Good morning, God, and thanks for this new day in our world. It promises to be a beautiful, mild summer day, and I hope to make the very most of this gift in my life.
As the summer goes on, I find myself once again trying to deal with setting and keeping priorities--I find that it's far too easy to waste a lot of time on things that don't really matter to me, and to neglect doing many of the things that are very important. I am working on a book, and that's going fairly well, though it could be going better. I have a lot of website work to do, and I'm doing much of it, but not all that I could be doing. Part of my problem is that even though I promise myself to sit down and write out all that I need to do, I avoid doing that as I do other things.
I don't think life is all about doing and achieving--you know that. But I do know that there are many things that really need to be done, and putting them off isn't at all a good idea. I do know also that I get things done much more effectively when I have some sort of plan to do so--yet sitting down and making the plan is one of my weaknesses, and when I don't do so, hours can go by with nothing getting done. That makes me feel that I'm squandering time, because those hours also aren't a restful, peaceful time for me, as rest should be.
A reply:
Yes, it is a beautiful day, and yes, it holds many great opportunities for you to make the most of it. Please do so--that's why you have it!
Priorities. . . there's a word that humans have a very hard time with. Life is full of choices, isn't it? And each time you face a choice--of what to do, what to buy, what to throw away--your choice can be a reflection of your priorities, or not. Most people set priorities about things that they feel they should, such as work or accomplishments, but relatively few people make priorities of things like encouraging and helping others, resting and relaxing, spending time with the family. Priorities are something that can be used to help one to organize their thoughts and make decisions, yet most people react to the present moment's realities and spend time on Facebook even though their priorities don't include that at all.
The hard part is sticking to your priorities, it seems. Because one of your priorities is to have priorities, but you don't really. Believe it or not, I've given you enough time to do whatever you may want to do in life; most people, though, spend that time doing anything but the things that will help them to make their dreams come true.
Life isn't about achieving, but achievement definitely makes people feel good, especially about themselves. And if you want to achieve, remember that doing so isn't necessarily a question of prioritizing or using time well--it's about making the decisions that will allow you to do so, such as deciding not to visit Facebook at all today, or sitting down with that piece of paper to write that letter, or not turning on the television to watch a show that you've already seen (and trust me, even though you might not have seen a particular episode of a particular show, you've already seen the story in some other series).
Perhaps next time we can talk about decisions.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Saturday, July 2, 2016
All This Killing
Good morning, God, and thank you for this new day in my life. I hope that I'm able to make something special of it--you've given me the day and the tools, and I sincerely hope that I'm able to use them and make this an extraordinary day in some way.
I have to say that I'm getting very frustrated and even somewhat disheartened by all the killing that's going on in the world. Whether it's killing by individuals with assault weapons here in our country or terrorist attacks in other places, it hurts to see so many people willing and able to kill other people for reasons that are simply incomprehensible. If you disagree with someone, then talk to them. If you believe something different, then acknowledge the differences and move on with your life. These are the strategies that human beings have been given; these are the ways that we can use our minds and hearts to deal with our fears and prejudices rather than using violent means to make a point that virtually never is taken in the way it is intended.
The violent people are not having their claims examined in objective ways. They lose that chance when they choose to harm and kill other human beings. They are not eliciting sympathy for any cause, nor are they helping people to understand problems. And because of their misguided attempts to deal with their fears and challenges, other people must live in fear of physical violence, which makes their lives very difficult, indeed. So many people are dying needless and tragic deaths because a relatively few people feel that they have some sort of right to kill others, and there really are no words that can express how awful it is that they do this, and how awful it is for the rest of the world to see the constant killing of innocent people on a regular basis.
A response:
This has been going on forever, as long as human beings have been around. It's extremely sad and completely unfair to virtually everyone, yet no matter how much human beings progress in their knowledge and scientific endeavors, you still do a relatively poor job at teaching young people how to live together in peace, how to deal with fears and insecurities, and especially how to employ effective problem-solving skills in order to accomplish your desired goals without resorting to the lowest form of persuasion: violence and intimidation. The people who are doing the killing are afraid and they're angry, and they are willing to listen to others who are afraid and angry more than they're willing to listen to people who are not.
Even with good upbringings, such people can be "caught" by others at times when they're most vulnerable--when they feel alone, and are afraid that they always will feel that way; when they feel no hope for their future, and they're afraid that lack of hope will last forever; when they see what they perceive as injustice and feel angry about it, and they don't think that other people will do anything at all about that injustice. When you're feeling these things, it's very easy for someone else to convince you that other people are to blame for your problems and the problems of your country, and it's very easy for those people to convince you that a completely appropriate way of responding to these issues is indeed a way that is actually completely inappropriate.
Humans like to go after symptoms rather than diseases, so they declare war on terrorist groups rather than examining the situations that give rise to such groups and then doing something to deal with the problems that people are having. There are too many arguments about how much money to spend on creating more jobs, for example, an act that would bring hope to many more people, and not enough recognition of how that expenditure would actually save time, money, and much heartbreak down the road. You need to create situations that help people to have hope, you need to create inclusive social structures to help young people to have a sense of belonging, and you need to teach people not just about how to deal with their problems in life, but also a deep respect for their fellow human beings and their own fears and hopes and dreams. The violence is real and it will not go away until more people feel connected and hopeful, rather than disenfranchised and hopeless.
And what can you do as an individual who doesn't have any influence at all over the decision-making processes that could help to solve some of these problems? Not much, of course. But your prayers and your positive thoughts will help not just to keep you aware of the problems, but to think about how to avoid such straightforward problems in your own sphere of influence--to see how your own contribution to your own world can keep people there from feeling the things that the violent people feel.
I have to say that I'm getting very frustrated and even somewhat disheartened by all the killing that's going on in the world. Whether it's killing by individuals with assault weapons here in our country or terrorist attacks in other places, it hurts to see so many people willing and able to kill other people for reasons that are simply incomprehensible. If you disagree with someone, then talk to them. If you believe something different, then acknowledge the differences and move on with your life. These are the strategies that human beings have been given; these are the ways that we can use our minds and hearts to deal with our fears and prejudices rather than using violent means to make a point that virtually never is taken in the way it is intended.
The violent people are not having their claims examined in objective ways. They lose that chance when they choose to harm and kill other human beings. They are not eliciting sympathy for any cause, nor are they helping people to understand problems. And because of their misguided attempts to deal with their fears and challenges, other people must live in fear of physical violence, which makes their lives very difficult, indeed. So many people are dying needless and tragic deaths because a relatively few people feel that they have some sort of right to kill others, and there really are no words that can express how awful it is that they do this, and how awful it is for the rest of the world to see the constant killing of innocent people on a regular basis.
A response:
This has been going on forever, as long as human beings have been around. It's extremely sad and completely unfair to virtually everyone, yet no matter how much human beings progress in their knowledge and scientific endeavors, you still do a relatively poor job at teaching young people how to live together in peace, how to deal with fears and insecurities, and especially how to employ effective problem-solving skills in order to accomplish your desired goals without resorting to the lowest form of persuasion: violence and intimidation. The people who are doing the killing are afraid and they're angry, and they are willing to listen to others who are afraid and angry more than they're willing to listen to people who are not.
Even with good upbringings, such people can be "caught" by others at times when they're most vulnerable--when they feel alone, and are afraid that they always will feel that way; when they feel no hope for their future, and they're afraid that lack of hope will last forever; when they see what they perceive as injustice and feel angry about it, and they don't think that other people will do anything at all about that injustice. When you're feeling these things, it's very easy for someone else to convince you that other people are to blame for your problems and the problems of your country, and it's very easy for those people to convince you that a completely appropriate way of responding to these issues is indeed a way that is actually completely inappropriate.
Humans like to go after symptoms rather than diseases, so they declare war on terrorist groups rather than examining the situations that give rise to such groups and then doing something to deal with the problems that people are having. There are too many arguments about how much money to spend on creating more jobs, for example, an act that would bring hope to many more people, and not enough recognition of how that expenditure would actually save time, money, and much heartbreak down the road. You need to create situations that help people to have hope, you need to create inclusive social structures to help young people to have a sense of belonging, and you need to teach people not just about how to deal with their problems in life, but also a deep respect for their fellow human beings and their own fears and hopes and dreams. The violence is real and it will not go away until more people feel connected and hopeful, rather than disenfranchised and hopeless.
And what can you do as an individual who doesn't have any influence at all over the decision-making processes that could help to solve some of these problems? Not much, of course. But your prayers and your positive thoughts will help not just to keep you aware of the problems, but to think about how to avoid such straightforward problems in your own sphere of influence--to see how your own contribution to your own world can keep people there from feeling the things that the violent people feel.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Reflection
Good morning, God, and thank you for a new day in our lives. I hope that I'm able to make the most of this new day and not just enjoy it, but make something of it that will be positive for me and the other people in my life.
Summer is here, and the transition of the seasons is a good way to remind ourselves just how "seasonal" our own lives seem to be. While most people really like summer because of the heat and the longer days, I have to say that it isn't my favorite season at all--it often gets too hot, and I need to have an air conditioner on just to sleep sometimes. And when it gets TOO hot--boy. In the winter we can dress appropriately and compensate for the cold, but when it's hot there's really nothing that we can do to compensate for the heat. I'm fortunate that I don't live in a place that's also humid.
But anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for today and let you know that I am trying to keep life in mind, that I'm trying to reflect on it rather than just pass through it; to learn from my experiences rather than just move through life from experience to experience without getting anything from them. So thank you for this new season and this new day--I really do appreciate them.
A reply:
You're very welcome. And I'm very glad that you're reflecting--it's important that you do so if you want to make something more of your life than just an existence. But I trust that you'll also allow many situations to simply be, without too much reflection on them. Sometimes reflection isn't just unnecessary, but it can seriously diminish the pleasure and the learning that can come from simply feeling a situation, from letting it touch your heart instead of your mind. I gave you a mind that you can use to interpret and analyze and explore, but I gave you a heart to live from. Yes, they must work together, but human beings seem more willing to let their mind dominate and they thus make the heart suffer. Don't do that, okay?
Summer is here, and the transition of the seasons is a good way to remind ourselves just how "seasonal" our own lives seem to be. While most people really like summer because of the heat and the longer days, I have to say that it isn't my favorite season at all--it often gets too hot, and I need to have an air conditioner on just to sleep sometimes. And when it gets TOO hot--boy. In the winter we can dress appropriately and compensate for the cold, but when it's hot there's really nothing that we can do to compensate for the heat. I'm fortunate that I don't live in a place that's also humid.
But anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for today and let you know that I am trying to keep life in mind, that I'm trying to reflect on it rather than just pass through it; to learn from my experiences rather than just move through life from experience to experience without getting anything from them. So thank you for this new season and this new day--I really do appreciate them.
A reply:
You're very welcome. And I'm very glad that you're reflecting--it's important that you do so if you want to make something more of your life than just an existence. But I trust that you'll also allow many situations to simply be, without too much reflection on them. Sometimes reflection isn't just unnecessary, but it can seriously diminish the pleasure and the learning that can come from simply feeling a situation, from letting it touch your heart instead of your mind. I gave you a mind that you can use to interpret and analyze and explore, but I gave you a heart to live from. Yes, they must work together, but human beings seem more willing to let their mind dominate and they thus make the heart suffer. Don't do that, okay?
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
What to do?
Good morning, God, and thanks much for this new day in our lives! We have another set of hours to do with as we will, and I hope that I'm able to make those hours productive and useful and enjoyable.
As you know, we had another massacre in our country a few days ago. Meanwhile, the politicians keep attacking each other, more and more people are going into debt and struggling financially, the schisms between groups--political, racial, ethnic, you name it--are growing wider and people are getting more and more angry at each other, calling each other names and threatening each other over the most ridiculous of causes. . . it makes me wonder just what we're supposed to do. How can we fix the world? How can we help people to care for each other rather than be angry at each other and try to hurt each other? Not a lot makes sense these days, and it seems that things keep on getting worse. Corporations are growing stronger and controlling more and more of our money and resources, while millions of people have to do without--though many of them can afford their cell phones and monthly data plans.
When I was a kid, I thought the world would be a much better place by now. There would be more equality, we would have figured out how to spread prosperity around so that more could live full lives. We wouldn't have so many differences based on gender and race. And to a certain extent, that has come to pass, but at the same time, in some areas things are even worse.
And what can I do about it? I've never felt so helpless and so lacking in influence. We have two negative candidates for president, and I don't want to vote for either of them. So what do we do? How do I find something to do that can help me to feel that I'm actually doing something about situations that bother me so much? I don't want to be a person who complains without doing something about the situation, but I'm also not in a position of influence who can change these things. It's very frustrating, and there seems to be no end in sight for the frustration.
A reply:
Things will always go wrong. You're a human being, exercising your free will, and you're surrounded by other humans who are also exercising their free will. The major problem is that not every human being exercises free will with an eye on their responsibilities to their fellow people and their societies. Not every person looks for the common good, but for their own good, no matter what they say they're doing. Not every person uses their creativity and imagination--they simply do what others have been doing because it's somehow "safer." People allow themselves to be ruled by their fears rather than their love and compassion. Add to this the fact that these days, because of technology, you have a much broader view of the world around you and you see things that you never would have seen before, and you have a very difficult world to live in. That is, it's difficult to live in if you care about your fellow humans and you hope to make the world a better place. Which is most people. It's rather easy to live in if you want to take advantage of others and look out for your own good only. The human race is full of predators. It always has been and it always will be, unfortunately. I didn't make you that way--it's just that many people choose that path because they're afraid of the paths of love and compassion. They're so afraid that they won't have control over themselves and others that they create what they believe to be control by hurting others instead of helping them.
But your bigger question was what you can do about it to allay your frustration. And it's a very good question. First of all, it's important to remember that you're not the caretaker of the world and that it's not your responsibility to fix all of the problems of the world. You have your own sphere of influence, and it's important that you recognize it and be well aware of it, and then do your best to make sure that you put as much positive energy into that area as you can. For example, you're a teacher. You can teach young people to recognize the problems that they witness, but you can also teach them not to fear and to feel good about themselves. People who feel good about themselves are much less likely to need to hurt others than those people who feel very bad about themselves.
A confident person is much less likely to respond to a hurt with another hurt, so you can teach young people to have confidence. An educated person is much more likely to recognize problems that are occurring than someone who doesn't have a broad field of knowledge, so teach the young people to see the world in its entirety, and not just in small slivers that reflect their own self-interests.
You know other things you can teach. You know how to make people feel good about themselves. Compliments and encouragement really can change the world. And your students may not go out and change the world themselves, but they may parent a child who does. Do the absolute best you can within your sphere of influence--you are where you are for a number of reasons--and you will have a positive influence on the world. You just won't see it in the news. You may never see any concrete results at all, but that's what faith is all about--keeping on even when you don't see results.
And learn to love the frustration. It's a sure sign that you really do care, that you really do love.
As you know, we had another massacre in our country a few days ago. Meanwhile, the politicians keep attacking each other, more and more people are going into debt and struggling financially, the schisms between groups--political, racial, ethnic, you name it--are growing wider and people are getting more and more angry at each other, calling each other names and threatening each other over the most ridiculous of causes. . . it makes me wonder just what we're supposed to do. How can we fix the world? How can we help people to care for each other rather than be angry at each other and try to hurt each other? Not a lot makes sense these days, and it seems that things keep on getting worse. Corporations are growing stronger and controlling more and more of our money and resources, while millions of people have to do without--though many of them can afford their cell phones and monthly data plans.
When I was a kid, I thought the world would be a much better place by now. There would be more equality, we would have figured out how to spread prosperity around so that more could live full lives. We wouldn't have so many differences based on gender and race. And to a certain extent, that has come to pass, but at the same time, in some areas things are even worse.
And what can I do about it? I've never felt so helpless and so lacking in influence. We have two negative candidates for president, and I don't want to vote for either of them. So what do we do? How do I find something to do that can help me to feel that I'm actually doing something about situations that bother me so much? I don't want to be a person who complains without doing something about the situation, but I'm also not in a position of influence who can change these things. It's very frustrating, and there seems to be no end in sight for the frustration.
A reply:
Things will always go wrong. You're a human being, exercising your free will, and you're surrounded by other humans who are also exercising their free will. The major problem is that not every human being exercises free will with an eye on their responsibilities to their fellow people and their societies. Not every person looks for the common good, but for their own good, no matter what they say they're doing. Not every person uses their creativity and imagination--they simply do what others have been doing because it's somehow "safer." People allow themselves to be ruled by their fears rather than their love and compassion. Add to this the fact that these days, because of technology, you have a much broader view of the world around you and you see things that you never would have seen before, and you have a very difficult world to live in. That is, it's difficult to live in if you care about your fellow humans and you hope to make the world a better place. Which is most people. It's rather easy to live in if you want to take advantage of others and look out for your own good only. The human race is full of predators. It always has been and it always will be, unfortunately. I didn't make you that way--it's just that many people choose that path because they're afraid of the paths of love and compassion. They're so afraid that they won't have control over themselves and others that they create what they believe to be control by hurting others instead of helping them.
But your bigger question was what you can do about it to allay your frustration. And it's a very good question. First of all, it's important to remember that you're not the caretaker of the world and that it's not your responsibility to fix all of the problems of the world. You have your own sphere of influence, and it's important that you recognize it and be well aware of it, and then do your best to make sure that you put as much positive energy into that area as you can. For example, you're a teacher. You can teach young people to recognize the problems that they witness, but you can also teach them not to fear and to feel good about themselves. People who feel good about themselves are much less likely to need to hurt others than those people who feel very bad about themselves.
A confident person is much less likely to respond to a hurt with another hurt, so you can teach young people to have confidence. An educated person is much more likely to recognize problems that are occurring than someone who doesn't have a broad field of knowledge, so teach the young people to see the world in its entirety, and not just in small slivers that reflect their own self-interests.
You know other things you can teach. You know how to make people feel good about themselves. Compliments and encouragement really can change the world. And your students may not go out and change the world themselves, but they may parent a child who does. Do the absolute best you can within your sphere of influence--you are where you are for a number of reasons--and you will have a positive influence on the world. You just won't see it in the news. You may never see any concrete results at all, but that's what faith is all about--keeping on even when you don't see results.
And learn to love the frustration. It's a sure sign that you really do care, that you really do love.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
The best of intentions
Good morning, God--and thanks much for this new day in our lives! We have another day to live and to love and to breathe and to learn and to experience, and I hope that I'm able to make the most of it. Thank you very much for the many opportunities that lie before me today--I really do appreciate them, and I hope to make the most of them.
I have a question for you today that may sound like I'm bitter when I'm not--why is it that so many of the things that I do bear no fruit, and actually often fail pretty miserably? I've done a lot and I've worked very hard at what I do, yet I very rarely see any positive results of the work that I do in life. I especially don't see any positive financial results of my efforts, and after a while that starts to wear one down, I believe. In my positive moments I'm fine with this fact, but there are other moments when I feel frustrated and confused. It's very hard sometimes to put forth so much effort and see so few tangible results. And it's not about expectations that haven't been met--it's more about the frustration of working very hard and very much and seeing almost nothing in the way of results.
Why is it that when all is said and done, I've basically failed at so many of the things I've chosen to do, even though I've put all that I can into them? And what might I do to stop failing--or is failure simply a part of who I am? And I don't say that as a defeatist, but as someone who has had so few tangible successes in my life that I start to wonder if there will ever be any sort of tangible success--be it financial or otherwise--for me to see as results of my efforts.
A reply:
You're welcome for the day--it should be a very nice one. It's interesting, because your first paragraph says quite clearly "I'm going to do my best to live this day fully and completely," and what could be a more compelling success than that?
Of course, if your definition of success involves return on what you've done, then success is more difficult to define. And return is often a very good indicator of success. You've written several books, and one of the indicators of success of having written is to have people actually read those books. You've had relatively few people buy and read your books, which can be a very difficult thing to have happen. After all, you wrote them with important life lessons in them, yet if no one reads your books, those life lessons aren't shared at all, are they? This can be discouraging, yet I know that you're already planning your next few books. You aren't discouraged enough to stop doing what you feel called to do--and I would call that being successful, also.
On whose terms are you defining and measuring success? Your own, or those of other people in the world? Are they the terms of people who judge and who make others feel inadequate if they don't meet certain arbitrary criteria, or are they the terms of people who love others and who care for them and who would be supportive of you in anything that you do? Which group of people would you rather belong to? Why?
"Failure" for one person is another person's success. I cannot give you an answer for your question--I don't know why your books haven't sold, why some of your commercial ventures haven't earned you money, why so many relationships have fallen by the wayside. I can assure you of one thing, though--keep on living your life and doing what you feel called to do. Ultimately, success means doing what you feel called to do and doing it well, and so far, you're there.
I have a question for you today that may sound like I'm bitter when I'm not--why is it that so many of the things that I do bear no fruit, and actually often fail pretty miserably? I've done a lot and I've worked very hard at what I do, yet I very rarely see any positive results of the work that I do in life. I especially don't see any positive financial results of my efforts, and after a while that starts to wear one down, I believe. In my positive moments I'm fine with this fact, but there are other moments when I feel frustrated and confused. It's very hard sometimes to put forth so much effort and see so few tangible results. And it's not about expectations that haven't been met--it's more about the frustration of working very hard and very much and seeing almost nothing in the way of results.
Why is it that when all is said and done, I've basically failed at so many of the things I've chosen to do, even though I've put all that I can into them? And what might I do to stop failing--or is failure simply a part of who I am? And I don't say that as a defeatist, but as someone who has had so few tangible successes in my life that I start to wonder if there will ever be any sort of tangible success--be it financial or otherwise--for me to see as results of my efforts.
A reply:
You're welcome for the day--it should be a very nice one. It's interesting, because your first paragraph says quite clearly "I'm going to do my best to live this day fully and completely," and what could be a more compelling success than that?
Of course, if your definition of success involves return on what you've done, then success is more difficult to define. And return is often a very good indicator of success. You've written several books, and one of the indicators of success of having written is to have people actually read those books. You've had relatively few people buy and read your books, which can be a very difficult thing to have happen. After all, you wrote them with important life lessons in them, yet if no one reads your books, those life lessons aren't shared at all, are they? This can be discouraging, yet I know that you're already planning your next few books. You aren't discouraged enough to stop doing what you feel called to do--and I would call that being successful, also.
On whose terms are you defining and measuring success? Your own, or those of other people in the world? Are they the terms of people who judge and who make others feel inadequate if they don't meet certain arbitrary criteria, or are they the terms of people who love others and who care for them and who would be supportive of you in anything that you do? Which group of people would you rather belong to? Why?
"Failure" for one person is another person's success. I cannot give you an answer for your question--I don't know why your books haven't sold, why some of your commercial ventures haven't earned you money, why so many relationships have fallen by the wayside. I can assure you of one thing, though--keep on living your life and doing what you feel called to do. Ultimately, success means doing what you feel called to do and doing it well, and so far, you're there.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Another long absence
Good morning, God!
And thanks much for this new day in our lives. I really appreciate the opportunity to live through another day on this amazing planet, and I'll do my best to make the most of this day that I've been given.
It's been a while since I've written anything here, as you well know. A long vacation will do that--my wife and I took our first long vacation--two weeks--in many years, and while we were gone, we had very little in the way of Internet connections. It was a good thing, though, because I wanted to spend as little time as possible online. Our goal was to be together and to do some exploring, not to do the same online stuff while on vacation that we do at home.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to take the vacation. I know that the vast majority of people on this planet will never be able to take such a vacation, and that it's only an accident of fate that we happen to live in a place that allows us the economic possibility of taking the vacation we just took. I want you to know, though, that we don't take it for granted, and that we do very much appreciate it. I do wish that more people could do things like that, but I learned long ago that it's important that we live within the realities in which we're placed--we shouldn't make ourselves suffer if we live in a situation that is better than other people have. Vacations are important in life; I know that my wife and I very much needed this one.
So we thank you for the chance to travel and to see new things, and I'll do my best to make sure that the benefits of the vacation make a difference in my life.
A response:
And thanks much for this new day in our lives. I really appreciate the opportunity to live through another day on this amazing planet, and I'll do my best to make the most of this day that I've been given.
It's been a while since I've written anything here, as you well know. A long vacation will do that--my wife and I took our first long vacation--two weeks--in many years, and while we were gone, we had very little in the way of Internet connections. It was a good thing, though, because I wanted to spend as little time as possible online. Our goal was to be together and to do some exploring, not to do the same online stuff while on vacation that we do at home.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to take the vacation. I know that the vast majority of people on this planet will never be able to take such a vacation, and that it's only an accident of fate that we happen to live in a place that allows us the economic possibility of taking the vacation we just took. I want you to know, though, that we don't take it for granted, and that we do very much appreciate it. I do wish that more people could do things like that, but I learned long ago that it's important that we live within the realities in which we're placed--we shouldn't make ourselves suffer if we live in a situation that is better than other people have. Vacations are important in life; I know that my wife and I very much needed this one.
So we thank you for the chance to travel and to see new things, and I'll do my best to make sure that the benefits of the vacation make a difference in my life.
A response:
Welcome back. Yes, vacations are important--I gave you a world to experience, and if you want to get to know that world better, vacations are one of the ways that you can do so. I want you to know the world, to feel comfortable in it, to enjoy and learn from all that it has to offer you. You know as well as I do that you have never been extravagant with your vacations, and this particular one was a special treat on a scale that neither of you have ever experienced before. There's nothing wrong with treating yourselves, until it becomes excessive. But almost anything in excess is a mistake.
Vacation is a time for rest, relaxation, and renewal, and I sincerely hope that you've been able to experience all three. I also sincerely hope that the rest and renewal allow you to do stronger and better work in the different areas of your lives--in your work and in your relationships and at your church. Use the strength that you have now that you're rested to contribute more strongly in ways that you feel are most appropriate. You rest so that you can approach things in your life more effectively and more enthusiastically; nobody is served when you work yourselves to exhaustion. Enjoy your rested state, and all that you get done in it!
Vacation is a time for rest, relaxation, and renewal, and I sincerely hope that you've been able to experience all three. I also sincerely hope that the rest and renewal allow you to do stronger and better work in the different areas of your lives--in your work and in your relationships and at your church. Use the strength that you have now that you're rested to contribute more strongly in ways that you feel are most appropriate. You rest so that you can approach things in your life more effectively and more enthusiastically; nobody is served when you work yourselves to exhaustion. Enjoy your rested state, and all that you get done in it!
Thursday, May 5, 2016
No particular thing to say
Good morning, God, and thank you very much for this new day! The sun will be coming up soon, we'll see blue skies and feel warm temperatures, and we'll have another day full of opportunities to make something special of it. We'll be able to talk to other people, get work done, relax and meditate, cook food and eat it, and really, anything else that we want to do, as long as we can afford it, of course. I won't be able to hop onto a plane to Australia just like that. Though I have to stop when I say that--I actually could do that, though I would be changing a lot of things if I were to do so, not the least of which would be my relationship with my wife if I spent that much money on a whim like that.
Being spontaneous is really important in life, of course, but we have to use our reason to decide which things are worthwhile and safe enough to try. I could try going out rock climbing, but there's a very good chance that I would fall while doing so, as I have no training at all. On the other hand, a nice hike up to a mountain lake may be not just doable, but inspiring and uplifting.
An interesting set of ideas set up by a sentence about what I can't do. So perhaps this is what this note is about: I'd like to ask you to help me to be spontaneous when I can be, and to help me to discern between those things that truly are valuable enough and possible enough to undertake, and those things that may seem like a good idea at the time, but which may not be the best for me.
A reply:
Good morning to you, too. I'm glad that you're here for this day, and I hope that you're able to make of it all that you're able to. A lot of what you do and don't do has to do with where you are with your tastes and desires--the simpler you're able to keep things, the more likely you are to have an astonishing day! That may be something for you to explore in a future entry. . . .
You understand why discernment is considered a gift of the Spirit--because it's an important skill to have when you need to make decisions. The human life is filled with decision after decision, and knowing how to make them effectively is extremely important for you and the other people in your life. Your father's decisions to go out drinking as soon as he got a paycheck had a lasting effect on you and your family. Your own decision not to drink for so long had a lasting effect on the person that you've become.
Impulse can be a wonderful thing, of course, but it can make things unpleasant if the impulse leads to negative results and has no real positive return. Impulse has been one of the most consistent obstacles to a full life for many, many people, and that's a shame. Practice your discernment when you face an impulse, but also remember that when the stakes are very low, impulse can be a wonderfully liberating force. Picking up a book and going to the park to read can be a very positive impulse; going skiing instead of going to the job interview you had scheduled may not be.
Of course, if it were me, I would tend to err on the side of spontaneity, trusting myself to be able to discern between what's good for me and what's not.
But that's just me. Have a wonderful Thursday!
Being spontaneous is really important in life, of course, but we have to use our reason to decide which things are worthwhile and safe enough to try. I could try going out rock climbing, but there's a very good chance that I would fall while doing so, as I have no training at all. On the other hand, a nice hike up to a mountain lake may be not just doable, but inspiring and uplifting.
An interesting set of ideas set up by a sentence about what I can't do. So perhaps this is what this note is about: I'd like to ask you to help me to be spontaneous when I can be, and to help me to discern between those things that truly are valuable enough and possible enough to undertake, and those things that may seem like a good idea at the time, but which may not be the best for me.
A reply:
Good morning to you, too. I'm glad that you're here for this day, and I hope that you're able to make of it all that you're able to. A lot of what you do and don't do has to do with where you are with your tastes and desires--the simpler you're able to keep things, the more likely you are to have an astonishing day! That may be something for you to explore in a future entry. . . .
You understand why discernment is considered a gift of the Spirit--because it's an important skill to have when you need to make decisions. The human life is filled with decision after decision, and knowing how to make them effectively is extremely important for you and the other people in your life. Your father's decisions to go out drinking as soon as he got a paycheck had a lasting effect on you and your family. Your own decision not to drink for so long had a lasting effect on the person that you've become.
Impulse can be a wonderful thing, of course, but it can make things unpleasant if the impulse leads to negative results and has no real positive return. Impulse has been one of the most consistent obstacles to a full life for many, many people, and that's a shame. Practice your discernment when you face an impulse, but also remember that when the stakes are very low, impulse can be a wonderfully liberating force. Picking up a book and going to the park to read can be a very positive impulse; going skiing instead of going to the job interview you had scheduled may not be.
Of course, if it were me, I would tend to err on the side of spontaneity, trusting myself to be able to discern between what's good for me and what's not.
But that's just me. Have a wonderful Thursday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)