Gratitude in advance is the most powerful creative force in the universe.
Most people do not know this, yet it is true.
Expressing thankfulness in advance is the
way of all Masters. So do not wait for a
thing to happen and then give thanks. Give
thanks before it happens, and watch
energies swirl!
To thank God before something
occurs is an act of extraordinary faith.
And that, of course, is where the power
comes from.
Neale Donald Walsch-
"There is a disturbing trend today in the body of Christ that would put human feelings before sound teaching and the honor due qualified teachers. The mantra is: "Let us not offend." M. Zender
Is this trend REALLY disturbing or is it simply a truth being revealed to us by our Source? After all, scripture even tells us that we will need no man to teach us the truth, but it will be revealed by the Source (in our hearts). Things revealed to us "from the heart" or by our true feelings come from that Source who abides in us, is a part of us, IS us. Maybe we should listen more to what our feelings (our heart) tell us and less to what man (teacher) says……
In the third century, a Christian biblical scholar named Origen, commonly seen as one of the two most brilliant theologians of the early church, wrote:
What intelligent person can imagine that there was a first day, then a second day and third day, evening and morning, without the sun, the moon, and the stars? [Sun, moon, and stars are created on the fourth day.] And that the first day – if it makes sense to call it such – existed even without a sky? [The sky is created on the second day.] Who is foolish enough to believe that, like a human gardener, God planted a garden in Eden in the East and placed in it a tree, visible, and physical, so that by biting into its fruit one would obtain life? And that by eating from another tree, one would come to know good and evil? And when it is said that God walked in the garden in the evening and that Adam hid himself behind a tree, I cannot imagine that anyone will doubt that these details point symbolically to spiritual meanings by using a historical narrative which did not literally happen.
De Principiis, Origen
* "Origen also says that the Bible contains "countless instances of a similar kind that were recorded as having occurred, but which did not literally take place." Even "the gospels themselves are filled with the same kind of narratives." Origen also strongly affirms that he sees much of the Bible as historical" (not literal).
"Reading the Bible Again for the First Time"
by Marcus Borg
If you are not familiar with Origen, and if you looking for answers to questions you were afraid to ask, an investigation of his ideas and beliefs is called for.
It is untenable to affirm that God will hold Himself to a lower standard than the one He places upon us. We should deem it a certainty that God will treat His enemies the way He expects us to treat ours.
-Steve Jones
*Here is an article for all of us. If we can just put politics behind us and see the bigger picture. We have an opportunity to raise the collective consciousness of our nation and our world by doing something good, recognizing the responsibility which we ALL have to conserve, preserve, and rescue OUR planet from ourselves. We should do this for our children and grandchildren if not for ourselves. Follow this link :
*I just had to reproduce Ernie Fitzpatrick’s post on the election of Barack Obama. Ernie is the pastor at LRC church in Houston.
What religion and especially denominationalism doesn’t teach is ONENESS. Since Jesus did why can’t the church grasp it? The obvious answer is that the institutitonal church is EGO-driven and in that there’s competition between denominations, theologies, etc. I can still hear Barack Obama’s 2004 Convention speech wherein he reminded us, there isn’t a black America, white America, red America, nor brown America but a UNITED STATES of AMERICA!
Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity still don’t get it!
We’re not a Republican or Democratic America, liberal or conservative America. It is fine to have opinions, views, perspectives and ideas that differ. We can’t NOT go there; however, when we attack others for their views, then we’re divisive. We have consciously and unconsciously embraced prejudices that do not serve us very well.
Last night a man related to me that his daughters (ages 8 and 10) asked at breakfast Wednesday morning who won. When he said Obama they were very sad. So, he said, we need to pray for him. Upon which one retored, “Why would we pray for a black president?. It was then that dad saw he had a problem, and probably one he had unconsciously created.
On November 4th we WON!
We had a peaceful election and we are in the process of transitioning from Bush to Obama. Both men are like us, imperfect, but both are a part of us and we of them. We have monumental problems in many fronts and most are HEART issues. LAWS can help, but it is the SPIRIT of ONENESS that will see us through the valley of the shadow of death.
Michael over at Megaloi has tagged me. Here are the rules:
So, here goes:
1. I was an educator for 34 years, teaching everything from 7th grade to senior university students at a large Baptist university.
2. I was a member of the University of Texas system Swat Team for two years, back in the 70’s, during the "cultural revolution" on our college campuses. (I was in law enforcement for two years.)
3. I am from a small town (8,800) and never lived farther than 60 miles from my hometown.
4. I was a professional sports ticket seller for 14 years. (Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, Dallas Sidekicks, Dallas Mavericks)
5. I am 4th generation Texan.
6. I am Civil War Reenactor (mainly living-history locally) Member of the 1st US Infantry Regiment (recreated). That’s pretty unique to portray a Yankee in the deep South.
7. I was named for my Dad’s cousin, Donald Clyde Rogers, a US Marine Corps Raider, who died on Saipan in World War II. (My son, Jeff, served in the Marine Corps as well.)
Here are my "tagees":
Karen (TSSO)
Mike Ogden (Ifs of Og)
Brian (Beautiful Heresy)
Nic Paton (Sound & Silence)
Geo (Bold Grace)
Bruce (Bold Grace)
Jason (Society vs) (Losing My Religion)
You can find all these on my Blogroll. Now it’s your turn guys.
Today, the nation’s majority collective will has spoken. Let us all genuinely hope that the next four years is better than the last four years. May we as a people listen, really listen to what we, on all sides of the political spectrum, have to say to one another; without condemnation, and with ears, for the betterment of our nation. May love for our Source and for one another be the prevailing thought in our spirits as we move forward.
There is nothing like the face and love of a child to put things in perspective. With that, I give you my only granddaughter, Chloe Beth Rogers. Go ahead and melt.
Stumble it!
