#the wisdoms he has to impart and remind me of the child-like joy of living in a world full of so many interesting creatures | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

theprayerfulword · 2 months

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March 19

Acts 3:19-20 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you — even Jesus.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 8:17 For nothing is hidden that shall not become evident, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light.

Ephesians 2:4,6-7 But God, being rich in mercy… 6 seated us with Him in the heavenly places… 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Hosea 6:3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

Psalm 104:33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

May you come before the Lord when He calls you, bringing your sacrifice of praise, denying yourself and doing no regular work. Numbers 28

May you speak to the people around you all that the Lord commands. Numbers 29

May you realize, with joy and thanksgiving, that even as you are, by the grace of God, a son of the heavenly Father through Jesus your Savior, the first-born of many brethren, Who paid in full the ransom demanded, so also, by lineage, through all the generations back to Adam, who was made by God as a son, you were created, shaped, and formed by God originally so that, with full intentionality, you should ever be His child, part of His family, loved, cherished, cared for, and made a part of His kingdom, able and trusted, to be about the Father's business with grace, mercy, justice, humility, and love. Luke 3

You are wasting your time, My child, when you pursue desires that are not of Me. Seek out My face for direction as you let My eye guide you. Find My heart open to your cry for understanding, and let My thoughts impart wisdom as they wash over you. In Me you have life, abundant life, eternal life. In My presence you will find the pleasure and joys forever more that I have known with the Father. In the world you will find persecutions and tribulation, just as I did when I walked the earth. I am a Man of sorrows, but I know the joy of full, eternal fellowship with the Father. As you follow Me, you will receive, in full measure, both the pain of rejection by men and the pleasure of acceptance by the Father. Do not avoid one, desiring only the other; both are essential parts of the walk you will find as you follow the path I set your feet on. Your pilgrimage will take you through dry, dusty lands with no cooling shade and little comfort as you go. But your destination is a city built without hands, with living water flowing from the throne of God and the tree of life bearing fruit continually. Pain is a well-known companion that I have spent much time with, both of the body and of the soul, when I dwelt on earth. I wept over the people whom I desired to gather and shelter from harm, but saw the desolation that they were choosing. The comfort I received from the Father, I share with you. When the apparent hopelessness of your situation starts to overwhelm your heart, My Word and My Spirit are with you, reminding you that He has all things under control and not one of His will be lost. I know the bodily exhaustion you deal with, and the physical pain that saturates your awareness. I, too, had to choose between obedient ministry to those in need and the needs of My body for food, rest, and sleep. The strength I received from the Father, as I waited on Him, I now give to you that you may fulfill the responsibilities that you have accepted from Me, even as you choose to deny yourself and wait in My presence for My good pleasure. I demand nothing from you, but I accept all that you are willing to give; and for all you choose to give, I have much more to give in return. Let Me be your desire, My love, and pursue Me with ever-increasing vigor and determination so that I may fulfill the desires of your heart with every good gift and bountiful blessing that you seek.

May your soul find rest in God alone, for your salvation comes only from Him and He, alone, is your rock and fortress; therefore you will never be shaken. Psalm 62

May you trust in God at all times, and pour out your heart to Him, for God is your refuge; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them, for your hope comes from Him. Psalm 62

May you receive from God a reward according to what you have done, for God is strong enough to do this, and He is loving enough to do this, and all that He does is just and righteous. Psalm 62

May you reap a sure reward as do those who sow righteousness. Proverbs 11:18

May you attain life as does the truly righteous man. Proverbs 11:19

#daily #blessings #prayers #scripture

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theliterateape · 1 year

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Wisdom of the Creatives | From the Archives

By Alan Lake

Long perched upon my living room table is a book gifted to me by an old friend called The War of Art, a play on Sun Tzu’s Art of War—only geared toward the creative process. Glancing through it once again this New Year's Eve, putting it down I resolved to seek more inspiration in my life, which in turn makes me more creative in my own life. “In pursuit of joys untasted,” from Verdi’s La Traviata sums it up nicely. With this in mind, I thought it might be interesting to ask some of my more creative friends their viewpoint on the subject. Impulsively, phone calls were made and emails were sent to a group of people that make my life richer with their presence—musicians, inventors, photographers, chefs, record producers, authors, filmmakers, scientists and then some. Tasking them to give me a comment/thought/impart wisdom about creativity-their responses are below.

I’ll start: I love when concept and execution are simultaneous—when I think of something to play and am already doing it. A musical moneyshot. Creativity is like a muscle; the more you use it, the bigger it gets. No guarantees on meeting the muse, but if you keep showing up, after a lifetime, your chances improve. Creative disciplines are similar in that way. Most people draw like a child because that’s when they stop drawing. As a musician and chef, people often ask me about my cooking, which reminds me of my music and parallels it so naturally that I made up my own word to describe it. “Jazzfood:" Solid technique coupled with tasteful improvisation. That would be me.

Stephen Sayadian (aka Rinse Dream) — Filmmaker, creative director, set designer, writer, satirist, surrealist. Besides winning a dance contest at my bar mitzvah, his work includes directing Cafe Flesh, Dr. Caligari and Nightdreams, and production design for the 90s television series Silk Stalkings. Stephen was fêted with a retrospective of his work at the L’ Étrange festival in Paris a few years back.

"Creativity, n. The essence of life. When it’s over, you're dead."

Jerry Stahl — Novelist, journalist, screenwriter. Stahl’s work includes Permanent Midnight, Perv, A Love Story, I Fatty, Happy Mutant Baby Pills, Alf, thirtysomething, Moonlighting, Twin Peaks, CSI, New York Times, Esquire, Playboy and winner of The Pushcart Prize for fiction. This clip of him from the Moth says it all:

"Creativity is what artists have to keep from blowing strangers' brains out—or their own."

Larry Kopald — Larry has been an Executive Creative Director for some of the world's leading ad agencies, working with Nike to Coke to McDonalds and Mercedes. Today he heads up Kopald/Stranger in Los Angeles, a change agency that helps companies and governments create positive social change while achieving their core objectives. He‘s done environmental communications for the Olympics and the United Nations, serves on the board of the Museum of Broadcasting, is a member of the Television Academy and has been nominated for Grammy and Emmy Awards. In junior high, there were three drummers. Larry and I were two of them. His family owned Dad’s Root Beer here in Chicago and the word “mensch” has a picture of him in the dictionary.

"Wikipedia defines Creativity as 'a phenomenon.' James Michener says it occurs when you 'stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood appear on your forehead.' My guess is most creative people would agree with both of them. Anyone can come up with a creative idea once in awhile, but doing it consistently means drawing blood. It means hours or decades of experimenting, studying what’s already out there in the big world to make sure you’re not replicating and building up such trust in your internal pathway from your head to your heart that you let the car go back and forth on its own. It’s an immensely, intensely personal achievement. Kind of like being all alone on a deserted island and finally reaching that itch in the middle of your back. Ahhhh..."

Mark Panick — Musician/singer/songwriter from Bonemen of Barumba, Razorhouse and Black Friars Social Club. Here’s a video of his I quite like:

"My inner 12-year-old is in charge of my creativity. He's not always amenable to company but I try and create an environment he feels comfortable in. Hoping that he'll show up more often than not. The whole fill the well and then disgorge the well allegory works for me. And as long as I am moving my skills forward, the rest seems to fall into place. Having some discipline certainly helps too.

Victorrio Giustino — Writer, poet, historian, media commentator, radio talk show host knower of all things Chicago.

"Lord lift the creativity of the child in my heart, head in hands, not be chained by adulthood. The clock of creativity never stops. Don’t let outside forces steal your creative spirt. Season creativity into the soup of life so those that taste it will grow.

Robert Smyth — Inventor/engineer/developer of power supplies for aircrafts, submarines, missile launchers, M1 tanks and my favorite, a solar powered boat he built in his garage and tested in his pool. When one of the submarines he worked on surfaced at the North Pole and radioed back, “On top of the world,” his reply was “Then steer South." A poignant, decadent, mofo 'tis he.

I think creativity is something born out of an aberrant brain condition, as I notice that the majority of people are not creative They just do what they are taught to do and nothing more. As an engineer, most of my creative ideas are born from observation and laziness combined. I see something and sense that there is an easier way to achieve whatever it is. Most of all, to be creative you need to have imagination with no boundaries.

Hegina Rodrigues — Brazilian outsider artist

"My quest is to paint intangible feelings- to illustrate the inner distortions of our emotions."

Patrick Leonard — Pianist, songwriter, record producer, childhood pal and suggester of the book that inspired this piece in the first place, The War of Art. Pat has worked with a who’s who of rock 'n' roll that includes Leonard Cohen, Bryan Ferry, Madonna, Elton John, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Jewel and Rod Stewart.

"When my old friend Alan Lake emailed to ask if I could write a few thoughts on creativity, I suddenly felt less creative and more confused than usual. First, there are questions: Are we born creative? Is creativity a qualitative attribute? Does creativity relate to art and, if so, what does that relationship look like? Is a creative person necessarily an artist? Is art always creative? Is it possible to be ultra creative and not be an artist, or to be an artist without possessing any creativity? When a child is created, are its parents then creative? Is the child art? A photo is snapped on an iPhone and edited to a striking sepia tone on a free app... creativity? Someone downloads music software, then drags and drops their very own selection of loops to a player, hits the spacebar, and music emerges from the computer. Is this creativity or more like birth, sans the beauty? These are questions that come to mind.

My personal definition of creativity has become very blurry in the last decade or so, and I don’t expect that it will refocus itself anytime soon. It seems that egalitarian creativity has become a new truth, and it’s sheer folly to expect mankind to redefine the word in the name of justice for at least a hundred years or so. An apology to my fellow man, but we know how we are. This poor old word is failing to mean anything and, though it’s a noble and worthy cause to revive it, the result would inevitably be only as good as our iPhones would provide. Maybe it’s best to wait for the iPhone 6, or what I’m sure will be the even greater, iPhone 7.

Bottom line: without some creativity your food is bland, your house is boring, your music library came complete with your iPod and your sex life sucks… but your children are still beautiful. What a world."

Bill Bartolotta — Bill is the principal of esam l.l.c., a firm that delivers mighty solutions through multiple mediums. In addition, he keeps awake by doing creative direction/stage design for Tedx Midwest and Chicago Ideas Week and is creative advisor to the Museum of Contemporary Art’s events and entertainment. He’s also a badass musician.

"5 on creativity—I attempt to say them as me wishing i offer them differently enough to be worthy of someone’s time to read them: 1. Creativity is an urge to express one’s singular understanding of a soul or of a specific incident whether person creature plant mineral or other art is a byproduct of a successful urge delivery. 2. Ion charges for creativity impression aspiration perception conception 3. Assuming creativity—who we are is our best gift to the universe—our best gift from the universe—we may choose who we are—igniting our intention to seek the multitudes within us accepting intuition while listening to the multitudes imagining the possibilities we may evolve to acting upon those which unfold our purpose lead us to understanding ourselves—understanding who we are offers the best of our best gift to the universe—understanding who we are is the best of our gift from the universe—acting on who we are allows us the opportunity to consciously bring our genius to enjoy each and every day which in turn extends joy to all. 4. Method of creativity express do not inform. 5. Secret of creativity good working thoughts exceed the mysteries of faith.

SANDRO — A photographer and filmmaker whose editorial work has been featured in The New Yorker, Time, Forbes, Wired, GQ and Newsweek, and winner of the Saatchi and Saatchi Best New Director Award at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity. Nikon gave him a new camera to test and told him to put it through its paces to see what it could do. Here it is: http://vimeo.com/36345294

"Creativity to me is like a heart beat, without it your dead!"

Jon Langford — A Welsh expatriate residing in Chicago, Jon is a musician (Mekons, Waco Brothers) a Bloodshot Records recording artist and a painter.

"Sometimes great ideas just fall out of the sky, songs appear in a matter of moments fully realized almost like somebody else wrote them but you'd be a fool to sit around waiting for that to happen. The creative process is hard work, a constant and rigorous conversation or physical interaction with the people and ideas in the world around you. Shun all solitary navel gazing. There are always tricks and techniques to get creative muscles to flex and when the juices flow the faucets may not be easy to shut off. Keep a pencil by the side of your bed."

Jonny Stax — Founder and president of Jonny Stax, Inc. His primary interest is supporting people in the creation process of new businesses, art works, social justice campaigns, and educational curriculum. Clients include Chicago Children's Theatre, Test Positive Aware Network, Chicago Department of Public Health and Chicago Public Schools.

"I think it's important to look at the root of creativity, which is creation. The creation process is making something new out of what exists. This happens in every field and not just the arts. I see actions as either creation, execution, or evaluation or making something new, making something happen again, or learning from something that was made."

Don Hall — Storyteller, cultural organizer, events producer, provocateur, podcaster, actor, director.

"Creativity is a habit. The unicorn dust theory of creative thinking is that if you clear your mind and wait, inspiration will come. Which is horseshit and merely fodder for self-help books. There is no new idea on the planet so making the combinations happen as a habitual practice guarantees that eventually you will see inspiration in the constant wash of crap. Diamonds in the rough; needles in the haystack.

Jason Vincent — Executive chef/co-owner Giant, Chicago

"Creativity can be measured by the life cycle of a cronut. Or, more specifically, by the life cycle of the idea of a cronut. You have a moderately cool idea, the right people say that it's a better than average idea, the masses say that it's brilliant, the universe continues to exist when your next moderately cool idea is moderately cool. My point isn't to hate on cronuts... I'm just saying that creativity is the one drug that you need a host and a partner for. If you're creative and alone, who gives a shit? You need someone else to tell you that what you've created is amazing or else you won't want to do it again. But, when a few people tell you that what you're doing is great... All the common sense in the world won't help you. No matter how many little angels appear on your shoulder to tell you that "It could be better. It's not your best work. It sucks." That little fucking devil telling you not to worry about it. What's next? What's new? Creativity is a PR stunt. I'd rather see the forest."

Ian McDonald — Musician, multi instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner. McDonald wrote In the Court of the Crimson King and 21st Century Schizoid Man, both revolutionary for their time. The sax in T. Rex’s Bang a Gong? That’s Ian also. The guy virtually invented a genre of music with a few of his friends. A huge influence on me musically, it’s been an honor to work with and call him friend.

"Creativity is discovery: finding something that wasn’t there before..."

Mike Nagrant — Chicago food writer and critic, contributor to the James Beard award-winning Alinea cookbook.

"Creativity is mostly about discipline, the discipline to sit down, the discipline to think, the discipline to avoid doing stuff other people have done a hundred times. There's not as much genius in creativity as there is the mark of really hard work."

JC Brooks — Lead singer of Bloodshot Records soul band JC Brooks and the Uptown Sounds and a trained actor. Here’s their excellent cover of the Wilco classic I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.

"For me, creativity is a really specific mind-space that it can sometimes be hard to enter. When I'm there, I'm constantly inspired and I can apply my creativity to almost any discipline, but when I'm not, my challenge is trying to find an in-road to it—almost like a self-hypnosis or guided meditation, but it can be tricky and doesn't always take. I guess my biggest challenge sometimes is just being okay with waiting for the state of creativity to settle into/onto (?) me again without pushing too hard to get there. If I really push for it I just get frustrated and pretty-much insure that I won't get there. This all only applies when I'm working alone. When I'm working with a partner or in a group it tends to come more easily."

Subha Das — Associate Professor of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, creator of The Kitchen Chemistry Sessions, a course that uses food and molecular cuisine to teach the concepts of chemistry and science.

"Creativity is the ability to conceive and realize the juxtaposition or combination of disparate things in a new, often unexpected way. The creative concept or act is spontaneous or organic but (I believe) arises from and belies at least a fair amount of mastery over what is traditional or the norm."

John Sinclair — Poet, writer, political activist and Radio Free Amsterdam disk jockey (where he resides). Sinclair managed the MC5 and led the White Panther Party. John Lennon wrote a song about him when he was sent to prison for giving two joints to an undercover cop.

"I just try to do the best I can with what the spirits give me to work with."

Jason Brock — Award-winning writer, editor, filmmaker, composer, artist.

"In its most essential form, creativity is making the divine out of the mundane. It is taking the fundamental life force of the human spirit and resolving that unfocused energy into something akin to the spiritual. Shamans were often catalysts of this nature in pre-religious contexts. In more organized societies, religion has attempted to channel energy of this nature with decidedly mixed results, often heaping upon the creative impulse the added burdens of castigation and humiliation, lest the individual attempt to take their (rightful) place amongst the gods.

Just as one need not believe in a godhead to live a moral and righteous life, one can be a creative without the insufferable tyranny of an organized gathering of impotents taking umbrage at every word written, every stroke painted, every dish prepared, every frame captured.

We are the authors of our lives and the masters of the final outcome, not the politicians or religious leaders of the moment. To understand that takes courage, passion, skill, talent and inspiration, otherwise we are all doomed, in the words of Thoreau, to lead "lives of quiet desperation." And then the grave, followed by the unknown.

Why not take one's life and steer it, rather than listen to the protestations of less valiant persons hiding from the possible?"

Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg — Authors and winners of two James Beard Awards for The Flavor Bible and Becoming a Chef. Here’s a link to an interview I did with them a few years ago.

"People describe a certain dish as "creative," when what they really mean is "eccentric" or "unusual." Are fruit-flavored caviar-like spheres really creative? We'd argue that true creativity not only expands the boundaries of what came before it, but does so in a way that adds value.

In summation I think it’s safe to say that a creative’s worldview is different than most. One can do worse than having an imagination with no boundaries or doing the best with what the spirits give you to work with. Lots of golden perspectives here. May they inspire you to create your next masterpiece (or three). And don’t forget to keep a pencil by your bed.

***

Alan Lake is a chef, musician, writer, reprobate and lover of all things beautiful and delicious. Author of The Garlic Manifesto and the soon to be published Home Cookin'. He’s also won numerous awards, professional competitions and distinctions. Friends describe him as talented, tough, comical and egotistical with a mushy center that often smells of garlic. He views his food as he does his music and writing, and has been known to bust a pout if subpar in any way.

#creativity #art #music

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beloved-31-proverbs-women · 3 years

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I HEARD THE LORD SAY, “THE CHILDREN WILL TEACH YOU” ☝🏼

Recently I heard the Lord say “The children will teach you”. Instantly I was reminded of many things the Lord has spoken to me about regarding children for this new era. A mighty move of God through the children, the place of childlike faith and humility, and a move of His Spirit through the children could offend if hearts aren’t positioned in humility.

As the Lord spoke these words recently, I was surrounded by this strong sense of the Lord saying, “PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHILDREN”.

I had heard the Lord say this to me before in words I have released and when He spoke it again recently, I was surrounded by such a deep sense that He is releasing and will continue to release a deeper revelation of childlike faith, deep trust, and wonder to many, through children right now.

There are some life-changing encounters with the Lord and His voice for many right now that are going to come through paying attention to the children.

“At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;” – Matthew 11:25 (English Standard Version)

“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14 – ESV)

“Jesus overheard them and said, “I want little children to come to me, so never interfere with them when they want to come, for heaven’s kingdom realm is composed of beloved ones like these! Listen to this truth: No one will enter the kingdom realm of heaven unless he becomes like one of these!” Then he laid his hands on each of them and went on his way.” (Matthew 19:14 – TPT)

I began to see the many encountering the Lord through paying attention to the children and the Holy Spirit speaking through the mouths of babes. There are lessons, keys, impartations, and moments of encounter with the Lord that are taking place and will continue to take place for many through watching and paying attention to the children.

The Lord showed me that there are going to be significant prophetic words that are going to come out of the mouths of babes for many right now that is going to give many clearer direction and clarity in what the Lord is saying. The Lord is going to astound and confound by His voice and wisdom that will flow through the mouths of babes. It’s important to PAY ATTENTION.

The Lord showed me that there is going to be a ‘rearranging’ of PACE for many that are going to take place through paying attention to the children.

The Lord is going to release such a deep revelation of what it is like to live in “wide-eyed wonder” like a child to many right now that is going to see many by the direction of the Holy Spirit, change their pace, and make room in their lives for more time to sit at His feet in wide-eyed wonder, to slow down and be present and enjoy the little moments and not miss the beauty, revelation and His voice in the little things of every day. The Lord showed me through watching the children, the Holy Spirit will speak and there will be a rearranging of priorities for some that is going to make space for a new move of God in their lives that they have not anticipated or expected.

I heard the Lord say “I am going to teach many of My people again the place of JOY in Me and FUN with Me.”

The Lord said to me that the battle many have faced in this last season that many have forgotten the joy that it is to know Him and to not be so weighed down. We are in a serious and intense season, but the Lord showed me that many have forgotten what it is like to have fun with Him and to LAUGH.

The Lord is going to meet many who have been heavy laden and weighed down by life in moments with children that are going to bring forth such JOY, an explosive joy within hearts that will see the Holy Spirit breathing life back into hearts in those moments as they are reminded again through watching children what it is like to have fun and to laugh.

There is going to be a deeper level of encounter with the Lord revealing in greater ways what it looks like to live in childlike faith, to take the Lord at His Word, and to live in a deeper level of trust without fear. There is going to be a new level of joy that is going to spring forth in hearts as the Holy Spirit uses children to minister His heart for His people to walk in childlike faith and humility.

Some of your prayers are about to be answered, hearing the voice of the Lord, deeper revelation, and lessons the Lord is wanting to teach through, through the mouths of babes and watching them.

Pay attention to them! There are some monumental moments with the Lord set up for you by the Lord through children. Don’t allow distraction to rob you. Slow down and listen for Him closely, He’s speaking and revealing.

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pamphletstoinspire · 6 years

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The Church's Year - INSTRUCTION ON THE TUESDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The Introit of the Mass is:

INTROIT Receive the joy of your glory, allel.; giving thanks to God, allel.; who hath called you to a heavenly kingdom, allel., allel., allel. (IV. Esd. 2.) Attend, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. (Ps. LXXVII.)

COLLECT Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that the power of the Holy Ghost may be ever present with us to purify our hearts from sin, and to defend us from all adversity. Thro'.

LESSON (Acts VIII. 14-17) In those days, when the apostles that were in Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. Who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: for he was not as yet come upon any of them, but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon them and they received the Holy Ghost.

ON CONFIRMATION

Is Confirmation a Sacrament?

YES, for it has the three marks of a Sacrament: the visible sign, the invisible sanctifying grace, and institution by Christ.

Did Christ institute this Sacrament?

Christ is the Author of this Sacrament as He is of all the others, with this difference only, as St. Thomas of Aquin says, that He instituted this only by promise, for it was necessary that He should die, should rise from the dead, and ascend into heaven (John XVI. 7.) before giving the fulness of the Holy Ghost, in which consists the proper effect of this Sacrament. This according to the tradition of the Fathers, is the doctrine of the infallible Church. Thus St. Clement, a disciple of the apostles, writes that St. Peter taught him, and that the other apostles had also announced it, in accordance with the command of the Lord. That the apostles administered this Sacrament by Christ's command, is clear from the Acts of the Apostles (viii. i4?z7.) which state, that Peter and John laid their hands upon the newly baptized at Samaria, and prayed over them, thus imparting to them the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which St. Paul also did to the baptized at Ephesus. (Acts XIX. 5, 6.)

What, is the visible sign in confirmation?

The imposition of the bishop's hands, the anointing with holy chrism, and the words: N. N., I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, &c."

What graces are received in this Sacrament?

This Sacrament gives to those who have been baptized, the Holy Ghost with the plenitude of His gifts, and thus completes the grace of baptism; for which reason confirmation is also called by the holy Fathers: "Completion," "Sealing." It especially gives strength to profess the faith firmly, and to live in accordance with it, and is therefore called Confirmation from the Latin confirmare, to strengthen, to confirm; it elevates man, who has by baptism become a child of God, to the dignity of a soldier of Christ, enrolls him as a warrior under the banner of the cross, imprints upon him an indelible mark, and thus distinguishes him from those who have been baptized, but not confirmed, and can therefore be received but once.

Who has power to administer confirmation?

The ordinary ministers of this Sacrament are the bishops only; for according to the Acts of the Apostles (VIII. 16.) only the apostles and their successors who are bishops, can impart the Holy Ghost by imposition of hands.

What is the holy chrism which the bishop uses in confirmation?

The holy chrism which Christ commanded to be used in confirmation, consists of balsam and olive?oil mixed, and signifies the plenitude of grace which comes down from Christ through the Holy Ghost upon those to be confirmed; the balsam represents the good odor of the edifying life which those confirmed should lead, as said by the apostle: We are a good odor of Christ; (II Cor. II. 15.) the balsam also indicates, that as the bodies of the dead are preserved from corruption when embalmed with it, so the soul by the heavenly grace obtained in confirmation, is preserved from the infection of sin.

Why is the forehead anointed with chrism in the form of a cross?

To remind the Christian that he is never to be deterred by either shame or fear from the public acknowledgment of the name of Jesus, but must fight valiantly as a true soldier of Christ, under the banner of the cross, against all the enemies of his salvation.

Why does the bishop impose his hands upon those to be confirmed?

This indicates that the actual imparting of the Holy Ghost is taking place, (Heb. VI. 2.) and that the person confirmed is placed under God's special protection.

What prayers are said by the bishop while he imposes his hands upon those to be confirmed?

The bishop repeats the following prayers: Almighty, eternal God, who halt deigned to regenerate these Thy servants by water and the Holy Ghost, who hast also granted them the remission of all their sins, pour out from heaven the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit, Thy Paraclete. Amen.

The spirit of wisdom and understanding. Amen.

The spirit of counsel and of fortitude. Amen.

The spirit of knowledge and of piety. Amen.

Fill them with the spirit of fear towards Thee, and sign them with the sign, of the cross of Christ, granting them eternal life, through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who with Thee in the unity of, the same God,, the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth for all, eternity. Amen.

Why does the bishop ask especially for the spirit of the fear of the Lord?

Because the filial fear of the Lord is the foundation of all good, the beginning of all wisdom, the fountain of life, and gains for him who possesses it eternal happiness. (Ps. CXI. 1.)

Why does the bishop give those confirmed a slight blow on the cheek?

To remind them that like Christ and the apostles, they must courageously bear all adversities and persecutions for the holy faith, and thus obtain that true peace which the bishop wishes them.

Why do the sponsors lay their right hand on the shoulder of the one to be confirmed?

To show that they are witnesses of the renewal of his faith; that they will exhort him, when necessary, to preserve the faith; that they will walk before him in the true .path of virtue by good example. (In regard to the spiritual affinity arising from confirmation, see the instruction concerning baptism on the feast of the Holy Trinity.)

Is confirmation necessary for salvation?

It is not absolutely necessary for salvation, but he who having the opportunity would neglect to receive it, would commit a grievous sin, even a mortal sin, because he openly shows by this, that he has no regard for the assistance of the Holy Ghost: Baptism lays the foundation for the Christian religion, but confirmation crowns the work baptism has commenced, because in confirmation, as the Roman Catechism teaches, the form of a true Christian is perfected.

What is required of those who are to be confirmed?

They must be in the state of grace, or purified by a good confession from the sins committed after baptism, for, to receive this Sacrament while in mortal sin, would be a sacrilege; they should be well instructed in the truths of faith, especially in those relating to confirmation; they should have a sponsor or witness who has been confirmed; they should arouse in themselves a great desire for the gifts of the Holy Ghost; they should receive the Sacrament with great reverence and devotion, and while being confirmed should make the resolution to become and remain henceforth true, zealous Catholics; finally, those who are to be confirmed, should never forget that they must be present from the first imposition of hands by the bishop, because this is the especial signs to which the granting of the gifts of the Holy Ghost is annexed. It is seen from all this, that it is not advisable to allow infants to be confirmed, because they do not know what they receive, nor can they be properly prepared, and they can be saved even if they die without confirmation.

What should be done after receiving confirmation?

Those confirmed should remain in church some time, and thank the Holy Ghost for the graces received; renew the promise to serve God faithfully henceforth, and to preserve the faith. They should daily show themselves, by an edifying life, to be true Catholic Christians, and thus add to the truth that unbelievers may also see the fruits of confirmation, and learn to love and respect a Church, that gives such glorious gifts to her children.

PRAYER AFTER CONFIRMATION

[To be said often during the year.]

I thank Thee, O Holy Ghost, that Thou bast given me Thy grace in the Sacrament of Confirmation to strengthen me against all temptations and persecutions, and I most humbly beseech Thee that by Thy inward inspirations Thou mayst continually so urge me on, that in all the dangers to my salvation, I may faithfully cooperate with the graces I have received, and never from fear or false shame transgress the commandments of God and the Church. Let me die rather than ever offend Thee, O Holy Ghost, or refuse to heed Thy inspirations, or drive Thee from me by mortal sin. Amen.

#tuesday after pentecost

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lightshared · 5 years

Text

I SHOULD HAVE COME FILLED, BUT I SHOWED UP EMPTY

Word Application Session: Being Filled; Showing Up Filled

This is a summarized version of all the valuable points shared in the Hillsong Conference 2019.

Story Shared: Where to bury the body? Speaker shared that the character’s mother-in-law died in Jerusalem. He was asked if he would want her to be buried there where it would cost him 1000 USD, or if he wanted the body to be brought to their hometown where it would cost him 4000 USD. He said he would rather have her sent home even if it would cost 4x more.

When asked why, he said, “Oh because I heard that someone died here but also rose from the dead 3 days after.”

ACTIVITY 1: Write a word, a statement or a symbol that was said against you recently that caused you pain.

ACTIVITY 2: Write a word, a statement or a symbol that describes a situation that was not helpful to you.

ACTIVITY 3: Write a word, a statement or a symbol that describes a goal yet attained.

VERSE ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE SESSION

1 Kings 12:24

John 18:18

Proverbs 17:15

Ephesians 1:3

John 14:12

Matthew 3:17

1 Corinthians 3:19

Psalm 23:

Marck 4:

1 Kings 18:38

—

Spirit that submits and is willing turns a curse into a blessing

Anchored Verse: Romans 8:28

Testimony shared: John Gray’s compromised life.

Adversity is proportionate to destiny. Attack is proportionate to anointing.

There is victory - we can still come up victorious.

When are you filled?

GIVE / OVERFLOW - When you are able to give. When you overflow

PEACE AMIDST ADVERSITY - “I shall not be moved”

FREEDOM - When you feel free from bondage, free from guilt

Testimony shared: Rick Warren gives 93% of what he has. Only 7% is what he keeps. We can assume that he started it with 10% for the church then eventually increased to 93% that he gives out and shares now.

1.ALWAYS REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST

Anchored Verse: Matthew 3:17 "The Lord was pleased." But at this time, Jesus had not yet done any miracle. But why was he pleased?

Because Jesus was an abiding son;

Jesus stuck by His father

It is not in doing, but in being.

Talk shared: Carl Lentz on Christians always saying “the Big Man upstairs” or “the Big Man up there” “when the Big Man upstairs comes down” when we have to remember that if we’ve already received Him, He is already in our hearts.

Anchored Verse: Proverbs 17:15

The Lord condemns those who justifies the wicked and those who condemns the righteous.

The Lord hates the abomination.

God hates them because you are a child of God.

In Application: The only labor is to labor into rest.

God is going to accomplish everything that concerns you. We need to learn to give things up and let God. We are given the ability to rest.

Story shared:

What was the last line of Tony Stark in the last Avengers Movie? “I am Iron Man.”

Note that Iron Man was one of the few superheroes who identifies himself. Most of the superheroes hide behind a mask.

It is not the suit. It is the root.

We should know whom we represent.

In Application: Hardwork vs Rest

The bible tells us to do great and hardwork - perseverance and excellence.

But the bible also teaches us to learn to rest, to put things down, to learn to celebrate our hardwork.

In Application: “O Ayan ha. Naka rest ka na noh?"

People make us feel guilty for resting and so are bound to make us to harder work after.

But the right perspective is when we are recharged or well-rested, we are able to do better work.

2. LIVE ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU HAVE

Anchored Verse: Ephesians 1:3

Every spiritual blessing has been imparted to us.

The rock in the water will appear when you make the step.

Talk shared: Carl Lentz on the role of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit:

the Father initiates

the Son declares

the Holy Spirit executes

When translated in a metaphor in New York

the Father is the cartel

the Son is the kingpin

the Holy Spirit is the distributor in the street

Funny insert: When this is shared to people in the streets, they get it.

Anchored Verse: John 14:12

I can do more than what jesus did.

Example of great works: Journeying with kids. Intimacy and journeying with groups of people for a long time.

You have to know what you can do.

Talk shared: “Why did you walk away from what you can walk into?” —Carl Lentz

What could have been

Sometimes, we are too awkward for somebody and we can’t even stay

Anchored Verse: Psalm 2:7-8

Ask me and i will make the nations your inheritance.

Mindanao visit story

When the Lord is upon you, you go. You conquer.

A Call: Expand your world.

3. IDENTIFY AND FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE WAYS OF THE ENEMY

What does the enemy want? To bring people to hell. If he knows he is gonna die, might as well bring more people with him.

What are his two main strategies?

To the unbelievers - keep the unbelieving

To the believers - shut them up from sharing

Anchored Verse: 1 Cor 3:19 Wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.

Critical Analysis = Spiritual Analysis

Anchored Verse: Psalm 23:5

You prepare a feast before me in front of my enemies.

Talk shared: Louie Giglio on his anniversary and someone joined him in his table, but he had to cut it after being able to see clearly the intention of the stranger.

Do not let the enemy take a seat. Do not give a seat to the enemy because he will take all.

Strategy of the enemy: "You do not deserve a seat at the table." In effect, you do not feel worthy, then you don’t experience life in full.

You have to remind yourself that God has paid for it in full.

When God prepares, He prepares! You are a VIP.

Another strategy of the enemy: “There’s something better on the other table.”

Talk shared: “Is it the enemy or is it the inner me?" It doesn’t matter, because what’s important is: You respond to Christ in me.

Talk shared: Louie Giglio on sharing struggles:

When you’re going through struggles, don’t just share it with anybody.

Sheep don’t respond to sheep blood fairly. Fellow sheep freeze. They need shepherd.

Anchored Verse: John 1:22-24 Jesus entrusted himself to no man.

Because He knows man

He wasn’t cynical, He was realistic

You don’t buy the car to tune it up. You don’t take a break just so you can take a break. Always remember your objective

Talk shared: Bill Johnson

On his talk then pausing for about 10 seconds or longer. Then people started to clap.

He took a pause so people could absorb what he said.

Sometimes you need to rest to get it. It is only in rest that we are able to understand things.

There is value on the pause, value on the rest.

4. VENTURE OUTSIDE AFTER BEING FILLED ON THE INSIDE

The Holy Spirit is in you and he wants out.

In Application:

May our goal not just be in heaven but be brought here on earth.

May the kingdom be with me

May every place I visit, the kingdom has come

Anchored Verse: 1 King 18:38 The Battle Between Baal and Elijah

Fire fell on the sacrifice first

In Application:

In the morning, if you want to be blessed, sacrifice yourself first.

Funny insert: The problem with living sacrifice is that it goes crawling down the altar again.

Talk shared: Anthony and his question to his mentor about manifestations of God’s miracles:

Year 1: He wants to show you what He can do for you.

Next year onwards: He wants to reveal Himself to you.

In Application:

It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. It’s the how that God cares about.

Talk shared: Carl Lentz. People say, “You guys are like a crutch.” He says, “It’s not a crutch. It’s a whole hospital. I need all the help that I can get.”

Talk shared: “What if the prison that we live in is the one what we created?” —John Gray

Anchored Verse: John 4:14 We will never thirst.You’re not just a light, you’re a river. You’re here to pour out and fill.

5. ENTHUSIASM BEGINS WITH BEING IN GOD.

Whatever you are enthusiastic about, that’s your god. Your God will deliver you.

Jesus had both joy and sorrow.

The concept of “good grief”

Good is something that is desired and helpful

Grief is a sense of loss

“If it is for the better, it is for the good.”

#wagi #word application #word application group

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dfroza · 5 years

Text

will you stand for True nature?

will you stand for the truth in Love?

and Love is our beautiful Creator, who is God (who is Light)

with a revealing of His True nature as read in the Scriptures and a portion of Today’s reading being the closing of the ancient Letter of Titus:

[He Put Our Lives Together]

Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding, always ready to lend a helping hand. No insults, no fights. God’s people should be bighearted and courteous.

It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. It’s obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God. By persisting in divisiveness he cuts himself off.

As soon as I send either Artemas or Tychicus to you, come immediately and meet me in Nicopolis. I’ve decided to spend the winter there. Give Zenas the lawyer and Apollos a hearty send-off. Take good care of them.

Our people have to learn to be diligent in their work so that all necessities are met (especially among the needy) and they don’t end up with nothing to show for their lives.

All here want to be remembered to you. Say hello to our friends in the faith. Grace to all of you.

The Letter of Titus, Chapter 3 (The Message)

and again, mirrored in The Voice:

And remind them of this: respect the rulers and the courts. Obey them. Be ready to do what is good and honorable. Don’t tear down another person with your words. Instead, keep the peace, and be considerate. Be truly humble toward everyone because there was a time when we, too, were foolish, rebellious, and deceived—we were slaves to sensual cravings and pleasures; and we spent our lives being spiteful, envious, hated by many, and hating one another. But then something happened: God our Savior and His overpowering love and kindness for humankind entered our world; He came to save us. It’s not that we earned it by doing good works or righteous deeds; He came because He is merciful. He brought us out of our old ways of living to a new beginning through the washing of regeneration; and He made us completely new through the Holy Spirit, who was poured out in abundance through Jesus the Anointed, our Savior. All of this happened so that through His grace we would be accepted into God’s covenant family and appointed to be His heirs, full of the hope that comes from knowing you have eternal life. This is a faithful statement of what we believe.

Concerning this, I want you to put it out there boldly so that those who believe in God will be constant in doing the right things, which will benefit all of us. Listen, don’t get trapped in brainless debates; avoid competition over family trees or pedigrees; stay away from fights and disagreements over the law. They are a waste of your time. If a person is causing divisions in the community, warn him once; and if necessary, warn him twice. After that, avoid him completely because by then you are sure that you are dealing with a corrupt, sinful person. He is determined to condemn himself.

I am sending either Artemas or Tychicus to you. When one of them arrives, try your best to make your way to me at Nicopolis (I plan to spend the winter there). Do what you can to get Zenas (the lawyer) and Apollos on their way; make sure they have everything they need. Our people must learn to get involved when a need arises, particularly when the need is urgent. Teach them to do what is good so they won’t become unproductive members of the community.

Everyone with me sends his greetings. Greet all our friends in the faith. May grace be with all of you. [Amen.]

The Letter of Titus, Chapter 3 (The Voice)

along with inspiration from Today’s Psalms and Proverbs :

Even if we had forgotten the name of our God

or offered praise to another god,

Would not the True God have known it?

For He can see the hidden places of our hearts.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 44:20-21 (The Voice)

God, you know our every heart secret.

You know we still want you!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 44:21 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 65]

For the worship leader. A song of David.

All will stand in awe to praise You.

Praise will sweep through Zion, the Sacred City, O God.

Solemn vows uttered to You will now be performed.

You hear us pray in words and silence;

all humanity comes into Your presence.

Injustice overwhelms me!

But You forgive our sins, restoring as only You can.

You invite us near, drawing us

into Your courts—what an honor and a privilege!

We feast until we’re full on the goodness of Your house,

Your sacred temple made manifest.

You leave us breathless when Your awesome works answer us by putting everything right.

God of our liberation—

You are the hope of all creation, from the far corners of the earth

to distant life-giving oceans.

With immense power, You erected mountains.

Wrapped in strength, You compelled

Choppy seas,

crashing waves,

and crowds of people

To sit in astonished silence.

Those who inhabit the boundaries of the earth are awed by Your signs,

strong and subtle hints of Your indelible presence.

Even the dawn and dusk respond to You with joy.

You spend time on the good earth,

watering and nourishing the networks of the living.

God’s river is full of water!

By preparing the land,

You have provided us grain for nourishment.

You are the gentle equalizer: soaking the furrows,

smoothing soil’s ridges,

Softening sun-baked earth with generous showers,

blessing the fruit of the ground.

You crown the year with a fruitful harvest;

the paths are worn down by carts overflowing with unstoppable growth.

Barren desert pastures yield fruit;

craggy hills are now dressed for celebration.

Meadows are clothed with frolicking flocks of lambs;

valleys are covered with a carpet of autumn-harvest grain;

the land shouts and sings in joyous celebration.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 65 (The Voice)

with 65 being the alphabetic number of the word “music”

to be concluded by ancient wisdom from the book of Proverbs in chapter 3:

My child, if you truly want a long and satisfying life,

never forget the things that I’ve taught you.

Follow closely every truth that I’ve given you.

Then you will have a full, rewarding life.

Hold on to loyal love and don’t let go,

and be faithful to all that you’ve been taught.

Let your life be shaped by integrity,

with truth written upon your heart.

That’s how you will find favor and understanding

with both God and men—

you will gain the reputation of living life well.

[Wisdom’s Guidance]

Trust in the Lord completely,

and do not rely on your own opinions.

With all your heart rely on him to guide you,

and he will lead you in every decision you make.

Become intimate with him in whatever you do,

and he will lead you wherever you go.

Don’t think for a moment that you know it all,

for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion

and avoid everything that’s wrong.

Then you will find the healing refreshment

your body and spirit long for.

Glorify God with all your wealth,

honoring him with your very best,

with every increase that comes to you.

Then every dimension of your life will overflow with blessings

from an uncontainable source of inner joy!

[Wisdom’s Correction]

My child, when the Lord God speaks to you,

never take his words lightly,

and never be upset when he corrects you.

For the Father’s discipline comes only

from his passionate love and pleasure for you.

Even when it seems like his correction is harsh,

it’s still better than any father on earth gives to his child.

Those who find true wisdom obtain the tools for understanding,

the proper way to live,

for they will have a fountain of blessing pouring into their lives.

To gain the riches of wisdom is far greater

than gaining the wealth of the world.

As wisdom increases, a great treasure is imparted,

greater than many bars of refined gold.

It is a more valuable commodity than gold and gemstones,

for there is nothing you desire that could compare to her.

Wisdom extends to you long life in one hand

and wealth and promotion in the other.

Out of her mouth flows righteousness,

and her words release both law and mercy.

The ways of wisdom are sweet,

always drawing you into the place of wholeness.

Seeking for her brings the discovery of untold blessings,

for she is the healing tree of life to those who taste her fruits.

[Wisdom’s Blueprints]

The Lord laid the earth’s foundations with wisdom’s blueprints.

By his living-understanding all the universe came into being.

By his divine revelation he broke open

the hidden fountains of the deep,

bringing secret springs to the surface

as the mist of the night dripped down from heaven.

[Wisdom, Our Hiding Place]

My child, never drift off course from these two goals for your life:

to walk in wisdom and to discover discernment.

Don’t ever forget how they empower you.

For they strengthen you inside and out

and inspire you to do what’s right;

you will be energized and refreshed by the healing they bring.

They give you living hope to guide you,

and not one of life’s tests will cause you to stumble.

You will sleep like a baby, safe and sound—

your rest will be sweet and secure.

You will not be subject to terror, for it will not terrify you.

Nor will the disrespectful be able to push you aside,

because God is your confidence in times of crisis,

keeping your heart at rest in every situation.

[Wisdom in Relationships]

Why would you withhold payment on your debt

when you have the ability to pay? Just do it!

When your friend comes to ask you for a favor,

why would you say, “Perhaps tomorrow,”

when you have the money right there in your pocket?

Help him today!

Why would you hold a grudge in your heart

toward your neighbor who lives right next door?

And why would you quarrel with those

who have done nothing wrong to you?

Is that a chip on your shoulder?

Don’t act like those bullies or learn their ways.

Every violent thug is despised by the Lord,

but every tender lover finds friendship with God

and will hear his intimate secrets.

The wicked walk under God’s constant curse,

but godly lovers walk under a stream of his blessing,

for they seek to do what is right.

If you walk with the mockers you will learn to mock,

but God’s grace and favor flow to the meek.

Stubborn fools fill their lives with disgrace,

but glory and honor rest upon the wise.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 3 (The Passion Translation)

my reading in the Scriptures for August 3, day 44 of Summer and day 215 of the year:

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adambarnardphotos · 7 years

Text

The Undertaker and The Undeniable Truth

The crowd booed loudly as The Undertaker walked down the entrance ramp of the Spectrum in Philadelphia in 1992. Led in the ring by the equally pale and slightly more unnerving Paul Bearer, Undertaker set his sights for the ring, ominously sizing up his opponent. I felt the warmth of the stadium dissipate, giving way to a cold that ran up my spine, or so I had thought I’d felt. I sat with my eyes wide open under the bent brim of my Seattle Mariners hat, mesmerized by this gigantic and, apparently undead, man walk slowly and methodically towards the ring. I had no idea what “kayfabe” meant as a squirmy seven year old. I just knew this thing was the scariest thing I’d ever seen, and that my attention was completely focused on him. I was so entranced in his entrance, I couldn’t hear the roar of the crowd as his opponent, Jake “the Snake” Roberts, entered the ring to begin their match. I was captivated by the energy, the pageantry, the excitement of a WWE (then WWF) live event, and The Undertaker captured all of that by himself.

That day at the Spectrum was a wonderful touchstone in a lifelong fanaticism with professional wrestling. My brothers and I spent hours acting out all of our favorite promos from the Ultimate Warrior, belting out the theme songs of our favorite Superstars, and became deeply distressed at any sign of Hulk Hogan losing the upper hand. Saturday mornings were sacred, the squared circle our church, and the Superstars our Biblical figures, with their storylines as hallowed as the stories of Moses and Abraham. I can’t think of my childhood without the thought of the WWE in my mind. My brothers and I agonized over which Superstar would win the Royal Rumble and who, if anyone, would beat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. WWE had grown with us, with Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage giving way to Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, then giving way to The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Each year that passed brought a new storyline to become deeply involved with, new drama to be captivated by, a new Wrestlemania to desperately wait for.

We couldn’t have known as children the impact The Undertaker would have on professional wrestling and a generation of children, including the wide eyed, brown haired little boy in the nosebleed section of the Spectrum that day in 1992. His storied career has spanned more than three decades, the majority of that time as “The Deadman”. We watched him slay giants, be buried alive, become one of the darkest villains in the history of sports entertainment, transform into the American Bad Ass, and then take his rightful throne as the real “Mr. Wrestlemania” (sorry, Shawn Michaels, but you know it’s true). Last night, after his loss to Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 33, the Deadman placed the pieces that made him iconic in the middle of the ring and symbolically brought an end to his historic career.

Life is funny sometimes. Some days bring reminders of good moments in your life. A cigarette smell brings you right back to the afternoon you spent swimming in your Uncle Lon’s swimming pool, while he enjoyed his Marlboro Lights and black coffee on the covered porch of his Levittown home. A crack of a baseball bat connecting with a 98 mile an hour pitch sends you to the hazy summer afternoon spent in the blue seats of Veterans Stadium with your brothers, dad, and favorite perpetual teenager, Uncle Rick. Waves crashing against the sandy beach transports you to the summer of your first vacation crush when you went to Cape May Courthouse with your mom and brothers, and the impending heartbreak that comes with saying goodbye when the trip is over. While her name has been eternally lost in translation between your short and long term memories, you can see her brown hair blowing in the wind as you threw sea shells into the ocean with her, and you can hear her laugh at the terrible joke you told her seconds before she kissed you. Wonderful, amazing moments that push the course of your life in new, exciting directions, and these life receipts, whether tangible or connected to senses, connect you directly to your past.

Other days are reminders of mortality and the unstoppable aging process that precedes our inevitable fate. Those reminders perpetually yield an absolute sadness, a melancholy that lingers over my daily routine like an obnoxious itch on your leg after a mosquito bite. It’s like a bitter aftertaste from a terrible drink your brother swore was delicious, and you knew better than to trust him on his decision making, but you drank it anyway, and no amount of water will dilute its foul remnants. No one and no actual thing prepares you for each loss you experience in life, nor do they buffer you from the successive losses of your childhood that accompany each passing year. There’s no guide to prepare for the first major loss in your life, as Uncle Lon slips away from cancer. The life lessons and tough skin Uncle Lon’s passing brought most certainly did not prepare you for the loss of Uncle Rick, also from cancer. Although you were older when Uncle Rick got sick, and you “convinced” yourself you could handle it because you knew it was coming, that the inevitability of his passing was sealed in his book of life, you’d literally give anything to sit and enjoy a Burger King cheeseburger and talk Phillies with him for another five minutes. You lose close friends by way of accident, and each loss never gets easier, as if I’m expecting the sudden, unexpected, and emotionally devastating passing of Scott Palek to somehow cushion me from the air constricting, guttural reaction I experience when learning Jeremy Fischer passed. Forty pounds and twice a day anxiety medicine told me that I wasn’t cushioned at all. They all become immediate reminders that the only constant in life is death, and, to quote John Mayer, “we’re never going to stop this train.”

Wrestlemania 33 brought one more reminder of this nonstop train. I remember speaking to my wife a few days before Wrestlemania 33, and saying, “I can’t believe Taker’s wrestling again. I don’t know how much more his body can take. He’s getting older, he’s probably past time to hang it up.” I said these things, not at all expecting him to do just that. I had the same thoughts about Goldberg, Sting, and other titans of professional wrestling coming back for one more round. Like Goldberg and Sting, The Undertaker owes us no more than he’s already given us. He’s entertained me, my brothers, and legions of fans across decades, putting his body and safety on the line in death defying, jaw dropping, heart pounding fashions, each and every time. I, like so many others, plead for more entertainment, more excitement, more action, but in reality, we’re pleading for a return to times long past. We project these fleeting wishes onto The Undertaker, a man who represents the last tangible piece of those times. The Undertaker hasn’t transitioned into that next plane of existence, like Robin Williams, The Ultimate Warrior, Chris Farley, Ryan Dunn, and countless other people, places, and things that no longer exist but in memory. The idea of him, however, his aura, and what he represents, now joins that plane in my mind. The Undertaker was the last tangible piece of my childhood that existed. I could watch his matches and remember that day vividly in the Spectrum, and become lost again as a child, discussing with my brothers whether or not was really dead and what was really in that urn. As I turn the calendar of another year of life, I find myself a year older, and another year as a father. I’ve shifted the life roles from child to father, and my father has become the wise grandfather, imparting wisdom and guidance on days where I can’t imagine my children acting any worse, and him gently reminding me that days like today don’t come back, and the better way to view life was to just breath and enjoy the ride. I snap back into the moment, looking towards two sets of little eyes above chocolate covered faces, and then repeating the Aladdin song to hear the sweet singing voice of my oldest serenade me one more time.

The seven year old boy is crying quietly, arms draped on the railing of the Spectrum, pulling his bent brimmed Seattle Mariners hat over his face to hide the tears, as another one of his heroes, and another, perhaps final, piece of his childhood makes the inevitable transition from present to past, short term to long term memory, taking its place with Uncle Lon, Uncle Rick, lost loves at the beach, and infinite life receipts, to peek out from time to time to remind us of who we are, the roads we’ve traveled, and where we’re headed next.

But I’m sitting here, typing through tears, saying “…maybe one more match for us? Please?”

Thank you for everything, Mark Calaway. You have made my life better and enjoyable in measurable ways I’m not sure I could accurately describe, and I thank you for every single moment of joy, excitement, and entertainment you’ve provided me.

#undertaker #wwe #retirement #wrestlemania #death

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chezlekipper · 7 years

Text

Need To Know Pt. 1

alrighty then...

@pinknoonicorn @incredifishface

Frostiron modern Corporate AU (security firm) featuring escort!Loki

There’s at least four further short chapters outlined but gods only know when they’ll be posted :D

[unbetaed. will be heading in to NSFW. will probably go up on AO3 with proper tags at some point]

Still, having listened to tales of Loki's intelligence, his cleverness, and his gosh-darn charitable good-heartedness from his doting elder brother, Tony was surprised almost in to speechlessness when he was finally introduced to him at the firm's regular yay-it's-practically-the-weekend-after-work-drinks and realised they'd met before...

Well, Hello

Thor had been beside himself for over a week: his baby brother was coming home from his extended gap-year/s-backpacking-adventures across the world, and this time he was staying!

Tony could've reminded his colleague that ickle Loki had said that before then changed his mind on a whim and flitted off again. Three times so far. But Tony didn't remind him of that because he was a good friend, and Thor was so transparently hopeful that this time his brother would stay, settle down, utilise that massive intellect and go to one of the half dozen Colleges that were lining up for him.

Tony didn't know what Thor's beef with his brother's footloose lifestyle was anyway. Thor hadn't gone straight from school to College - or University as they were called in Merry Olde England - he'd had a life before signing up for his double degree. Maybe the kid didn't want to study? Not everybody did! Not continuing on in formal education didn't mean he'd be wasting his gifts, no matter what Thor thought. And, from what Thor had told Tony - exhaustively - even their parents were less worried about Loki becoming a responsible member of society than Thor was. But, Tony guessed that's what happened when you were pleasantly surprised by a new baby in your middle age. With years of experience in child-rearing already there was probably way less fucks left to give. Tony wouldn’t know, he was allergic to children.

Now, he'd seen the photos in Thor's office, and the ones that'd been shoved under his nose - here's Loki up to his elbows in mud building a well; reroofing an orphanage; a goofy selfie with street urchins in Guatemala - but they had little resemblance to the rock star sex god that'd showed up at his hotel in Hamburg last year. Undoubtedly though, they were the same person. Same height, same broad shoulders on a slender frame, same apparently genuinely green eyes that had widened ever so slightly when Thor presented him proudly to Tony.

Loki recovered quickly, smiled broadly and stuck out his hand to shake.

"Tony, right? Pleased to meet you. Thor's told me so much about you."

So that's the way they were going to play it? Fair enough.

"Loki, good to finally meet you. Thor's been singing your praises for years."

The young man mock-groaned and rolled his eyes at his brother standing beside him, radiating indulgence.

"Oh god, what's he been saying?"

"The usual; how his creative, intelligent, sainted sibling has been travelling the world devoting his time to good works."

"Oh that." Loki waved a hand dismissively. Tony tried not to fixate on his long, long fingers, no nail polish this time, or where they'd been the last time they'd met. "Yes, I do a lot of volunteer work for charities. It's very rewarding."

Tony's grin was wolfish.

"I give a lot of money to charity but that's not the same thing, is it?"

Loki flashed him a sharp-edged look then settled his features in to one of studied thoughtfulness.

"I do a lot of work with the frail elderly, too. Such dears, some of them. It's so... uplifting bringing them joy at the end of their long, long lives."

You little shit.

"And they'd have so much wisdom to impart, to the young and inexperienced."

"Not as much as you'd think."

There was the smallest of frowns forming between Thor's perfect, blond eyebrows. He wasn't an idiot, he was probably sensing the undercurrent of barbs.

Loki's smug smirk tightened a little as he caught sight of something over Tony's shoulder. He turned to his brother.

"Sorry, Thor, I've got to go."

They were very nearly as tall as each other but aside from a sort of similarity around their eyes there wasn't much to mark them as siblings.

"But you've just got here."

"I think I'm still jet-lagged. I'll see you back at the apartment, yeah?"

"All right." Thor looked resigned. "Do you have your keys?"

"Yes, and my wallet. And the cab charge card. I'm a big boy now, Thor, I can look after myself."

Thor rumbled something, unhappily, that Tony didn't catch because he was distracted by the tip of Loki's tongue provocatively caressing his upper lip as he looked sideways at him.

The brothers had hugged and Loki had darted off, but not so fast Tony didn't get an eyeful of his nicely filled jeans and miles and miles of - he knew - toned legs.

"Okay, bye! Nice to meet you." Tony called after him.

Was he watching his ass? Of course he was. It was a great ass. The tactile memory was making his fingers tingle.

Thor heaved a sigh.

"I would've liked for him to stay for a bit and chat, meet the rest of my friends."

"Next time." Tony patted him on the arm, impressed as always with the solid bulk expertly camouflaged by perfect tailoring to not look dumb in a suit. "He's going to be here for a while yet, isn't he?"

"You're right!" A radiant smile spread across Thor's model-beautiful face. "I could bring him over to the offices, show him around."

Oh, you do that, please.

"Do that. I'll order sushi!" Tony grinned, shoved at Thor lightly. "Go. Drink. Enjoy the open tab. You've got the whole weekend to reconnect with your baby bro."

With Thor soothed Tony turned around to survey the bar. Loki had seen something that had hastened his departure. What was it? The only difference Tony could spot was that Fandral was back from the bathroom and now loudly telling an off-colour joke to a tolerantly amused bar chick.

Oh, Fandral. His brother in dissolution. Who'd given him the number of the escort agency he'd made use of while in Europe.

Would Fandral recognise 'Terri', 'cause 'Terri' had obviously recognised him.

Awkward.

#frostiron #fanfic #writing #need to know

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sarahburness · 6 years

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Soften into Life and You Will be Strong

“It’s the hard things that break; soft things don’t break…You can waste so many years of your life trying to become something hard in order not to break; but it’s the soft things that can’t break! The hard things are the ones that shatter into a million pieces!” ~C Joybell C

Language is a powerful thing. Though often dismissed as “semantics,” the imagery our words and terminology impart often adds unintended or even misguided connotations onto what we intend to say.

This is why it is so difficult to speak about spirituality. When we say “God” or “salvation” or even “peace,” those words can bear an unintended doctrinal, political, or social stamp on them that means something very different to the listener than it does to the speaker.

A prime example of this is the “hardness” imagery that is woven into many words intended to be positive, such as “strong” or “tough.” We want to be “strong” and “tough,” to be able to handle all of life’s trials and tribulations without cracking.

However, these words often morph into an image of hardness. When we are strong, we hunker down, grit out teeth, and bear it. When we are tough, we “power through” the bad times.

The short-term result is often satisfying. The hard person bounces back quickly from a failed marriage or an illness or losing a long-term job. The trouble, however, is often found beneath the surface and in the long-term. What happens when someone spends a lifetime hunkering down and powering though?

To use a cliché, the tree that doesn’t bend, breaks. A hard tree can endure a lot, but when a strong wind blows, it cracks and falls over. Let’s look at a bunch of images to see this more clearly.

Brené Brown talks of armor. We put on armor to avoid the hurt. That used to be a way of life for me.

I once knew someone who had endured a lot of trauma as a child, having been abused and betrayed by people to whom he was vulnerable.

His survival mechanism developed through these experiences was to not go too deep with people, to hold his cards close to the vest and not open up. This was easier, he explained, because when you were done with someone, you could just move on easily without feeling the hurt.

What followed in his wake were broken relationships and broken people, who he was able to step past.

But what does it mean when you don’t let people in and open yourself up to them? You avoid the hurt, but you also miss the intimacy, the connection, and the depth of an open, honest relationship.

Indeed, how can you even really be in love with someone if you erect an emotional barrier in the way? You can’t.

As Brené Brown explains, you can cut off feelings—the good and the bad—but you can’t isolate and block out specific types of feelings.

In order to feel joy and intimacy, you need to allow yourself the vulnerability that will also inevitably lead at times to pain.

In order to love, you have to deal with the eventual certainty of loss. Otherwise, you’re just kind of numb. You’re not really there.

People need connection. What happens to someone who moves through life while keeping everyone at arm’s length? What happens to people who don’t show themselves for who they are? I should know—I often avoided authenticity and vulnerability in order to protect myself.

I was an alpha male. Having grown up in a household where I was set upon by my parents, I learned not to be vulnerable. I became a go-getter—determined, accomplished, and always putting on a strong front, strutting around to ward off those who would hurt me.

What this meant, though, is that I struggled to find that one person with whom I could be completely honest, and when I did, I put all my eggs in that basket. Hence, when my relationship ended, I was destroyed.

The more you hurt, the more you fear. The more you fear, the thicker the armor you wear. The thicker your armor, the more it weighs you down. When my armor finally cracked and fell off, it led to a complete breakdown. It was during the recovery from that breakdown that I learned what real strength was.

I had been determined. I fixed my sights on goals, typically those that would bring me recognition, and I achieved them. These goals conformed with what is commonly viewed as “success”—wealth, influence, and renown. So, I doggedly stuck to the path, my eyes always forward instead of looking around me. I was tough.

Life is a long road with many forks. My eyes on the prize, I was unwavering and kept going left. Unfortunately, life was telling me in so many ways to go right.

I lived in a city that didn’t at all conform with what I valued. I stayed in a relationship that exhibited many warning signs. I had a high-powered, well-compensated job that drained all of my time and energy. I was literally sick—in the hospital multiple times each year when I had almost never been in one before that.

When the pain became too much, I fell apart, and at that point, I had no choice but to go right.

In that moment, all my hardness couldn’t see me through. And that’s what suffering is: it’s the great teacher that tells keeps telling you where to go, and the more you try to power through, the more painful and prolonged it will be. Then you soften up and go right, and everything changes.

Not surprisingly, nature inspired me with the most fitting, if obscure, image: a salt marsh.

Salt marshes are a natural habitat along coastlines. During storms, salt marshes absorb the force of large waves, which travel into the marshes, lose momentum, and dissipate. If they even hit the shore, the waves retai a fraction of their former strength, and the coast is thus protected. Sand dunes serve a similar function.

Over time, people have degraded and destroyed these fragile habitats, making storms even more dangerous and destructive.

To protect harbors, people have built sea walls made of stone. These walls appear strong, but over time sea walls crumble with the force of being slammed by powerful waves or can even cause more destruction when waves ricocheting off of them create violent chop in the water.

When you are a sea wall, you smack the waves away. The waves hit other people and objects and smack you back. Your resistance creates wake, which damages others and eventually, after a long time, causes you to collapse.

Instead, be a salt marsh. Absorb the waves and let them pass through you. Accept them. You will be hit with enormous force, but you will not lend that force any more energy. If left unpolluted and unspoiled, salt marshes will survive forever.

Underneath the hard armor that weighs you down, you’re soft. When you are a salt marsh, your softness absorbs the waves. The hard sea wall smacks them away. A flexible tree bends with the storm, while the hard one doesn’t waver—until it breaks.

Somehow this image works for so many of spirituality’s life lessons. Let hurt soften you; don’t let it harden you. Let that time someone hurt you open your heart up to compassion for all of those who are hurting. Let it be a reminder in the moment to be more forgiving.

When an experience is difficult, you can fight with it. But if you surrender to it, let down your walls, and be open to the experience, and you will grow from the pain. Give up the hard walls and soften yourself up to what comes your way.

When floating down the river of life, you’re totally right to swim in the direction you’d like to go. But paddle too hard against the current, and you’ll drown. Try going soft and floating, seeing where the river will take you—it’s not like you have that much of a choice anyway!

Bravely learn to relax with life and see what happens, and you will make decisions with more wisdom and take actions with more power than if you were fighting.

As Pema Chödrön says, “stop protecting your soft spot…stop armoring your heart.” Likewise, “wretchedness humbles us and softens us…Gloriousness and wretchedness need each other. One inspires us, the other softens us.”

Maybe it’s something like a rule: when you’re in a moment in which your instincts are telling you to be hard, before you act at least take a moment to consider what being soft would look like. What would the soft option be, what could result, and who might you become?

As a hard alpha-male, I made it far in life. By age thirty, I had been in meetings in the West Wing of the White House, worked with Fortune 500 Company CEOs, been to more than fifty countries, and made lots of money. But that year, I also fell apart, and it took a few years to put myself back together again.

Now, I’m a struggling entrepreneur. I gave up the suits and the flights and the tough talk. However, though I’ve been through a lot since the big change, I walked—not powered—through it with so much more clarity and even strength than before. I went soft.

Contemplate softness.

About Joshua Kauffman

Joshua Kauffman is a recovering over-achiever and workaholic. Leaving behind a high-powered life in business, he has become a world traveler, aspiring coach, and entrepreneur of pretty things. Amateur author of a recent memoir Footprints Through The Desert, he is trying to find ways to share his awakening experience, particularly to those lost in the rat race like he was.

Get in the conversation! Click here to leave a comment on the site.

The post Soften into Life and You Will be Strong appeared first on Tiny Buddha.

from Tiny Buddha https://tinybuddha.com/blog/soften-into-life-and-you-will-be-strong/

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daniellesmithtv · 7 years

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Put Goodbye Christopher Robin on Your Must-See List

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

I was just a little girl when I first fell in love with the magic and simplicity of Winnie the Pooh. He seemed, at once, to be surrounded by friends who understood him, he had a special way of making the mundane magical, and the little bits of wisdom he and his motley crew imparted were ones that have continued to resonate with me as I grew up. They spoke of friendship, of gratitude, of stepping outside your comfort zone, embracing the stillness and seeing the beauty in self.

In fact, my very first best friend – way back in kindergarten – shared the name of my beloved Christopher Robin. In my imagination, he and I explored the Hundred Acre Woods, while the reality was our school sandbox and playground.

So, as you might speculate, it was with great interest that I immersed myself in Goodbye, Christopher Robin, a new release promising to share the story behind the stories we love.

I don’t know if I ever realized that A.A. Milne plucked Winnie and Kanga, Piglet and Rabbit, Tigger and Owl…not so much from his own imagination, but that of his son, Christopher Robin.

“We didn’t realize we were making memories, we were just having fun.” Christopher Robin

Young Christopher has always been real to me, but not REAL. And, in fact, without spoiling the plot, I must share that he is, in some ways beautifully real and in others a treasure of whatever direction your imagination takes.

The truth behind the Hundred Acre Woods and A.A. Milne’s authorship of our favorite bear is not as cuddly as you may hope. (or honestly, as I hoped.) A.A. Milne, portrayed by Domnhall Gleeson, is a traumatized veteran of World War I…unable to cope with the post traumatic stress that comes with the experience he both lived and witnessed. His wife, Daphne (Margot Robbie) admits to having a child to make her husband happy, wishes her fancy London life had not been interrupted and struggles to play the family role. She is clearly a detached mother, but also the one who brings the many Hundred Acre Woods characters to life for her toddler son. Piglet, Eyeore and Kanga are all gifts and tea-time companions that Daphne helped to voice, create and bring to life.

Piglet: “How do you spell love?” Pooh: “You don’t spell it, you feel it.”

There is a disheartening and painful disconnect between parent and child…a reminder, to me at least, to stop, play and appreciate their youth and heart before it is gone.

Unlike the whimsical world that finds Pooh and Piglet hand-in-hand, this version, set in the beautiful, but isolated, true Hundred Acre Woods, has moments of darkness, of heartbreak and loss. At its core, Goodbye Christopher Robin allows us to see how a child, ultimately raised by a nanny he adored (Kelly Macdonald), was exploited by his parents during and after the process of creating the series.

But, much like you and I always count on Pooh to be, it is honest.

I was honored to be a guest at the premiere and red carpet gala of Goodbye Christopher Robin in New York City this past week.

I spoke with composer, Carter Burwell, with Domhnall Gleeson (A.A. Milne) and with the ever-dimpled and charming Will Tilston (Christopher Robin). You can see my interview with Will below…but a quick preview – prepare to be awed by his grasp of the movie, his role and its effect on all people – big and small.

youtube

– New York, NY – 10/11/17 – FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES presents “GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN” New York Special Screening & Reception – Pictured: Margot Robbie , Domhnall Gleeson, Will Tilston and Kelly MacDonald – Photo by: Dave Allocca/Starpix -Location: Astor Hall at The New York Public Library

In young Tillston’s words….the movie shares a window in to the world of Winnie the Pooh that many of us have never seen or heard, that one child’s childhood was sacrificed to bring joy to many children.

If for nothing else, watch to hear him tell me how he enjoyed the filming process, (“Oh my god…on a scale of 1 to 10? An eleven!”)

“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?”

Goodbye Christopher Robin opened in a few select cities on October 13th, but will open in many more on October 20th.

Put Goodbye Christopher Robin on your Must-See list.

The post Put Goodbye Christopher Robin on Your Must-See List appeared first on Pretty Extraordinary.

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literateape · 7 years

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Wisdom of the Creatives

By Alan Lake

"Creativity, n. The essence of life. When it’s over, you're dead."

"Creativity is what artists have to keep from blowing strangers' brains out—or their own."

Mark Panick — Musician/singer/songwriter from Bonemen of Barumba, Razorhouse and Black Friars Social Club. Here’s a video of his I quite like:

Victorrio Giustino — Writer, poet, historian, media commentator, radio talk show host knower of all things Chicago.

Hegina Rodrigues — Brazilian outsider artist

"My quest is to paint intangible feelings- to illustrate the inner distortions of our emotions."

"Creativity to me is like a heart beat, without it your dead!"

Jon Langford — A Welsh expatriate residing in Chicago, Jon is a musician (Mekons, Waco Brothers) a Bloodshot Records recording artist and a painter.

Don Hall — Storyteller, cultural organizer, events producer, provocateur, podcaster, actor, director.

Jason Vincent — Executive chef/co-owner Giant, Chicago

"Creativity is discovery: finding something that wasn’t there before..."

Mike Nagrant — Chicago food writer and critic, contributor to the James Beard award-winning Alinea cookbook.

JC Brooks — Lead singer of Bloodshot Records soul band JC Brooks and the Uptown Sounds and a trained actor. Here’s their excellent cover of the Wilco classic I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.

"I just try to do the best I can with what the spirits give me to work with."

Jason Brock — Award-winning writer, editor, filmmaker, composer, artist.

Why not take one's life and steer it, rather than listen to the protestations of less valiant persons hiding from the possible?"

Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg — Authors and winners of two James Beard Awards for The Flavor Bible and Becoming a Chef. Here’s a link to an interview I did with them a few years ago.

***

#creativity #art #music

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dfroza · 4 years

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Today’s reading of the ancient Psalms and Proverbs

for Saturday, february 1 of 2020 with Psalm 1 and Proverbs 1, along with Psalm 43 for the 43rd day of Winter (as a mirroring of the alphabetic number 43 of the word “book”) and Psalm 32 for day 32 of 2020 (as a mirroring of the alphabetic number 32 of the word “Eve”)

[Book 1]

The Genesis Psalms

Psalms of man and creation

The Tree of Life

What delight comes to the one who follows God’s ways!

He won’t walk in step with the wicked,

nor share the sinner’s way,

nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat.

His pleasure and passion is remaining true to the Word of “I Am,”

meditating day and night in the true revelation of light.

He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree

planted by God’s design,

deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,

bearing fruit in every season of his life.

He is never dry, never fainting,

ever blessed, ever prosperous.

But how different are the wicked.

All they are is dust in the wind—

driven away to destruction!

The wicked will not endure the day of judgment,

for God will not defend them.

Nothing they do will succeed or endure for long,

for they have no part with those who walk in truth.

But how different it is for the righteous!

The Lord embraces their paths as they move forward

while the way of the wicked leads only to doom.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 1 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 43]

Light and Truth

For the Pure and Shining One, by the prophetic singers of Korah’s clan

A contemplative poem for instruction

God, clear my name.

Plead my case against the unjust charges

of these ungodly workers of wickedness.

Deliver me from these lying degenerates.

For you are where my strength comes from and my protector,

so why would you leave me now?

Must I be covered with gloom

while the enemy comes after me, gloating with glee?

Pour into me the brightness of your daybreak!

Pour into me your rays of revelation-truth!

Let them comfort and gently lead me onto the shining path,

showing the way into your burning presence,

into your many sanctuaries of holiness.

Then I will come closer to your very altar

until I come before you, the God of my ecstatic joy!

I will praise you with the harp that plays in my heart,

to you, my God, my magnificent God!

Then I will say to my soul,

“Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed,

for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me.

Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.”

Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 43 (The Passion Translation)

to be repeated in The Voice:

[Psalm 43]

Plead for me; clear my name, O God. Prove me innocent

before immoral people;

Save me from their lies,

their unjust thoughts and deeds.

You are the True God—my shelter, my protector, the one whom I lean on.

Why have You turned away from me? Rejected me?

Why must I go around, overwrought, mourning,

suffering under the weight of my enemies?

O my God, shine Your light and truth

to help me see clearly,

To lead me to Your holy mountain,

to Your home.

Then I will go to God’s altar with nothing to hide.

I will go to God, my rapture;

I will sing praises to You and play my strings,

unloading my cares, unleashing my joys, to You, God, my God.

O my soul, why are you so overwrought?

Why are you so disturbed?

Why can’t I just hope in God? Despite all my emotions, I will hope in God again.

I will believe and praise the One

who saves me and is my life,

My Savior and my God.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 43 (The Voice)

[Psalm 32]

Forgiven

A poem of insight and instruction, by King David

How happy and fulfilled are those

whose rebellion has been forgiven,

those whose sins are covered by blood.

How blessed and relieved are those

who have confessed their corruption to God!

For he wipes their slates clean

and removes hypocrisy from their hearts.

Before I confessed my sins, I kept it all inside;

my dishonesty devastated my inner life,

causing my life to be filled with frustration,

irrepressible anguish, and misery.

The pain never let up, for your hand of conviction

was heavy on my heart.

My strength was sapped, my inner life dried up

like a spiritual drought within my soul.

Pause in his presence

Then I finally admitted to you all my sins,

refusing to hide them any longer.

I said, “My life-giving God,

I will openly acknowledge my evil actions.”

And you forgave me!

All at once the guilt of my sin washed away

and all my pain disappeared!

Pause in his presence

This is what I’ve learned through it all:

All believers should confess their sins to God;

do it every time God has uncovered you

in the time of exposing.

For if you do this, when sudden storms of life overwhelm,

you’ll be kept safe.

Lord, you are my secret hiding place,

protecting me from these troubles,

surrounding me with songs of gladness!

Your joyous shouts of rescue release my breakthrough.

Pause in his presence

I hear the Lord saying, “I will stay close to you,

instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life.

I will advise you along the way

and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide.

So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn

when I take you where you’ve not been before.

Don’t make me tug you and pull you along.

Just come with me!”

So my conclusion is this:

Many are the sorrows and frustrations

of those who don’t come clean with God.

But when you trust in the Lord for forgiveness,

his wrap-around love will surround you.

So celebrate the goodness of God!

He shows this kindness to everyone who is his.

Go ahead—shout for joy,

all you upright ones who want to please him!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 32 (The Passion Translation)

to be repeated in The Voice from verse 1-7:

How happy is the one whose wrongs are forgiven,

whose sin is hidden from sight.

How happy is the person whose sin the Eternal will not take into account.

How happy are those who no longer lie, to themselves or others.

When I refused to admit my wrongs, I was miserable,

moaning and complaining all day long

so that even my bones felt brittle.

Day and night, Your hand kept pressing on me.

My strength dried up like water in the summer heat;

You wore me down.

[pause]

When I finally saw my own lies,

I owned up to my sins before You,

and I did not try to hide my evil deeds from You.

I said to myself, “I’ll admit all my sins to the Eternal,”

and You lifted and carried away the guilt of my sin.

[pause]

So let all who are devoted to You

speak honestly to You now, while You are still listening.

For then when the floods come, surely the rushing water

will not even reach them.

You are my hiding place.

You will keep me out of trouble

and envelop me with songs that remind me I am free.

[pause]

The Book of Psalms, Poem 32:1-7 (The Voice)

[Proverbs 1]

The Prologue

Here are kingdom revelations, words to live by, and words of wisdom given to empower you to reign in life, written as proverbs by Israel’s King Solomon, David’s son.

Within these sayings will be found the revelation of wisdom and the impartation of spiritual understanding. Use them as keys to unlock the treasures of true knowledge.

Those who cling to these words will receive discipline to demonstrate wisdom in every relationship and to choose what is right and just and fair.

These proverbs will give you great skill to teach the immature and make them wise, to give youth the understanding of their design and destiny.

For the wise, these proverbs will make you even wiser, and for those with discernment, you will be able to acquire brilliant strategies for leadership.

These kingdom revelations will break open your understanding to unveil the deeper meaning of parables, poetic riddles, and epigrams, and to unravel the words and enigmas of the wise.

How then does a man gain the essence of wisdom? We cross the threshold of true knowledge when we live in obedient devotion to God. Stubborn know-it-alls will never stop to do this, for they scorn true wisdom and knowledge.

[The Wisdom of a Father]

Pay close attention, my child, to your father’s wise words and never forget your mother’s instructions.

For their insight will bring you success, adorning you with grace-filled thoughts and giving you reins to guide your decisions.

When peer pressure compels you to go with the crowd and sinners invite you to join in, you must simply say, “No!”

When the gang says—“We’re going to steal and kill and get away with it. We’ll take down the rich and rob them. We’ll swallow them up alive and take what we want from whomever we want.

Then we’ll take their treasures and fill our homes with loot. So come on and join us. Take your chance with us. We’ll divide up all we get; we’ll each end up with big bags of cash!”—my son, refuse to go with them and stay far away from them.

For crime is their way of life and bloodshed their specialty. To be aware of their snare is the best way of escape. They’ll resort to murder to steal their victim’s assets, but eventually it will be their own lives that are ambushed. In their ungodly disrespect for God they bring destruction on their own lives.

[Wisdom’s Warning]

Wisdom’s praises are sung in the streets and celebrated far and wide. Yet wisdom’s song is not always heard in the halls of higher learning.

But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life its lyrics can always be heard above the din of the crowd. You will hear wisdom’s warning as she preaches courageously to those who stop to listen:

“Foolish ones, how much longer will you cling to your deception? How much longer will you mock wisdom, cynical scorners who fight the facts?

Come back to your senses and be restored to reality. Don’t even think about refusing my rebuke! Don’t you know that I’m ready to pour out my spirit of wisdom upon you and bring to you the revelation of my words that will make your heart wise?

I’ve called to you over and over; still you refuse to come to me. I’ve pleaded with you again and again, yet you’ve turned a deaf ear to my voice.

Because you have laughed at my counsel and have insisted on continuing in your stubbornness, I will laugh when your calamity comes and will turn away from you at the time of your disaster.

Make a joke of my advice, will you? Then I’ll make a joke out of you!

When the storm clouds of terror gather over your head, when dread and distress consume you and your catastrophe comes like a hurricane, you will cry out to me, but I won’t answer.

Then it will be too late to expect my help. When desperation drives you to search for me, I will be nowhere to be found.

Because you have turned up your nose at me and closed your eyes to the facts and refused to worship me in awe—because you scoffed at my wise counsel and laughed at my correction—now you will eat the bitter fruit of your own ways.

You’ve made your own bed; now lie in it! So how do you like that? Like an idiot you’ve turned away from me and chosen destruction instead. Your self-satisfied smugness will kill you.

But the one who always listens to me will live undisturbed in a heavenly peace. Free from fear, confident and courageous, you will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 1 (The Passion Translation)

to be repeated in The Voice from verse 1-7:

I, Solomon, David’s son and Israel’s king, pass on to you these proverbs—a treasury of wisdom—

So that you would recognize wisdom and value discipline;

that you would understand insightful teaching

And receive wise guidance to live a disciplined life;

that you would seek justice and have the ability to choose what is right and fair.

These proverbs teach the naive how to become clever;

they instruct the young in how to grow in knowledge and live with discretion.

The wise will pay attention to these words and will grow in learning,

and the discerning will receive divine guidance,

And they will be able to interpret the meaning of a proverb and a puzzle,

the twists and turns in the words of the wise and their riddles.

Let us begin. The worship of the Eternal One, the one True God, is the first step toward knowledge.

Fools, however, do not fear God and cannot stand wisdom or guidance.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 1:1-7 (The Voice)

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