Everthing, everywhere...

We are all made of stars, we are all made of God. We are all made of everything, from everywhere that ever was. From the Big Bang, to the edge of time; from the starting point to the finish line. What is made of you, is made of me; and we're all made of God, and that makes us free.

Another, in response...

To my mind, the Bible is a compilation of works, written by men, but inspired by God. The OT, particularly the Torah, is a mythological account of the origins of the Jewish peoples. It is their creation story, the origin of their people, their understanding of the world that they live in and the God that they serve. The rest of the OT is a history of their people. And like all histories, it is written from a cultural perspective. It is important to differentiate between the OT being a history of the Jewish people, and a history of the world.

The NT of course being a collection of stories (the Gospels), letters, and tractates, written by several and diverse authors over a period of time (about 200 years), relating to the life of Yeshuah (Jesus)*, and the establishing and running of churches in his name throughout the region. Again, these stories and letters are written from a cultural perspective.

If you are arguing for the infallibility of the Bible from a historical viewpoint, then that is not an argument that you can win with me. (You only need examine the four Gospels to disprove historical infallibility) What is FAR more important is what the Bible, the teachings of Jesus in particular, can teach us about living, here on earth, and at a spiritual/eternal level.

It doesn't matter if the Bible is historically accurate. It doesn't matter if it was breathed out by God himself though the human authors, and on to the paper. What matters is the spiritual truths that are contained inside. Some of them plain, and some of them obscure. All of them relevant, and all of them eternal.

*Ye(ho)shua would have been the Hebrew-Aramaic name given by Mary and Joseph to the child who is now known by the Anglo-Latin name of Jesus. We come by the English name Jesus by way of the Latin "Ihsus", by way of the Greek "Ἰησοῦς" (Iēsous).

GOoDness...

"Realize how good you really are."

If GOD is GOoD, and we are created in GODs image, then we must be GOoD.

Someday's we don't feel so good. Someday's I'll bet we even wonder if God is as good as everyone makes him out to be. Those are the days when it is hardest, but most important to trust that God is GOoD, and that YOU are GOoD.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, (and I paraphrase): "If I am hungry, give me someone to feed. If I am sad, give someone to comfort. If I am naked, give me someone to clothe..."

It is in our times of tribulation, especially spiritual tribulation, that we are faced with a choice. The choice of succumbing to our troubles, or of mustering the strength to find the GOoDness within us. Finding GOD's GOoDness within us. Finding GOD's Image within us.

Take a moment today, to realize the GOoD within you.

Two New Doctors of the Church

"Today, October 7, is the day Hildegard of Bingen is declared a Doctor of the Catholic Church. She is only the fourth woman to receive this honor (all four are mystics; the other three are Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena and Thérèse of Lisieux).

"Joining Hildegard in being declared a Doctor today is John of Avila, a contemporary of Teresa and also a mystic. Hildegard and John bring the total number of Doctors of the Church to 35, joining such theological and mystical luminaries as Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis de Sales, Ephrem the Syrian, and John of the Cross." ~from anamchara.com

 

 

Storms...

Sometimes the thunderstorms just build up in my head. They roll and boil, then go flat and silently grey. When the calm comes, I start to come back out of myself, but then a sudden gust of wind and a crash of lightning later, and I am nothing but a sick and broken man in a sea of casualties.
Just one night, I would like to get through an evening without something knocking me off my keel. Just one night, I would like to get through an evening without bitching my kids out for something. Sometimes something they have done. Sometimes because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rarely deserving of the malevolence that issues forth from my festering pie hole. Sometimes I wonder if I need to be back on some sort of medication. I hate my temper. I hate that the littlest, stupidest thing can set it off. I hate that once it is loose, I cannot seem to reign it back in until it has run it's course. (Thank you DF for teaching me the power of rambling, vehement, 30 minute lectures) This is my thing that I would like to give up to God. I cannot do it alone. I cannot be in charge of it any more. I don't want it any more!
I am going to go take some tylenol now, and go to bed.