View from the top

If you are in pain, sad or disappointed, just imagine yourself being on top of this mountain. When you change your perspective, everything will change and maybe your pain, sadness will disappear too. Try it on!

The Art of Non-Resistance

Mystics through the ages have described this spiritual principle as "Non-Resistance."  Non-Resistance is more than just an intellectual concept; put into practice, it is a metaphysical tool to deal with difficult personalities and those pesky, unexpected challenges in daily living.

 

Here is the basic idea:  "When you fight a thing you antagonize it and it hits back.  The harder you fight it, the harder it hits.  What you neglect, or ignore, begins to fade away by starvation."  An easy way to remember how Non-Resistance operates is: "What you resist, persists!" Or you can read Jesus Christ Sermon on the Mount (Matt. V) where he does talk about the art of non-resistance.

What is Sympathy?

Sympathy says, “I understand what you’re going through, and what you feel is neither strange nor crazy.” Today, some call this “empathy” but the Bible word is “sympathy.” It says, “As holy people . . . be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient” (Colossians 3:12 GWT).

Every time you understand and affirm someone’s feelings, you build fellowship.

Sympathy meets two fundamental human needs: the need to be understood and the need to have your feelings validated.

Every time you understand and affirm someone’s feelings, you build fellowship. The problem is that we’re often in such a hurry to fix things that we don’t have time to sympathize with people. Or we’re preoccupied with our own hurts. Self-pity dries up sympathy for others.

Source: Saddleback.com

Fellowship

In real fellowship people experience mercy. Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.

We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other.

You can’t have fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.

The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT).

Source

God's Purpose

I was just watching an interview with Rick Warren, the author of "Purpose Driven Life" and he also leads America's biggest church called Saddleback church. The journalist asked Mr. Warren what is his favourite Bible verse? He responsed:

"ACT 13:36 is the epitaph for King David," Warren said. "It says, ‘He served God’s purpose for his generation. And then he died.’ And that’s my life verse. He did serve God’s purpose, that which never changes but he did it in his generation. He did it in a contemporary and relevant way. He did the timeless in a timely way. He did that which never changed in a world that’s constantly changing and that’s all that any of us can do. My goal is to serve God’s purpose in my generation and then I’ll die. Then the next guy will serve God’s purpose in his generation. And I believe God has a purpose for every life. And if you’re alive, if your heart’s beating, God has a purpose for your life. God has never done anything without a purpose."

You can hear the podcast here

Does the Universe Have a Purpose?

This is indeed a "big question" and John Templeton Foundation has ask asked leading scientist and scholars to comment on it. Read their responses here, out of 12 responders; 7 said yes, 3 said no, and 2 are not sure. Here is one excerpt:

"My belief is not the result of a blinding flash of a road-to-Damascus revelation. Nor is it the imprint of a nurturing home environment. Kindergartners in their simplicity ask many profound questions, but the purpose of the universe is rarely among them. Maturing teenagers in their angst may ask, "What's the meaning of it all?" The question is existential, but the answer is subtle. Understanding emerges not in thunder, earthquake and fire, but in the still small voice of the universe itself.

Quite possibly, the purpose of the universe is to provide a congenial home for self-conscious creatures who can ask profound questions and who can probe the nature of the universe itself." ~Owen Gingerich

Inspiring Book

I just finished reading , Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Wow! what a woman she is and what an inspiration. If you have to read one book to get inspired, moved and touched; I suggest buying this book. Her famous quote is, "Tolerance of intolerance is cowardice".  Here is an excerpt from her book:

What matters is the atrocities against women and children are carried out in Europe. What matters is that governments and societies must stop hiding behind a hollow pretense of tolerance so that they can recognize and deal with the problems.

These Muslim organization in Holland are supposed to act as liaisons between Muslims and the local and national governments. But their leadership represents no one.  They're not elected. They're comfortably bloated on subsidies and produce virtually  no real programs. The men who run those Muslim groups are supposed to represent Muslim women. They know the issues, but they simply never address them.  They called me a traitor, but it is they who betray Muslims - Muslim women and children.

When to die

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

— C.S. Lewis

That's why I reject socialism and communism in any disguise they may come with. Be ware!

Baby 8

A baby in Minnesota was born on the 8/08/08 at 8:08 a.m. , weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces!!!

Read the story here

One world, One Dream! is it possible?

It' s interesting that 2008 Olympics is in communist China.  Because the ancient Olympics were religious festivals. There was a gold and ivory statue of Zeus, by Pheidias, inside the presiding god Zeus' temple at Olympia. 42-feet high, it was one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World.

The first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C.  and the last in A.D. 393, when the Christian Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I abolished them because they were a remnant of the pagan religions. 

The official motto of the games is "One World, One Dream"! Hmmm, I wonder, what the communist China means by "One Dream"? What dream would that be and if truly the whole world comes together to decide on "One Dream", what would that be? Is it even possible to agree on "One Dream"?

Ziggy the wise

Godspeed

I am depressed 

from the unyielding grimness of this wasteland,

imprisoned but desire to fly.  

"To which destination do you hasten?" 

a brier asked of the breeze. 

"To where do I speed?" 

To a land that embraces me."  

"Take wing in peace but remember, my friend,

when you fly beyond this grim land 

in the name of God and destiny 

greet the rain and the blossoms for me."  

~Mohammad Reza Shafi Kadkani Translation from Persian by Sheema Kalbasi All Rights reserved by the author

Sorry for a long  absence.  Such a busy summer, as I have mentioned before that my husband and I are building our dream house and it's almost done.  I will share some pictures when we move in.  I have also started a business that I will share with you later and the kids are home and so little time to concentrate.  Thanks you for your wonderful emails.