Faith/post some quotes or ideas

[wavingrl]

I understand--pretty well now--why people have issues with religion. Faith is 'easier'--spiritual journey--call it anything you want. I am comfortable with all of that. I still prefer 'the church', an institution and will never be perfect.

If, 'we'/society must insist that religion be #1 on the list of things that must never be mentioned--I guess I can work around that.

Faith.

C. S. Lewis speaks to me. Others speak to me. I believed what my community believed--back in the wonder years. Go with the highest ideals--always.

C. S. Lewis?s Journey to Faith: Spiritual Life in God

~~~
http://www.madeleinelengle.com/

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http://christianity.about.com/od/verseoftheday/qt/verseday232.htm

~~~
Writers--throughout history--there have been so many 'thoughtful' people who contributed ideas that lead upward.

Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge--the poets. Robert Frost, always enjoyed him.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

One of the early christians, a woman named Jeanne Guyon said something very true about our spiritual journey to seeking God. She said that it is like getting in a sail boat and setting out to sea. You will use oars to row out into the deep and this will take effort on your part. You could call one oar the organized church - religion - the other oar could be represented by reading of religious books, listening to sermons, reading the life stories of Christians and how they overcame, etc, and so you journ out to sea using these "oars" to get there... then there comes a day..... when the wind of the Spirit shows up, you pull both oars into the boat and lay them down at the bottom, you lift that sail, the Spirit catches it and takes you wherever He wills.

At that point you have come into a place of being led by the Spirit - wherever he takes you, that is where you shall go.... such as Paul who knew by the Holy Spirit where his journey would take him. Nevertheless, he went. It mattered not the dangers because God was in complete control and Paul heard the call.... deep calls unto deep.

Those that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.

 

[wavingrl]

Robert Louis Stevenson quotes


“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson



“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes



“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson



“So long as we love we serve; so long as we are loved by others, I would almost say that we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Lay Morals



“You think those dogs will not be in heaven! I tell you they will be there long before any of us.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson



“Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson



“I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson



“The cruelest lies are often told in silence.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque and Other Papers



“A friend is a gift you give yourself.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson




“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, The Silverado Squatters



“Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm. ”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

 

[wavingrl]

One of the early christians, a woman named Jeanne Guyon said something very true about our spiritual journey to seeking God. She said that it is like getting in a sail boat and setting out to sea. You will use oars to row out into the deep and this will take effort on your part. You could call one oar the organized church - religion - the other oar could be represented by reading of religious books, listening to sermons, reading the life stories of Christians and how they overcame, etc, and so you journ out to sea using these "oars" to get there... then there comes a day..... when the wind of the Spirit shows up, you pull both oars into the boat and lay them down at the bottom, you lift that sail, the Spirit catches it and takes you wherever He wills.

At that point you have come into a place of being led by the Spirit - wherever he takes you, that is where you shall go.... such as Paul who knew by the Holy Spirit where his journey would take him. Nevertheless, he went. It mattered not the dangers because God was in complete control and Paul heard the call.... deep calls unto deep.

Those that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.

that's good.

at some point--I think I can--'hear all the critics' and smile and go on my way. that is a cherished goal. sometimes you stay and sometimes you go.

Christ left his family--I am thinking about that at present.

and
I can certainly see Christ/What is Good in many people--all kinds of people.

those that cannot 'see Christ'--well get out the magnifying glass---if all you are seeing is evil.

the Irish have some good quotes on that topic.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Robert Louis Stevenson quotes


“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson



“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes



“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson



“So long as we love we serve; so long as we are loved by others, I would almost say that we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Lay Morals



“You think those dogs will not be in heaven! I tell you they will be there long before any of us.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson



“Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson



“I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson



“The cruelest lies are often told in silence.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque and Other Papers



“A friend is a gift you give yourself.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson




“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, The Silverado Squatters



“Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm. ”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

I love maxims! These are great, Wavingirl!

 

[wavingrl]

thanx, Jeri--If I expire unexpectedly --and my computer is really 'killing me'--got another problem--I want to be certain--my 'last post' is a good one.

Write. I can. I need to. Formulating a plan of some kind.

~~~

The Irish--filled with pragmatism, love of life and all kinds of interesting things. Even Sean Hannity. lol.

~~~

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

~~~

He who has water and peat on his own farm has the world his own way.
Old Irish proverb.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Jeanne Guyon suffered many things. She was imprisoned by the Roman Catholic Church for ten years for no other reason but that she loved God "too much". Imagine it. She lived in a very difficult time. Add to this she was exquisitely beautiful. As a child the Queen was so fascinated with her that she requested Jeannes' family permit her to come to live with her! It was not to be.

Jeanne's mother rejected her. She treated her badly, she had no use for girls I suspect. When she was of age a very wealthy man fell in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage. She married him and moved into a very lavish estate. His mother and servants didn't like Jeanne and would torment Jeanne while her husband was away on business. This went on for decades yet Jeanne never told her husband. She kept it to herself.

From a young age Jeanne had a keen sense of Gods presence in her life. She prayed continually and was grieved at the thought of having to attend parties because it put her in the spotlight. The women at these parties were very jealous of Jeanne because of her great beauty and would accuse her of having "painted her face"... She did not. She didn't defend herself to her mother in law, to the wicked servants who abused her, she didn't defend herself to the women who accused her and gossiped about her. She kept her life of solitude in prayer and when she had to attend an event with her husband, she went.

Through her sufferings Jeanne progressed to spiritual heights few dream of. Jeanne was so keen in the spirit that she could discern your spiritual condition by the sound of your voice or even by walking into a room. She knew things by the Spirit of God. She had a tremendous prayer life.

She was a spiritual director to Fenelon who was a very important figure to the Roman Catholic Church in that period. He was a brilliant man and was appointed to tutor the Kings son who was said to have been an incorrigible child. Even the servants feared his violent outbursts and temper tantrums. By the time Fenelon completed his time tutoring the future King he was a beautiful young man. Unfortunately he died before taking the throne.

I believe her autobiography is a book worth reading. So are Fenelons letters. They were friends until death.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

One more thing about Jeanne. She suffered the loss of some of her children. She came down with chicken pox and she was prescribed a medicine. The medicine was meant to stop the pox from scarring her beautiful face. She chose not to take it which resulted in her face being horribly disfigured. She considered her beauty a curse and did not want it. This made her life even more difficult as now her husband did not desire her as he had before. Again, her life story is a worthy read. - Jeri p.s. I had a very difficult time accepting some of Guyons decisions even though I knew she had reached the spiritual summit with God. It deeply bothered me for years. I have all her books. Have read them, studied them, cried over them. She just takes you where you do not want to go. In the end though - you wouldn't have missed it for the world. So there's that too. You remind me of her.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

thanx, Jeri--If I expire unexpectedly --and my computer is really 'killing me'--got another problem--I want to be certain--my 'last post' is a good one.

Write. I can. I need to. Formulating a plan of some kind.

~~~

The Irish--filled with pragmatism, love of life and all kinds of interesting things. Even Sean Hannity. lol.

~~~

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

~~~

He who has water and peat on his own farm has the world his own way.
Old Irish proverb.

Ha! Ha! I love the Irish proverb, Wavingirl! Wonderful! I live on a farm / ranch and a dear friend of mine wrote to me the other day and said to me, "You have an enviable life out there in country, with your husband and your bull".. I must agree with him that life is good when you have solitude and an animal or two that you love to spend time with. lol..

- Jeri

 

[Mr. H.]

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.

-Matsuo Bashō

 

[wavingrl]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0TInLOJuUM]Cat Stevens - Morning has broken - YouTube[/ame]

I first heard this from Cat Stevens, in the early 70's--might have been '71. I am compulsive and obsessive--so of course I bought a lot of his records--something that I must deal with still. 'What is worth that amount of effort and attention'.

My father died--a very painful relationship. We/my family seems to excel in that area.

I found a church, a really good church and began again. Dragging along 'the garbage'. I did allow a few new ideas to percolate. Presbyterians--warned to stay away from them--'They believe in predestination'--true 'some'/years ago did. This particular church was progressive--in fact, now the largest Presbyterian church in the US. Imo, it is a wonderful church--before you 'give up' try to find such a church.

This song is in the Presbyterian hymnal. Originally a poem by Eleanor Farjeon.

'Pass it on'--however you come to Christ--it doesn't matter. That is what He said--'God keeps his promises'. Don't believe, can't believe it--fine. Stay strong--Boston Strong.

Once you have experienced real love--you want more. If you are going to be compulsive, obsessive, addicted --'hooked' make sure it is something good.

~~~
on a lighter note--I always lol at this. the profound thoughts of David Hasselhoff. He understands himself--I will say that for him. All this--'I loved him/her--so I had to kill him/her'. no thanks--entertainment industry. I can't stop 'it' but I can certainly ignore or avoid it--any way I can.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I like your saying about experiencing real love. I had never experienced real love before I accepted Christ as my savior. That was my first experience with feeling completely - unconditionally - loved by someone. It happened on October 18th, 1989 and 8:58 p.m. He "hooked me" alright! lol...

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I thought about this and have decided I will share it. It might help someone. I don't know. There was a time in my life that I hated God passionately. I would have these run on conversations with him ( one way conversations with me doing all the talking ) while I was driving and I would curse him and shake my fist at the sky and say I hate you! Why did you put me in the family you put me in? Why did you allow me to suffer such horrific violence as a child? How could you allow a small child that hasn't even learned how to talk yet - to be tortured? How could you have allowed my brothers to have been kidnapped! Yes, they survived but they were never the same!

I despised the very sight of christians who by all appearances seemed to have never had a dark night in their lives! I found the inbalance - the disproportion of suffering to be inexcusable and I blamed him for my life experiences. Then one night a friend of mine told me her Episcopal priest was counseling her about her abusive husband. I said, give me his phone number! I've got a few things to say to this guy! He didn't want to talk about my friend. He wanted to talk about me! He asked me if there was anything he could pray for me about - did I have any need? I told him I could not sleep at night. That I would be awake all night until the daylight came and that I would not mind being able to sleep if he could arrange that one. For 3 nights I slept so soundly I never woke up once during the night. I thought there is something to this prayer thing. Although I didn't know at the time what it was. So I kept it in the back of my mind that there must be a connection to this mans prayer and my having fallen asleep like that.

Still I resisted God until the earthquake happened out in California and I was at the end of my self and said, this is it. I give. If you are real, I need you in my life, Jesus. I said this sinners prayer I heard about - alone in my bathroom - accepted Christ and God showed up. That was the beginning of it all and that is why I remember the day, the hour, the minute of my conversion.

-Jeri

 

[Mr. H.]

Apologies, but I should have interjected in my above post that I happened upon that quote in a National Geographic magazine. It was just a few words in a much larger article, but it so struck me... and at a time when I was having great difficulties in my life. It seemed to put everything in perspective when I needed it most. I printed those words and stuck them on the refrigerator.

Anyhow... back to our regularly scheduled programming.....

 

[wavingrl]

[

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Apologies, but I should have interjected in my above post that I happened upon that quote in a National Geographic magazine. It was just a few words in a much larger article, but it so struck me... and at a time when I was having great difficulties in my life. It seemed to put everything in perspective when I needed it most. I printed those words and stuck them on the refrigerator.

Anyhow... back to our regularly scheduled programming.....

I love your sense of humor, Mr. H. It is priceless! I had to laugh! I like the saying - yes - I can see how it would encourage you during a difficult time in your life. I am glad it carried you through it. I have a maxim I like to quote:

Bloom where you are planted!

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I like your saying about experiencing real love. I had never experienced real love before I accepted Christ as my savior. That was my first experience with feeling completely - unconditionally - loved by someone. It happened on October 18th, 1989 and 8:58 p.m. He "hooked me" alright! lol...

I am certain that my mother knew about real love--valedictorian of her tiny high school, lived on a farm during the Great Depression and well --The Greatest Generation. My father, grew up in an orphanage--only about 4 when his father died and his mother couldn't take care of her family--I think 2nd generation German immigrants. I always thought that explained a lot his 'rigid ideas' --basically a shy, sensitive man. Hardworking and very, very moral. He loved me and I loved him. But, he said something to my mother's younger sister--'crude, offensive, sexist remark of some kind'--a deeply held family secret. Resulting in 'my other aunt's'--obsession with me. Completely spoiled--a princess of some kind. There is a valid reason for some of that. The younger sister married 'a loser' of some kind--got divorced in the early 40's--unheard of, I suppose. Had nothing but a small salary from a job in Atlanta--no car and she had my cousin to support. My cousin lived with my grandparents on the farm--I was very fortunate in comparison. My father began to have health problems and financial problems--and he became abusive to my mother. My brother was around 4 when things got bad. That sort of love may be 'real'--is very, very real at the present time--but it is not God's way. I really thought if I could endure--go to college and get out--that things would work out. I had mustard seed Faith--and that is what my mother said. That is what I was working with--and my life was unbelievably difficult in every way.

I always wondered--and tried to find out any way I could--what was the secret that the more successful people had. A different kind of Faith--I decided. So I got started--get a little bit further--lapse into the old ways--recover--try again. Oh the joyous 90's--and 2000's--'bipolar'--get antidepressants, get different antidepressants, add additional drugs--some of that has died down. I tried a few--never seemed to work--telling mental health professionals what I thought the problem was---priceless memories.

and a lot more senseless experiences.

'Think for yourself'--that concept was not encouraged in my home--I did it anyway--seething with rage for years. Pressure cooker homes--just no need to wonder what is wrong with the schools or society./gavel

If the world intends to go insane and implode--I will not support any of that. 'Be protective of yourself'--if you have to go into the hottest circles of the Inferno--be proactive. I believe the Army/military understands that well and so should every citizen. Protect your children--and to do that you must lead them in the right direction.


So--now I am going to do what I should have done much earlier in my life. Let others be--and stay focused on what is right for my life. I will take a critical look at every issue. 'filth'--examine every piece, if that is what it takes. The media seems to be 'insane'--yet, what else do they have to report--what is going on. If you 'really listen'--little messages of what is actually working can be found. Not nearly as exciting to the masses.

I can find other ways to find out what is working. lol--Drove around for a while today--learned a good bit. I can see signs of growth. Having informed myself as well as I could on 'what to look for'.

Neal Boortz--quite the paradox. I listened to him--became outraged many times at him, at what he felt he needed to say and I learned well --'To Think for Myself'. free--why not? :>

You've got a powerful testimony, Wavingirl. We overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. I'm just not too big on the second half!

I'm glad I got to talk with you & Mr. H. tonight. Have a great evening! I'm going to sleep now! Sweet dreams you guys!

- Jeri

 

[Gracie]

 

[jon_berzerk]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzGAYNKDyIU]Big Daddy Weave - "Redeemed" (Official Music Video) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[wavingrl]

I like your saying about experiencing real love. I had never experienced real love before I accepted Christ as my savior. That was my first experience with feeling completely - unconditionally - loved by someone. It happened on October 18th, 1989 and 8:58 p.m.