Reading 12

Until now you have asked nothing in My name. 

Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

John 16:24

I was talking about faith, and trust that if I ask something that might be given to me. Search and you will find, knock and it shall open, ask and you will receive. Faith is not a constant (like a precious stone - which once you got it will last forever); faith is like a fire (which needs to be maintained with fuel to keep burning; and once is out you need to start the fire once again).

Then asking only does not guarantee the receiving! Perhaps that is the hard part in all the faith. We ask, and expect to receive, but receiving is sometimes "yes," and sometimes "no," while other times is a "may be..."
What makes faith be weak: despite the "not receiving" to keep the confidence that it will become true!

There is an entire section of psychology: positive thinking. That focusing on the positive thoughts and imagining that which we desire, the wish comes true, the thinking of it will bring it into reality.
Isn't that in fact the faith?! Thinking of what you wish despite not receiving, imagine the object of your wish in most detail and strive and do all possible to bring into reality what you think about.

It really cannot go bad way,since if your positive thinking keeps your hopes up there will always be a tomorrow.
Losing the hope, gets you to losing your faith in the possibility of tomorrow, that is: losing even the possibility.

Reading 11

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

And lean not on your own understanding; 

In all your ways acknowledge Him, 
And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5, 6

Is not easy to have faith, since faith means trusting in things that I don't understand. 

Only looking back I have a better awareness of why events happened, and why sometimes outcomes were not what I expected. Is not easy to let go, since letting go means giving up control; and I like to be in control, to plan and lead my life as I think is good. 

But there were times when as much as I pushed forward, or pulled harder and harder, the outcomes were not in my wanted direction.

I learned the hard way -- many times -- looking back, now I see it was better that way.
Even if so painful in that point in time.

Trust in God and have faith.
So easy to say. 
So complicated to be.

Oh, so many times I knew what I need to do, but did not listen to what I was told.
As I get older (wiser?) seems that I am more in tune with divine suggestions. 
I listen more.

Still, so hard to have faith, and not rely on my understanding.

Reading 10

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, 

that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Giving thanks for things that we have, hoping for the ones we don't have yet. 

Faith is hoping for things not seen yet.

Perhaps the worse is indeed losing the hope, since as long as we have hope means we also have the faith that things not seen yet but hoped for will happen.

In grad school my adviser told me that I will reach my dreams because I am a risk taker.
Up till then I did not think about myself in that way. Yes, I dared to change my route, and courage to take the not so walked road, and perseverance to walk the stony path with thorns.
However, hearing from Dr. Frantz that I am a risk taker gave me the faith that I might accomplish my dreams because of taking the risk to hope and believe!

I think at times we need someone to tell us who we are, to say it out loud, and hear it from others.
Sometimes we need a mirror to see our hopes, and believe what we see.
The faith of things not seen yet...
So blessed are the believers, who do not need to see.
So blessed are the peaceful at heart, who have the joy to believe and trust in what they hope for.

Reading 9

No, I did not forget about writing... Actually I decided what to write about since three weeks ago!

Only that should be a sign of what I am writing about, and what it means.

Here it goes:

Luke 9: 59-62

And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

This discussion might have gone like this:

Hey Jesus, your ideas are so cool. I am waiting for a lifetime to follow my dream but never got the guts. Once I followed a dream and got to say good-bye at home, but now I have old parents and must care for them, they don't live forever and it comes a time when I will need to bury them. But boy, once I am free for sure I will follow my childhood dream!

And then Jesus said:

You took the risk and followed your heart, but you always felt so guilty. There is a time for everything! There is a time to dream, and there is a time for action. But when the time is gone no one can return it. 



When I was six I dreamed of having a ranch with a red barn and horses in Texas. 
I grew up watching John Wayne and cow boys movies. I loved tremendously horses, but never had the money to buy one. I was heart broken seeing a neighbor using and abusing his horse by making him pull the over-sized and over-loaded carriage and never cleaning, brushing, or really feeding that horse. I was complaining to my Mom each time I saw that horse going up and down our street. 
As a kid my Mom and I had a saying "When I will have very many money, I will....." and then we were adding whatever we would like to do with the money. My wish like a blueprint of my entire childhood and adolescence was "When I will have very many money, I will have a ranch in Texas, with a red barn and lots of free roaming horses, and cows, and dogs, and cats....."
Some more than forty years later that dream is still alive and well. The only difference is that now I know I will never have so much money to have the ranch, and I will never have the ranch!

Here today Jesus would say:

 "If you never dare to dream, if you never follow your most wildest dream, it will never be!"

I changed careers, and places, and jobs, but not that dream.

I hope, after death, I will roam free among wild horses (if they will still be!).

Reading 8

For I was hungry and you gave me food; 

I was thirsty and you gave me drink

Matthew 25: 35

Today I volunteered at a food kitchen for serving dinner. Because of the rain only some 100 people of the usual over 200 came to eat corn, rice, and ribs as main meal (juice, milk, coffee, and packaged cookie). 

Indeed only when I think about those poor people I really am aware of the blessing that I can buy my food (even more than I need!), I can have a nice apartment to live in and am comfy and warm, I have too many clothes and shoes, and a good car to drive.

I observed the guests for dinner, most were very comfortable coming early greeting other friends at table, coming to pick up their plate. But some were rather embarrassed, not making eye contact, looking away and seeming uncomfortable when picking up their plate. I was glad they could come for seconds. It is interesting how satisfying can be to help the other (feed the hungry).

Later I watched a documentary about India (history). Seeing all those poor people and happy people made me think that poverty does not have a direct connection to happiness. One can be poor and happy (just as I was most of my life!).

 Happiness just as unhappiness comes from comparison. It only depends what is the anchor point. Comparing own status to poor or rich can get us happy or envious, without even changing anything! 

But why did Jesus say to feed the poor, give drink to the thirsty, clothes the naked, visit the sick, and go to see the prisoner?  It definitely was to help us understand what we have and appreciate it!

Reading 7

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 

Nor are your ways My ways.

Isaiah 55: 8

This passage is used so many times in case when we really cannot explain something. Why do young people die, get cancer, be sick, and why are unborn or babies die, why do accidents happen, and so many unanswered other questions. We do not know and then we blame it on God. It was His plan. God's ways are unknown and we will never understand why. This is life!

Why do we expect always a cause and effect? Life is not as logical, is not an algorithm. It would really be very boring to be that way. In the end behaviorist theory did not hold for everything. We do not always learn through trial and error, or at least sometimes do not have to try at all. We can think and figure it out without trying it actually. We expect a logical explanation for everything, but sometimes there is no logic in things that happen, and might be the explanation that is we do not like much. Cancer happens because there are bad cells in organism, accident happens because the person is in that place at that moment, death happens because we are not immortal!

As for the way God thinks --- He might be using a different reasoning. Remember the parable of workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20: 1-16) when the landlord pays everyone with the same amount?!  Oh, how upset were those who worked an entire day just to find out that they got paid just as much as the ones coming in the last hour. Those who came last were paid first and were paid just as much as those who came first early in the morning to work.  The landlord paid all from the goodness of his heart because he was sorry for those who did not have the opportunity to work and had to wait and almost lose hope that they will gain anything that day. The landlord/God used a generous frame of mind. 

Don't we do the same when we give to charity, help out, pay forward?!

Is not because someone deserves it or (if we don't write it up for taxes) that we have a benefit from it. Is just because it feels good to be generous, to feel that one has from where to give.

Well, just think about those poor workers waiting to get the job. Think of all the times when you needed something but did not have the means to obtain it. Isn't that more painful than a hard work day?

Is good to have, but is better to generously give!

Sometimes is great to think like God.

Reading 6

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; 

male and female He created them.

Genesis 1: 27

So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; 

then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 

The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, 

and brought her to the man.

Genesis 2:21

I was 10 years of age in the summer when I attended Bible school to get my first communion. I remember the priest telling us the story of Genesis. I also remember being confused about the story and thought that, or the priest does not know how people are born, or the one who wrote the book of Genesis did not. Either way it was not correct.

Today I would only say that the one who did write that book was a sexist. I do not think God being such a selfish one or not paying attention to what s/he did. Since all animals had a male and female, did God plan for the human to self-reproduce? Not likely! Did God create the first human for personal companionship? Only if God felt too lonely, which is not the case if we think God is self-sufficient. So, logically God must have thought that humans need to be female and male. And why did not create first the female? Might be God did!

But, by the time the one writing the book of Genesis, that society could not even imagine that women have any primacy in the human race. Do we have it yet? Not likely. 

So bad. Might be the entire history of humanity would have been different if Eve would be the first created. Hey, not talking about the latest news that Jesus was married to a woman! So what?!

I am sure God is much smarter and open minded that we human in this entire history of ours since the Big Bang. Oh, wait, there was no big bang. 

Whatever was and how it did happen in the end is a matter of faith. 

It would really be so lonely to be alone in this world/and I mean World with all stars and constellations.

And I believe we are not alone!

Reading 5

For in much wisdom is much grief, 

And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 1:18

I kind of agree with this! The more one knows the more aware that more is left to know and a lifetime is just not enough to learn even if we could afford to spend the entire life with learning. Wouldn't that be great?

But we need to toil (aka work!). So, since the time for learning is cut short by the time for working the only option is to accept we are pretty dumb.

And because thinking that one is pretty dumb is not really helping feel good about oneself, then better to just don't even think about and accept that I know something.

In the end is just a matter of do I see the glass half full or half empty.

The interesting comes when I meet some people who by looking at their half filled glass, they boast that their glass is full. That is a pretty high self-esteem (value that one places on personal abilities and worth). However, we know that is good to have a high self-esteem, but not too high; or at least not much higher than the self-efficacy (perception of how successful one's abilities are to perform a certain task). 

Think about the peacock, now that is a bird that has a high self-esteem and pretty much showing it. 

There are among us some "peacock" individuals who show off with their skills or knowledge, or possessions.

Now their glass is overflowing!

Which brings me to the conclusion that much knowledge makes us better evaluate how less we know.

Then still remain the two options: be sad for knowing so less, or accept that you know a little

:-)

Reading 4

What is crooked cannot be made straight, 

And what is lacking cannot be numbered.

Ecclesiastes 1:15

The Ecclesiastes is such a gloomy character, at one point he was my most favorite (nothing new under the Sun, and all is chasing for the wind). He believes that things cannot be made straight once they are messed up. What is crooked cannot be made straight. All is doomed and hopeless. Don't even try to fix what you screwed up, since you really cannot straighten it.... 

When I first read that "what is lacking cannot be numbered" I almost said how stupid can he be, and must have missed all his math classes; since, we for sure can count zero! Zero is a number!

Even if we cannot hold it in hand (since is lacking), but we have it as a number! However I think Ecclesiastes was a bit more materialistic here and talks about the fact that if one does not have something, or is lacking something, then for sure won't be able to count it and put a number to how many items are.

However, just don't think about the what is lacking as being what one has as debt. Indeed lacking 10K can be for sure numbered and the Bank will do it, even if the person has a large banner with the Ecclesiastes' words :-)

Reading 3

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, 

but one receives the prize?

Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

1 Corinthians 9: 24

In other words: Do your best to be the best!

Often times I hear people asking why are we on the Earth, in this life, and what is our meaning, our purpose.

This tells all we need to know: Do all you can do, to be your very best!

Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky (1896-1934) a Russian psychologist who developed the theory of human cultural and social development talks about the zone of proximal development (ZPD). He explains it as the zone between what a child can do by herself and what she could do if she is helped by another individual (parent, teacher, more knowledgeable peer). That difference of what one actually does and the maximum potential is the ZPD. 

We should strive always to do our best, to reach our maximum potential.

Reading 2

"whoever is not against you is for you"

Luke 9: 50

Cast all your anxiety and do not worry. But this does not mean to do nothing. Anxiety can paralyze action, or can lead to the wrong action. Ecclesiastes 9: 18 "Wisdom is better than weapons of war."

But wisdom can come only with a clear mind that is not clouded by anxiety.

Instead of worrying that runny nosed kids might pass on to you the flu, just go get the flu shot and wash your hands. The shot is a bit of bad virus in you, but not enough to cause you the flu. Is indeed not against you but for you! 

Interestingly here the message is exact the opposite than the one in Matthew 12: 30 "He who is not with me is against me." I like the message in Luke 9: 50 because it does not blame or bring prejudice on the Other.

We are we to blame the other just because is not like us? Why should the other be the enemy only because is not friend? Shouldn't we be merciful and accepting?

Trust in the other since if it is not your enemy will not do harm to you!

Reading 1

Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.

1 Peter 5: 7

I am a drop out. I registered to a seven weeks/Sunday afternoon "Jesus in your life" course  at my church. It was announced as a spiritual journey to find Jesus present in your life. It turned out to be a gentle social intro for newcomers to thinking about their faith. Interestingly as gentle as for someone who never read the Bible?.... and way too much social activity for my taste (chat some 15 minutes + food more than half hour), and too less reflection (we had half hour small group discussions, were 9 at the table, but based on the speakers' talk -- where the Bible?). I am a drop out, but promised that for the time of seven Sundays I will reflect on some Bible readings.

I have the Bible app on my phone and first I wanted to just follow a plan, but I guess I am not too good following others :-) 

So here it goes, I will just find interesting readings and think about.

This first reading 1 Peter 5: 7 struck me because several days ago I talked with a friend who lost her job after 13 years of working at the same place, and I was surprised (in fact I was astonished!), knowing that starting tomorrow she does not have a job, but she did not start even thinking, not say about searching, for a job. In her words "God will take care of me."

How quick I was to write her that I pray for her and she needs to remember that "God will give us, but we need to gather in the sack." How little faith I have! I need to do, fix, and care for things, forgetting that some are really not in my power. I focus so much on TO DO that I forget about TO BE.

I know that I could never be willingly a beggar, never live without doing something (given I am able to), and earning TO HAVE. To live from one day to the next is not for me -- I am about planning one year ahead.

Despite that I was tried and tested, so little did I learn. But should we really abandon ourselves completely to God's care? Is that in fact what we are asked in this passage? Are we asked to abandon trying and trust that other someone or God will care for us? Or is this only a message to cast out anxiety (which we know is futile), not helpful at all, since being anxious and worrying too much will not help anyhow a dire situation. But a calm and cool mind that drops the burden and takes a new position, adopts a new point of view, and trustfully believes that bad things can have a good turn out; and that today might be a bad one, but that does not mean tomorrow will be just as a crappy day. Cast all your cares, give them up or in to God. Trust that the Force of love and care that is in the world will be coming to help.

Is this 1 Peter 5: 7 the same as Matthew 6: 26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" 

The birds fly all day long and spend countless hours and energy to find food for themselves and their chicks. 

They don't make crops, but they search for them. Most of them make a good home (some are quite amazing and artistic in building their dwellings). The message here is not to just sit in the Sun and don't work!

But later I am told in Matthew 6: 34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

This seems to be a message to live for today, live in the present, do not be afraid for what tomorrow brings, for if you make a good today, then tomorrow shall be fine also. 

And if tomorrow is not a good one, then don't worry for what the day after will be, try hard to fix Today!

Be better concerned about TO BE in the here and now. Calm and cool, hopeful and happy.

Trusting that you are never alone, and even if no one cares, God does!

I think my translation sounds like this: 

"Cast all your anxieties upon Him; for He is concerned about you."

Glimpse in Taylor's life

 

Taylor's favorite pass time is to watch TV. And getting very crazy at all the cats and dogs in the commercials. Not speaking about that I never can watch any movies with horses or any kind of animals since she barks at the TV.

When she gets tired Taylor takes a nap.

But then gets her Texas Toothpicks and watches some more TV.

When she is tired of TV and naps then she likes to take a stroll on the trails at Locust Grove and check out all the wild life smells.