence

Ms Olmstead finds

we must look beyond the symptoms and consider the disease: the shroud of individualism that prevents us from fully embracing the real world.

The individuals looking for themselves to acquire as much material wealth as possible have to come to see that they would be better to work at their social contacts spending more time to be with each other in real life than in chat sessions, never going deep in a conversation. For sure we we must

cultivate an awareness of—and love for—the world beyond ourselves.

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Preceding articles:

Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

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

The I Am to explore

little i

Path/Walk/Sink

Comic: The Last Time I Felt Accepted For Who I Am

Be realistic, do not pretend

The world starts with yourself

Believe in yourself!

Believe in your greatness

Find Inspiration and Follow Your Dreams

Wishy-Washy…

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

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Additional reading:

1. Souls and Religions with Nirvana and light
2. For those who make other choices
3. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
4. Detroit, A city not to be understood

+++

Related articles

• Against Kant and Consumerism
• My personal list of greatest philosophers
• The Day I Shot Some Innocent Animals
• The Culture of Criticism
• The 4 Scariest (But Secretly Wonderful) Steps toward Enlightenment
• Subjective approach to religion breeds interfaith understanding
• [tt] NS 3020: Blame the enlightened self for the distractions in our lives
• More than Liberty
• Patrick J. Buchanan Who Really Lost America?
• For the American Right, these are the times to just say no.

Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

People do like to have things for themselves. Contemporary day gadgets play on the consumer market to win the eyes and greedy hands.

Students and scholars can study a wealth of materials and artifacts available at the Broadcasting Archives. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lots of people are convinced that luck lies in having enough things. Many have put their hope in having enough material wealth. They are convinced having enough money will bring them luck and everything they want. Their head believes material wealth shall bring them peace and heaven on earth.

We would agree that some objects can bring intrinsic joy. We also would agree there are man made things which can serve us to have an easier life.

But, we also want to warn our readers that many man-made things can be utterly dangerous for man and for nature as well. Lots of things man create ruins mother earth. Lots of people do have no respect at all for the environment and  waste a lot of things making it for the generation coming after them, more difficult to live properly in a healthy environment.

May we lift a veil of reality?

Land of Wealth (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is it not better that we are conscious of what we eat and drink and of what we buy and use? Is it not better that we more would ask ourselves: Where is this made under which condition?

Should we not take more notice of the hidden facts?

We all should remember that there are lots of things which seemingly look very attractive, and can tempt us to buy it. But will they contribute to a better life?

Man may make lots of things but not all of those things are good for him. Several things, instead of bringing peace, welfare, bring despair and death.

As Prayson Daniel writes in his blog “With All I Am“:

Those that bring despair and death often promise intrinsic joy and life but deliver despair and death. Fame, sex, and money are objects that often promise intrinsic joy and life. When they serve us, they do deliver what they promised. {Joy in Submission}

Those who continuously look to enrich themselves do not have as such an eye for others; Their interest in themselves.

To make the best of life it is a matter to be able to set yourself, your own “I” at the side.

A joyful living springs from thinking of ourselves less and others more. In such moments where we think of ourselves less and others more, we are supremely joyful. Consider the moment when a loving father meets his newborn or a wanderer sees a sunrise and feels a spark of warm sunrays on her skin after a long and dark winter. In such moments, time stops. Though the quantitative time continues, the qualitative time everlastingly stops. In those joyful moments we reign by serving. We reign through serving by submitting to the moment. Submission is joyful. Supremely joyful. {Joy in Submission}

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Preceding articles:

Summermonths and consumerism

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

Less for more

Less… is still enough

Contentment: The five senses

See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory

Just be yourself…

The natural beauties of life

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Additional reading:

1. Greed more common than generosity
2. How we think shows through in how we act
3. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 3
4. Intellectual servility a curse of mankind
5. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 4
6. Subcutaneous power for humanity 5 Loneliness, Virtual and real friends
7. Blow to legitimacy of the capitalist system
8. Capitalism
9. Economics and Degradation
10. Ecological economics in the stomach #1 Alarmbell
11. Self inflicted misery #1 The root by man
12. Facing disaster fatigue
13. Waste and recycling
14. How long will natural resources last [The InfoGraphics List]
15. True riches
16. Count your blessings
17. Good to make sure that you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy

+++

Related articles

• Rich People can Enter the Kingdom of God
• [Archives] Notes From Jean-Marie Eveillard’s Discussion On Global Value Investing
• On Hopelessness
• Creflo and the Dollar Whores (almost) get their jet!
• Cleric warns Buhari to avoid false prophets
• Life lessons from the Gita
• Pastor talks about provocative billboard
• Beneficial Jain Mantras for Daily Life

Summermonths and consumerism

Summertime seems to have difficulties to show her face this year. Over a few days the days will shorten again and we did not have yet some real good nice warm days.

In the supermarkets they feel the consumption of meat not taking off like they want and therefore they are presenting special bargain prices, advertising against other trying to present the cheapest products. If they would be the best products would be an other matter. Also if they would be produced in a decent ethical way is for many of no concern.

We can imagine Middle School teacher Bob James throughout the year has to face his pupils with all sorts of gadgets, disturbed and tempted by lots of consumer products and market activities.

Real teachers do find it necessary to help others. Bob James also is firmly convinced that all of us need to be more proactive in helping others.

We need to help them when disaster strikes, when they are recovering and then when developing their lives to be the people that God intended them to be. We are meant to be independent of all except for God. On Him alone should we be dependent. Thus, as I seek to help others, I seek to move beyond mere relief and am focusing on rehabilitation and reconciliation. We are to be reconciled with God, with our fellow human beings and with our environment. If any one of these is missing, we will have problems. This is a tall order, but I will always seek to bring reconciliation. {About Me}

He, like many teachers are daily confronted with the non-interest for God, is probably also seeing that today the kids, but also their parents, have made new gods and have more interest in the material belongings than the spiritual.

The Human Use of Human Beings (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In previous articles on this blog we pointed out to this behaviour which is destroying our society like CO poisoning, not seen, not smelled, not heard. We are living in a society where eyes are directed on gaining capital, even if we need not to take notice of necessary protection for man or do not mind bringing shortage or harm to others, to get more money.

Our economy is based on consumerism. Ads are designed to appeal to people like me and make me not just want, but Need, the latest thing – whether that be a soft drink or the latest model car. {June 8 – What I Really Need}

In the years straight after the World Wars people seemed to know again the value of the necessities of life. Folks appreciated again the small things. (We remember sitting with three on a bench, having one study book, which we savoured like the best we could have to receive knowledge. We never wanted to have it for ourselves alone and where pleased when we could share things with others.) They were pleased with what they could get. They also wanted to show to others who they were and used their cloths to present their identity.

Today everybody seems to be hiding behind their clothes. They now have to be from one or the other brand, design and colour which is in fashion. All want to belong to the group and hide their own self behind brands which are ‘in’. Everything must be dictated by the market. Nobody wants to go against what the market dictates.

RedEye Sailboat one of the things people like to have for enjoying themselves and to show off (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Summer this is made even more clear by everybody wanting to go in the garden and show off with what the market advertises and wants to press on everybody. As such, once it is beautiful weather, we can not sit outdoors without having to smell all the combustion products, from the people who do not know how to use properly those advertised and bought barbecue sets.

Having holiday also became equivalent to travelling. When people to day are saying they go on holiday, they mostly mean and want the other person to think they are going to travel abroad. For many taking a holiday in the own garden or in the own country is not having a holiday any more. The market made them to believe to relax and to take vacation or to take leave has to be going abroad and spending a lot of money at enjoyment, entertainment parks, luxury meals and pampering and health treatments.

People have to believe they only count in this society when they can show that they are using the latest gadgets and are ‘by the time’. All people who have not the newest things are ‘old’ or ‘out of date’. They best are ignored or put aside, as not being the right people to associate with. Or they are laughed at as old fashioned or ‘nerds’.

Bob James remarks:

How easily we buy the latest thing and throw away the old. One of the problems is that we not only throw away things, we also tend to throw away people or relationships if they don’t “meet our needs.” {June 8 – What I Really Need}

Those needs have become very selfish. Everything is directed to the ‘I’ and to the ‘what can I gain from this relationship’. Most people want to associate with other people in such a way that they may be sure others will find them interesting for the knowledge and acquaintances of such people. Most relations are build on the use they can provide for the self. Not the giving away has become important, nor the meaning something for some one else, but the meaning for the person him or herself, has become the landmark.

Clearly the focus of most people came on to the wrong things. This also made many relationships not last and break down. Often we see the other person has become of no real value, when not usable any more. We see that at work. As son as a person gets to ‘old’ or to ‘experienced’ and to ‘expensive because of ‘seniority’ he is made redundant.

But also the material things do not get time to stay in use as valuable. As soon there is a new model, the old one is considered as ‘passée’ .
Most people have placed their mind on things which are disposable.

What we should be thinking about is not “things,” but people. {June 8 – What I Really Need}

writes Bob James.

What we should be focusing on more than anything is our relationship with God. {June 8 – What I Really Need} (Though in his article gives a quote about focussing on Jesus, who is not God but the son of God, but who also deserves our attention.)

Today, we can see that a lot of people who are debtors to the material things of this world. Most have forgotten that their body should be a temple, a place for clean things. Natural products for many are a laugh-stock. Biological products for many are either for the ‘loonies’ or have become a way to show off, because they are much more expensive and a way to proof they can afford it and belong to such a class of people, having enough money to buy such things.

Instead of respect for nature and respect for the Creator of all those things man shows more interest to the highly perishable idols presented on television and more and more on the internet, which brings totally new sorts of idols in the living room. All those living according to flesh, often forget that they too, like anybody else, are going to die, but if in spirit they kill the deeds of the body, and that they have much better prospects. For those who live in the spirit can find real intense worthwhile life.

Part of our problem with this issue is that our desires have been made to seem like needs. If we began each day with a focus on Jesus Christ, many of those things we think are “needs” would be shown to be desires. {June 8 – What I Really Need}

Christ Jesus is the man of flesh and blood who gave the world an example how to live according to the will of the Only One God, Whom we should consider the Most High and the Most Valuable. Jesus knew he could not do anything without God. Jesus never did his own will but always wanted to do the Will of God.  Today most consider God a flaw or useless invention.

Lots of people, having all those modern gadgets still do not feel happy. Having so many things they do not yet feel satisfied. They still have a hunger …

They are starving for the real better thing which they do not seem to see by the mist of consumerism. Lots of people are running into problems when they work so hard to take care of all their desires for material things, that they forget to spend more time to build up good relations.

Most people do not see or forget about what they really need.

Bob James thinks about a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, but seems to forget an even more important relationship, namely that with the heavenly Father of Jesus, the Only One True God.

This world needs to find the way back to God. It has lost connection with the Creator. The world has become strayed. We have to take care we become not astray by the temptations around us.

Keep your eyes on Jesus and as such find the Way to God and the way to God’s Kingdom.

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Preceding articles:

Lonely in the crowd

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

Less… is still enough

Less for more

Contentment: The five senses

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

See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory

The Cares of Life

The natural beauties of life

Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities

Just be yourself…

A Snippet of Advice on Cultural Analysis

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Find additional literature:

1. Capitalism
2. Increasing wealth gap of immense proportions in the Capitalist World
3. Classes of people and Cronyism
4. Uncertainty, shame and no time for vacillation
5. Because men choose to go their own way
6. Welfare state and Poverty in Flanders #9 Consumption
7. A risk taking society
8. What IF you’re only driven by stress?
9. Ecological economics in the stomach #2 Resources
10. How do you keep people from stealing your joy?
11. 2014 Social contacts
12. Justififiable anger or just anarchism
13. Ability for a community to come back from a crisis
14. Green Claims in Europe
15. Greenpeace demands scale up of ecological farming
16. Happy International Happiness Day!
17. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
18. Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual
19. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
20. Looking for True Spirituality 2 Not restricted to an elite
21. How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice
22. Sharing thoughts and philosophical writings
23. Lovers of God, seekers and lovers of truth
24. Fools despise wisdom and instruction
25. In a world which knows no peace sharing blessed hope
26. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
27. Cleanliness and worrying or not about purity
28. Cognizance at the doorstep or at the internet socket
29. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
30. Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach
31. Bringing Good News into the world
32. How should we preach?
33. Thanksgiving wisdom: Why gratitude is good for your health
34. Food as a Therapeutic Aid
35. Remember there’s a light in the next day
36. It is a free will choice
37. To know Christ is filling life with meaning
38. Heed of the Saviour
39. Songs in the night Worship God only
40. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

+++

Related articles

• The Human Vocation: To Love Creation as God Does
• Men And Women TOGETHER – Imaging God FOREVER!
• Acts 5:27-29 – The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.
• Blesses is the one…
• Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips
• How programmatic advertising affects ad sales teams

Focus

Het zich richten op iets, het speciaal onder ogen nemen, het in het brandpunt plaatsen of het concentreren of focaal punt kiezen, poogt mensen tot een doelbewust richten te brengen al of niet op problemen of op beter lopende zaken.

In onze maatschappij zijn er zulke perioden waarbij bepaalde woorden of acties meer dan gewenst bij sommigen om de oren worden geslagen of meermaals in de kijker komen te staan.

Er werd de mensen gevraagd om beter te focussen, maar veel al werd er niet bij verteld op wat. Nadien moest men allemaal zen gaan worden en meedoen aan de rages van bezinning of meditatie en midfullness.

Na al die ‘fulness’ zou men volheid kunnen verwachten, maar meer ‘less’ kwam verder in de kijker en mensen dwaalden verder af in de diepte van de donkerte. Nog steeds zakken de mensen dieper in het ‘mindere’ ook al kunnen ze zwemmen in de veelheid van allerlei gadgets.

Heel wat mensen hebben heel wat artikelen waar ze zich zelf spiritueel en lichamelijk willen mee bevredigen, maar toch weten ze zich niet gelukkig te voelen. Leegte vult hun hart terwijl ze zogezegd in luxe zouden moeten leven. Hun luxe is slechts uiterlijke schijn. In hun harte blijft de leegte achter in donkere ruimten.

Het zou fijn zijn moesten meer mensen terug een stapje weg van de wereld zouden doen, terug in de juiste richting naar innerlijke vrede.
Hiertoe moeten wij elkaar helpen om terug onze gedachten op het juiste te zetten en weer beter leren focussen.

In ons leven moeten wij er op toe zien dat het niet van moeten is (verplichtingen) maar van ‘mogen’. dit met een besef dat ieder een andere doelen kan en mag hebben en voor eenieder iets anders belangrijk kan zijn.

Maar uiteindelijk is het allerbelangrijkste eigenlijk voor iedereen hetzelfde: in het reine zijn met jezelf en met de Schepper. Daaraan moet men werken en hopen om het zuivere te bereiken.

Related articles

• 19 april 2015 breek los uit satan se greep (1)
• How do you start your day?
• What Are You Seeking?

Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities

Today we can find lots of people who are not at all interested in The God sole Creator of Heaven and Earth or in gods, though often they create themselves many gods and worship lots of idols, mainly from the little screen which has become a huge screen in these days (some have measures like the cinema screen of our childhood).

Driver in a Mitsubishi Galant using a hand held mobile phone violating New York State law. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A 32 year old single girl who lives alone with three cats, in the process of trying online dating pagan, and likes to think about ‘big’ questions occasionally, currently trying to learn to read the tarot, writes:

Everywhere you turn within Pagan circles these days it seems like you are surrounded by people who have a direct connection to their Gods. They seem to be in possession of their very own ‘Godphone’ (to steal a term I have seen floating about) and are God-bothered on a seemingly constant basis. {G is for Gods}

She is not talking about that strong ‘godly communication‘ we talked about in our previous article. Though the mobile phone may be the new god of many, and lots of them do hope to find with that electronic tool with many gadgets or applications to find the real god app of their life.

Lots of the youngsters put all their aspirations in that mobile phone or their i-pad and are willing to cue all night just to have the latest i-phone or Apple McIntosh gadget. Several i.t.-meetings have taken the place of the old Eucharist celebrations and today we do find high-masses especially for electronic wizards.

After some time many get the feeling they are standing in a becoming colder breeze or getting a ice cold shower, putting them in the Hitchcock thriller were the blood runs in the gutter, taking all their so called (Facebook) friends with it. They do not start wondering if their godphone collection has gone wrong but think they must be at fault.
For sure they must be doing something wrong. The Gods must be ignoring them for a reason,

or you are just not open enough, or maybe you’re on the wrong path.  This is obviously the experience of ‘real’ pagans, so maybe you just aren’t pagan enough. {G is for Gods}

Perhaps there lies the fact: “being not pagan enough”. So this could perhaps give some hope for the many people who felt disillusioned after their internet experience. Perhaps this will give them enough reason to look for other and better values than those that internet can offer them.

The pagan lady writes she is not in possession of a Godphone,

I am not God-bothered, and I can’t think of a single time when I engaged in an actual two-way conversation with my deities. Sure I get a feeling about things sometimes, I know they appreciate the incense I offer her for example, but it exactly that… a feeling. This doesn’t mean I am not pagan enough and it is actually a perfectly normal experience for a large number of Pagans.

Those pagans we would offer a better solution. If their gods are not such listening gods and not so much answering gods, why would they not try to come to find the real Supreme God of gods? Why going second hand when each of us has the opportunity to go first hand 5-star quality?

Many of those not satisfied with what their mobile can bring, are looking for something more sacred or divine. Divination is something they are interested in.

I have spent some time looking at different types and trying to find one that works for me. I’ve tried runes, the pendulum, crystal gazing and even tea leaf reading but I am always drawn back to the Tarot. I am beginning to think it must be for the artwork, as I seem to have little to no skill in reading them! {D is for Divination}

Often we notice people are going to look for it so far away, when it is easy to grab for in front of their nose.

I have had all sorts of advice about reading cards, not just Tarot but oracle as well, but they tend to come back to either ‘learn by rote’ or ‘trust your intuition’. Having tried both, and continuing to flip between the two, I can see that I have problems with both. {D is for Divination}

Japanese mobile phone keyboard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We would say, it is not in those cards you shall find the right answers. You may find and see lots of symbols in it and find word-games made up by human beings, but when taking up a Book of books, written down in very old times, they would be surprised what it all has to tell, also about things happening today. In that Book of books, short “the Bible” they and we can find the answer on many of our daily questions. With that best-seller we get the best guide and best manual for life we ever can get.

When looking at it and giving it more of your time, you shall come to notice that it has not to be a one way road to seeing letters forming words, words forming phrases and phrases forming ideas. By reading all that old stuff we shall get ideas for our life and find out that it is not only our reading effort but also our taking down information out of the book that shall bring us to a two way system of communication.

When we are prepared to listen we shall find answers and we shall get replies.

Paganists looking at their own pagan books may find that when they have tried reading from intuition they went blank. The 32 year old lady writes:

I don’t trust myself enough to just open up and ‘say what I see’ as it were. I am so worried about getting it wrong that I just can’t allow myself to go with it.

Communication Centre, Kimbolton – geograph.org.uk – 1572042 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, that opening up is something which is necessary for everything, to see the good but also to see the bad. We are all created in the image of God and as such we also have the inner feeling of good and wrong. Since the fall of man, having eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil mankind, like the animals have their instinct, but they also received something more which is that inner feeling which gets deep down to them. Lots of people resist that inner feeling and that inner Voice. But as soon as a person wants to open him- or herself to that inner Voice he or she shall be able to come to hear the Voice of God. The Voice of the real God of gods, Who is a much better option than to go for all those other gods.

Go straight ahead to the Only True God of gods, the Most High Elohim, Hashem Jehovah!

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Preceding article: Of old and new ideas to sustain power and to feel good by loving to be connected and worship something

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Articles of interest:

1. Do you believe in One god
2. God of gods
3. Attributes to God
4. God is one
5. Does there have to be a Holy Trinity Mystery
6. The Trinity – the truth
7. Bible Word of God, inspired and infallible
8. Incomplete without the mind of God
9. God is positive
10. Let us not forget it was God who chose us
11. God Helper and Deliverer
12. Jehovah my strenght
13. Life with God (video)
14. Faith because of the questions

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

Lots of people wonder why they live and have to struggle so much. More people do think they can enrich their life with several gadgets and do think when they live without caring about the rest they may enjoy it most.

The materialistic mind shall not find peace and a state of peace is far away from those who only think about themselves.

We should not go to try to find meaning behind every bit and piece of the day. We should be aware that we do live in a time system which shall always be imperfect. No government shall be sufficient to bring everything all right for every body. Only the governing system that shall come after World War III or Armageddon shall bring relief. though we do not know when that final point of the world-system would come, at the time that the master rabbi Jeshua (Jesus Christ) will return, we can already work on a better system to take into account every creature and to give it the full respect it deserves.

The world is created out of chaos and the void but got turned over by mankind and filled with a lot of rubbish, trash defiling nature. In case we work at it to get again some order we also will find a better way of living.

Peace is in every bodies hand. It is there to make easily when the person wants to put aside his own individual egoism. when we let go of all the bothering things, the struggles we have in us and we do encounter each day, than we shall find ‘soulavement’ mitigation of all inner and outer pains, alleviation of ‘ourselves’.

It was material desire and greed which brought sin in the world. This materialism has grown unto unseen proportion; But this also means we are coming closer to the end times and to the point that some may think there is reached the point of no return, but at the other hand where is reached the point that more people their eyes shall be opened and who will find the way to a better life, making the relation of the in God’s image created human being back into a good relation with the rest of the creation.

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Preceding articles:

Less… is still enough

Less for more

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Additional reading:

1. Fear, struggles, sadness, bad feelings and depression
2. Finding Beauty Amongst the Trash
3. Watch out
4. What Are You Seeking?
5. A bird’s eye and reflecting from within
6. Walking in the Light of Life
7. True happiness, love and perfection
8. Getting fate in your change to positiveness
9. Lose a little inner peace
10. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
11. We all have to have dreams
12. Walking in the Light of Life
13. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
14. Peace Takes You
15. Humbleness
16. Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people
17. Looking for True Spirituality 1 Intro
18. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
19. Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark
20. Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.
21. The World framed by the Word of God
22. Scripture about Creation and Creator Deity
23. Coming to the creation of human beings in the image of God
24. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 2
25. God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace
26. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #16 Benefits of praying
27. Cry out to Yahweh
28. Give your tears to God
29. Looking forward to the return of Jesus
30. Israel, Fitting the Plan when people allow it

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Related articles

• A New Life (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
  The putting on the new man is the counterpart of the putting off the old man, and what that is Paul explains when he says, ‘that ye put off concerning the former conversation–that is, concerning your former way of life–the old man, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind’ (Eph. 3:22, 23). Our old ways and character are to be laid aside, and therefore to put on the new man is to assume a new character and new ways. To put on the Lord Jesus Christ is to make our own His character.” – Marcus Dods, D.D.

Let's Reach Success

I’ve heard many answers to the existential question about the meaning of life.

And as with everything else, each individual has his own view according to his beliefs and experience, things he wants and is going through right now.

But there is one problem – he puts meaning in every little detail of his average day and sometimes that affects his version of his mission in life, and eventually his actions.

Life is about more than the daily worries, fears, people that come and go, and things we pay too much attention to.

And in this – finding meaning in life – we’re all equal, because the goal is one.

Peace of mind.

Life is about finding peace inthe chaos, silence in the noise, meaning in every event and wisdom in hardships and grief.

Because peace is the highest happiness.

It’s hard to find with all the distractions around…

View original post 575 more words

Less for more

After World War II we did not have so much at school and had to sit with three on one bench having just one book for three pupils. We never felt it as something missing. Though the Germans had first confiscated many assets of my family and the allied forces stolen and destroyed lots of things in the family houses, because the Germans had made their quarters in it, I had not to complain about shortage in my parents house. I had the blessing to be brought up in a wealthy family.

In our house we had no lack of material things, but our parents learned us to share and to respect all the personal in the house who took care of us, the maids, matrons, teachers, cooks, gardener and labourers. Though I do agree we were made clear of the difference of class and if we made friends they had first to be approved of by the pater familias, the father and boss in the house. We were brought up and formed by ideas of class systems, knowing very well the difference between the propertied, the underclasses or lower classes and higher classes.  I, myself left the path of family tradition and went a total different way, with the consequences of seeing black snow at certain moments and having to work hard and long hours to make a decent living. With no regret, because I still would choose for the profession I have enjoyed a lot.

From a lot, I came in a big less … but I did not loose much. In a certain way I think I have gained a lot. The only thing I regret most is that I still can not afford to buy our very good own family wines and I dare not to visit the castles of some cousins. But what I can see, that many families have gone far away from their previous positions of the 19th and 20th century. The 21st century has brought a lot less for most of them.

Noticeable is that we can see a lot of new rich, who have a total different mentality than my grand-grand parents, grand parents and parents. Today we also find a nivelation from the categories who were divided in the golden sixties, noticing the rich from then more ‘poverised’ and not able any more to have so much personal to keep the house(s) and ground(s). But the previous rich and great families had ethics and rules of living which by the present new rich seem to be not known.

By the young we see a lot of youngsters who love to have a lot and best all the newest things, because something having of an older version is not cool and just not done. Many eyes today are on what is presented by the glossy magazines and by the television and computer screens.

Amish couple shopping in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lots of parents feel a pressure by the media giving them a bad feeling if they not provide enough for their kids. Many parents seem to get not only a bad feeling, but a guilty feeling. It is like their kids would be missing something & would look back at it as a sad memory. Many parents have fallen in the trap of commercialism and are going for spending a ton on things they not necessarily need and worse also on ‘things that don’t matter’ like ‘goodie bags’ people always forget to take.

Luckily we may notice some shift in behaviour by some people. It might well be some consumers become more aware of their impact on our environment.

Would it not be better if more people would come back to their senses and consider only buying those things they necessary need and those things that really can improve their quality of life?  It is good to see that there are more people who want to shift their focus and who want a simpler life.

We should be much more aware of our own impact on our environment. We also should take up our own responsibility for the protection of our own environment and for the future of our next generations. When we commit to living a simpler life, we can commit ourselves to get rid of, stop doing, and not including things that don’t bring us happiness, have a meaning in our lives, or does something positive for us. By doing so you will find out that you also shall get rid of the distractions, the noise, & the clutter in your life.

But do know simple living isn’t only about material things. As I started of, remembering the stories which filled our life, traditions which formed us, it was all about a life style of the mind, a feeling which made us to take on the required attitude. We as children had to behave decently and live according to family laws. They ordered life. And this ordering seems to be gone, because there are no laws or rules which are respected and kept by people. Most people have no religion guiding them and the laic or secular conventions have thrown over board the ethics of good and right living. Though the good living and respectful living is a frame of mind, a train of thought that requires us to examine our lives on a daily basis and eliminate things that aren’t working for us physically, mentally, & spiritually.

We should not be afraid to do shortage on our children. It is wrong to think you do short by not giving in on the new trend or new ‘revelation of the season’.  The market wants us to buy everything it can offer. The managers do want our money spend on utilities but also on things we do not really need. Our world has become build on sandcastles. The danger is that the dream and soap-bell are going to burst, not so far in future.

The youngsters today got chained by their i-phones, i-pads, beatiful cars which can ride much faster than is allowed, think they have much choice in the shops and eating places, but have no eye for the real quality of the goods. They became blinded by and for many things.

It is up to their parents, grand parents and their real friends to open their eyes again and to bring them to understand that we are better only to buy those things which were made by people who were fairly paid and were no damage was done to either animal, plant, man or the environment (water and air). We all should come to respect nature much more and should also to come to respect those who make all those things. what I notice today, is that there is no respect at all any more for those who do the dirty work. And that is where our society has gone wrong.

They all were envying the place of some in our society, who had grounds and houses and who gave work at people. They all nurtured people in government to enrich themselves. Now we are facing greedy governments which charge taxes, which make labour to expensive and contribute to less people at work and less people able to make themselves a proper living. The greed of some made the economical world to collapse. And the protective hands of those in parliament, made that it even could happen that those who mocked up the system got bonuses. And nobody seem to have cared, because they were all so busy with themselves only looking at themselves, only concerned about themselves.

The egoism with the want for more has taken mankind and made them to shut their eyes for realism and for the truth of natural laws and ecological matters. As such they all started to poison themselves (literally). The more is giving them less in the end.

Whilst the world should know that there are better options. We do not have to go to find our food miles and miles away from where we live. We do not have to find cheap labour to soothe our mind not having slaves working for us. We do not need slaves and we do not need to be independent on other continents. If we really take care we can provide enough for each of us in our own environment, not damaging our and others their environment.

We can see a lot of literal and figurative bulimia. It is time that we come to consume less and take at heart:

“Less is more”

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Preceding article: Less… is still enough

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Additional reading:

1. Subcutaneous power for humanity 2 1950-2010 Post war generations
2. Gender connections
3. Self inflicted misery #2 Weakness of human race
4. We all have to have dreams
5. Forward ever backwards never!
6. Luxury
7. Scepticals of the Bible
8. Watch out

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The Cares of Life

In this world we might have many dreams, aspirations and wants how to live. there is so much going on in the world that we can easily being distracted and be taken away on a path which is not exactly the right path or the best way to go.

Today we can see that lots of people are much more interested in the gadgets they might ‘own’ and the thing they can enjoy, making lots of fun and not having to bother about much.

Which responsibility do we want to take today? Where we want to go to in our life? How much time do we want to give to have our mind looking for better values in our life and higher spirits?

Most people are well aware of the physical body, which they want to honour a lot and would like to have it appraised by as many people as possible. Are they willing to become aware that not the flesh is the most important, but the spirit?

Let us not choose for the flesh, but for the richness of the spirit.

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To remember:

1. Living in a world of diverse happenings were concern controls
2. Because of cares of life man refused to be led by the Spirit of God
3. We must walk after the Spirit of God
4. Not walking after the flesh
5. We are a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ
6. Cares of life reason for evils like; death, stagnation, fornication, killing, fear, stealing etc.
7. Only cure to cares of life  = ’The leading of d Holy Spirit’
8. Stop looking for everything
9. Start looking for what you really need

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Find also to read:

1. The Spirit of God brings love, hope and freedom
2. Nazarene Commentary 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 – Flee from Immorality
3. Hebraic Roots Bible 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 – Flee fornication and be joined to our Master
4. No time for immorality

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Related articles

• Come out of Her My People (Conclusion) (thetruthshallsetyoufree.net)
  Gentiles who are saved have not taken the place of Israel, they can only be “fellow citizens”, “fellow heirs” and “partakers of His promise in The Messiah” – read Eph. 2:19 and 3:6. The Gentiles have not superseded Israel, no, they are only “partakers of their (Israel’s) spiritual things,” Rom. 15:27. Apostate Israel, especially for their unbelief in The Messiah, as well as apostate Christianity, especially for their transgression of the Law, must both come to repentance.
• The six woes, and Yom Kippurim (setapartpeople.com)
  We are children of YHVH, adopted by Him when we became believers and He regards adopted children the same as natural children. If you want to read more about this, you can read the article Who is Israel and why you would want to be a part of Israel . YHVH, our Heavenly Father requires obedience from His children.
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  A pleasure seeker’s whole life resolves around him- or herself. He or she is not concerned with other people or with YHVH. They live only for themselves and do whatever pleases them.
• The Cares of life (pfworld14.wordpress.com)
  We live in a world of diverse happenings were concern controls, instead of God. Man, because of the cares of life has refused to b led by the Spirit of God. If we must go by the leading of God, we must first deal with this subject (the cares of life). Rom8:1 talks about walking after the Spirit of God or after the flesh.
• Racism, Semen & the Designer ChildThe fact remains that same-sex couples cannot naturally have children. They must conceive either through heterosexual fornication or immoral medical intervention. There is noactual sharing of DNA even if they find donors of the same race. In this vein, there is a fiction or personal deception that taints this situation. The silliness of the upsetis amplified when the mother talks about problems in finding hair care for an “African American girl.” Did she imagine brushing the blond hair of her pasty white girl with curls? Now she wants to hold others accountable when in my estimation they are all guilty, that is everyone but the child.This is just the beginnings of a moral issue that will grow worse in the years to come, especially with increased DNA manipulation. The issue is human selfishness and the desire for designer children. Would she have aborted the child had it been a boy? Were boy fetuses aborted?

• The Petty Thief And The Armed Robber
  I’m sure you’re wondering what sexual immorality has to do with petty thieves and armed robbers!  Well my point is that both the petty thief and the armed robber are THIEVES and they are both heading to the same place, if they do not repent.  In the same way, both fornication and homosexuality are sexually immorality and will face the same judgment from God!
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  when addressing homosexuality, we have to address the fact that the Church is behaving like a big hypocrite because we put up with fornication. It is no wonder we have little or no defense against homosexuality!
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  One of the points my sister raised was that fornicating Christians at least go to Church and ask for forgiveness and try not to do it again. But that’s SOME! For a lot of Christians (by religion, not faith) who are fornicating, it is a lifestyle that they have no plans on changing! In fact, going to Church and seeking forgiveness is such a bother, they probably don’t do it anymore. They know they’ll be ‘going to the club tonight’ and ‘getting down to business later’, so why pretend? Many are proudly professing being Christian and sexually active outside marriage that trying to suggest abstinence is a laughing matter (Read Act like a lady, Think like a man (Ufuomaee’s Critique))!

• Just What Exactly Is “Fornication?”
  What fornication originally was dealing with was temple prostitution and other forms of idolatry.
• Daily Devotion 1 – “No to Prostitution”
  Today on social media I see a lot of men saying “Am good in bed, call me” its prostitution and I’ve also met woman of same fold. These are what awaits thee if you do not change. Imagine, what God has sanctified for the married alone is now a thing of play amongst men of the world. Sex is sacred and should be, many have deserted the spirit and choosed to feed the body, the body which is made up of sin wants nothing but sin.
• A Loss of the Sense
  Christians have become more and more comfortable with the morals of the world and are choosing more and more to substitute that system into discipleship with Jesus. However, that is an impossibility. We cannot be disciples of Christ while embracing discipleship of the world. We choose to go along with what the world says is right simply because its popular or easier. You will never find anywhere in the Bible where Jesus says that that is what discipleship is all about.
• Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well – Proverbs-5Don’t go to taste honey of loose woman, don’t go after other woman. Be happy and rejoice with own wife. That will give happiness and peace in family life. Adultery is one of the most frequently and severely condemned sins in the Bible.

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  What is the Warning against Impurity and Infidelity in the Bible ?

  +The False Attractions of Adultery

ABIMBOLA's BLOG

We live in a world of diverse happenings were concern controls, instead of God. Man, because of the cares of life has refused to b led by the Spirit of God. If we must go by the leading of God, we must first deal with this subject (the cares of life). Rom8:1 talks about walking after the Spirit of God or after the flesh. Man is in between the two, Philippians 1:22-23 King James Version (KJV)
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:.
The cares of life has been the reason for evils like; death, stagnation, fornication, killing, fear, stealing etc. The only cure to the cares of life is <b>’The…

View original post 156 more words

Just be yourself…

The problem with the present society is that most people do not want to be themselves, but try to be like the stars and media personalities present themselves.

Most people want to live in a ‘would be’ or ‘wish it were like this’ fantasy world, were they can enjoy all material luxury, but forget the spiritual values which are more important.

To be oneself is often not appreciated by contemporary society, which already prescribes tranquillisers to babies kids and puppies. Yes the beloved pets do not seem to escape the rage of defining Adhd, Asperger and other syndromes.

Many have forgotten that those who dare to wear their own clothing how they want it, use the gadgets they prefer, because they personally like them, do not run with all the others to follow the mainstream, are those who are the strongest.

They are the ones who may be the strangers in our society, but who are the real individuals with their own value to stand strong in the storms, not changing like the wind blows from one or the other site.

It is by just being yourself, not minding what all the rest may do, that you will be able to go through your life finding satisfaction and getting to the point where you want to be. Getting at the goal is by knowing what you want and what you can achieve, no matter how others may disappoint you or try to get you on other ideas.

Know what you want, where to go, and continue according to your own stubborn ideas, hoping to reach the goal worth aiming at.

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Do you want to face yourself being the one who dares to build up and to destroy the self? Are you willing to accept your independent soul, which may be stubborn and headstrong, trying to live with a self-governance? Are you willing not to loose the sense of self, not having to mirror your preferences instead?

Let yourself be inspired to guide yourself to grow, sometimes blindfolded to the edge of the cliff, where  many may be looking from high up, wanting to laugh with you.

Remind than one of Amy’s texts:

You stood at the edge and watched unaware,

amazed at the efficiency of your plunder of me.

Arms crossed, a smug look of satisfaction

crept prematurely across your face,

and the winds stirred and protested,

the earth shook and groaned,

and a deluge burst forth beneath your feet

and that false security was washed away.

When did the emptiness and despair

that dwelled within burn and crumble

and give way to hope,

a yearning to be free?

– from The Art of Diametrical Opposition

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I hope and think this girl has perhaps found strength in her real ‘me’ that was hidden under the surface. She might, like several other people, women and/or men, have their life been impacted by  insidious, cruel, and merciless terror regardless of their education, finances, ethnic and religious background, gender, age, and sexual orientation.

Whatever happens in our life, how much others would like to destroy us. From the Inner-power we have, all having been created in the image of God, we can find the cornerstone to build on and the Guide to help us through life. All of us in search for the self can find the own inner being and the Helper ready to give His Hand.

Even when other humans may get on your nerves sometimes and you can’t understand why they insist on doing the same stupid things, over and over again, then you shall not have to worry you went your own way willing to follow that inner voice. When you want to give an ear to the Strongest Voice in you, silence shall be broken and light will shine in the dark, a Securing Voice calling you. Then you shall not have to get tired of the repetitive stupidity of human behaviour. Better imagine what it must be like for God. He’s been watching this parade a lot longer than many have.

Thankfully He is infinitely patient and able to see our higher selves far better than we are. Sometimes  people manage to forget we even have higher selves. God never forgets and He is in it for the long haul. {insanitybytes22 in The World}

Be it a raging misogynist who is grateful but is convinced that some have utopian visions for a perfect society, let us always do hope that if we start in our own little surroundings and by making more strong personalities who keep believing in their self, we can come closer to a nicer world where we can become respected as our own personality, worth being here.

The ‘I Am‘ Jehovah God created us. In Him we should listen more to the ‘I Am’ in us.

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• Female power, influence, and privileges: 1835 (avoiceformen.com)
  The supremacy of the weak over the strong is a very remarkable phenomenon, and it is as mischievous as it is it is remarkable. Whatever nature or law may have denied women, art and secret sway give them all: they are influential to a degree perfectly unguessed, and men are possessed by, not possessors of them.
• Had I but a voice…whisperings of Aspergers (aspergersgirls.wordpress.com)
  We believe we are never going to be good enough, right enough, or enough. No matter how much we read, decipher and figure out. No matter the conclusions pondered and information transmitted, the puzzles seemingly solved, or ideas seemingly mastered. We remain somewhat in awe of ourselves and the world. Our bodies and brains, and everything, unwinded and dissected, and nonetheless remaining singularly tangled and unmanageable. Our brains were made to conquer and conquest, and yet, we are the ones conquered in the endless ways in which to surmise our reality and exponential experience in life. Through our ability to mesh objectivity with subjectivity, we are made into a conundrum of possibilities; ourselves delivered to the world through a large scope of outward introspection, as if the audience is the All of everyone, and we the victim of circumstantial evidence.
• I Am Perfect, Why Aren’t You? (youllsoonbeflying.com)
  Words of I AM first become our armor, eventually becoming our skin, and by adulthood, they are our soul. Every time we hear or say I AM, we become exactly what follows.I was always told from a young age that I am stubborn, headstrong, bold, daring, thick-skinned, strong-willed, precocious, creative, wordy, spacey, disorganized,
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  I began to find that the more I embraced the I AMs I was given as a child, the more confusing it felt to display the opposite characteristics without often questioning their authenticity. One big one for me was discovering that I AM in fact, not thick-skinned, tough or head strong, as I had been told countless times in my youth.
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  Somehow one day, after a time of living the I AMs I thought I was, I woke up and realized that I felt compelled to try something different. I had a need to start listening to the genuine I AMs buried somewhere down in there. The ones I had been ignoring about myself in all those quiet moments with only my thoughts, when my guilt and shame and feelings of disconnect would rise up just a tiny bit and say, “Hey, you know you’re not really any of the things you claim to be by living out right?
• falling down the same hole (mobilisedbygod.wordpress.com)
  God hates self-righteousness. He doesn’t cause us to sin, but when we do he uses it to remind us our weakness, and to keep us from pride. This helps us to be less judgmental of others and more understanding of their failures.
• Why can’t I hate you? (astreetnamedworld.wordpress.com)
  The first time I met you I felt wariness because society, etiquette and common sense dictate that when you meet a stranger you treat them with caution and be suspicious of their every word and actions but I decided to ignore the forces that control human thinking and under two days you had spun a web over me and I was all yours.
• Myths, Lies and Suspicious Minds – Debunking the popular misconceptions that surround the lives of adults with Asperger’s Syndrome (seventhvoice.wordpress.com)
  those living with Asperger’s Syndrome often find themselves having to battle against a sea of erroneous professional and social misconceptions (myths) which leave them wide open to a consistent stream of criticism and suspicion as to who they truly are, their levels of ability, and the validity of their ‘unusual’ ways of being the world.
• Happy 68th Independence Day (heta1311.wordpress.com)
  The great warriors like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Lala Lajpat Rai and many others fought for our country’s freedom, toiled and went through many difficulties at the stake of their own lives.
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  When is this country going to be free from the caste discrimination! To say, we all are Indians but, there are different castes and religions residing here. We are free from Britishers but, when are we going to be free from this discrimination’s done where one Indian will kill another, in the name of a religion! Where has the humanity evaded. Many accused are still freely roaming outside and in search of their next prey, many victims are still awaiting their day of justice today!
• Coping with Autism: My Perspective, Part 2 (2yearbackblog.wordpress.com)
  It may sound insensitive to those much worse off than I, but sometimes I’ve found myself wishing that my symptoms were a little more obvious. If they were more obvious, surely they’d be easier to understand? Well, even if that were true, it’s not exactly a healthy thing to wish for. The fact is that people on different points of the Autistic Spectrum face different sets of challenges. One of my personal challenges, for a long time, was the fear that I was lying to myself and others.

Beatriz Esmer

Are we ever going to fully know ourselves? Aren’t we always changing, always becoming someone new? I think when we start to search for categories to fit in and names to call ourselves is when we really get messed up. Why do we need to be anything at all? I don’t think we really find ourselves, I think we create ourselves. You are a collection of everything that you have ever heard, read, seen, felt, thought, touched… There is no finding, only becoming. Don’t grab at things for no reason hoping it will be something that can define you. Aren’t there things that pull at your soul? Anything at all. Go to those things. Try them and look into them and do whatever you want to do. You are becoming yourself all of the time. Accepting yourself is accepting change. It’s inevitable. You will never be one thing. You are…

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