Good morning, God! And thank you for this new day in my life, for all the opportunities it holds for me to grow and to learn and to love and to give. Now that school's started, I have plenty of chances to do all of those things, don't I? And I do thank you for those opportunities. . . I just ask you that you'll be with me so that I can do the best job I possibly can as a teacher and as a mentor.
When students come into my class for the first time, there's always that uneasiness--is this guy going to be a jerk? Is this class going to be too hard for me to do too well in? Is this guy going to be the kind that mocks me or encourages me? I know that I've had all kinds of "teachers," and what I try to be in the classroom is someone who encourages and who helps, who tries to show the ways to do things, without punishing or penalizing for mistakes that everyone's going to make. I do want to grade realistically, and I want grades to be accurate more than anything else. But I also want them to be fair, and I don't want good grades to be unreachable by students who have average skills but who work very, very hard. All in all, it's a difficult balancing act.
I do want to ask you, as this school year begins, that you be with me in the classroom, that you help me to encourage students and to help them to grow in the most effective ways possible. I ask that you help me to not discourage anyone, and that you help me to keep my eyes open for signs of frustration or discouragement so that I can help those who truly need it. Help me to never lose my temper, and help me to find new ways to present information so that those students who are struggling may be able to understand the concepts and move on with the rest of the students.
Help me to respond to the looks in their eyes, the way they carry themselves, the unasked questions, and the implied frustration. It's a huge responsibility that I have, and I want to make the most of it for the sake of the students, who definitely will need to be able to write and read well in their futures--my only chance to contribute to their futures is right here in the present, and I hope to make the absolute most of it. Thanks in advance!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
A Reply
About your words on Sunday. . . the mere fact that you're spending the time to talk to me, to write to me, to think about me before you make many of your decisions means that your faith is in a very good place. Don't worry so much about the strength of your faith, because that, like everything else, is somewhat cyclical. Some days your faith will seem like your strongest asset, while on other days it will seem to be completely depleted like an empty bottle of water when you're in the middle of the desert.
Be careful of other people who use their idea of your faith to judge you. Be careful of people who say things like, "If your faith were stronger, you wouldn't be saying that," or, "All you have to do is have faith and this problem will dissolve like sugar in water."
Remember this: Faith is about your relationship with me, and my relationship with you. It is NOT quantifiable. You cannot put it into a measuring cup or on a scale. It waxes and wanes like the moon, and it is dynamic, not static. You cannot build faith like a building; rather, you develop faith, like a muscle or knowledge.
You CAN trust me. I know that in your background you've known many people whom you cannot trust, but you've also known many more whom you can trust. You can trust me. I don't come crashing through walls like a superhero to take away all your problems, but I do work on them as I work on you and as you work on yourself through prayer and introspection. I help you when you ask for it through yourself, not as an outsider. Let me explain.
I am in you and with you at all times. When you pray to me, you're turning on the power that I provide, the energy to do things and see things clearly and respond well. Sometimes when you feel that you're trusting yourself, you're actually trusting me; likewise, sometimes when you feel that you're trusting me, you're actually trusting yourself. And most important of all, the two are basically the same thing. When you're trusting yourself, you're trusting the strength and potential that I put into you when I created you. When you're trusting me, you're trusting the person that I created with so much love and close attention--yourself.
Two things that I hope you always realize: People are not rewarded more than others because they have stronger faith than others, and people are not punished because their faith is weaker than that of others. It's not a competition. I don't see a person whose faith is strong and say, "Wow, that person is worthy of my special favor." If the person's faith is strong, then the person is setting into motion things that tend to make his or her life more rich and rewarding, what some people refer to as the "Law of Attraction" (I'll get into that one day soon--the focus there can be very damaging for many people). Likewise, I don't see a person whose faith is weak and say, "I'm going to make that person suffer until he or she gets their act together and strengthens their faith." If I did that, how would their faith ever grow? Weak faith is a sign of weak self-trust, and those people need my compassion, not my harsh judgment.
In short, I understand your concerns about your faith. And it's good that you have those concerns, for they keep you focused on something that's good to focus on--your relationship with me and with life. But your faith is fine. Do not judge it--it is what it is. But keep working to develop it, just as you would a muscle or your knowledge of your areas of expertise. Develop it by looking for the positive outcomes in your life, and accepting them and being grateful for them. Develop it by continuing to talk to me and with me. Develop it by watching people of faith and seeing how their lives come together--but note that I'm talking about true people of faith, not necessarily the religious zealot types who go around bragging about the strength of their faith. A person of true faith does no bragging at all. NONE AT ALL. Faith is about relationship with me, and one who uses that relationship as a bragging point is violating that relationship, not strengthening it.
Be careful of other people who use their idea of your faith to judge you. Be careful of people who say things like, "If your faith were stronger, you wouldn't be saying that," or, "All you have to do is have faith and this problem will dissolve like sugar in water."
Remember this: Faith is about your relationship with me, and my relationship with you. It is NOT quantifiable. You cannot put it into a measuring cup or on a scale. It waxes and wanes like the moon, and it is dynamic, not static. You cannot build faith like a building; rather, you develop faith, like a muscle or knowledge.
You CAN trust me. I know that in your background you've known many people whom you cannot trust, but you've also known many more whom you can trust. You can trust me. I don't come crashing through walls like a superhero to take away all your problems, but I do work on them as I work on you and as you work on yourself through prayer and introspection. I help you when you ask for it through yourself, not as an outsider. Let me explain.
I am in you and with you at all times. When you pray to me, you're turning on the power that I provide, the energy to do things and see things clearly and respond well. Sometimes when you feel that you're trusting yourself, you're actually trusting me; likewise, sometimes when you feel that you're trusting me, you're actually trusting yourself. And most important of all, the two are basically the same thing. When you're trusting yourself, you're trusting the strength and potential that I put into you when I created you. When you're trusting me, you're trusting the person that I created with so much love and close attention--yourself.
Two things that I hope you always realize: People are not rewarded more than others because they have stronger faith than others, and people are not punished because their faith is weaker than that of others. It's not a competition. I don't see a person whose faith is strong and say, "Wow, that person is worthy of my special favor." If the person's faith is strong, then the person is setting into motion things that tend to make his or her life more rich and rewarding, what some people refer to as the "Law of Attraction" (I'll get into that one day soon--the focus there can be very damaging for many people). Likewise, I don't see a person whose faith is weak and say, "I'm going to make that person suffer until he or she gets their act together and strengthens their faith." If I did that, how would their faith ever grow? Weak faith is a sign of weak self-trust, and those people need my compassion, not my harsh judgment.
In short, I understand your concerns about your faith. And it's good that you have those concerns, for they keep you focused on something that's good to focus on--your relationship with me and with life. But your faith is fine. Do not judge it--it is what it is. But keep working to develop it, just as you would a muscle or your knowledge of your areas of expertise. Develop it by looking for the positive outcomes in your life, and accepting them and being grateful for them. Develop it by continuing to talk to me and with me. Develop it by watching people of faith and seeing how their lives come together--but note that I'm talking about true people of faith, not necessarily the religious zealot types who go around bragging about the strength of their faith. A person of true faith does no bragging at all. NONE AT ALL. Faith is about relationship with me, and one who uses that relationship as a bragging point is violating that relationship, not strengthening it.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
My Faith
Good morning, God. I thank you for this new day, full of potential and possibility, in a world where I've experienced a great deal, and where I've shared a great deal with many wonderful people. Life is full of amazing things, and it really is up to us to make the most of them--which I certainly don't do all the time.
If I had to point to one element of myself that keeps me from getting the most out of life all the time, I'd have to point to my faith. Perhaps it's because my faith isn't strong enough, or perhaps it's because I neglect it more than I tap into it. But when things get difficult or start going wrong, it's very easy for me to get stressed, to start to feel a sense of hopelessness or even despair. It sometimes takes me a while to reach the realization that those feelings are misplaced--that things really are fine, and that I just have some obstacles that I have to take care of as I move on in life. Those obstacles don't define me, though they may limit me; they don't define my life, though they may complicate it.
But for so long I've struggled with my faith--my whole life long, to be honest. I've always felt that I've been caught in a Catch-22, that so many things were going wrong in life (my dad's alcoholism, my depression, my lack of meaningful relationships, among many other things) because my faith was weak, but that my faith couldn't go strong because so many things were going wrong in life. It was a horrible feeling, one of being trapped on a treadmill that I had to keep running on, even though I didn't want to and even though I was going nowhere.
As I've grown older, though, and hopefully even a bit wiser, I've come to realize that the faith is one of the major determiners of how my life turns out. I used to see faith as a result of my conditions, rather than seeing my conditions as a result of my faith. It's been a very difficult turnaround to make, and I would like to ask you for some advice on how to do so. I do want to turn it around, and I hope that you're able to give me some words of wisdom that will help me to strengthen my faith, to make it a much more central focal point that I can use as a point of reference rather than as a peripheral element of my life. Could you help me out on this?
If I had to point to one element of myself that keeps me from getting the most out of life all the time, I'd have to point to my faith. Perhaps it's because my faith isn't strong enough, or perhaps it's because I neglect it more than I tap into it. But when things get difficult or start going wrong, it's very easy for me to get stressed, to start to feel a sense of hopelessness or even despair. It sometimes takes me a while to reach the realization that those feelings are misplaced--that things really are fine, and that I just have some obstacles that I have to take care of as I move on in life. Those obstacles don't define me, though they may limit me; they don't define my life, though they may complicate it.
But for so long I've struggled with my faith--my whole life long, to be honest. I've always felt that I've been caught in a Catch-22, that so many things were going wrong in life (my dad's alcoholism, my depression, my lack of meaningful relationships, among many other things) because my faith was weak, but that my faith couldn't go strong because so many things were going wrong in life. It was a horrible feeling, one of being trapped on a treadmill that I had to keep running on, even though I didn't want to and even though I was going nowhere.
As I've grown older, though, and hopefully even a bit wiser, I've come to realize that the faith is one of the major determiners of how my life turns out. I used to see faith as a result of my conditions, rather than seeing my conditions as a result of my faith. It's been a very difficult turnaround to make, and I would like to ask you for some advice on how to do so. I do want to turn it around, and I hope that you're able to give me some words of wisdom that will help me to strengthen my faith, to make it a much more central focal point that I can use as a point of reference rather than as a peripheral element of my life. Could you help me out on this?
Friday, August 10, 2012
Dealing
Hello, God, and thank you for being here. Thank you for all that I have today, from the food and the shelter to the computer and the books to read. I do appreciate it all, and I hope that somehow, in some way, I'm expressing that appreciation effectively.
I have a couple of questions to ask of you today. Life has been very challenging for my wife and me over the last few years, and it's difficult sometimes not to get caught up in the negative aspects of all that's happened to us, all that's gone wrong. It started with a layoff three years ago, and we're still going through the negative effects of that, as a phone call two nights ago demonstrated. In the midst of the struggles, though, we're doing our best to make the most of what we have, and not to spend time worrying and complaining. But what happens to me very often is that I do get caught up in the worrying, and I do spend time fixated on the problems, which ends up being time lost. I know that I have to admit that the problems are there, and I have to face them, but how can I keep from letting them take me over, from allowing them to change my mood, from having them change the way I act?
We aren't going to die because of these problems, obviously, but they are sometimes almost overwhelming, and I know that with all the goodness in the world, I shouldn't be overwhelmed by the bad.
An answer:
I think that you've kind of answered your own question here, as so many people are able to do once they start talking to me. You have a choice as to what overwhelms you--the good or the bad, the evil or the pure, the stressful or the relaxing. Things do pile up, and they do get to be difficult, but their importance is a matter of your choice. It is very important to pay bills and fulfill responsibilities, but you can only do so to the best of your abilities. Once you've done that--and truly have done so to the best of your abilities--then it's time to focus your attention on other things. When someone tries to bring your attention back to the problem, then say simply, "I've truly done everything I can at this moment about that situation, and no amount of talking or explaining is going to allow me to do more." Then end that conversation.
I've also provided you many, many resources that can help you through difficult times. Do you remember when you were in graduate school, doing two degrees simultaneously? (Good job, by the way--two M.A.'s in two years, with only one "B"? Extraordinary, and not a single person on the planet has told you that yet. But that's okay--you know it and I know it.) What did you use then? Each afternoon you were able to watch Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures, and you were able to laugh. A lot. Those were great resources for you, for the laughter helped you to cope with the stress and even the depression you were going through then. And even more than that, you had something to focus on for an hour each day that wasn't your school work.
You do have many more such resources available to you now. Instead of focusing on the problem--except in those moments when you're working on solving it--focus on something else, such as a project you're doing, work that needs to be done, a funny or suspenseful show. Don't use such things to avoid facing problems, but allow them to keep your mind focused on the positive things.
This is more important than you'll know, and I'll end with the reason: Your mind helps to create your reality. If you fixate on problems, you invite more problems into your life. If you fixate on pleasant and fun things, you invite more pleasure and fun into your life. This is a simple rule of life that many people have shared with you in many ways, and it's important that you live according to this rule, and stop inviting the negative things into your life. In many ways, it really is up to you. All of it.
I have a couple of questions to ask of you today. Life has been very challenging for my wife and me over the last few years, and it's difficult sometimes not to get caught up in the negative aspects of all that's happened to us, all that's gone wrong. It started with a layoff three years ago, and we're still going through the negative effects of that, as a phone call two nights ago demonstrated. In the midst of the struggles, though, we're doing our best to make the most of what we have, and not to spend time worrying and complaining. But what happens to me very often is that I do get caught up in the worrying, and I do spend time fixated on the problems, which ends up being time lost. I know that I have to admit that the problems are there, and I have to face them, but how can I keep from letting them take me over, from allowing them to change my mood, from having them change the way I act?
We aren't going to die because of these problems, obviously, but they are sometimes almost overwhelming, and I know that with all the goodness in the world, I shouldn't be overwhelmed by the bad.
An answer:
I think that you've kind of answered your own question here, as so many people are able to do once they start talking to me. You have a choice as to what overwhelms you--the good or the bad, the evil or the pure, the stressful or the relaxing. Things do pile up, and they do get to be difficult, but their importance is a matter of your choice. It is very important to pay bills and fulfill responsibilities, but you can only do so to the best of your abilities. Once you've done that--and truly have done so to the best of your abilities--then it's time to focus your attention on other things. When someone tries to bring your attention back to the problem, then say simply, "I've truly done everything I can at this moment about that situation, and no amount of talking or explaining is going to allow me to do more." Then end that conversation.
I've also provided you many, many resources that can help you through difficult times. Do you remember when you were in graduate school, doing two degrees simultaneously? (Good job, by the way--two M.A.'s in two years, with only one "B"? Extraordinary, and not a single person on the planet has told you that yet. But that's okay--you know it and I know it.) What did you use then? Each afternoon you were able to watch Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures, and you were able to laugh. A lot. Those were great resources for you, for the laughter helped you to cope with the stress and even the depression you were going through then. And even more than that, you had something to focus on for an hour each day that wasn't your school work.
You do have many more such resources available to you now. Instead of focusing on the problem--except in those moments when you're working on solving it--focus on something else, such as a project you're doing, work that needs to be done, a funny or suspenseful show. Don't use such things to avoid facing problems, but allow them to keep your mind focused on the positive things.
This is more important than you'll know, and I'll end with the reason: Your mind helps to create your reality. If you fixate on problems, you invite more problems into your life. If you fixate on pleasant and fun things, you invite more pleasure and fun into your life. This is a simple rule of life that many people have shared with you in many ways, and it's important that you live according to this rule, and stop inviting the negative things into your life. In many ways, it really is up to you. All of it.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
A reply. . . .
Purpose? Of course you have purpose, and it's within you all the time. And it isn't just in one area--within you are a variety of talents and abilities that allow you to define your purpose as you will, that will allow you to change your purpose as you go through life and find your situations changing. One who has a purpose of teaching young children may change his or her purpose to become a full-time parent; and once that job is no longer a full-time duty, do you think that I want someone to be suddenly purposeless in life? Not at all--that person has other skills and talents to draw on to change his or her purpose, perhaps becoming a doctor or counselor or a waiter or waitress.
I think that too often you as humans over-intellectualize what it means to have a purpose. Any time you are serving other human beings, you are fulfilling a purpose. No one should trivialize any other person's service at all--every form of service is vital, and every form is important. People need to eat, and sometimes time spent in a restaurant is more full of true communication than time spent at home. The wait staff, the cooks, the bus staff, the managers--all are fulfilling an important purpose.
The shame of it is that with all your thinking about purpose, sometimes you give only half an effort to the job you're doing now because you're thinking about another job that you'd prefer to be doing, or you feel that the job you're doing now is beneath you.
But no job is beneath anyone, as long as service is being fulfilled. Likewise, no job is above anyone, as long as someone is willing to work to reach it.
Not every person is well designed for every purpose. Not everyone can become a doctor. Not everyone can make a living and perform service as an artist. But all of you can serve a vital purpose, as long as you trust me to have given you the skills that you need, and as long as you trust yourself to do your best at all that you do. Your purposes are within you, and they're covered up just like everything else by all the peripheral information and behaviors that you've learned since your birth. Your goal is to uncover your purpose by uncovering your talents and developing them, not just letting them lie stagnant.
Purpose? You have many, and they all involve the roles you fill. You are son and daughter, brother and sister, mother and father, friend and lover, worker and leader, role model and learner. Once you have in mind your various purposes, then you can work towards fulfilling those purposes in a way that will strengthen you, develop you, and help you to grow into the person you were meant to be. Don't try to take on too many purposes, for some that you take on will not be authentic to you, but don't be afraid to take on a purpose that frightens you, for there you will find the most growth and learning.
I think that too often you as humans over-intellectualize what it means to have a purpose. Any time you are serving other human beings, you are fulfilling a purpose. No one should trivialize any other person's service at all--every form of service is vital, and every form is important. People need to eat, and sometimes time spent in a restaurant is more full of true communication than time spent at home. The wait staff, the cooks, the bus staff, the managers--all are fulfilling an important purpose.
The shame of it is that with all your thinking about purpose, sometimes you give only half an effort to the job you're doing now because you're thinking about another job that you'd prefer to be doing, or you feel that the job you're doing now is beneath you.
But no job is beneath anyone, as long as service is being fulfilled. Likewise, no job is above anyone, as long as someone is willing to work to reach it.
Not every person is well designed for every purpose. Not everyone can become a doctor. Not everyone can make a living and perform service as an artist. But all of you can serve a vital purpose, as long as you trust me to have given you the skills that you need, and as long as you trust yourself to do your best at all that you do. Your purposes are within you, and they're covered up just like everything else by all the peripheral information and behaviors that you've learned since your birth. Your goal is to uncover your purpose by uncovering your talents and developing them, not just letting them lie stagnant.
Purpose? You have many, and they all involve the roles you fill. You are son and daughter, brother and sister, mother and father, friend and lover, worker and leader, role model and learner. Once you have in mind your various purposes, then you can work towards fulfilling those purposes in a way that will strengthen you, develop you, and help you to grow into the person you were meant to be. Don't try to take on too many purposes, for some that you take on will not be authentic to you, but don't be afraid to take on a purpose that frightens you, for there you will find the most growth and learning.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Purpose
Good morning, God, and thank you for this new day! I really do appreciate the chance to live through another day in the life, another set of hours full of possibility and potential. On this particular day, my mind is on purpose--and I'm wondering, what is my purpose? Do I really have one? Is what I do on this planet working towards any sort of ultimate goal, or are all my actions random and scattered and bound to sink into oblivion, completely forgotten by all?
My hunch is that purpose is something that we can't be entirely aware of. I feel that there really isn't a definite purpose that we can point a finger at ("your purpose is to plant this tree"), but something far less clearly defined, something that we only get hints of while we're here. But I do have evidence that there actually may be a clear, well-defined purpose for us all--after all, I do see very positive and fulfilling feedback on my teaching and my work on the websites that I have done. I see people feeling better about themselves and their abilities, and I see growth in them.
Could you tell me what my purpose is? Probably not--you're not going to come out and just say something like that. It really has to be my task to uncover my purpose from among all the other things that are going on in my life. Otherwise, it would be really impossible for me to value it as much, wouldn't it?
But here's a problem--sometimes I get so caught up in other things that are going on in my life that I get sidetracked, and I no longer find myself looking for my purpose, or contributing to that purpose. Perhaps you could help me to find out how to avoid getting sidetracked? Perhaps you could let me know when I am sidetracked?
There is a lot of mystery in life, and I'm fine with that. I can't help but think, though, that knowing my purpose--or purposes--in this life might make it easier for me to stick to trying to accomplish them, and actually doing so. If you can give me any help in this regard, I really would appreciate it!
My hunch is that purpose is something that we can't be entirely aware of. I feel that there really isn't a definite purpose that we can point a finger at ("your purpose is to plant this tree"), but something far less clearly defined, something that we only get hints of while we're here. But I do have evidence that there actually may be a clear, well-defined purpose for us all--after all, I do see very positive and fulfilling feedback on my teaching and my work on the websites that I have done. I see people feeling better about themselves and their abilities, and I see growth in them.
Could you tell me what my purpose is? Probably not--you're not going to come out and just say something like that. It really has to be my task to uncover my purpose from among all the other things that are going on in my life. Otherwise, it would be really impossible for me to value it as much, wouldn't it?
But here's a problem--sometimes I get so caught up in other things that are going on in my life that I get sidetracked, and I no longer find myself looking for my purpose, or contributing to that purpose. Perhaps you could help me to find out how to avoid getting sidetracked? Perhaps you could let me know when I am sidetracked?
There is a lot of mystery in life, and I'm fine with that. I can't help but think, though, that knowing my purpose--or purposes--in this life might make it easier for me to stick to trying to accomplish them, and actually doing so. If you can give me any help in this regard, I really would appreciate it!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Letting Go of Results
You know, God, one thing that I definitely could use help with is the ability to let go of results. I think that I'm pretty good at it--much better than most people I know--but I still do have a sort of inner need to see quantifiable results of work that I've done or activities that I've taken on. Sometimes I get caught up in checking on results on progress many times a day, when I should be able to simply let go and not keep checking. After all, checking doesn't do a thing in my situation; if checking meant that I could make some changes, then it might have some benefit.
What is is that makes me want to know results so often? Is it just curiosity (as I tell myself to justify my actions), or is there more to it? When I go on vacation and I'm not able to check results of things, I'm fine. When I'm at home and able to do so, then I do check, and it wastes a lot of time and sometimes adds quite a bit of stress to my life if the results aren't what I was hoping for.
I know that part of the problem lies in a fundamental lack of trust--in you, in myself, in the work that I've done and the actions I've taken. I really, really want to reach a point at which I trust you completely, and even though I'm much closer to that now than I was twenty years ago, for example, I'm still far, far away from it in my own eyes. Too many obstacles continue to surface and hold me back, and that could be partly because I'm trying to control situations myself instead of letting them work out how they should be.
So how can I trust you more? I can't ask you for some sort of sign--a lot of "religious" people say that it's fine to ask for signs, but that just feels completely wrong to me--and what I've seen so far doesn't really help me. When I work as long and as hard as I've worked and I still see others succeeding much more than I succeed, it does make me wonder where my trust should be placed, or if my trust is merited. I feel that it is, but I don't want to put you to the test at all, but I also don't want to keep on keeping on with the levels of frustration that I've been dealing with. How can I move forward? What can I do--especially specifically? I'll be listening and trying to hear your answers. . . .
What is is that makes me want to know results so often? Is it just curiosity (as I tell myself to justify my actions), or is there more to it? When I go on vacation and I'm not able to check results of things, I'm fine. When I'm at home and able to do so, then I do check, and it wastes a lot of time and sometimes adds quite a bit of stress to my life if the results aren't what I was hoping for.
I know that part of the problem lies in a fundamental lack of trust--in you, in myself, in the work that I've done and the actions I've taken. I really, really want to reach a point at which I trust you completely, and even though I'm much closer to that now than I was twenty years ago, for example, I'm still far, far away from it in my own eyes. Too many obstacles continue to surface and hold me back, and that could be partly because I'm trying to control situations myself instead of letting them work out how they should be.
So how can I trust you more? I can't ask you for some sort of sign--a lot of "religious" people say that it's fine to ask for signs, but that just feels completely wrong to me--and what I've seen so far doesn't really help me. When I work as long and as hard as I've worked and I still see others succeeding much more than I succeed, it does make me wonder where my trust should be placed, or if my trust is merited. I feel that it is, but I don't want to put you to the test at all, but I also don't want to keep on keeping on with the levels of frustration that I've been dealing with. How can I move forward? What can I do--especially specifically? I'll be listening and trying to hear your answers. . . .
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