Experiences in life helped me grow the most

When we are young often we think we know a lot.

We would love it if we could know everything, but we must be aware that such a thing is impossible. Therefore, let us be humble and realise that we are limited in and with our spiritual knowledge.

Find also: Do I believe in destiny

Learner's Room

An Insult

It was the time when I was in highschool , I used to think myself relatively smart in the academics but one day a teacher asked me a question which I didn’t knew the answer of and left me speech less then the teacher said you are not a know it all person so accept that then I really felt humiliated when this happened but then I accepted the truth and this is what kept me open to new possibilities and knowledge so I am so thankful today that this happened

What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

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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

Wanderlust (2)

Padre's Ramblings

Pixabay

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When doors were open and journeys made

Wanderlust filled my soul

Waterways and seagoing cruises

Filled my spirit and made me feel whole

Experiencing cultures and new things explored

Growing in Wisdom and knowledge was my goal

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Padre

Tuesday Writing Prompt: Pick 3 of your favorite words beginning with the letter “W” and use in any form of writing. Boldface or italicize the words so they stand out for readers.

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Knowledge That Matters

We live in a world of knowledge.
This knowledge is so varied and our understanding so limited that we can never grasp more than a very small part of it all. So how do we choose the knowledge that matters? What is the knowledge that grows my usefulness, my hope and peace, my love and care for others and that is always available?
I believe the core knowledge is the fact that we are loved.
Loved freely, deeply, unreservedly and eternally.
Knowing this I am able to live, share and find peace in all situations.
We can also return the love.

Thank you Lord. I love you too.

 ~ Alan Hermann

Philosophy revealing relationship between the language that we use and our perception of what is real

”One of the things that the study of philosophy reveals is the profound relationship between the language that we use and our perception of what is real.

We don’t have to look too deeply into philosophy before we begin to realize that our knowledge about anything is constructed in language and is always found in the form of sentences in our heads.
Without language it seems that we cannot have knowledge about anything.

~ Jeff Carreira”

 

Find also to read: Seeing Through Sentences in Your Head

Feeling cocky, Confidence and Ignorance

“Confidence is ignorance. If you’re feeling cocky,
it’s because there’s something you don’t know.”
― Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie >Verwaandheid, Vertrouwen en Onwetendheid

Artemis Fowl: The Seventh Dwarf (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Related articles

• What are Ireland’s most popular books? Most people don’t even know they’re Irish

The more ignorant a person is the more his disagreement increases

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• Drescher: I was misdiagnosed
• Graham: No ‘sexism’ in probing loan dealings
• In live debate, Kriseman and Baker ask St. Pete: Is the city better off?
• Dan Richards, “The Progressive Liberal,” brings politics to rural wrestling

Islamic world

Shaykh Abu Qatada said:

“The more ignorant a person is the more his disagreement increases, the solution is knowledge = thus study and study and study, the more you study the more you are freed from following someone else, and when you are freed from following someone else that means you become independent, and independence means lack of partisanship”.

First special interview – Page 21.

Partisanship and being a follower to someone else and shutting down reason and abundant disagreement…they are many things but their origin and reason is only one thing which is: ignorance!

And with knowledge you finish off all of these symptoms together!

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Tolerance Ends When There Is No Tolerance Shown Towards Us

German TV channel ZDF documentary about people who arrive in Germany with the idea that their ideology stands above the German constitution

The documentary does question if Germans are maybe too tolerant towards immigrants from non-western and Islamic regions, and the documentary implies that they might be too tolerant because of the terrible history of Germany.

 

A community where people want to live in peace together requires respect from the citizens for each other and respect for the democratic rules of the ‘guest’ country.

We may not forget that respect also has to be earned and to say that tolerance ends where no tolerance is shown to us is creating a danger zone. Better is that there were no tolerance is shown to some one, to try to find out the reasons why there is such attitude against such people. Often no tolerance comes from taking a wrong attitude because there is a fear being fed by not enough knowledge about those people. Too many Westerners do have a wrong idea about Islam and have also prejudiced ideas about people fleeing the war zones in the Middle East.

Several difficulties between the different groups trying to come to the West have their seeds also in their will to stay strongly to their own believes and not willingness to open themselves to other believes or ideas.

From the beginning those who want to enter the European Union have to learn this has to be a place where there is demanded an openness to different ideas, different believes and where there is a demand to give everybody a fair chance to develop in total freedom, respecting the freedom of the others. Freedom can there only be when everybody is willing not to restrict the freedom of the other. Though there have to be some limitations which demands that there can be found a consensus so that everybody can live undisturbed.

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To remember

• documentary maker thinks: we should make every refugee understand that if they want to stay => they have to accept our system of values
• if they don’t => leaving the country
• having rights but also duties

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Preceding articles:

To find ways of Godly understanding

Refugees At The Border- A Blessing Or Burden?

Poster: Please Help The Refugees

The World Wide Refugee and Migrant Crisis and a possible solution for it

My two cents on the refugee crisis

Helping to create a Positive Attitude

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Additional reading:

1. Faith related boycotts
2. Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator
3. Migrants to the West #6
4. Migrants to the West #10 Religious freedom
5. ISIL will find no safe haven
6. Wrong choices made to get rid of Assad
7. Doubting and going astray
8. Answering a fool according to his folly
9. Charlie Hebdo, offensive satire and why ‘Freedom of Speech’ needs more discussion
10. Being Charlie 7
11. Being Charlie 8
12. Being Charlie 10
13. Disciple of Christ counting lives and friends dear to them
14. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
15. Our way of life
16. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
17. Propaganda war and ISIS
18. Continues Syrian conflict needing not only dialogue
19. Can We Pay The Price To Free Humanity?
20. Are people willing to take the responsibility for others
21. Because of doing too much social work put to silence
22. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for
23. State of Europe 2015 – Addressing Europe’s crises
24. Schengen area and Freedom for Europeans being put to the test as never before
25. Europe’s refugees just follow the ancient routes for the peopling of Europe in the Neolithic

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Related articles

• BOOM: German Town Shows Surefire Way to Keep Muslims Out… This Is BRUTAL
• European Officials Says Migrants Can Help Stem Europe’s ‘Demographic Suicide’
• Commotions Erupt at Reception Site for Migrants in Croatia
• VIDEO: Why are migrants fleeing Middle East now?
• Isis, Refugees and the Expansion of Israel
• European ministers agree to relocate 120,000 refugees
• Russian EU ambassador: EU interested in broad anti-terrorist coalition
• John kerry and philip hammond to hold talks on defeating is
• Brazil Quietly Welcoming Syrian Refugees

Diary of Dennis

The German TV channel ZDF broadcasted a documentary that shows what kind of conflicts there are between immigrants and refugees that arrive from Islamic and non-western countries. Usually, I wouldn’t suggest to watch a TV broadcast from ZDF as they are often biased against German citizens, but over the last time they started to report more about conflicts that they denied previously, maybe because it’s no longer possible to hide the facts.

This documentary is about conflicts between immigrants or refugees, not so much about conflicts between them and German citizens, anyways, it gives you an impression what kind of effect this has on German citizens as well. The documentary is about people who arrive in Germany with the idea that their ideology stands above the German constitution, and the documentary does question if we Germans are maybe too tolerant towards immigrants from non-western and Islamic regions, and the documentary…

View original post 281 more words

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

At last the sun has shown her face and people can really get a feeling of Summertime.

Summertime also includes the time to have pleasures to do whatever one chooses, and finding the pleasure one enjoys from his or her actions.
It is a time when lots who have have faith in themselves take time to be on their own at the swimming pool or some relaxing place. Under Christians we also can find those who have been told by well-meaning but errant advisers, “God helps those who help themselves.”
They spend their lives dependent upon their own abilities, or wisdom, or knowledge expecting that God will stand by as a faithful servant to bless all of their endeavours whether it be His will or not. Others may look at others, thinking they can be the way to success. They prefer to put their faith in others. We may wonder why they do not trust themselves not more. Did they get blinded by the fact that certain individuals possesses great knowledge, or apparent wisdom, power, or even anointing? In our society we can find many who look up at others, like they are gods and lift them up more highly than they ought and bestow their faith in a human being.{1}

Too many people put all their faith in the world, instead in the Creator of the world. Summertime is often a time to reflect. It is the time to take a rest and to forget all the worries of daily stress and work.

In the Summertime (Thirsty Merc song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

People can put their daily worries about work and getting some income aside. It is time for relaxation and meditation. Not bad to take time to reflect on different matters. It is also some time to consider what is worthwhile in life and which direction to take further.

Summertime is also an ideal time where people have time to do some reading and to take time to go and see things. Many go abroad and look far a way from home for better pastures.

Like Caroline Kepnes there may be people thinking

“There is no better boost in the present than an invitation into the future.”

In this present time lots of people totally lost connection with the Maker of the universe. But why not making use of the free time now to go and read His own Words, which are recorded for mankind so that they can progress and learn the way to go. In the book of books is the way shown to come closer to the Maker of everything and to find eternal happiness.

When taking time to read the Bible you will be surprised how it can open your eyes and give a clear picture of this present world and how you can have a better life than this world is trying to present you.

There is also the calling sound

And the “invitation into the future” goes out right now. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20) {2}

Jesus saves net writes:

Let us not question God our creator, but let us embrace His salvation plan given to us through His Son Jesus, many say, you have a mind of your own and you should decide for yourself. {3}

Lots of people have decided to go for the world’s temptations and to enjoy whatever they can get today. They are not so much interested in the future and prefer to live the day like it comes. They do not see the folly of man which is greater than man’s wisdom.

Now we can find time to meditate on the way the world is evolving and the way we want to go in this world. We should consider taking time to investigate the matters of life and the way we want to go. Do we want to cling to the materialistic world or rather cling to Him Who gives life and surrender to His will than rely on our limited perception of life. {3}

Summertime is an ideal time to reflect if we in our lives, our works or even our conversation, could shine and bring blissful rays over unto others. It is a good period to question ourselves and to check if we managed to bring honour to God throughout the previous year. It is time to reflect if we have not failed to do the Will of God. {4}

When we do what God desires, we will naturally Glorify Our Lord and Our Friend, which will bring honor to The Father. {4}

To be able to do what God desires from us, we should get to know what He really wants. We should take time to find that out. Now in Summer, when we do not have to go to work, we can use the free time to take some moments to read in the Bible. The extra free time should not only give us opportunity to see other places, travelling to widen our horizon, but also to educate ourselves.

Going other places, meeting different people, we should make use of the free time to enlarge our knowledge about others and about God. It is also time to show others the right attitude of a Christian and to let them feel and see that we are Children of God.

Let everything we do brings honor to His Name. {4}

Looking at all the marvellous things we can encounter on our voyage or on our Summer-holiday we can see the Hand of God in all of this. then we also should take some time to thank Him for all this, we can enjoy.

In the place of difficulty, one is thrown off balance and then people find they need help and often than they call unto God, but when at pleasure time and when everything seems to go smoothly, many forget The High One. Also now when at ease it is a good time to take time for our Creator and to turn to God in humility and need.

The walk of faith is not a journey of those who have it all together. (One might suggest that too often, we have acted otherwise.) {5}

One act of faith is doing works of faith, because without works faith is death. To keep the faith alive we also have to nourish it. Now you can sit back and relax, please to take time to pick up the Bible and to read in it daily. Even if it was only for reading one chapter a day and to meditate on it, you shall find it shall give you spiritual food, which shall make you wiser and stronger.

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Notes + elements discussed in other writings:

{1} The Faith Life (Part 4: Faith’s Direction and Location)

{2} An Invitation into the Future

{3} God is in control

{4} Reflective Moment “Glory To Our King’

{5} Column: Giving words to our prayers

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Preceding:

Summermonths and consumerism

Psst! Spread The Good Word!

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Additional readings:

1. Relapse plan
2. Making time for prayer in Summerholiday
3. Holiday tolerance
4. A tongue to speak slowly and well-considered
5. Humility and the Fear of the Lord
6. Wisdom lies deep
7. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
8. Not able to make contact with God because to busy
9. A question to be posed
10. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
11. Actions to be a reflection of openness of heart
12. Growth in character
13. Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed
14. How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace
15. Appointed to be read
16. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
17. Glory of only One God Who gives His Word
18. Bible, helmet of health, salvation and sword of the spirit
19. We should use the Bible every day
20. Feed Your Faith Daily
21. A Bible Falling Apart Belongs to Someone who isn’t
22. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
23. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
24. The manager and Word of God
25. Scripture alone Sola Scriptora
26. Even in tough times remembering the blessings
27. Get up in the morning and pray for the Lord’s blessings
28. Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
29. Happy who’s delight is only in the law of Jehovah
30. Youth has difficulty Bible Reading
31. Be an Encourager
32. An ecclesia in your neighbourhood

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Related articles

• Raising A Godly Child – Things Parents Can Do (empowermentmomentsblog.com)
• The Origin and Purpose of the Bible (dailybibleplan.com)
• Fear what is it good for? (activeinspiration.wordpress.com)
• Tuesday’s Sound Off (pottsmerc.com)
• The Faith Life (Part 4: Faith’s Direction and Location) (theeyesoffaith.wordpress.com)
• Things we say as Christians. And why it’s imperative that we stop. (chrismartinwrites.com)
• God’s Touch (franciscanflowers.wordpress.com)

The I Am to explore

When looking at the world man and animal can be seen moving around, sometimes men going about more than wild beasts.

In that universe where everybody in his worldly life is so busy with working and with earning money to be able to buy as many gadgets as they would like and to make their material dreams realised, lots of people consider those who have faith in a Supreme Being to be loosers or people who live in fantasy worlds. Lots of them do believe that when in faith you just have to accept everything blindly. For them and many faith is a mystery, where you need to ask any questions.

It is true that we mortals can not understand everything. We could even say that we should not even try to understand everything. Question is if you may look at faith on a rational way. Can you believe in a Higher Being Which or Who created everything. And do you have to approach all the saying about It/Him rationally?

Portrait of René Descartes, dubbed the “Father of Modern Philosophy”, after Frans Hals c. 1648 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The last few years focus has been on the rationale. René Descartes with many followers could say “I think, therefore, I am”, and we can only agree because when you are not in existence you can not “be“. When born and not able to think the being of that person is also like as if without life and can not do anything. To be able to do something a creature (animal or man) has to think or to use its/his/her brains. Without the use of the brain, without letting the ‘electricity’ go through the nerves, creature shall not be able to do much. It has to receive something, analyse it, act and react to it. But before it can go into action and reaction it has to have knowledge of the self. It has to have a working ‘I am‘ and has to feel as an ‘I am‘.

Though man faces some problems.
First there is the “I am”, the “Self” which it has to come to face and has to try to understand.
Secondly it has to come to see that the “I am” is only part of a bigger part of “I Am”. When it comes to know that it can go searching for that Bigger “I Am” and hopefully shall come to recognise the “I Am Who Is” without nothing can exist.
Thirdly each little “I am” has to recognise that manifesting the “I am” demands interaction, but that such interaction is never ending. One word only points to another word and never to reality itself. Having brains thinking, receiving interpretations and having to make interpretations itself, it shall have to come to the conclusion that no one interpretation can ever be regarded as final.

As in interpretation, so in life: everything becomes undecidable.

Now there is a difference between all who want to understand and try to approach the many “I ams” in this world. Into this decidedly undecided world, there are people who have opened their eyes and have come to see what is behind the ordinary “I am”. They have found The Bigger “I Am.” They might have found it by listening to their inner voice or by coming to read, see and hear the Word of God. For them the curtains have gone open and the biblical message as reasonable thinking person has come to them with common sense. They have come to see and understand that Faith and logic are not really opposites.

Genesis 1 tells us that man was created in God’s image (Genesis 1: 26-27).

“26  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27 NAS)

Diagram from one of René Descartes’ works. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Being created in the image of God, means also each person we see around us has something which might be found also in God. Each person we do encounter can carry something from God with him or her and can share it with others. The person who has come into the faith, believing there is a Creator Deity, and who has seen the Works of that God (Source of knowledge) shall also come to the understanding of the importance of sharing the knowledge of that “I am” with others. For the one with faith it is like being with child, incredible exiting and giving lots of energy. It is as an extra breath given to you.

In the past many man of all sorts of professions have already felt the special awareness and consequences for them of having faith in the Elohim, Divine Creator of heaven and earth. The “I Am Who Is” or the “I Am that I am” is the Most Almighty God of gods, Who overshadows any other god or “I am”. He is also One God Who demands recognition for His important Pole Position. He does not like to see that His creatures do love other gods more than Him. Believers, man of faith, should recognise that and take it into account, worshipping only that One and Only One True God.

To help us to understand that Bigger “I Am” and our own “I am” This Eternal Being has given His Words and let it hem be notated by the many faithful men. All those writings about the “I Am” are bundled in the Book of books, the Bible, the infallible Word of God.

In the several books of the Bible we can find a.o. the Book of Psalms in which we can find the answers:

1. God gave us the Psalms and other Books of the Bible
2. as a prayer book for our lives.
3. to show the friends of God.
4. to learn through poetry and song.
5. to experience the transcendence and the imminence of God at once
6. to affirm the mystery of life
7. to educate and to exhort ourselves
8. to show us our sins
9. to remind us of the brevity of life
10. to remind us of the necessity to live the right way
11. to show us the way to a better and easier life
12. to express our heartfelt longings
13. to discover God His Character
14. to discover God His Will for our lives
15. to learn to direct ourselves to the utmost important things in life
16. to learn how to behave
17. to learn to pray aright
18. to reveal His sovereign grace to us
19. to show us the Way to Salvation
20. to show us and give comfort in finding the Way to the Kingdom of God

Created in the image of God, the image of the Big “I Am” this is not just an outward likeness, for God is Spirit, and is only for our understanding presented in a description which is derived from that of a human. Upon further reading in the Book of books, the Bible, we can see that God’s Word reveals that humans, unlike animals, are provided with rational. Man can think and reason logically, but above all he is able to know God; and the latter goes. An animal has no sense of higher values, let alone God, a man does. But that is also exactly what sets him apart. A man who does not have these capabilities, or does not use them, is indeed no more than an animal:

“Man in [his] pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalms 49:20 NAS)

In fact, it is precisely this ability to abstract reasoning that,

according to the apostle Paul, makes the infidel shall not go unpunished because when he looks around himself he should be able to see the many things God provided. It might be true that the invisible things of God can not be seen, but even his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived since the creation of the world are working with the mind, so that they are without excuse.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20 NAS)

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Preceding articles:

There can only be hope when there is a will to be and say “I am”Find Inspiration and Follow Your Dreams

Believe in your greatness

Believe in yourself!

Be Kinder to Yourself

Be realistic, do not pretend

The world starts with yourself

Little i

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Additional readings:

1. What is life?
2. Looking at three “I am” s
3. Creator and Blogger God 2 Image and likeness
4. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
5. Philosophy hand in hand with spirituality
6. Looking for True Spirituality 2 Not restricted to an elite
7. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
8. Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life
9. Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people
10. Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences
11. Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists
12. Improving the world by improving the Faith
13. Are you religious, spiritual, or do you belong to a religion, having a faith or interfaith
14. Faith because of the questions
15. A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
16. Fear of failure, and fear of the unknown
17. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
18. Leaving behind the lives we have touched.
19. Only the contrite self, sick of its pretensions, can find salvation
20. God won’t ask
21. Pieces
22. There is no true and constant gentleness without humility
23. For those who make other choices
24. Do you believe in One god?
25. Revelation 1:8 – Who is Speaking?
26. Use of /Gebruik van Jehovah or/of Yahweh in Bible Translations/Bijbel vertalingen
27. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
28. Only worhsip Creator of all things
29. A great man does not lose his self-possession when he is afflicted

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Related articles

• Love: Reuniting the objective and subjective… (thosecatholicmen.com)
  The modern world has fallen into a dualism of body and soul in many ways. Descartes, a founding father of modern philosophy described the soul as a “ghost in a machine.” It is only too easy to focus on the body in an animalistic fashion, focused on pleasure and gratification. The opposite extreme is to fall into emotionalism or even a spiritualism that sees no compelling connection to the body.
• Descartes and the Begining of Modern Philosophy (joshpcb.wordpress.com)

  n the 17^th and 18^th century Western philosophy was in strife – split between British empiricism (figures such as Locke and Bacon) and continental rationalism (such proponents as Leibniz and Spinoza), both camps disagreed with one another on the topic of epistemology and metaphysics.

  Important to add to the context is that in this time, scholasticism was the most prestigious method of education; it entailed Aristotelian values with a significant religion input. Scholasticism used logical methodology to deduce and then resolve contradictions. It was also qualitative, looking at objects and people and how they worked behaved, i.e., their qualities, and it was this manner in which Descartes was educated

• Last lecture of the semester: Foucault and Derrida on Madness (foucaultnews.com)
  We need a history of that other trick that madness plays—that other trick through which men, in the gesture of sovereign reason that locks up their neighbor, communicate and recognize each other in the merciless language of non-madness; we need to identify this moment of that expulsion before it was definitely established in the reign of truth, before it was brought back to life by the lyricism of protestation. To try to recapture, in history, this degree zero of the history of madness, when it was undifferentiated experience, the still undivided experience of the division [of madness and reason] itself. To describe…[what] allows Reason and Madness to fall away, like things henceforth foreign to each other, deaf to any exchange, almost dead to each other. (my emphases)

Elul Observances

For the Jewish community it is the last month of the year. We also are at the turning point having the Summer Holiday being the end of the time to repose and to go into a new school- or academic year and into a new church year.

By the Chosen People of God prior to the Exile the months were designated partly by names and partly by numbers.

Elul (Hebrew: אֱלוּל, StandardElulTiberianʾĔlûl) is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August–September on the Gregorian calendar. {Wikipedia}

Shofar (by Alphonse Lévy) Caption says: “To a good year” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The name of the month (spelled Alef-Lamed-Vav-Lamed) is said to be an acronym of “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li,” “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine,” a quote from Song of Songs 6:3, where the Beloved is the Most High divine Creator of heaven and earth and the “I” is the Jewish people. In Aramaic (the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time that the month names were adopted), the word “Elul” meaning “search,” which is appropriate, because at the end of a period (weak/season/ year) it is not bad to take some time free to think about what happened in the past. At the turn over of the season or year it is time to search our hearts and to seriously have an introspection and stocktaking — a time to review one’s deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming Yamim Nora’im or “Days of Awe” of Rosh Hashanah and Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.

According to tradition, the month of Elul is the time that Moses spent on Mount Sinai, forty days and forty nights, neither eating bread, nor drinking water, preparing the second set of tablets after the incident of the golden calf (Exodus 32; 34:27-28). He had ascended on Rosh Chodesh Elul, the 1st of Elul of the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE).

Moses was seen by Jehovah as a righteous person, finding beauty in God His eyes. It was to him that God wanted to make all His function cross over upon his face and willing to show beauty, having compassion to whom God will have compassion. Though God cannot be seen, people can feel His presence. Moses, with Christ Jesus, was the only human being ever coming to know God this way. Jehovah taught him the secret of His “Thirteen Attributes of Mercy” (Exodus 33:18-34:8).

Exo 33:17-23 NHEBJE  Jehovah said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”  (18)  He said, “Please show me your glory.”  (19)  He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”  (20)  He said, “You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.”  (21)  Jehovah also said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock.  (22)  It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by;  (23)  then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

Exo 34:1-8 NHEBJE  Jehovah said to Moses, “Chisel two stone tablets like the first: and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.  (2)  Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.  (3)  No one shall come up with you; neither let anyone be seen throughout all the mountain; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mountain.”  (4)  He chiseled two tablets of stone like the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up to Mount Sinai, as Jehovah had commanded him, and took in his hand two stone tablets.  (5)  Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah.  (6)  Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Jehovah, Jehovah, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,  (7)  keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation.”  (8)  Moses hurried and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.

Moses remained on the mountain for 40 days, until the 10th of Tishrei (Yom Kippur), during which time He obtained God’s whole-hearted forgiveness and reconciliation with the people of Israel following their betrayal of the covenant between them with their worship of the Golden Calf. This was the third of Moses’ three 40-day periods on Mount Sinai in connection with the Giving of the Torah. Ever since, the month of Elul serves as the “month of Divine mercy and forgiveness.”

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in Moses’ hand, on the 10th of Tishri, at the end of Yom Kippur, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him, as a sign that his repentance was complete.
Other sources say that Elul is the beginning of a period of 40 days that Moses prayed for God to forgive the people after the Golden Calf incident, after which the commandment to prepare the second set of tablets was given.

As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness it is a most opportune time for teshuvah, the “return” to God, where we try to come even closer than in other times. This coming closer has to be done by getting in a closer relationship with God by spending enough time in conversation with Him, by prayer. for the Jews it is also a time where they show love for each other. That increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) has to happen in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to God.

Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when “the king is in the field” and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace,

“everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all.”

Is that not a lovely thought that we are given the opportunity to meet that King over the king of kings? From the Hebrew writings we may understand that Jehovah God is willing to listen to everybody who is willing to search for Him.

As we pass through life, we are invariably coarsened and sullied by our errors and misjudgements, or simply by the travails of physical life; but our innermost self, the soul which is created in the “image of God” and should be a “veritable part of God” should be ready to come in front of God. Last year the Christadelphians and Bible Students in Belgium focused on our communication with God. This coming season we are going to look at our being, which has the nephesh or nefesh (flesh) and (psyche), a soul which can only exist because God allows it to exist.

The Jews may bind the small black leather cubes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with the Shema and other biblical passages, around the arm (“hand Tefillin“) and head (“Head Tefillin“) of adult men during weekday morning prayers. But we should not have such touchable symbols to wrap around us to have the connection with the Word of God. The Mitzvah (precepts and commandments as commanded by God) binds us spiritually with our hearts and deeds with the Holy Spirit. Our mind (psyche) or soul which we give into the Hands of God, in these days of ‘turn over’ or ‘turning point’, should now get some interest from us to cleanse and purify it, so that we can come to a daily reunification within ourselves and with God.

The term mitzvah has also come to express an act of human kindness. In these days of passage, going from baby into toddler, toddler going from kindergarten to the lower and later to the junior and higher school. As adult going into a new academic year. It is God Who allows us to climb higher on the ladder, getting more knowledge and wisdom.

Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). (Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24)

In this world there is a lot of distraction, so much noise we often do not hear the right sounds. There is so much that keeps us busy in the time of year we often do not find enough time to have pleasure time for the own family and even less time to spend time together with brothers and sisters of the same faith. How much time do you find to spend with others thinking about the Word of God and discussing what can be found and understood from Bible reading?

Let us take time to repent and to think about what we have done last year and how we are going to enter the new church year. We look forward to enter a new church-year full of enthusiasm, looking for ways to get to know the human soul better and to bring more people to better insight in the Holy Scriptures, in the hope that they may find God and shall be willing to get baptised and to join one of our communities.

Are we willing to let our soul be formed by the almighty God and to be looking forward to the Teshuvah, the God-given ability to access and reconnect to that untouched self, re-establishing our lives upon its foundation, and even redefine a negative past in its purifying light?

We may not overlook the most important aspect of Elul which is to make a plan for your life. Because when the “Big Day”, the Last Day of this time-system comes it shall be too late to make preparations. Everything has to happen before that day, like the marriage arrangements have to be taken before the day of marriage. It is Now that we do have to prepare ourselves to be ready to come before the Judge of the Endtimes. You may be sure that it will be so much easier when you prepare yourself for that day with others; Together the work shall be so much lighter and it will be much easier for each of the meeting to find the right way. Now is the time to prepare yourself for making a good start going into the right direction and finding like-minded people who are willing to unite in the name of Christ, willing to do, like him, the Will of God and not of ourselves or of the world.

Let us hear the trumpet of God and follow His Guidance into a new stadium, preparing ourselves to enter that promised New World, the Kingdom of God, as children of God.

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Find also to read:

1. Our openness to being approachable
2. A new school-, academic and church year
3. The sin of partiality
4. Let us not fret or worry about next season
5. Atonement And Fellowship 1/8
6. Following a Compassionate Lord
7. Wishing to do the will of God
8. A Living Faith #7 Prayer
9. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #8 Prayer #6 Communication and manifestation
10. The soul
11. Is there an Immortal soul
12. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
13. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
14. What I Hope For Is What You Hope For
15. Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives
16. The thought of losing rekindles the joy of having
17. Courage is fear that has said its prayers

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Related articles

• #BlogElul A time to reflect (otir.wordpress.com)
  The month of Elul is starting tonight.
  Which meansRoshHashanah is in one month.As we prepare for the holiday of Passover in the spring, with spring cleaning among other things, we do prepare for the High Holy Days with a thorough soul cleaning!
• Elul/Vav (workofheartandsoul.wordpress.com)
  Many Jews also visit the graves of loved ones throughout the month in order to remember and honor those people in our past who inspire us to live more fully in the future. {They leave a pebble or stone on top of the grave!}
• ABC’s of Elul (jewishpress.com)
  If youhad an important court date scheduled – one that woulddetermine your financial future, or even your very life – you’d be sure to prepare for weeks beforehand.On Rosh Hashanah, each individual is judged on the merit of his deeds. Whether he will live out the year or not. Whether he will have financial success or ruin. Whether he will be healthy or ill. All of these are determined on Rosh Hashanah.Elul – the month preceding Rosh Hashanah – begins a period of intensive introspection, of clarifying life’s goals, and of coming closer to God. It is a time for realizing purpose in life – rather than perfunctorily going through the motions of living by amassing money and seeking gratification. It is a time when we step back and look at ourselves critically and honestly, as Jews have from time immemorial, with the intention of improving.
• No Spiritual Home – Elul 5775 (lightwavejourney.wordpress.com)
  As a professional Jew, I havepreviously had communities that were easier for meto be a part of spiritually, but I have rarely felt uncomfortable in a community I have worked.  Only one time, I heard a rabbi give a sermon onYomKippurin which he said that Tisha B’Av should be disregarded.  It was the one and only time I almost walked out of High Holy Day services with my family.Judaism is a part of my essence.  I love how it fits into my life, pushes me to think, and creates a cocoon where I can live.I am a God-Wrestler.  I question, I pray, I hope, I vision and I wrestle.  And on the days that I don’t quite know how God fits into my practice of Judaism, I let go and trust the universe.  And throughout it all, I try to live a life of Godliness.  Every place I walk is a sanctuary, so why in this moment should I feel like I have no spiritual home.  The mountains and the desert are seriously my sanctuary.  I love the earth; I love so many special spaces that exude God-like energy.  I used to have a yoga studio that felt like God’s sanctuary.  Today, there is no space that is calling me for the Rosh HaShanah, yet I have to take my kids to services for the High Holy Days.
• Getting Clean During Elul (beittshuvah.wordpress.com)
  This month is when we traditionally do our inventories of the past year. We set up a balance sheet, listing the things we have done well and the areas where we “missed” the mark.
  +The Big Lie–Elul #8
  While there is a great deal to be sad about: loss, death, disappointment, our own errors, the hurts of others, etc; we have to keep this sadness in proper measure. When sadness is out of proper measure, we descend into despair. Rabbi Nachman calls this type of sadness the worst sin. Sadness/despair allows us to be hopeless and become victims. This sadness and despair allows us to tolerate the darkness that we and others bring into the world. It gives reason to our inactivity, our passivity and our engaging in negativity. This is the sadness that says “nothing will change” “why bother” “I don’t matter”, etc. It allows us to stay stuck and believe that we are powerless and doomed!
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  The Lies I Tell Myself-Elul #7
  in our age of “not taking responsibility, we can acknowledge the feelings another person has of our betrayal while not confessing to our betrayal.
• #BlogElul 1: Prepare (velveteenrabbi.blogs.com)
  The full moon of Av (on the Jewish calendar), the full moon of Ramadan (on the Muslim calendar), has been steadily shrinking. As surely as waves roll out and then roll back in again, now it’s time for the moon to start growing. Today is new moon, Rosh Chodesh Elul. One month until the Days of Awe.
  +
  it’s always possible to start paying attention, to become mindful, to dive in, wherever we are. Maybe you haven’t been counting the seven weeks between Tisha b’Av and Rosh Hashanah — nu, no big deal; start now, four weeks before the new year! You can always begin to prepare. It’s always open to you. Start now, as the moon begins to wax, and when it wanes — as it will inevitably do — feel your heart and soul quicken with the approaching Days of Awe.
• When the King is in the Field (acmsrabbiblog.wordpress.com)
  God has divided time into the holy and mundane.  Sabbath and the feasts are considered holy times, while the rest of the week is mundane where we engage in the normal activities of work and life.  Elul is seen as a time when the holy and mundane merge.  Every day of Elul is a little like Shabbat in the sense that because the “King is in the field”, we are to be more sensitive to the things that we do that keep us from putting God first in our lives. It is a time to restore the sense of awe toward the Holy One. We are to spend extra time in prayer, especially for personal repentance, reflection and renewal, and study of the Word.
• Ninth of Av (amapofcalifornia.wordpress.com)
  The fast day always fell during summer vacation, so I had to watch for it on the calendar in order to avoid missing the date.  I was aware that it was a day of obligation and that I was expected to fast.
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  The destruction of the Second Temple and the razing of Jerusalem irrevocably changed the face of Jewish life, ushering in the exile (known in Hebrew as the galut) to the Diaspora that continues to this day.  Where we once were unified in the Holy Land given to us by God, our misdeeds resulted in nothing but sorrow and tragedy as we were scattered al arbah kanfot ha’aretz, to the four corners of the earth.
• The Month Of Elul (A Time To Reflect On Yeshua Our Betrothed Beloved One) (paradoxparables.wordpress.com)
  During the Days of Awe is a good time to do Ritual Mikvah’s of repentance and dedication, of cleansing, in living streams of water, albeit a river or a shower if you can’t avail yourself to a river of moving fresh water. Repent that the times of refreshing may come, Acts 3:19.

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  Do you need a Shofar blast to awaken your spirits and inspire you to begin searching your soul to prepare yourself to come into G-ds presence? If so splash your face with some water, turn on some good worship music and seek His face.
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  Repenting of ones sins, seeking inspiration to live righteously is a just way to live. It would be good to remember those who have inspired us to come this far and continue to move forward.
• Elul, All, Nothing, or Something (mymorningmeditations.com)
  There is a misconception that many people have about Judaism, what I call “the all or nothing” syndrome. With 613 mitzvot in the Torah, things can seem a bit overwhelming.

Birds, Birds Everywhere

You may Look Who Came to Call on the Hummingbirds Today!, or even try to look the birds in the eye.

Cindy Barton Knoke, who can not resist taking pics of Hummingbirds,has good reasons to think birds understand more about us than we do about them. When you look at her photographs several of those animals seem to look at the world with compassion and understanding how foolish human beings can be. Many of those birds and other animals seem to have us figured out.

Many birds may be curious and willing to conquer their fear. Corvids like ravens, crows and magpies, may remember the faces of people who do bad things to them for years.

Cindy Barton Knoke writes:

Most wild birds must be quite accustomed to a human before they will let you get anywhere near them. Smart birds. Starlings like this Superb Starling are capable of understanding grammatical rules and are being studied by linguists because their vocal recognition abilities surpass those of Tamarin monkeys. {Look Me in the Eye: Birds~}

Acorn Woodpecker – Photography: Cindy Knoke

You can not say man of fine looks and attitudes ‘flock together’ but the eye of the (probably) patient photographer shows us that birds of fine feather flock together!The writer of the blog Cindy Knoke tells us also that the San Diego Zoo houses the largest collection of bird species in the United States and manages there to take more than one a picture-taking paradise!
Today she also seems to have enough spare time to make some nice trips where she can play with the photographic lens and can capture the incredibly rich in wild bird life.
She admits to be no expert on bird identification, but for sure I find she has a good eye for them and also a good relation with creation.

She also remembers us that Hummingbirds were revered in many native cultures.

In Peru the Aztecs carved a Hummingbird figure in stone visible from the foothills.
They believed that Hummingbirds spread life, which is certainly true, as they are major cross pollinators. Their God of the Sun and War was called Hitziloppchti {Huitzilopochtli (Aztec god)} and he was known as The Hummingbird Wizard. {I Can’t Resist Taking Pics of Hummingbirds!}

What is also interesting is to see the many colours the birds have and see how they are reflected in other things in nature and in creations made by man or even more interesting by fossilization in nature itself: Ancient Creatures & Living Jewels~

One can look at those beautiful prints made by the ‘pressure of time’, but one shall not be able to capture the essence of objects.

Lots of human beings could learn from the smart birds and other animals the Creator has provided. People should also come to understand that when they do not see how to cope any more in this life, they would do better to look at the birds and to go out in the wide and wild nature, to let themselves be carried away by the colours and the movement of the other creatures than human beings. We can learn so much from them, but they also are also able to give us so much, even when we do not give them anything.

Next day you go out in the fields, have a better look and try to find the hidden birds as well. Enjoy Natures Jewels!

And let us at the same time remember, that of nature we do know very little. And the more we learn, the more we know how little we know!!

***

Headshot of a Victoria Crowned Pigeon, taken in Jurong Bird Park, Singapore. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Birds, birds everywhere,
flying through the sky without care.
Reminding us how graceful life can be,
as they fly from tree to tree.
Singing so very happily.

 – Suzae Chevalier = Suzanna Christina Chevalier
(Born Suzanna Christina Chevalier on April 18,1966 in Elizabeth New Jersey. Suzae always loved to write poems as a child. Writing poetry in the dark late at night. Now as an adult she has published 5 children picture books under name Sue Chevalier, but soon to be released under Suzae Chevalier. Her children’s picture books rhyme as well. Find her children poetry at http://www.puppetpoems.com and wwww.puppetpoets.com as well as http://www.suechevalier.com http://www.purplepoems.com and http://www.razelrhymes.com. She has another poetry alias that is more popular for it has more realistic poems about life on the planet-the alias is Christina Sunrise and visit her website http://www.christinasunrise.com and on poemhunter as well. )

Female House Sparrow, Bairnsdale Australia. Taken in September 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

***

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Preceding articles:

God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace

The Blues Can Make You…….Happy!

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Please find also:

1. Beeps, Cheeps & A Chuckle for Your Friday!
2. Don’t Ever Go With Your Husband to the Barber Shop!
3. Okay, Okay. IF I Post Any More Hummingbirds, I’ll Facilitate and Attend My Own Therapy Group for People Who Compulsively Photograph Hummingbirds!
   (For anyone who reads this and does struggle with compulsive issues, laughter is one of the best healers. Have a good laugh and please know you are far from alone. Compulsive difficulties can be very successfully treated. I recommend you look for a therapist with expertise in this area and a good sense of humor!)
4. Some Wild Birds Around the World!
5. The Migration is on at The Holler!
6. Have You Ever Been Stared at by a Hummingbird?
7. Humingbirds Visiting The Holler Today!
8. The Baby Hummer Who Crashed Into Glass!
9. La Lengua del Colibrí
   Although hummingbirds are at The Holler year round, the spring migration brings greater numbers of hummers to The Holler.
10. Holler Birds Put On Their Holiday Coats for You!
11. Feathered Tuesday:Holler Hummingbirds, Hawks, Golden Eagles (and sweet little finch!)
12. Hummingbirds, Snapdragons & Tigertails!
13. The Hummingbirds are Becoming Tame!
14. The Holler Birds Said Welcome Home!
15. Rural Resident Overfeeds Wild Birds!
16. Eagle Owl!
17. Anza Avian Refuge!
18. Hawk Headed Parrot!
19. Red Shoulders and Red Tails!
20. Hanging Out with the Hawks Pt I (of III): Red Tails
21. Hanging Out with the Hawks: Pt. II (of III) The Harris Hawks!
22. The Birds of Patagonia! Wow!
23. Patagonian Birds!
24. The Birds Prepare for Shelter as the Moon Rises, Late in the Patagonian Night!
25. The Glorious Birds of Australia!
26. Pelis-Can Do…..
27. Hhh! (Last Post on Topic for Awhile)

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Further reading:

1. What is life?
2. Taking care of mother earth
3. Searching for fulfillment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression
4. Spring Time Is Coming
5. Tu B’Shvat, the holiday of the trees

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Cosmina Craciunescu looks on Positivism

Positivism and its developments in Europe

Positivism is a philosophy of science based on the view that information derived from sensory experience, logical and mathematical treatments, being the exclusive source of all authoritative knowledge, stating that only in science there is a valid knowledge or truth.

Positivism is an older quarrel between philosophy and poetry later being described as a middle way between the humanities and the sciences. It was laid out by Plato , and it states that the only authentic knowledge is the one that allows for positive verification and assumes that valid knowledge exists only in science.

Auguste Comte (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Among the most important Enlightenment thinkers, we can refer to Auguste Comte, who was a French philosopher and sociologist. He followed the creation of a positivist philosophy, and embraced the concept of the evolution of the modern society and of the people through time. The idea of progress was central to Comte’s new science, called sociology, which will eventually lead to the historical consideration of every science.

The positivist phase requires a complete understanding of the universe and the world around us and states that the society should never know if it is in this positivist phase.

As for scientific positivism, it was considered one of the most influential ideologies of progress in the early modern period and had a powerful impact in Europe during the course of 19th Century. It took form in France and had a great impact over other European movements.
The contemporary positivism actually meant the use of scientific methods to uncover the laws according to which both physical and human events occur, while sociology would tend to synthesize all knowledge in order to make a better society.
Positivism is a way of understanding based on science, (Auguste Comte) in which people do not rely on the faith in God, rather on the science behind humanity.

Moritz Schlick, the founding father of logical positivism and the Vienna Circle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Logical positivism, later called logical empiricism, is a school of philosophy that combines empiricism, the idea that the observational evidence is indispensable for the knowledge of the world, along with a version of rationalism, being the idea that our knowledge includes a component that is not derived from observation.
Logical positivism developed in a group of discussions called the First Vienna Circle that was organized after the end of the First World War. Some of the important names that tried to support this movement were Hans Reichenbach, Otto Neurath and Rudolph Carnap. The main idea that was supported by them was called synthetic a priori propositions – meaning that the rejection of metaphysics had no meaning, without actually being wrong. In the end, this project did not seem to last for too long.

Stephen Hawking is a recent high profile advocate of positivism, regarding the physical sciences. In his work, called The Universe in a Nutshell , –

English: NASA StarChild image of Stephen Hawking. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

– “…a scientific theory is a mathematical model that describes and codifies the observations we make. A good theory should describe a large range of phenomena on the basis of a few simple postulates and will make definite predictions that can be tested…if one takes the positivist position, as I do, one cannot say what time actually is. All one can do is to describe what has been found to be a very good mathematical model for time and say what predictions it makes…”

Through the Vienna Circle, the positivist movement emerged in Europe in the late 1920s. The members of the Vienna Circle had a great antipathy toward the German speculative philosophy and toward sweeping metaphysical theories that had flourished on the continent all throughout the 20th Century.
An interesting aspect of the positivist movement was that the positivists regarded women as being superior to men. Comte praised women as being the vehicles of feelings over reason, of morality over politics .

 Positivism in the Frame of International Relations

In international relations, positivism has been the dominant epistemological point of view. In the theory of the International Relations, positivism tends to create knowledge that is being supported by four foundational assumptions.
The first one is that methodologies that apply in the scientific world can be assumed to perform the same in the non-scientific world. This is referred to as the unity of science .
The second assumption would constitute the fact that there is a clear delineation between values and facts , as well as the belief that facts remain neutral between various theories.
The third assumption is that both the natural and the social environments have regularities that can be uncovered by theories, being the same kind of process that is used when a scientist approaches the natural world, also being used in the context of the social research.
Positivism has a major role to play in international relations theory. It is considered to be one of the explicit alternatives among many, but rather as the implicit Gold Standard which stands against all values that were known before this particular time, along with all of the approaches that were evaluated in the past decades.
International theory underpins and informs international practice even if there is a lengthy lag between the major theories all the way to their absorption in the social, political and economic life.
In the context of international relations, positivism is regarded by scientists in different manners. Based on the works of John Locke and David Hume , the central premise of positivism is that science must be based on a Phenomenalist Nominalism expressing the notion that only statements about a particular phenomena which can be directly experiences can count as knowledge, and that any statements that do not refer to independent atomized objects cannot be granted the status of justified knowledge.

 – Cosmina Craciunescu

  Continue reading: Social Constructivism and Positivism in the Context of International Relations

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Wisdom not hard to find nor hiding in remote places

In the world constantly we are bombarded by many words and ideas. We would love to be able to put them all in good order and to let them give us more wisdom. We also would love to believe that we have wisdom, but we do know it will never be enough wisdom.

A graphic personification of Wisdom QR-Code content : http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wisdom isn’t hard to find nor is it hiding in remote places.

As chaptersone sbierwagen1 writes:

Proverbs 1:20-21 describes wisdom as “calling aloud in the street” and “raising it’s voice in public”. Proverbs 8:1-4 says it again. So why do we have such a hard time hearing wisdom? We’ve filled our ears with the noise of this foolish world. Books, movies, television programs, and friends who loudly entice us away from good advice and wisdom. Those who have wise, God-fearing parents must remember what their mothers and fathers taught and lived. (Proverbs 1:8-9) We must spend more and more time in God’s Word, hearing God’s Word in church, and spending time with friends who love and obey God. Then wisdom will be louder  in our ears and the world will fade away. {Proverbs 1}

Many hope to find wisdom here on earth and getting it from human beings. They forget that the most superior wisdom does not come from the world. The best way to attain wisdom, discipline, insight, prudence, rightness, justice, fairness, discretion, guidance, learning, and understanding is by listening to the Words of the Most High.

The UST Fountain of Wisdom (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the Bible we are told  that “knowledge” can come to us by having the right attitude. when we do have a healthy fear of the Divine Creator we can come to the beginning of knowledge or getting more wisdom. When we do have that right fear and are prepared or willing to listen to the Words given from high, the Words of God we can find in the Holy Scriptures or the Bible, we will be able to taste that wisdom and will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.

By listening to the Words given by God and by listening to human people who seem to have wisdom, and comparing how they speak and how they live or act we shall be able to store up knowledge. We also shall come to see that the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

We should work on our weaknesses by not just blindly following our own selfish desires nor just taking all words from others granted.

In Wisdom Unmeritted is mentioned that Adam; the first man, was not educated in man’s educational system.

His complete knowledge of God and all the creation, surpasses the intelligence of our modern sciences and that of the wisdom of the ages. He had a conscience that was so sharp and accurate. Guessed work was not a part of his DNA. Adam knew the very mind of God, effortlessly; naming of all the animals in the garden of Eden was executed with precision and with such grace, just as God would have named each one of them.

Adam being moulded by the Divine Creator was without fault or had no deficiencies. No defect could be found in him and as such he could only have a good application of knowledge or have full wisdom.

Adam did have a perfect knowledge and unusual ability to execute so well than any other creature, because he was created in the very image of God.{Wisdom Unmeritted}

Today we, after the sin of the “first Adam” we are full of minor and perhaps also big faults and do not have such knowledge any-more to get full insight. But we can find enough examples in the past to come to see that it is important who we have around us, to whom we listen and which words we want to follow up.  We should know that if we constantly walk with a wise man, we will literally be changed by his wisdom to act in his principles and values. When we know that the divine Creator is the Most High and Most Wise of all, we better make the right choice and choose to listen to His wise Words,which we can find in the Bible.

Words of Wisdom in the Torah inside of the former Glockengasse Synagogue in Cologne (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we read in the book of books we can see many examples where people could manage extraordinary things because an excellent Spirit was in them. We should allow such a Spirit to enter in ourselves as well.

Some may think “Wisdom” is “hidden from the eyes of all living, and knowledge of it is withheld from the birds of the heavens” like Desire by Design Ministries writes in Where does wisdom come from? she forgets that being created in the image of God we all do have in us implanted elements of God and the ability to think, build up knowledge and to get more wisdom.

It was Jehovah, the God Almighty, Who has all wisdom and understanding. He is the One Who also is for us the way to Wisdom and He knows the place of this Wisdom because full Wisdom is only by God alone. Unlike the writer of Where does wisdom come from? implies God did not have to look to the ends of the earth to search Wisdom out

[for His own use, and He alone possesses it]

because as she says it wisdom belongs already to God. Like the Rugby Christadelphians say:

Our minds should be filled with awe as to all that God must be!! It  is the beginning or foundation of wise thinking. The plea of Solomon is, “”Hear my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.” [Proverbs of Solomon 1:8]  The acceptance and absorption into our minds of such teaching and instruction is like wearing “a graceful garland” – yet today how many parents are able and willing to teach true wisdom to their children?  If they are able and willing – their children are surrounded by counter influences – but the need for “wisdom and instruction” has never been greater. {“Fools Despise Wisdom And Instruction” Bible Reading Thoughts for March 23rd}

God does not need the Wisdom, He has it already all, but man has a great need, because he lost it nearly all. Lots of people have lost wisdom or did not get it because they or their parents did loose track of God. Those not with God did not receive further wisdom than the wisdom God considered it necessary for the task they had to fulfil in this world. Every person is here on this earth for some reason or with some purpose. We notice that a lack of wise counsel and accountability for actions has been the downfall of many world leaders, kings, and rulers.The Bible is full of stories by which we should come to learn how to live, behave, act and react.

The story of Solomon is in the Bible for a reason. We must learn from the mistakes of others and King Solomon made some real whoppers. The great can fall. The righteous can become unrighteous.  Sin has no prejudice and will latch on to anyone in sight. {A Fool}

Many Christians are mistaken and think once baptised they are saved for ever and have full knowledge of everything. “Oh such fools”. It is very good when people came to the decision to follow Jesus and to go for God, but they may not forget they have to continue to grow and work hard to keep their faith pure. They may consider themselves highly favoured in the sight of God, just as King Solomon once was, but this will not excuse them from judgement and discipline if they do ignore the commandments and instructions found in the Word of God. When they, after they were baptised, walk astray, they shall loose insight again.

Fools may read scripture but this doesn’t mean they apply the instruction to their lives or memorize and keep the words hidden in their heart. King Solomon stopped relying on God and trusted more and more in himself. He forgot the source of his wisdom, wealth, and power. {A Fool}

We always should remember that we do have to keep our faith going and feed ourselves with wisdom every day. The Bible advices us to continuously learn. When we are willing to have our eyes open and see what the world has to offer and what God has to offer, with the fear for the Right Person (the Elohim hashem Jehovah God) the Most High will inspire people to be faithful stewards of the time and talents that God has given.

All people who are on this world are there because God allows them to be there. All people can learn from those who walk around on this world. Each person is there to be used to  get ideas from and to learn from. Each their knowledge can be used to feed or nourish knowledge by others. As such each person in the world can make it that wisdom can be made productive and beneficial for others. Wisdom starts by birth and at home.

Wisdom is best taught and lived in the home—indeed, the success of the home demands wisdom—and that wisdom is balanced living (Allen Ross, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, p. 1130).

Therefore parents do have a big responsibility for the wisdom their child shall retrieve. They also can look for the best educators and schools, choose the right books to read, take care of the children seeing the right images and meeting the right persons.

The Gutenberg Bible displayed by the United States Library of Congress, demonstrating printed pages as a storage medium. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They should know that the world is given a Book of books full of Wisdom.

The Bible is the greatest Wisdom Book ever written, and five specific books within the Bible are recognized as the Wisdom Books:Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. These books are special because they offer in-depth truths regarding the topic of wisdom. The poetic and lyrical styles make these books a delight to read. Whether it’s Job’s realization that suffering cannot be comprehended through human reasoning, or David’s dealings with personal sin, justice and judgment, or Solomon’s revelations about the lofty matters of life, these books are a must read for every believer who desires to grow in wisdom from above. {Wisdom From Above}

We can see that in this world many people are looking for spiritual guidance and wisdom. They count on other men and women and often turn to ancient or new age gurus for words of wisdom. We should know that wisdom of man and the wisdom of God are two very different things. One is incomplete and does not give fulfilment, whilst the other constructs a person to some one who shall be able to continue to live after all others will be gone.

There is a plethora of so-called wisdom literature out there that is seemingly helpful, however, may only offer half-truths. Many of the sources are based on a humanly perspective. Only a message that is rooted and grounded in the Word of God can possibly come from a godly perspective. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is living, sharper than any two-edged sword, and it divides the soul and spirit. With all due respect to the big thinkers with big thoughts, if they have not been transformed by the renewing power of God’s Spirit and His quickening word, they are lacking true wisdom. {Wisdom From Above}

Though that does not mean we should not listen or not take into account what others say or write. No, we should be aware of what is said or written. We always should be prepared to listen to others and to think about what they have to say. From them we also can learn and should learn.

Like Calvin said we should be learners to the end.

All writings that can come in front of our eyes can be worthwhile to learn from. those which are interesting or have something to offer, we could share with others, and that is what this and a site, like Stepping Toes, tries to do. As such, hopefully many writers their quotes or ideas can be presented here and shall get our readers to inspire to look further and continue reading and comparing what they have to say with what others and the Bible have to say.

In the Bible or the Book of books we can find many inspiring words.

God inspired Solomon to write many proverbs, by which he taught the people knowledge and set out acceptable words, even the words of truth (Eccl 12:9-11). Of a total of three thousand proverbs (I Kings 4:32), the best five hundred or so are here. What a collection! You will learn wisdom to cover most every area of your life. Success is right before you! {Secrets of Wisdom}

With the writer of Secrets of Wisdom I would also say:

Tremble before the Word of God and rejoice at the opportunity of finding great spoil from the mind of God and the observations of Solomon. Let your intent be learning and obedience only, without even a trace of mere academic interest or knowledge for the sake of pride. Let your ambition be to grow in wisdom to please God and men. {Secrets of Wisdom}

The ones that God “draws to Him” shall ‘all be taught by God’. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father shall be able to come to His son who liberated the world of its chains and brought salvation to humankind.  (John 6:44,45).

The only thing we do have to be willing to see and hear and to listen to the Right Words. Let us be taught – from God’s word.

As we read God’s word we must have a child-like attitude to “hear” and then “accept” (the) words” we read and then “we will have treasure in heaven” Jesus told a ruler, adding, “and come,follow me.” [v.18,22] The very last chapter in the Bible, the final message of Jesus, tells us that, when Jesus returns, this treasure will be revealed, for I will be “bringing my reward (or recompense)with me to repay everyone for what he has done” [Rev.22 v.12]So we start by hearing (through reading), then we “accept”  and then we “do” what God desires in the way we live using our individual abilities and opportunities to serve God and his Son, our Saviour every day – and then the wonder of the time to come – which is getting ever closer – the time of divine repayment with life in his kingdom on earth , for “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” [Matt. 5 v.5]  Will you be there?  You make the answer now! {“Hear … Accept My Words”}

You can’t make anyone wise, but you can provide the scaffolding and tools to give them the best chance of getting wisdom that is for everyone. {Wisdom for Everyone}

 

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Please find also to read:

1. Wisdom lies deep
2. Did the Inspirator exist
3. Only One God
4. God of gods
5. God is One
6. Give thanks to the One Who gave much
7. Who Wrote the Bible?
8. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #4 Words in Scripture
9. Why can’t Bible scholars agree on how to interpret the Bible?
10. Out of Context: How to Avoid Misinterpreting the Bible
11. American atheists most religiously literate Americans

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Additional reading:

1. Thursday Thoughts: Pattern of a Wise Woman
2. All ProWisdom Texts from Proverbs 8 (January 2012 – November 2013) by Aaron and Michael Diedrich
   Do you ever find yourself thinking if I only could do this or that, and it seems like a wise thing to do even though you know God’s Word says don’t do it? Listen to the wisdom of God’s Word and do not listen to the deceitfulness of your own understanding and own wisdom. Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, will never tell you to do wrong.
3. Wisdom for Everyone
   I like to think of wisdom as the ability to navigate life with discretion and sound judgment that shows an understanding of the workings of nature and people. Wisdom is responsive and considerate of the ripple effects of one’s actions, attitudes and words on the cosmic order. Moreover, wisdom is founded in an understanding of and reverence for God, the Creator.
4. The Wise Ask
   My children often fail to ask for wisdom, believing that it is just given, liberally. But My Word says to ask. I implore you to seek wisdom from above, for it is only through wisdom that the work should be done.
5. Lady Wisdom’s Unheeded Call
   I’ve been reading a bit lately about a subject I don’t hear much about these days–wisdom. My hunch is that we don’t like this idea of wisdom because it seems to suggest that there are ideas of how to live well that are already “out there”–that might have a certain “fixed” quality about them that aren’t subject to our own “make it up as we go” kind of life. It seems to me these days that our preferred method of gaining wisdom, if we care about this at all, is learning from our mistakes. And I have a hunch that many of us do learn this way (I have) and yet it seems that this way is fraught with lots of pain for not only ourselves, but that it leads to inflicting pain on those around us. And sometimes, we don’t live to profit from the lessons–we are merely an object lesson for others. Is there a better way?
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   Some fears are healthy. Proverbs says that the recognition that my life is lived for God is actually a healthy fear. I think how that works for me is that it leads me to cry for God’s help to live wisely before him in all the nooks, crannies, and crevices of my life. Everything matters, and God would spare us unneeded pain–there is plenty of pain without that which we bring on ourselves. If there is a choice between living well and making life hard–do I really want the latter? Better to listen for the voice of Lady Wisdom…
6. Decision, decisions
   You don’t have access to God’s sovereign knowledge (Will I lose my job?  Will interest rates go up or down?  Etc.).  You do have unrestricted access to his moral will via the Bible. Example: Is it immoral to pay off your mortgage early?  No, unless that means you won’t have enough money to feed your kids.  After moral considerations, look to the wisdom angle.  Ask God for wisdom, as He promises to deliver.  But as with Solomon, He doesn’t promise to decide everything for you.  Read the Proverbs (and more).  Seek the counsel of others.  Consider the pros and cons.  That’s how to make wise decisions.  Finally, provided the options are moral and wise, consider your personal preferences.  We have tremendous freedom in Christ to do many things with our time and money.  Will paying off your mortgage make you happy?  If so, then do it.
7. Secular wisdom and spiritual wisdom
   What exactly is wisdom? And why do we have to separate between secular and spiritual wisdom?
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   The requirement for being secularly wise is to make odd bets that will somehow, someday proven to be right.
8. Wisdom Anyone?
9. Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

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Related articles

• Wisdom by A Schoonbee
• Where does wisdom come from?
• Jump, He WILL catch you!
• 174. Godly Wisdom
• proverbs and aesop
• 03 March 16, 2014, Proverbs 8-9 & James 3, Listen To Wisdom’s Invitation
• Growing in Wisdom: Not just your average WISE Guy!
• Watching for Lady Wisdom
• Several quotes about wisdom.
• Proverbs 10

Several quotes about wisdom

Many words are said and written down in the world, but how many are inspired by wisdom?

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1. Words to inspire and to give wisdom
2. Words in the world
3. The Tongue an Outlet
4. Loving the Word
5. Answering a fool according to his folly
6. Honour your own words as if they were an important contract
7. Think before you speak
8. A tongue to speak slowly and well-considered
9. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness
10. Growth in character
11. Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
12. How should we preach?
13. The radiance of God’s glory and the counsellor
14. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
15. Feed Your Faith Daily
16. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #5 To meditate and Transform
17. Bible a guide – Bijbel als gids
18. Happy who’s delight is only in the law of Jehovah
19. A Bible Falling Apart Belongs to Someone who isn’t
20. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
21. Wisdom lies deep
22. Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed
23. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
24. Prophets making excuses

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Related articles

• Proverbs 1 (chaptersone.wordpress.com)
  Proverbs 1:1-6 describes the purpose of the book of Proverbs: to attain wisdom, discipline, insight, prudence, rightness, justice, fairness, discretion, guidance, learning, and understanding. Verse 7 seems to use the term “knowledge” as a synonym of wisdom saying “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”. And verse 33 says “whoever listens to [wisdom] will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Very often each verse of Proverbs is a mini-sermon by itself, with a line about wisdom beside a line about foolishness. For example, Proverbs 10:14, “Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.” A good habit would be to read one verse of Proverbs a day, and meditate on it.
• Weekend Wisdom: Live In Peace With One Another (joyreturns.com)
  

  When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.

  Jimi Hendrix

• The Wisdom of Peace (whyjesusministries.wordpress.com)
  James 3:17 (NIV)
  17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
• Weekend Wisdom: Be Devoted To One Another (joyreturns.com)
  

  Faith is the first factor in a life devoted to service. Without it, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.

  Mary McLeod Bethune

• A Practical And Experiential Overview of Romans by Robert Haldane (ilyston.wordpress.com)
  The attributes of God, especially His holiness and justice, when viewed through any other medium than that of the Gospel, strike terror into the heart of man, and lead him, like Adam, to hide himself among the trees of the garden. But these attributes, in themselves so terrible to the guilty, are, through the merciful appointment of the mediation of our heavenly Surety, pledged for the deliverance of the Christian, and for his eternal salvation.
• Several quotes about wisdom. (closetoeighty.wordpress.com)
  Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.  ~Norman Cousins
• 03 March 16, 2014, Proverbs 8-9 & James 3, Listen To Wisdom’s Invitation (slideshare.net)
• Being sure of their deliverance (christadelphianworld.blogspot.com)
  They were sure that the divine Creator was with them and would continuously guide them through easy but also through difficult times.
• Holding Fast the Name of Jesus (jlue.wordpress.com)
• God?…Dis is Larry. (pastij.wordpress.com)
  I am just beginning to iron out my thoughts, and eventually, to be able to think this through with more of a clear-mind, and not just dozens of Christian clichés that don’t give adequate explanation for what I am doing. I want a solid foundations, and not that I don’t think that clichés aid in understanding, because I think that underneath the cliché is wisdom. I want to dig down to get the gold. Wisdom is better than gold. I want to use my mind, not to explain God as a scientist explains matter, I think its more like a child trying to explain his father. I can’t do it. But I will try.    Yes, God’s wisdom is not wisdom as the world sees it. And it is true that “God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise”.  BUT, this does not mean that God’s wisdom does not make sense. In fact, it makes perfect sense, unlike my explanation of it, which can never be perfect. If this is confusing to you, don’t stress.  It is confusing to me as well, but I do believe that I am going somewhere with this, though I may not know where.Everything that I understand about God has been taught to me by people in my life. These people were taught by people as well. The reason that I trust them? Well, it is difficult to explain, but I want to try, because there is a reason that makes sense, I just haven’t been able to put it into words yet.

  The fact that there is some consistency in what I have been taught is comforting, and the belief in the Word of God as authoritative gives me a foundation to build from. That being said, many people who treat the Bible with authority have a lot of crazy ideas that do not make sense. For example, the Klu Klux Klan and the Westboro Baptist Church. So then, there is this other factor called interpretation.

  This is more of the beginning of a discussion than it is me trying to explain anything.

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.  ~Isaac Asimov

It is easier to find a score of men wise enough to discover the truth than to find one intrepid enough, in the face of opposition, to stand up for it.  ~A.A. Hodge

Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.  ~Norman Cousins

Wisdom comes by disillusionment.  ~George Santayana

Wisdom outweighs any wealth.  ~Sophocles

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