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The Agonies and Ecstasies that daily keep our brains buzzing and hearts compassionate
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Friday, March 4, 2016
The Sophistication of Death
Which are you: Defeatist? Optimist? Realist? Why? (Serendipity Bible Fourth Edition, page 746).
Too often I’ve seen defeatists masquerade as realists. They are the ones who torpedo every positive suggestion with negative assessments that the proposed option will never work. They always presume to see with the all-knowing eye of God, sit in judgment of every optimistic soul for being Pollyanna’s, and typically flaunt what they take to be their proprietary sophistication and transcendent intelligence. For this reason I’m deeply skeptical regarding touted “realism” in national affairs. The more the commonweal is involved, the more it is susceptible to the cynicism of the naysayer; for one must be willing to deal with the complexity of meeting wide social challenges. Optimism and positive mindsets are closely correlated with openness, creativity, and equality – all of which help deliver us from dead-end mazes of depression and despair. Happiness and laughter accompany such creativity and this drives chronic sourpusses crazy for it undercuts the fundamental assumptions upon which their drear lifestyle is based.
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Thursday, March 3, 2016
The Most Transcending and Rewarding Form of Power
How hard is it to turn over power? For David? For you? (Serendipity Bible Fourth Edition, page 595).
For me, a milestone of losing independence and power will be the day I must surrender the keys to my car due to declining abilities and increasing frailty. Though I am not there yet, I can give you a predictor of how hard this will be on my self-concept and state of mind. If, at that time, I can continue to praise God for all the blessings I’ve received over the years and presently; I with confidence foresee that such thankfulness will be the decisive antidote blocking onsets of self-pity and bitterness. I know this because I’ve seen consistently evidenced in others the power of gratitude to instill an encompassing reality of grace and contentment– gratitude hence proving to be the most transcending and rewarding form of power.
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For me, a milestone of losing independence and power will be the day I must surrender the keys to my car due to declining abilities and increasing frailty. Though I am not there yet, I can give you a predictor of how hard this will be on my self-concept and state of mind. If, at that time, I can continue to praise God for all the blessings I’ve received over the years and presently; I with confidence foresee that such thankfulness will be the decisive antidote blocking onsets of self-pity and bitterness. I know this because I’ve seen consistently evidenced in others the power of gratitude to instill an encompassing reality of grace and contentment– gratitude hence proving to be the most transcending and rewarding form of power.
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Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Meeting with the Head of State
If you were suddenly summoned to meet the head of state, what would be your first thought? Second thought? What do such thoughts reveal about you? About your view toward government leaders? (Serendipity Bible Fourth Edition, page 104).
My view regarding Barack Obama is very positive. I feel that he has made a yeoman’s effort during his two terms in office and that this has resulted in positive accomplishments. Therefore, if he should ask to meet me, I would anticipate sincerely expressing my gratitude to him personally. I would also in someway like to communicate my gratitude for his remaining true to the Way despite severe provocation. I think my feelings would be obvious from the warmth of my handshake and the fighting back of tears.
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Monday, February 29, 2016
Clarity of Vision
Psalm 139:1-4 (NIV)
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
John 3:17 (NIV)
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
A strict disciplinarian threatens their child with a warning–"God sees everything you do, so you'd better be good!" It is through paradox and maturity that we come to understand that the omniscience of God is not a condemnatory threat, but the most liberating of all things about God. He knows all there is to know about us–even our most closely held faults–and his love abides with us still. We are thus set free despite a paralyzing past to be honest and confident within God’s love. In the final analysis, the omniscience of God is not about rejection, but about unconditional acceptance and the all-embracing induction of doable integrity.
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You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
John 3:17 (NIV)
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
A strict disciplinarian threatens their child with a warning–"God sees everything you do, so you'd better be good!" It is through paradox and maturity that we come to understand that the omniscience of God is not a condemnatory threat, but the most liberating of all things about God. He knows all there is to know about us–even our most closely held faults–and his love abides with us still. We are thus set free despite a paralyzing past to be honest and confident within God’s love. In the final analysis, the omniscience of God is not about rejection, but about unconditional acceptance and the all-embracing induction of doable integrity.
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Reaping the Whirlwind
They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. (Hosea 8:7 NIV).
Ever since Barack Obama was first elected, the Republican opposition has been fierce in its detestation no matter what he proposed. Furthermore, they have demeaned and belittled the president, demonizing him with every despicable pejorative and contumely capable of conjuration, each plainly congruent with thoroughgoing hatred. Now the Republican Party is captured by an internal tempest that swirls with obnoxious prurient charges and countercharges, passionately slashing each other with deep-seated vengeance – a reflex irretrievably implanted and set during the past eight years. We should be aware of how we conduct ourselves vis-à-vis the opposition – for we surely reap what we sow within the inner mind.
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Ever since Barack Obama was first elected, the Republican opposition has been fierce in its detestation no matter what he proposed. Furthermore, they have demeaned and belittled the president, demonizing him with every despicable pejorative and contumely capable of conjuration, each plainly congruent with thoroughgoing hatred. Now the Republican Party is captured by an internal tempest that swirls with obnoxious prurient charges and countercharges, passionately slashing each other with deep-seated vengeance – a reflex irretrievably implanted and set during the past eight years. We should be aware of how we conduct ourselves vis-à-vis the opposition – for we surely reap what we sow within the inner mind.
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Sunday, February 28, 2016
Perry Mason Redux
Who is your favorite TV courtroom attorney? Your favorite TV judge? What do you like about them? (Serendipity Bible Fourth Edition, page 697).
I stream CBS shows of the past, including multiple seasons of Perry Mason. It is a special treat when Connie and I settle in for an episode which was first televised in the late 1950s. The original characters are all there including Della Street, Paul Drake, Lieut. Tragg, and prosecuting attorney Hamilton Burger. Perhaps the first thing that strikes today’s viewers are the social customs that have changed over the years, especially the then widely accepted practice of smoking tobacco virtually anytime, anywhere, by virtually everybody. The last show I watched portrayed a medical doctor who was frequently lighting up.
Connie and I can repeatedly view each episode, and this comes in handy because many of the shows introduce multiple suspicious characters whose names are briefly mentioned at the beginning and not referred to again until the dénouement (to make matters worse, these key characters often look alike). I become utterly confused as to who is who and who did what. I’ve watched the same show as many as three times to fully understand the plot and keep track of the characters.
Paul Drake often plays an essential role walking into the courtroom with decisive new evidence that he confides to Perry Mason who happens at that very critical and suspenseful juncture to be standing before the court. Della Street is far more than a clerical secretary as she significantly contributes to the progress of the case. Lieut. Tragg is consistently skeptical and sardonic and Hamilton Burger is without fail ground up in the end like hamburger. Perry is always a prescient genius who grasps the outline of the case leagues before it unfolds. I only wish it were true that there were such a man as Perry Mason.
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I stream CBS shows of the past, including multiple seasons of Perry Mason. It is a special treat when Connie and I settle in for an episode which was first televised in the late 1950s. The original characters are all there including Della Street, Paul Drake, Lieut. Tragg, and prosecuting attorney Hamilton Burger. Perhaps the first thing that strikes today’s viewers are the social customs that have changed over the years, especially the then widely accepted practice of smoking tobacco virtually anytime, anywhere, by virtually everybody. The last show I watched portrayed a medical doctor who was frequently lighting up.
Connie and I can repeatedly view each episode, and this comes in handy because many of the shows introduce multiple suspicious characters whose names are briefly mentioned at the beginning and not referred to again until the dénouement (to make matters worse, these key characters often look alike). I become utterly confused as to who is who and who did what. I’ve watched the same show as many as three times to fully understand the plot and keep track of the characters.
Paul Drake often plays an essential role walking into the courtroom with decisive new evidence that he confides to Perry Mason who happens at that very critical and suspenseful juncture to be standing before the court. Della Street is far more than a clerical secretary as she significantly contributes to the progress of the case. Lieut. Tragg is consistently skeptical and sardonic and Hamilton Burger is without fail ground up in the end like hamburger. Perry is always a prescient genius who grasps the outline of the case leagues before it unfolds. I only wish it were true that there were such a man as Perry Mason.
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Saturday, February 27, 2016
Human Ills as Straws in the Wind
What does it mean that God is your “rock”? How can you live this truth? (Serendipity Bible Fourth Edition, page 310).
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25).
Picture this scene – a group of people in their prime singing songs of praise.
Now picture this scene – a group of old or infirm people with a multitude of severe conditions singing songs of praise.
Which scene do you find most compelling, most challenging to your assumptions as to what is tenable? If you want to know that faith is solid, look to those in which it is the only explanation for joy. We live in a world in which physical affliction of various types can fill the atmosphere, but those afflictions are no more than straws in the wind to those filled with the love and presence of God. The other day I discussed confidence and its essential role in creativity and effectiveness. It is a mystery, really, how it all works in the brain. Likewise, the role of faith as an anchor for praise is a mystery, but its reality cannot be disputed.
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About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25).
Now picture this scene – a group of old or infirm people with a multitude of severe conditions singing songs of praise.
Which scene do you find most compelling, most challenging to your assumptions as to what is tenable? If you want to know that faith is solid, look to those in which it is the only explanation for joy. We live in a world in which physical affliction of various types can fill the atmosphere, but those afflictions are no more than straws in the wind to those filled with the love and presence of God. The other day I discussed confidence and its essential role in creativity and effectiveness. It is a mystery, really, how it all works in the brain. Likewise, the role of faith as an anchor for praise is a mystery, but its reality cannot be disputed.
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