Pride can be a terrible thing. It destroys friendships, breaks up families, and causes strife between people and even cause’s people and countries to go to war with each other. Pride has been known to breaks up villages and towns and even churches into various factions. Pride can over power a person's sense of right?
In the Bible book of Proverbs, chapter 13 verse 10 it says “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom”. Webster’s Dictionary describes contention as “A contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement.” This statement says to me that if a person says something that is taken by another person as being contentious, a problem will be generated, and the problem is often just misunderstanding. The person may not have intended to express a contentious attitude but the other person took it that way, and this is where both people have to get together and sort things out.
If an apology is in order, then it must be made, even if one of the two people doesn’t believe that one is necessary, the other one does. What does it take for a person to apologize even if they believe they did nothing wrong? Just few words! Just a few words, that melts away the problem and sets things right. Or the individuals involve need to talk so that the misunderstanding can be resolved once and for all. Both individuals must be willing to do this whether an apology is made or not. The friendship has been saved and everyone is happy.
However, some people do live by their pride, and takes everything that happens in their life all wrong. They may not see it that way, but that is the way things are for them. We are not to judge others, but to always give others the benefit of any doubt. Prideful people have to eventually come to terms with their problem, and change their way of thinking so that they don’t suffer the consequences, which can mean being an outcast in midst of a crowd.
I have known several people in my life that have been so prideful that they find fault with every one they come in contact with. These people, when we first meet them, are some of the most delightful people you could ever meet, and then look out, they find all your faults and make sure that everyone else who know you and them learn of your faults. I always ask why. I really don’t understand people like these, except, maybe they are here to point out our faults and push us to make changes that we need to make.
A little pride is important in us for it gives us pride in a job well done, especially to perform at our jobs with the highest degree of perfection. This makes for a company product that makes sales and keeps us working. So there is nothing wrong in having pride in a job well done.
There are many people who give of their time, money and talents to help other people in what ever capacity that they believe they are needed. Pride when used properly can make the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, sloppy and perfect, etc. Pride is described as:
• A feeling of self-respect and personal worth [A good thing]
• Satisfaction with your (or another's) achievements
• They seem to have a trait of being spurred on by a dislike of falling below their standards
• Unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem
What is a person to do?
I suggest that the person:
• Take a minute to think about your relationship to others and what it has done for your friendships(s)
• take a minute and think about your and their way of thinking try to look at other people with a little respect
• try to over look other people’s short comings
• try to see the good in everything and every body
• be ready to apologize for any kind of misunderstanding whether real or imaginary; whether on your part or the part of the other person
• And forgive your self and the other person
• When told that you are wrong, think about it and be ready to make things right, whether you believe it or not
Pride does not have to destroy friendships, breaks up families, and causes strife between people and even cause’s people and countries to go to war with each other. Pride doesn’t have to breaks up villages and towns and even churches into various factions. Pride, proper expressed, is a good thing.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Compassion
Compassion is described in Webster’s Dictionary as: 1. A deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering, 2. The humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it.
No other person in history has had more compassion for others than Jesus the Christ. He never judged anyone. It was his purpose in life to prove to humanity that God is a God of love. Jesus even sat and eat with publicans and sinners. In Math 9:10 “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples”. [Publicans are defined by Webster as 1. The keeper of a public house, (A tavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals.)]
We as Christians and/or Spiritualists are supposed to be compassionate towards one another, which is in direct relationship to our principles. We believe in the brotherhood of man. This tells us that we are no different than any other person on earth. We cry, we eat, we sleep, we work, we play, we get angry, we fight verbally and physically, and then we die.
We are even taught by our parents to be compassionate towards others. We are not to fight over meaningless things, verbally or physically when additional civil conversation can bring about clarity and understanding.
We are to love one another as God love us (John 13:34). When we look at the words of Jesus we understand that we are indeed to be compassionate and loving towards others. But someone said “but we are only human” and being human the word compassion is rarely used or thought about – but we all know about it. There are consequences to not being compassionate. If we have no compassion, the judge will reward us by placing us behind bar for the rest of our life.
It is not a question of whether we believe that the Bible teaches us how to be compassionate and loving people? Loving and generous and being responsible for our daily actions and decisions – part of our responsibility.
Do we fear that if we read and study the Bible that we will succumb to its teachings? Will we have to admit that we are sinners – and not compassionate people? Do we believe that we inherited the original sin of Adam and Eve through just being human? Few of us, if any of us rally think about these things.
Most people on earth don’t accept the Bible or its teachings. Other people may have their own way of worshiping God and they don’t want anyone telling them that they are wrong in their beliefs and the way that they worshiping God. They don’t want anyone telling them that they must set aside their beliefs and accept the teachings of some other religion.
Some people may even believe that all “Christians” are among the most finical people on earth. When Christians read the Bible, they believe that they are reading the absolute word of God and every word in the Bible is absolute truth. They really believe in the teachings of their minister and the creeds and dogmas of their church. They will often tell you that God, and the Bible has saved them from a life of crime and drugs.
What these people are saying may be absolutely true for them. We just don’t know anything about their life. They could have been raised in the slums of New York City or Toronto, L.A. or Chicago. Or raised in an extremely poor family where they had to fight every day of their life, just to survive. Who are we to judge them? We, as Christians and/or Spiritualists, are taught to be compassionate toward these people, our brothers and sisters. Working together to help the poor and infirm, too achieve a little wealth and prosperity in their lives. We are here to learn and to grow spiritually working for spiritual enlightenment; working our way back to the presents of God, the Source of all Creation, Infinite Intelligence.
We are all generally hear to live a life that is disciplined and compassionate, that we do practice our principles of Spiritualism and the Laws of Nature – which are God’s Laws. Why, is it only because we are caught in the web of human life?
We look at others as a contrast between what we are and what we want or don’t want to be. If another person does not do the kinds of things in their life that we believe in, we are not to go about, gently or even harshly, to try and change them.
As I have thought about this word compassion and the Bible, I thought about the story that Jesus told about a man who was traveling to a remote city. The man had to pass through a very dangerous area along the way where the chances of him being molested were very high. As the story goes, the man was beaten and robed by bandits, and left on the roadside to die. It was only after a kind and compassionate man, who was passing along the way, stopped to help the dying man. How many of us would do the same? How many of us would have the compassion to stop and help another person – even on the streets in the slums of New York City? Or would we pass them by with the belief that some one else would help them because we fear for our own lives? We may not even care because it is not someone we know who was injured, or even a friend or family member. Where is our compassion?
The Bible and its teachings have provided us with the meaning of compassion and how we are to live in brotherly love one with another.
No other person in history has had more compassion for others than Jesus the Christ. He never judged anyone. It was his purpose in life to prove to humanity that God is a God of love. Jesus even sat and eat with publicans and sinners. In Math 9:10 “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples”. [Publicans are defined by Webster as 1. The keeper of a public house, (A tavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals.)]
We as Christians and/or Spiritualists are supposed to be compassionate towards one another, which is in direct relationship to our principles. We believe in the brotherhood of man. This tells us that we are no different than any other person on earth. We cry, we eat, we sleep, we work, we play, we get angry, we fight verbally and physically, and then we die.
We are even taught by our parents to be compassionate towards others. We are not to fight over meaningless things, verbally or physically when additional civil conversation can bring about clarity and understanding.
We are to love one another as God love us (John 13:34). When we look at the words of Jesus we understand that we are indeed to be compassionate and loving towards others. But someone said “but we are only human” and being human the word compassion is rarely used or thought about – but we all know about it. There are consequences to not being compassionate. If we have no compassion, the judge will reward us by placing us behind bar for the rest of our life.
It is not a question of whether we believe that the Bible teaches us how to be compassionate and loving people? Loving and generous and being responsible for our daily actions and decisions – part of our responsibility.
Do we fear that if we read and study the Bible that we will succumb to its teachings? Will we have to admit that we are sinners – and not compassionate people? Do we believe that we inherited the original sin of Adam and Eve through just being human? Few of us, if any of us rally think about these things.
Most people on earth don’t accept the Bible or its teachings. Other people may have their own way of worshiping God and they don’t want anyone telling them that they are wrong in their beliefs and the way that they worshiping God. They don’t want anyone telling them that they must set aside their beliefs and accept the teachings of some other religion.
Some people may even believe that all “Christians” are among the most finical people on earth. When Christians read the Bible, they believe that they are reading the absolute word of God and every word in the Bible is absolute truth. They really believe in the teachings of their minister and the creeds and dogmas of their church. They will often tell you that God, and the Bible has saved them from a life of crime and drugs.
What these people are saying may be absolutely true for them. We just don’t know anything about their life. They could have been raised in the slums of New York City or Toronto, L.A. or Chicago. Or raised in an extremely poor family where they had to fight every day of their life, just to survive. Who are we to judge them? We, as Christians and/or Spiritualists, are taught to be compassionate toward these people, our brothers and sisters. Working together to help the poor and infirm, too achieve a little wealth and prosperity in their lives. We are here to learn and to grow spiritually working for spiritual enlightenment; working our way back to the presents of God, the Source of all Creation, Infinite Intelligence.
We are all generally hear to live a life that is disciplined and compassionate, that we do practice our principles of Spiritualism and the Laws of Nature – which are God’s Laws. Why, is it only because we are caught in the web of human life?
We look at others as a contrast between what we are and what we want or don’t want to be. If another person does not do the kinds of things in their life that we believe in, we are not to go about, gently or even harshly, to try and change them.
As I have thought about this word compassion and the Bible, I thought about the story that Jesus told about a man who was traveling to a remote city. The man had to pass through a very dangerous area along the way where the chances of him being molested were very high. As the story goes, the man was beaten and robed by bandits, and left on the roadside to die. It was only after a kind and compassionate man, who was passing along the way, stopped to help the dying man. How many of us would do the same? How many of us would have the compassion to stop and help another person – even on the streets in the slums of New York City? Or would we pass them by with the belief that some one else would help them because we fear for our own lives? We may not even care because it is not someone we know who was injured, or even a friend or family member. Where is our compassion?
The Bible and its teachings have provided us with the meaning of compassion and how we are to live in brotherly love one with another.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Life
I am often asked “why God allows us, to do the things we do to each other?” I look at the person who is asking me the question and I asked them what they are talking about. They say that they are talking about all the wars and all the killing that goes on, and the huge number of people dying each day from accidents, cancer and other diseases, and even the challenges of just living a “normal” life? I am asked about the children “why do they have to die so young?
As I think about how to answer the questions above, I can’t help thinking about the words of Shakespeare who said, “the world is a stage, and we are the actors.”
If we accept Shakespeare’s words as having some kind of truth to them, then the answer to the questions about why all the ups and downs in our lives, and why so many are dying is answered. You and I are here to play our part and when it’s time for us to leave the stage, we do. It doesn’t matter how young or how old we are or whether we are healthy or sick we have done our part and it’s time for us to leave – stage right. When you think of life in this way, it makes greater sense about the happenings in our life, and we are able to take a more enlightened look at our life and our place on the stage of life.
You may ask about the Hitler’s, Casers and dictators who have ordered so many people to be killed. But they are here to play their part even if that part is to bring chaos and strife into a world that is struggling to be at peace. Why? Their part is to show humanity a contrast between what is and what can be – good verses evil. To bring the human race to a point of knowledge that will, one day, produce peace and harmony by showing humanity that there is another way – and it is not their way. Their part was to remind us that history repeats itself, and that we are the only ones who can break the ever changing repetition.
Then you may ask why did he/she have to die so young? Why from such a terrible illness? Why, for no apparent reason? Why was that child allowed to get so close to the water that they fell in and drowned? Why did that child get away from its mother hand and run out into the street to be hit by a car? Or simply got sick one day and died. Again, we have entered this world to play out our part on the stage. We have given of ourselves to our loved ones; to the hundreds of people who have known us, to history, to those who care for our physical and emotional well being. Even the doctors and nurses who have taken care of us during our illness play their part in the care of the sick that needed their expertise. But! But! You say. It seems that we still don’t understand the why.
I cannot give you an answer that will satisfy you completely; but to say that we are here to do our part. We may be on stage as a prop attendant to make sure that the actors have the proper back drop for them to play their part as a military man, a doctor, lawyer, mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, street cleaner, janitor, sick child or even a sick elder, etc. etc.
We are indeed here to play our part on the stage of life until we are ready to leave.
As I think about how to answer the questions above, I can’t help thinking about the words of Shakespeare who said, “the world is a stage, and we are the actors.”
If we accept Shakespeare’s words as having some kind of truth to them, then the answer to the questions about why all the ups and downs in our lives, and why so many are dying is answered. You and I are here to play our part and when it’s time for us to leave the stage, we do. It doesn’t matter how young or how old we are or whether we are healthy or sick we have done our part and it’s time for us to leave – stage right. When you think of life in this way, it makes greater sense about the happenings in our life, and we are able to take a more enlightened look at our life and our place on the stage of life.
You may ask about the Hitler’s, Casers and dictators who have ordered so many people to be killed. But they are here to play their part even if that part is to bring chaos and strife into a world that is struggling to be at peace. Why? Their part is to show humanity a contrast between what is and what can be – good verses evil. To bring the human race to a point of knowledge that will, one day, produce peace and harmony by showing humanity that there is another way – and it is not their way. Their part was to remind us that history repeats itself, and that we are the only ones who can break the ever changing repetition.
Then you may ask why did he/she have to die so young? Why from such a terrible illness? Why, for no apparent reason? Why was that child allowed to get so close to the water that they fell in and drowned? Why did that child get away from its mother hand and run out into the street to be hit by a car? Or simply got sick one day and died. Again, we have entered this world to play out our part on the stage. We have given of ourselves to our loved ones; to the hundreds of people who have known us, to history, to those who care for our physical and emotional well being. Even the doctors and nurses who have taken care of us during our illness play their part in the care of the sick that needed their expertise. But! But! You say. It seems that we still don’t understand the why.
I cannot give you an answer that will satisfy you completely; but to say that we are here to do our part. We may be on stage as a prop attendant to make sure that the actors have the proper back drop for them to play their part as a military man, a doctor, lawyer, mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, street cleaner, janitor, sick child or even a sick elder, etc. etc.
We are indeed here to play our part on the stage of life until we are ready to leave.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Life as it Could Be
As I search through the experiences of my life, I come upon a number of joyful time, problems and contradictions. In this life I have experienced the same things that so many other people have. It is true – what we sow we reap. There is no way to think of it not being that way.
In Richard Rowley’s articles on the SpiritualismList@yahoo.com, I can help thinking more and more each day about how a person’s life now affects us when they die. In the series of articles, Richard is continuing to write about, the old woman (lady) who was in Limbo is now in a higher spirit world where she has been able to deal with the affects of “her critical and unloving and cruelty in herself and the satisfaction she had when she made others squirm”. “She consciously would not admit to all she had done”. As she says, “I thought I was ill-used, that fate was loaded to be just, through service. I could not see”. Because she could not see what she had done to others during her physical life, she had to experience the things that she made others experience by her hand”. As the woman, Helen, who talked to the lady about her physical life, the lady began to realize why it was that she was in that “Limbo” place. The lady began to understand her predicament she was able to make the appropriate changes to her way of thinking. Individuals from the higher spirit world helped her to get out of that Limbo place and get on with her life.
You may ask what does this have to do with me. Well, it has all to do with you/me. Helen told the lady that, “repentance has always been the way to Heaven." Better by far that repentance and the new birth should come to us before our release from the world of matter.” As long as we understand that there is no such thing as death, we have time to make correction in our way of thinking, our action towards others and to learn how to be a loving, respectful and joyful person. We only need to take personal responsibility for all we do in this life.
Why should we have to wait until we leave this world to understand this? If we practice love and compassion towards other people in this world, we will go to the higher spirit world light when we leave this earth plane.
It would certainly be good if the politicians, who govern the countries of our birth, to learn the facts expressed so far in this article. Maybe, we would have the health services, homes for the aged, clean water, proper disposable of discarded material - thing that we accumulate in our lives, and the production of transportation systems that are environmentally compatible, non-smog producing, and clean up the air we breathe, repair the ozone layer; what a beautiful world this would be.
I look forward to a “Star Tract” type of society where true “communism or true democracy” is at its best – all people have what they need through their contributions to society, not from handouts and forced labor by governments and industry. This means that all humans are considered equal. The almighty dollar and “capitalism” is non-existent, and each person has what they need with a simple request from a machine – a replicator. In a Star Tract society, all human beings work toward personal self worth through their studies in school, and the work they perform each day. A society, where the individual can participate and contribute to the well being of all and that all is appreciated.
I think that when a person leaves his/her physical life, in a Star Tract society, they will all go to the highest spirit world, and maybe not have a need to return to this world. We don’t need a world of physical and emotional suffering only to die under the most horrible of circumstances.
In Richard Rowley’s articles on the SpiritualismList@yahoo.com, I can help thinking more and more each day about how a person’s life now affects us when they die. In the series of articles, Richard is continuing to write about, the old woman (lady) who was in Limbo is now in a higher spirit world where she has been able to deal with the affects of “her critical and unloving and cruelty in herself and the satisfaction she had when she made others squirm”. “She consciously would not admit to all she had done”. As she says, “I thought I was ill-used, that fate was loaded to be just, through service. I could not see”. Because she could not see what she had done to others during her physical life, she had to experience the things that she made others experience by her hand”. As the woman, Helen, who talked to the lady about her physical life, the lady began to realize why it was that she was in that “Limbo” place. The lady began to understand her predicament she was able to make the appropriate changes to her way of thinking. Individuals from the higher spirit world helped her to get out of that Limbo place and get on with her life.
You may ask what does this have to do with me. Well, it has all to do with you/me. Helen told the lady that, “repentance has always been the way to Heaven." Better by far that repentance and the new birth should come to us before our release from the world of matter.” As long as we understand that there is no such thing as death, we have time to make correction in our way of thinking, our action towards others and to learn how to be a loving, respectful and joyful person. We only need to take personal responsibility for all we do in this life.
Why should we have to wait until we leave this world to understand this? If we practice love and compassion towards other people in this world, we will go to the higher spirit world light when we leave this earth plane.
It would certainly be good if the politicians, who govern the countries of our birth, to learn the facts expressed so far in this article. Maybe, we would have the health services, homes for the aged, clean water, proper disposable of discarded material - thing that we accumulate in our lives, and the production of transportation systems that are environmentally compatible, non-smog producing, and clean up the air we breathe, repair the ozone layer; what a beautiful world this would be.
I look forward to a “Star Tract” type of society where true “communism or true democracy” is at its best – all people have what they need through their contributions to society, not from handouts and forced labor by governments and industry. This means that all humans are considered equal. The almighty dollar and “capitalism” is non-existent, and each person has what they need with a simple request from a machine – a replicator. In a Star Tract society, all human beings work toward personal self worth through their studies in school, and the work they perform each day. A society, where the individual can participate and contribute to the well being of all and that all is appreciated.
I think that when a person leaves his/her physical life, in a Star Tract society, they will all go to the highest spirit world, and maybe not have a need to return to this world. We don’t need a world of physical and emotional suffering only to die under the most horrible of circumstances.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Life and the Limbo Planes
In the past, I have written about life, and what it means to me and how my life may affect others. I find that it doesn't matter what I think or do, others have their own ideas that don't necessarily agree with mine. That's Ok, for we all have total freedom of choice. Freedom of choice reminded me of an article I read by Richard Rowley.
It was an article that Richard had placed on the internet site spiritualismlist@yahoo.com about the after-life place called "limbo". I learned that it doesn't matter whether a person lives a really loving unselfish, non-self-centered life, here in this physical world, and whether they think more about others than themselves, or whether they are a total …., all will go to a spirit world that is conducive to their personality. Jesus said, “In my father’s house are many mansions.”
In the article, limbo is described as a gray lifeless place in the low astral regions (spirit world) that is extremely depressing and lonely. It doesn't seem to matter whether other people are living there also, “a person feels alone with themselves” and are not able to communicate with the others – the others just don’t want to communicate with them. The low astral regions are where some people (knowing it or not) who have, "starved their soul (self centeredness) while living in the earth plane and feeding on the EMOTIONS and DESIRES of their own personality.”
We take into the “after-life” the same emotions, desires and personality that we have in our physical life. However, not all is lost. More advanced people from the higher spirit worlds go into the grey limbo lands to try and convince those who are there to take charge of their life (change their way of thinking) through understanding themselves and their relationship to other people. The person there has to correct their wrong way of thinking by recognizing it for what it is, and to become loving, thoughtful and forgiving.
The best thing that a person can do while in the earth plane, is to become a loving, out-going person who takes personal responsibility for their emotions, desires and relationship with others in order to go to the higher astral world (spirit world) of light after the change called death.
As I continued to read the article, I realized that it doesn't matter what a person is like in their earth plane life, they will reap what they sow and get their just reward. So what does it matter whether we treat others with a total lack of respect, talk about them behind their back, belittling them, and making them out to be something their not. What you sow, you reap. This says that you haven't taken responsibility for your actions here, so you will have to make amends on the other side of physical life. If you think that I'm being a little too strong in what I have just written, maybe it is true for you and you need to think about it.
We all have to take personal responsibility for our action, emotions, desires and thoughts while here in this physical world; even though it is never an easy job for us. We have to first recognize that we have a problem, and then search through our lives to learn about the source of the problem, and then take the right actions to correct the problem and thus ourselves. If the correct action means that we have to forgive someone like our father or mother, brother, sister or a person we once called a friend, then we must do it. Waiting until we get on the other side is no excuse to procrastinate. The sooner we take care of our problems the better and the possibility of keep our friends.
I realize that most problems come about due to misunderstandings of some kind, which are most often due to pride or not hearing the person correctly due to our internal dialog that distracted us at the time. Or, not really understanding where the other "person was coming from". It may have been a poor choice of words by our self or the other person. It may have been our not asking for more information or saying that we understood this or that, and we needed greater clarification. If you didn't think to give them a chance to explain, then you are totally in the wrong and must make the appropriate corrections.
This article was written to all of us, especially me, to try and get us to think a little. Maybe we can save our friends and ourselves a lot of problems later on.
It was an article that Richard had placed on the internet site spiritualismlist@yahoo.com about the after-life place called "limbo". I learned that it doesn't matter whether a person lives a really loving unselfish, non-self-centered life, here in this physical world, and whether they think more about others than themselves, or whether they are a total …., all will go to a spirit world that is conducive to their personality. Jesus said, “In my father’s house are many mansions.”
In the article, limbo is described as a gray lifeless place in the low astral regions (spirit world) that is extremely depressing and lonely. It doesn't seem to matter whether other people are living there also, “a person feels alone with themselves” and are not able to communicate with the others – the others just don’t want to communicate with them. The low astral regions are where some people (knowing it or not) who have, "starved their soul (self centeredness) while living in the earth plane and feeding on the EMOTIONS and DESIRES of their own personality.”
We take into the “after-life” the same emotions, desires and personality that we have in our physical life. However, not all is lost. More advanced people from the higher spirit worlds go into the grey limbo lands to try and convince those who are there to take charge of their life (change their way of thinking) through understanding themselves and their relationship to other people. The person there has to correct their wrong way of thinking by recognizing it for what it is, and to become loving, thoughtful and forgiving.
The best thing that a person can do while in the earth plane, is to become a loving, out-going person who takes personal responsibility for their emotions, desires and relationship with others in order to go to the higher astral world (spirit world) of light after the change called death.
As I continued to read the article, I realized that it doesn't matter what a person is like in their earth plane life, they will reap what they sow and get their just reward. So what does it matter whether we treat others with a total lack of respect, talk about them behind their back, belittling them, and making them out to be something their not. What you sow, you reap. This says that you haven't taken responsibility for your actions here, so you will have to make amends on the other side of physical life. If you think that I'm being a little too strong in what I have just written, maybe it is true for you and you need to think about it.
We all have to take personal responsibility for our action, emotions, desires and thoughts while here in this physical world; even though it is never an easy job for us. We have to first recognize that we have a problem, and then search through our lives to learn about the source of the problem, and then take the right actions to correct the problem and thus ourselves. If the correct action means that we have to forgive someone like our father or mother, brother, sister or a person we once called a friend, then we must do it. Waiting until we get on the other side is no excuse to procrastinate. The sooner we take care of our problems the better and the possibility of keep our friends.
I realize that most problems come about due to misunderstandings of some kind, which are most often due to pride or not hearing the person correctly due to our internal dialog that distracted us at the time. Or, not really understanding where the other "person was coming from". It may have been a poor choice of words by our self or the other person. It may have been our not asking for more information or saying that we understood this or that, and we needed greater clarification. If you didn't think to give them a chance to explain, then you are totally in the wrong and must make the appropriate corrections.
This article was written to all of us, especially me, to try and get us to think a little. Maybe we can save our friends and ourselves a lot of problems later on.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Healing
Kenneth L. Dennis PhD. Has written an essay on Lesson 18 of my course in Modern Spiritualism that I would like to share with you, my readers. The essay is as follows:
This lesson covers the history Spiritual Healing. Spiritual Healing comes from Infinite Intelligence or God. There is a subtle dance between the Healer and Spirit working together to produce a healing outcome in a person. The connection between the Healer and God (attunes) is the crucial component of the healing process. God produces healing, but those that do not accept the existence of a divine presence may still be able to go through the motions of healing. Without Spirituality, such activity would be only a basis for a bad movie or a lifetime income from television. Of course, the greatest source of spiritual healing comes from the person receiving the healing. We often look at the Healer without that important component of, “I will do my part.”
Many people have become excited with the various forms of Reki. This appears to be a good healing method with a strong historical foundation. Healers can move up the levels of certification with books and computerized instruction. At the top level of Reki Master, a Healer needs personal training. We all want our approaches to become popular, and Reki (in its various flavors) has become very popular. This popularity has become a problem. When a Respondent tells me that the rank of Reki Master has been obtained, a serious pathology (paranoia and other delusions) is anticipated. The open entry of Reki has produced a huge base of people that desire to help people and make money. Unfortunately, the screening process has not prevented actively psychotic Respondents from becoming Reki Masters certifying other Reki Masters. This is a sad distortion of a good healing method that does not seem correctable at this point.
It is not surprising that healing can be effective for present and absent people. There is an assumption that the Healer’s channeling is not bound by geographical limitations. In Hands-On Healing, the Healer, Recipient, and Spirit are all present in the same location. Absent Healing is a similar process where the Recipient and Spirit continue to be located in the same location. While we think of the Recipient being absent, actually, only the Healer is absent. The Recipient and Spirit continue to remain in the same location.
There are a few people that receive Absent Healing from my wife and me each week. Part of the Healing is letting each person know about the prayers for healing so the “doing my part” can be included. One person was having a bad day when I was visiting and he said I was spending too much time with that “spiritual stuff.” I asked him he wanted me to not pray for his healing, and he quickly said no, he “needed all the help he could get.” Perhaps we a just very superstitious and want to make patterns out of random events.
I am certain prefer being present rather than absent. Healing is a human interaction. Just as I can meditate on my own, it is more effective to have the assistance of another person, and the same applies to Healing. There are exceptions to this when the person guiding the mediation is not able to adapt the pattern and words to match the needs of the Recipient. The Healing part of the Church service starts with a guided meditation and transitions to Hands-On Healing for those that want to come up. There are usually two or three Healers for Hands-On Healing. This is at the middle part of the services. There can be logistical problems when several people want Healing. This can lengthen out the mediation of people waiting for the next part of the services (Messages). I understand that some Churches have Healing before the service starts, but the logistical problem would still exist when too many or too few people wanted Healing. People seek out a Spiritualist Church for several reasons, and it is difficult to know how much emotional and physical pain will be present at a given service.
This lesson covers the history Spiritual Healing. Spiritual Healing comes from Infinite Intelligence or God. There is a subtle dance between the Healer and Spirit working together to produce a healing outcome in a person. The connection between the Healer and God (attunes) is the crucial component of the healing process. God produces healing, but those that do not accept the existence of a divine presence may still be able to go through the motions of healing. Without Spirituality, such activity would be only a basis for a bad movie or a lifetime income from television. Of course, the greatest source of spiritual healing comes from the person receiving the healing. We often look at the Healer without that important component of, “I will do my part.”
Many people have become excited with the various forms of Reki. This appears to be a good healing method with a strong historical foundation. Healers can move up the levels of certification with books and computerized instruction. At the top level of Reki Master, a Healer needs personal training. We all want our approaches to become popular, and Reki (in its various flavors) has become very popular. This popularity has become a problem. When a Respondent tells me that the rank of Reki Master has been obtained, a serious pathology (paranoia and other delusions) is anticipated. The open entry of Reki has produced a huge base of people that desire to help people and make money. Unfortunately, the screening process has not prevented actively psychotic Respondents from becoming Reki Masters certifying other Reki Masters. This is a sad distortion of a good healing method that does not seem correctable at this point.
It is not surprising that healing can be effective for present and absent people. There is an assumption that the Healer’s channeling is not bound by geographical limitations. In Hands-On Healing, the Healer, Recipient, and Spirit are all present in the same location. Absent Healing is a similar process where the Recipient and Spirit continue to be located in the same location. While we think of the Recipient being absent, actually, only the Healer is absent. The Recipient and Spirit continue to remain in the same location.
There are a few people that receive Absent Healing from my wife and me each week. Part of the Healing is letting each person know about the prayers for healing so the “doing my part” can be included. One person was having a bad day when I was visiting and he said I was spending too much time with that “spiritual stuff.” I asked him he wanted me to not pray for his healing, and he quickly said no, he “needed all the help he could get.” Perhaps we a just very superstitious and want to make patterns out of random events.
I am certain prefer being present rather than absent. Healing is a human interaction. Just as I can meditate on my own, it is more effective to have the assistance of another person, and the same applies to Healing. There are exceptions to this when the person guiding the mediation is not able to adapt the pattern and words to match the needs of the Recipient. The Healing part of the Church service starts with a guided meditation and transitions to Hands-On Healing for those that want to come up. There are usually two or three Healers for Hands-On Healing. This is at the middle part of the services. There can be logistical problems when several people want Healing. This can lengthen out the mediation of people waiting for the next part of the services (Messages). I understand that some Churches have Healing before the service starts, but the logistical problem would still exist when too many or too few people wanted Healing. People seek out a Spiritualist Church for several reasons, and it is difficult to know how much emotional and physical pain will be present at a given service.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Life is so Unfair
I am often asked, “why God can allow humanity to do the things we do to each other that we do?” I look at the person who is asking me the question and ask them what they are talking about? They say that they are talking about all the wars and all the killing that goes on, and the huge number of people dying each day from accidents, cancer and other diseases, the challenges of just living a “normal” life? I am asked about the children, “why do they have to die so young? The answer to these questions is not easy because each of us have different ways of dealing with them. The lucky ones may say “that’s life” and get on with there life as tho nothing has happened, while others say “I just don’t understand it” and feel very sorrowful for a long time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)