Archive for the ‘Wisdom’ Category
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 1, 2012
There is a war going on in the ranks of human beings and especially those who are Christians. The greatest problems we face as Christians in trying to witness to the unbeliever are generated by ourselves………….
The offices of The Gazette newspaper on Saint Catherine Street, Montreal, Canada. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” Psalm 103:17-18 NIV1984
Christianity in Transition and Karma (an article written in The Montreal Gazette recently by a friend of mine…..I pray for her daily)
With more than 1,000 people protesting in a demonstration on Sunday against a North Carolina pastor who made anti-gay comments last week, some of his 100 or so congregants applauded him in church, according to a report on msnbc.com. Apparently, though, leaders of other churches are trying to distance themselves from him, feeling that his outrageous statements will hurt their more moderate anti-gay efforts.
Sigh . . . When will all these folks understand that not everybody believes their Bible is the inspired work of a god and that their interpretations of it are relevant or realistic? Really, where do these folks get off thinking that they can impose their superstitious belief system on everybody else? Of course they have a right to believe what they want, but they simply should not have a right to use their beliefs to spread hate and discrimination. It’s obvious to me that much of Western society is in transition (there’s that word again). Many people have moved on from the superstitious belief system expounded by people like the North Carolina pastor who preaches fire and brimstone if you don’t believe what he does. But some haven’t moved on. Still, fundamentalists are not united on these issues — some are far more liberal than others. Those with extreme views are becoming more and more isolated, which is probably why their extreme comments go viral sometimes. Which is not to say the essential message of Christianity is lost or irrelevant. The bottom line has always been to love thy neighbours, regardless of who they might be. It’s the bottom line in most spiritual schools of thought — and those religious institutions that lose sight of it ultimately lose followers. Which explains why only 100 people are showing up in that North Carolina church while more than 1,000 were protesting against the pastor outside the Justice Center . . . Sounds like karmic justice to me.
Jillian
The great lost chord of modern civilization is forgetfulness of the fact in nature of universal brotherhood, which means not merely a sentimental or political brotherhood; it means that we are all of one common cosmic or spiritual origin, and that what affects one affects all . . . – G. de Purucker (end of article)
Whilst in some respects I understand what Jillian is saying I feel she is missing the point somewhat. Many of us will have heard about the North Carolina pastor who voiced such an unloving sermon and as a result will now thinking his opinions are those of the true Christian Church. They are most emphatically not! In her article Jillian agrees that and indicates that the main anti-gay movement within the Church has been harmed by what this pastor has said and I agree with her on that point. However the Christian message has never been one of hate thy neighbour, whether gay or not. Many Christians think that just because Scripture shows us that homosexuality is a sinful way of life that it gives them the right to judge and condemn participants. It doesn’t! Neither is it appropriate to marginalize people for believing in other things or making a stand against their rights to behave as they wish. A true Christian does not do these things. A true Christian reaches out in love whilst being a faithful witness for Christ Jesus. This means pointing people to what God is saying and what God is commanding from us all. Decisions on lifestyle and belief always should rest with the individual. Being a witness does not mean pushing the faith down the throats of unbelievers but it is a duty and a commandment to explain and deliver the Gospel message to non-believers. From a Christians point of view it should be as an encouragement for sinners to repent, not something to turn them further away!
Jillian mentions (quite correctly) that not everyone believes that The Bible is the inspired Word of God but what she should have said is that non-believers in God think that way. Christians believe it is, or SHOULD do. I read Jillian’s posts quite frequently and I have found her to be very caustic sometimes when writing some of her articles. Firstly, in this article, she appears to accuse all Christians of being ‘fundamentalists’ as if being a fundamentalist was wrong. It isn’t wrong for Christians cannot turn away from the fundamental teachings encompassed in Scripture, they either have to believe it is God’s Word or not. Some conflicts do arise in interpretation sometimes but the tenet of content is unaffected. Remember, fundamentalism isn’t an invitation nor a free ticket to stir up hatred and discord with non-believers. Secondly, Jillian renders Scripture and belief in the Faith as all superstitious nonsense. This is a personal and direct attack on the Christian faith and ultimately God. Personal opinions should be kept out of good journalism. Present the facts and let the people choose one way or the other. This should be the case in presenting The Gospel too and it would be wiser for all those ‘fundamentalists’ to consider that fact.
Jillian redeemed herself in her concluding remarks though recognising that what has been voiced by an over-zealous pastor is not what the Christian message is all about nor is it the same opinion of all people of the faith or anyone with an inkling of common sense and humanity. Love thy neighbour even if he has six heads four arms and is green-skinned!
The war is not between human beings. It is a spiritual war being waged out of our sight and it is a war for souls, lost souls who need redemption.
“But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” Psalm 103: 17-18 (NIV 1984). I just wish Christians would remember to obey his precepts and do all things in love as He commands, maybe then the unbeliever will respond to the Gospel.
Shirley Anne
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Posted by Shirley Anne on May 16, 2012
Getup Get God (Photo credit: prettywar-stl)
Psalm 14:1-3
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
For the director of music. Of David.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven
on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
From United Christian Broadcasting (UCB) http://www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today
10 May 2012
Don’t Be a Fool (1)
The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God…’ Psalm 14:1
The atheistic fool. It’s said, ‘An atheist can’t find God for the same reason a thief can’t find a policeman.’ Sometimes pride is at the core of atheism. Without God, you become your own god, which means there’s no higher power than yourself! But the God of the Bible proves His existence in three ways: 1) Creation. Many people are in prison today who weren’t caught at the scene of the crime, and no one actually witnessed the crime. What proved they did it? Fingerprints! DNA! Creation carries God’s fingerprints and DNA. ‘Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name…’ (Isaiah 40:26 NLT). 2) Calvary. In creation you see God’s power, at the cross you see His love for you. In creation you see His hand, at the cross you see His heart. 3) Conscience. ‘Gentiles…even without having heard it…demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right’ (Romans 2:14-15 NLT). Conscience is like having a Bible in your soul; no one was born without one. Voltaire, the French atheist, said, ‘It took twelve fishermen to build Christianity. I will show the world how one Frenchman can destroy it.’ After Voltaire died, the home in which he had lived became Europe‘s most famous Bible distribution centre. Bottom line: Voltaire is dead; our God lives! Atheism is the greatest gamble of all. After all, what if there is a God and you stand before Him one day?
11 May 2012
Don’t Be a Fool (2)
‘…Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee…’ Luke 12:20
The ambitious fool. Jesus told the story of a successful farmer who said, ‘…I will pull down my barns, and build greater…’ (v. 18). Evidently he was a good businessman and planner. But then he said: ‘I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee…So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God’ (vv. 19-21). This man had a plan for time, but none for eternity. He thought about himself, but not God. He paid attention to his body, but not his soul. It’s said that the average body has enough phosphorus to make eight hundred thousand match heads, enough sugar to go into sixty cubes, enough salt to cover twenty spoons, and enough iron to make about ten dollars’ worth of nails. The rest is just dust and water. When you pamper, promote and protect the part of you that will only live seventy or eighty years and neglect the part of you that will live on in either heaven or hell, God says you’re a fool. This man told himself he had ‘many years,’ but God said, ‘This night thy soul shall be required of thee.’ Don’t you realise that an accident, a blocked artery, a stray bullet, a plane with engine failure or a drunk driver could take you out in an instant? Wise up! The question is not will you die, but when? And are you ready to stand before God?
12 May 2012
Don’t Be a Fool (3)
…Died Abner as a fool dieth. 2 Samuel 3:33
The absolute fool. Abner slew a man called Asahel, whose brother happened to be Joab, King David’s number one general. So Joab was out to take Abner’s life. The tragedy of this story is that Abner was within reach of Hebron, one of the six cities of refuge. But instead of running into that city and enjoying its protection, he allowed the enemy to catch him outside the gates and kill him. ‘They buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept…and said, ‘Died Abner as a fool dieth?’ (vv. 32-33). Abner was the absolute fool. Why? Because unlike the atheistic fool who did not believe in God, or the ambitious fool who had no time for God, he knew what to do-but didn’t do it. There were no rivers to cross, no mountains to climb, and no price to be paid. The gates of Hebron were open; all he had to do was go in and stay there. Imagine being given a gospel tract with these words on the cover: ‘What must I do to be lost?’ Then opening it and finding that page is-blank. You don’t have to do anything to be lost! But you must do something to be saved: ‘…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…’ (Acts 16:31). When Mary brought the newborn Christ to the temple, an old priest named Simeon held Him in his arms and said: ‘Now I’m ready to die, because I have seen the Saviour of the world…’ (Luke 2:25-32). In order to die right you must meet Christ, embrace Him, and acknowledge Him as your Lord and Saviour. Why don’t you do it today?
People today, as in days of old, refuse to turn to God. Their minds have become corrupt and they follow after falsehood and lies. They worship other gods, which are not gods at all and forget the creator who is God. Believing that all they need to do is be ‘good’ and that will be enough. Believing that their ways are best, rejecting what God actually says and expecting Him to ignore it. They will have no excuse, they will have no-one to intercede on their behalf because they reject the only one who can, Jesus! The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, get wise before it is too late.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Christianity, Evangelism, God, Jesus, Wisdom | Tagged: Atheism, Bible, Christianity, Evangelism, God, Jesus, Voltaire, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 3, 2012
The sunlight shining through these clouds in England is an example of sunbreak. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
For a few weeks now we have had dull skies and rain save for some days of bright sunshine and cloudless skies. Generally it has been typical April weather but on this last day of April, when I write this, it is warm and sunny, a precursor to brighter and warmer days ahead. Over the previous week I hadn’t been feeling too good as I explained in an earlier post but now I feel good and the sunshine certainly makes a huge difference. I like sunshine but I like it more when I am feeling down because it is therapeutic I feel. Even so, when it isn’t sunny, when it isn’t cosy and warm, I still have sunshine in my heart. Many years ago I didn’t feel this way but now I do. It isn’t a frame of mind though some would say it is but I have found throughout my life that maintaining a happy disposition was always a difficult thing to do, bad weather always made me feel lousy and miserable. People too had a similar effect upon me sometimes. My job, my family, my health would all have me feeling depressed at times as I am sure is the case for many people. I could put my new-found attitude to life down to personal thought training but I know that isn’t true, I simply wouldn’t last the course! There is a reason for my sense of well-being which isn’t dependent on any outside influences but is dependent on my live-in helper. Have I gone mad? No way. I am of sound mind as they say but it is something within me that gives me the feeling of sunshine in my heart. I laugh at misfortune, I laugh at bad weather and annoying people, nothing seems to get me upset these days as they once did. I put it all down to that live-in helper who is The Holy Spirit. As Christians we are told that The Holy Spirit will be with us once we put our faith and hope in Jesus but many Christians never really experience His presence at all and never thought it possible to receive. Being a Christian does not bring with it a troubled-free life, we still have to face the problems common to all people on this planet but being a Christian should help us to be able to handle them better. The presence of The Holy Spirit in our hearts puts us in the right frame of mind and life’s little problems simply cease to be problems at all. So I can safely say that the sun shines in my heart every day whether it is raining, blowing a gale or whatever. I feel better for it too.
Shirley Anne
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Posted by Shirley Anne on April 12, 2012
Book of Knowledge (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am referring to earthly knowledge here. Whatever becomes the subject of inquiry these days can be known. When once all we had at our disposal to find out about things were the knowledge and experience of those we met or through the written word in encyclopedias now we can gain access to that knowledge ourselves through the Internet. We need never again be totally ignorant of things we previously had no knowledge. It appears that there is nothing on this earth that is without accessible information. This levels the playing field somewhat and whilst there will always be specialists in any subject, no subject will be out of the reach of anyone interested. It is written in Scripture as a prophecy that mankind will be rushing here and there in the pursuit knowledge. So here we are in the 21st century doing exactly that. As human beings we seek knowledge and we can never stop seeking it, it is as though it is part of our make-up. Forever seeking, forever searching and with each scrap of knowledge there becomes a reason to seek more. One thing leads to another but when will it all end? Will it all end? Is it possible to know all things? Is it worth knowing all things? Wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia of collective knowledge goes a long way in aiding the pursuit of knowledge but I see it still in its infancy and not the only source of knowledge I’m sure. Whereas many years ago research into any subject was a long and laborious occupation it has been made a lot easier by having information at our fingertips and only seconds away. No longer will there be a need to sit for hours in a library searching through endless books and manuscripts to discover what we want to know if it is all recorded electronically. There is nothing therefore in this world that we have to remain ignorant about if we put our minds to it. Maybe one day we will know all things. Personally I don’t think we’ll gain all knowledge this way but that is another story for another post.
Shirley Anne
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Posted by Shirley Anne on February 10, 2012
Image via Wikipedia
Following on from my post on Monday. I had occasion to read something posted on someone else’s blog regarding the subject of the rise in credit and debit cards. Over the last few years we have seen an increase in the use of debit and credit cards resulting in many people falling foul of running up huge debts. When we use cash we can only spend what we have in our hands and getting into debt is never a problem but in a modern society which runs on what it produces there is a need to encourage spending. That being the case credit becomes easily available so that the economy can continue to develop. This however is only the tip of a giant iceberg. There is another evil behind the demise of cash as a currency and the lack of being able to buy things anonymously. Only being able to buy and sell using cards means that control is taken away from us as individuals, moreover transactions carried out using cards can be and are monitored by the authorities. In some ways this is a good thing as it prevents things like fraud and tax evasion but in other ways it can be an evil tool. In a cashless society it will be impossible to buy or sell anything, including food, without a card. Anyone in business could only trade in the same way thus forcing everyone into submission in using cards. If nobody can trade with you, you cannot stay in business. This means that anyone who doesn’t have a card doesn’t have anything. It will of course promote an underground black market system and possibly cause an increase in crime too. Theft would no doubt be more commonplace and difficult to deal with. Now all of this seems a little pie-in-the-sky and fanciful but in reality is is happening all around us even now. Did you know for instance that some western countries are now deliberately not printing bank notes as they once did? Many well established companies have already laid down the ground rules by refusing purchases using cash and many only trade over the Internet thus eliminating the need for cash transactions. It can only get worse. None of all this however is news to those who read their Bibles, for in there are prophecies covering this very subject, prophecies which were written down around two thousand years ago and more than two and a half thousand years ago. Like many of the prophecies in the Bible, they are mis-understood, not believed or simply ignored. The truth is that they will all become fact. Many have done already so it is only a matter of time before this one takes everyone by surprise. It doesn’t matter how often some people are told of such things they will still remain unbelieving. For those who are of a more inquisitive mind here’s what the Bible has to say about it all….
Revelation 13
1 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
The Beast out of the Sea
And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
9He who has an ear, let him hear.
10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
The Beast out of the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.
The Bible (NIV)
The symbolism in the text above, like the seven horns, the ten crowns and other things are actually representative of governments and organisations about to come into power. The European Union is one such organisation for example. Here is a very interesting link about Europe http://www.ucg.org/news-and-prophecy/europes-woes-setting-stage-bible-prophecy/
Have fun reading it all, it is quite interesting and gives us an idea of what is really going on all around us. We just have to keep our eyes open.
For further information on this and other prophecies in the form of short videos click here http://www.worldtocome.org/player.html#!SubjectPlay=68&Media=3. Note especially that part starting 24 minutes into the first of the two 30 minute specific videos.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Government, Money, Prophecy, Wisdom | Tagged: beast, Bible, Book of Revelation, Credit card, Debit card, Earth, European Union, God, Money and finance, Number of the Beast, Prophecy, Worship | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 1, 2012
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
The Bible (NIV)
We are all in control of our actions. We make the decisions to go one way or the other. Our lives are lived out according to the decisions we have made. There is a price to pay for everything we do, a resulting consequence for our actions whilst we are alive. When we die there will still be a need to explain ourselves and the things we’ve done. Not believing that to be true makes no difference, we cannot deny something just because we happen not to believe it. Live the way you think is best but remember it may cost you in the end.
Shirley Anne
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Posted by Shirley Anne on January 8, 2012
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I had the day to myself on Friday as I was released from my jury service until Monday. Not wanting to let the opportunity pass by to enjoy myself for the day I invited E out for an extended lunch, well they are always extended when I dine out. I love the experience of wining and dining out and generally socialising and it is nice to do that with friends and family but it is nicest when in the company with someone very special. In my case that would be my ex partner E whom I love dearly. I take the opportunity to dine out with her as often as I can so that not only do I get to enjoy myself but that she can enjoy life more than she usually does. As is the case I often ask her if she is happy so that I can help her to be happy as much as I can. She is hard to reach sometimes but I persevere for I don’t want her to feel unhappy if I can do something to change that. I wonder sometimes what makes her tick, what it is she wants out of life because I feel she is missing out on things when she should be getting the most out of life. I know she enjoys her outings with me but she is often reluctant to show that. So it was that we both went to one of our favourite haunts in the next town on Friday and had a carvery lunch with dessert and drinks. I polished off a full bottle of red wine and later had a liqueur coffee with a cream topping, similar to the picture on the right. We both had soft drinks too, she was drinking Pepsi-Cola and I was drinking the diet version in-between my sips of wine. I like the taste of the cola following the wine and sometimes I mix the two in the same glass when I am tired of drinking the wine neat, which isn’t often (LOL). We arrived at the restaurant/pub at around 1.30 and we left just before 5.00 stopping off at the supermarket for some rum, whisky and cream. I wanted to enjoy another glass or two of a liqueur coffee! I am off to work on Saturday morning which will be yesterday by the time you read this so I will not be able to have a drink, if I want one, until late in the day. I probably won’t indulge as I value having a healthy liver which needs a break now and then! I might have a drink today, Sunday but then nothing until the end of the week when I have finished my jury service. Mind you, I may get on a case that lasts longer than this coming week but in any event I will enjoy a drink or two at the weekend. I might even surprise the staff at my local pub by paying them the first visit for over six weeks. I love life and I love people who are prepared to enjoy it with me. Life is too short not to enjoy it.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Food, Happiness, Leisure, Life, Lifestyle, Philosophy, Values, Wisdom | Tagged: Alcoholic beverage, Drink, Food, Friday, Leisure, Life, Lifestyle, Monday, Pepsi, Philosophy, Saturday, Soft drink, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 7, 2012
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I don’t have to remind my readers just how windy it has been these last few days. There has been little or no respite. Of all the weather elements wind is the one that I really dislike. Rain can be dealt with by using an umbrella or waterproof clothing but the wind sometimes defeats the use of an umbrella. Snow isn’t a problem until it becomes too deep or until it turns to compressed ice but having the correct footwear helps considerably and of course nobody moans when the sun is shining. It is the driving wind which gets me down. There is an old saying which has to apply and it goes like this: Whether the weather be fine or whether the weather be not, whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot, we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not. A good spelling exercise for children but having an element of wisdom too. It really doesn’t matter what we think about the weather, nothing we can say will change it so we have to endure it when it is bad and be grateful when it is fine. Although I have been feeling somewhat windswept these last few days I know it won’t last, there will be better days ahead and so it is the same in life. We can be feeling down and thinking the whole world is against us. We can be feeling the pinch in these hard times. We can be experiencing bad relationships or having none at all. Many things in life can make us feel not at our best but they do help to build us up and give us the strength to go on. Wind or no wind, it doesn’t really matter but like the wind we must plod on regardless. Put on a smile, grin and bear it for things will surely get better and so will you.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Philosophy, Weather, Wisdom | Tagged: Earth Science, Meteorology, National Weather Service, Snow, Temperature, Today, Weather, Wind, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 5, 2012
Cover of Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
I was watching Sister Act 2 on Monday afternoon. Ok, ok, I was bored but having seen the film once before and knowing the story made no difference, I like the sentimental things in life, besides I had nothing else to do. For those who may not know the story it is about a nightclub singer who goes back for the second time to the aid of a Catholic run school to help them with their pupils. Part of the story involves the trials of the schoolchildren in their quest to enter the interstate singing competition for the best choir, which incidentally they won. Well it is a movie. Just prior to the choir going on stage they were watching one of the other contenders and began to lose what confidence they had when the choir leader, the nightclub singer played by Whoopi Goldberg, gives them a small lecture about not giving in to the fear of losing. Paraphrased, she told them that nothing in this world was ever achieved without effort and if they were to run away from problems in life they would continue to do so all their lives. How true a statement is that? Throughout our lives we are challenged and tested but if we give in to defeat we will never achieve our true potential in life. This is true for anything that presents itself as a challenge before us. The most successful people in the world have a stream of failures behind them but because they persisted they finally won through and became successful. The motto should be, let no-one stand in your way, let nothing defeat you without you try your best to overcome and to reach your goal in life, the desires of your heart. You must stand your ground and not be swayed by anyone else.
Shirley Anne
- Treasures of wisdom (hopeforallmin.wordpress.com)
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Posted in Ambition, Life, Philosophy, Wisdom | Tagged: Ambition, Arts and Entertainment, Catholic, Choir, God, Lord, Music, Philosophy, Singing, Whoopi Goldberg | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on December 20, 2011
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This is the final working week before the holiday that is celebrated as Christmas. I say celebrated but in fact not everyone celebrates the day in accordance with its sentiments. When I was younger it was always the run-up to Christmas that was exciting, less so the day itself which always seemed to be a little of an anti-climax. Yes, the food, the presents, the giving and receiving, the family and friends were all good things to enjoy although the expectation had all but disappeared. I never was sure what that expectation was until much later in life. In those days I wasn’t a Christian and, like everyone who isn’t a Christian, my heart was set on other worldly things and having a good time. The message of Christmas never entered my thoughts. Christmas itself is a celebration that has hijacked a much older celebration or celebrations that were in existence long before. The early Church did not celebrate the birth of Christ for good reason, it wasn’t part of Scripture and therefore wasn’t a command of or from God. It was many years later that the early Catholic Church introduced the idea of celebrating Christ’s birth but to encourage people to join in the worship and subsequently become believers they introduced many of the artifacts and traditions of the pagan and mystic religions that people were drawn to at that time. So all the things which are now part of the modern celebration of Christmas have their roots in these non-Christian belief systems and really have no place in Christianity. Over the centuries these customs have become tradition and have become accepted as a right way to celebrate Christ’s birth. The early Church was warned to steer clear of the practices of ‘foreign’ religions by God Himself, not only in His word, The Bible (then the Old Testament) but also by His prophets. The New Testament follows in that same vein. The Church became corrupt when together with the celebrations instigated by the Catholic church, the ’festival of Christmas was declared to be celebrated as a normal practice by Emperor Constantine. Those who declared themselves to be Christians followed the practice through ignorance, mostly because the general population couldn’t read or write and relied upon the Church for instruction. It was only much later when people became more educated and were given the opportunity to read The Bible for themselves did they learn the true message it contains. However, old traditions were so ingrained that they remained and the celebration of Christmas went on unabated until today where it has taken on a whole new meaning, especially for the unbeliever. Notwithstanding, Christmas is not Scriptural and in fact goes against God’s will as a means to praise and worship Him for it is through Jesus Christ that we worship God. I look on in despair at the goings on in the Christian (so-called) world where believers still choose to ignore God in this instruction and think there is little harm in doing so. People may not think what they do is wrong and may even believe that it is perfectly alright to choose how they worship God but God says otherwise. Look at the mess that is the Christmas celebration. It has become hijacked itself being reclaimed as a pagan festival but is also now a totally commercial event coupled with old and new traditional values that have no root in God’s word or His will. What an obstinate and disobedient people we are. No, I do not like the run-up to Christmas as I once did and for reasons I once knew little about.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Celebration, Christianity, God, Jesus, Religion, Tradition, Wisdom | Tagged: Bible, Catholic Church, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Christmas, God, Jesus, Nativity of Jesus | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on December 14, 2011
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I have always been interested in the news and make every effort to watch reports on television or listen to them on the radio whilst driving. Over the years I have noticed the increased frequency in the reports of violence, especially murder and also of other crimes in general. In years gone by a murder was reported at national level but sometimes crimes of this nature are only reported locally or only given brief attention elsewhere in the country. Murder it seems has become so commonplace that it doesn’t shock us like it once did. This past week alone I have heard reports of three murders. As for lesser crimes most do not even make the news because there are so many of them being carried out. It is symptomatic of today’s society. Values have deteriorated, we as a society have become morally deficient and the result is an increase in the crime rate. Some people would blame that on a decline in work opportunities, too much taxation, insufficient remuneration or the rising cost of living, anything but a diminished personal morality. What is becoming of this country? Why does it seem to be getting worse? One factor could be the increase in drug abuse and the need to fund it. The cost of drugs forces users to a life of crime in order to pay for the habit but of course had they not indulged in the first place no problem would exist. The same goes for people who drink far in excess of what they should, they see a rapid decline in their living standards to pay for the alcohol they consume. It is down to individuals to take proper control of their lives and say no to things that will lead them down the wrong paths in life, maybe to a life of crime.
Shirley Anne
- Why violent crime is set to rise (traditionalchristianity.wordpress.com)
- Crime on the rise during recession (autonetinsurance.co.uk)
- Civilized Crime Today (misswhiplash.wordpress.com)
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Posted in Crime, Lifestyle, Morality, Wisdom | Tagged: Crime, Crime statistics, Morality, Murder, Standard of living, Substance Abuse, Violent crime | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 24, 2011
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Looks like I used that title before but on a different subject. I am my worst enemy. Often I say jokingly that ‘I am passed my sell-by-date‘ or that ‘my shelf-life has expired’, new versions of ‘I’ve got one foot in the grave’ or ‘I’m in God‘s waiting room’. I laugh but the serious side of it isn’t really funny. Oh I can blame some of the things I do on my age with tongue in cheek but it is often down to a lack of forward thinking. A few weeks ago I wanted to cancel the automatic subscription facility on my Internet security provider account, which is Symantec. I have Norton 360 version 5 protecting my computer. What happened was this, I had purchased Norton 360 v4 before I had bought this computer and when I discovered that Norton 360 was pre-installed I kept hold of the disk version I had bought so that I could use that when renewing my subscription this year. Mistake number one. The present version is one up on the disk version, which I hadn’t noticed. I was having difficulty in locating the instructions to cancel the automatic subscription but the staff at Norton were able to help me. It turned out to be a very easy procedure but from the software it was easy to locate. Why they don’t make things easier I don’t know. The guy who dealt with my problem extended my old subscription by one calendar month so I got a bonus for my trouble. The present subscription was about to expire in 11 days so I took out the disk I had bought and loaded it. The screen display showed me that the disk version wasn’t as up to date as the one installed, which was the first time I’d realised my error. However it isn’t now possible to claim a refund on my original purchase of £59.99 which I could have done within 60 days. I don’t think I have a monkey’s chance now at over twelve months! I opened my Norton account and renewed my subscription for two years thus gaining a small discount on today’s prices (£124.99). The 11 days were added and now I have 741 days left at time of writing. Now back to the disk and the loss of £59.99. The only way out I can see is to sell it at a huge discount or give it away so that the other person can then update the product and thereby gain something from it. I should read the small print or have someone to hold my hand but that would be more of a distraction…..LOL. I have learned my lesson.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Computer, Money, Wisdom | Tagged: Computer, God, Norton, Norton 360, Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security, Security, Software release life cycle, Symantec | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on October 19, 2011
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If there is a silly season in the year it has got to be around about now. We are approaching ‘Halloween‘, Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes Day), Remembrance Day, Advent, Christmas, New Years, Mid-Winters Day. Most, if not all these events are based on superstition or are man-made and have no basis in truth. Halloween is messing about with forces of evil and showing disrespect to a loving God. Bonfire night is a celebration of an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament, a wicked deed which should be condemned and not celebrated. Remembrance day pays honour to the forces of evil and not the memory of those who have fallen (see http://www.midnightministries.org.uk/funerals.htm ), Advent is a man-made festival which has no basis in Christianity, Christmas is likewise a man-made festival which celebrates Christ‘s death! That is what the word ‘Mass’ means. Not that many people celebrate Christmas for the right reasons anyway! Mid-winter festivals are based in paganism and New Year similarly so. People follow the traditions of men, want nothing to do with God unless it is a token gesture. If asked, many people wouldn’t be able to give a reason for why they follow blindly after the things their peers or friends do. Ask the question of yourself and if there is any benefit to you in this type of indulgence.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Celebration, God, Religion, Wisdom | Tagged: Advent, Bonfire Night, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, God, Guy Fawkes Night, Halloween, Religion and Spirituality | 8 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on September 11, 2011
Image by Fairy Heart ♥ via Flickr
I’ve never been a person who likes to blow her own trumpet unless I am joking with family or friends. I have never seen the need to argue too much about my corner of the world, my life, my problems, my transition or anything else. Some people have a passion, an urge to make a loud noise to put over their views. I have no axe to grind, I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Neither do I need to justify who I am. In regard to my status, my beliefs or anything about me, in that respect, again I have nothing to shout about. I can understand why some folk are militant when it comes down to the rights of an individual in Society for instance but there are many ways to slice a cake and being militant is only one of those ways and not always the best way. Of course it doesn’t necessarily follow that having a passion for something makes it morally valid or acceptable and folk can shout as loud as they like about an issue but that in itself changes nothing. We are a planet of people of all different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, attitudes and that in itself becomes a stumbling block to any universal acceptance of one another. There will always be dissidents in this world unless all are united under one banner, even then friction will still exist. Simply put, we have to just agree to disagree, live and let live and get on with our own existence. As mortal beings who generally live less than a century we sometimes waste far too much time rocking the boat. We are here but for a short time, why not enjoy it and live in peace? Why all the hassle? Why all the hatred? Why all the axe grinding? What does it achieve? Some people make a nuisance of themselves and for what reason? They will return from whence they came, they will cease to exist just like the rest of us. Make it known that you have an opinion, like I do on here, but leave it at that. Put down the axe, you’ll only hurt yourself if you don’t!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Behaviour, Community, Happiness, Life, Morality, People, Philosophy, Time, Values, Wisdom | Tagged: Axe, Behaviour, Happiness, Love, People, Philosophy | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on September 7, 2011
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It occurred to me the other day that there is something fundamental about ‘good’ and ‘evil‘, opposite ends of a pole and one cannot exist without the other. To be able to understand what evil is one has to first understand what good is and vice-versa. Consider this, if one who was good had no idea of what evil is, how would they know what good is? If one, being evil knew nothing about the nature of goodness, how would they know what evil was? Both must exist. Scripture tells us that God expelled one-third of His angels from Heaven for being evil. Where is Heaven? Heaven is being in the presence of God therefore not being in the presence of God is in fact Hell, a place where all evil spirits are cast. Has anyone ever heard of good spirits being expelled from Hell? One is supreme, the other is not. Good rules over evil and yet in this mortal world the opposite sometimes appears true. Why is it then that these two opposing ‘forces’ exist at all? Well the answer to that must be obvious, there isn’t an alternative now is there? Think hard! Many of us would claim to be on one side of the fence as opposed to the other, most would say that they were good. A few might take the other stance and do. In fact, as far as the saying goes, there is both good and evil in each of us. There is no-one who is completely good, some may come close but no-one is perfect. Even those who may profess to be evil through and through will not be completely evil, there will be something good in them. So it is for all mortals. If we take the example of God dismissing one-third of His angels for being evil, it isn’t going too far in assuming that one-third of Earth’s population might also be inherently evil. Whether that is true is arguable. I would rather believe that the majority of people tend toward being on the good side. Have you ever noticed though that parents have to teach their children to be good and not the other way round? From this observation it would seem that we are all born with sinful inclinations even though we lack the understanding between good and evil. Children, young children are inclined to do wrong things rather than good things but they learn by example and by tuition. The temptation to do wrong for young children is immense. Place a bowl of sweets (candies) on a table and tell them not to touch them. See how long it takes before temptation becomes too strong. Some would argue that the child’s reaction is due to instinct but in fact they are refusing to obey a command just as mankind did at the beginning of Creation. There is a reason for good and evil. They exist because they were created as a means to test us. Even the angels were tested, how about you?
Shirley Anne
- Good And Evil (mariansmusingsblog.wordpress.com)
- No Evil In God – For Real! (presentufaultless.wordpress.com)
- Why Does GOD Allow Evil? Or Does He? (aaronrking.wordpress.com)
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Posted in God, Values, Wisdom | Tagged: Evil, God, Good and evil, Morality | Leave a Comment »
