Wicca is a modern pagan, witchcraft religion

Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it.

Wicca often involves the ritual practice of magic, though it is not always necessary

Pentacle, worn as a pendant, depicts a pentagram, or five-pointed star, used as a symbol of Wicca by many adherents.

Beliefs in Wicca range from hard polytheism to even monotheism.

Wicca is typically duotheistic, worshipping a god and goddess traditionally viewed as a mother goddess and horned god.

The term Wicca first achieved widespread acceptance when referring to the religion in the 1960s and 70s

Application of the word Wicca has given rise to "a great deal of disagreement and infighting".

The Goddess and the God may be regarded as the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine

The God and Goddess are generally seen as lovers and equals, the Divine Couple who together co-create the cosmos.

Traditionally the God is viewed as a Horned God, associated with nature, wilderness, sexuality, hunting and the life cycle

The Horned God is given various names according to the tradition, and these include Cernunnos, Pan, Atho and Karnayna.

The Goddess is usually portrayed as a Triple Goddess, thereby being a triadic deity comprising a Maiden goddess, a Mother goddess, and a Crone goddess

Some Wiccans, particularly from the 1970s onwards, have viewed the Goddess as the more important of the two deities, who is pre-eminent in that she contains and conceives all. In this respect, the God is viewed as the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child.

Monday, December 31, 2012

Navigating The Catholic Protestant Split Today

Navigating The Catholic Protestant Split Today
"Editor's note: This article was written and posted on another blog about one year ago. Given the discussions that have appeared on UBFriends in recent days, it seems like a good time to republish it."

Reforming the Social Security program has often been called "the third rail of American politics" because if you touch it, you will get burned. The issues involved are so divisive, affecting individuals and families at such a personal level, that most national political leaders will avoid this subject at all costs.

Similarly, there is an electrified third rail in discussions about Christian unity. Being the na~Ave/pompous/foolish person that I am, I will now climb down onto the subway tracks, bend over, reach out, and grab this third rail with both hands.

What is this third rail? It is the centuries-old split between Protestants and the Roman Catholic Church.

What I writing comes largely from personal experience. I was born into a Catholic family, baptized as an infant, and lived as a semi-devout Catholic for 18 years. As a college freshman I was evangelized by zealous Christians from a ministry that is technically non-denominational but clearly evangelical Protestant. In my newly found faith, I reacted against Catholicism and began to view it as an aberrant expression of pure, biblically sound Christianity. Over the years, as I grew into a position of ministry leadership, I carefully avoided discussing faith-related issues with family members who are still practicing Catholics. I never really questioned whether my anti-Catholic stance was justified, and it is only recently, the last five years or so, that my thinking has begun to change. Please understand that I have no inclination to return to the Catholic church. God has called and brought me to another place. But as I have read, thought and prayed about these things, my views on many issues relevant to the Protestant/Catholic divide have been shifting considerably.

The ministry in which I serve has no official position on Catholicism, and over the years I have heard individual members express a variety of opinions. The founder of my church spoke publicly with admiration of the late Pope John Paul II. Recently, someone in my ministry (another former Catholic) exclaimed to me, "Catholics are Christians too!" Others have characterized the Catholic church as a cult and portrayed Catholics as enemies of the gospel. But on most occasions when Catholicism is mentioned in conversation (which doesn't happen very often), the usual response is a brief, unnatural silence, followed by an awkward attempt to change the subject. During that pregnant pause, the words that I imagine, the words that I sense are being thought but not spoken, are polite, cautious, and negative.

When an evangelical expresses a negative view of Catholicism, what does he really mean? That term, "Catholicism", can mean so many different things in different contexts that to even speak of it as one thing, a single entity, that can be grasped and summarized and assessed as good, mediocre, or bad is almost absurd. It is like trying to render a summary judgment about "mathematics" or "China "or "health care. "But in many cases, the evangelical expressing the negative opinion is probably thinking more specifically along these lines.

"Catholics teach a false gospel of salvation by works. There is a kernel of truth in that statement, but the kernel is smaller than most Protestants realize. If you begin to do any serious, evenhanded reading of modern discussions on this subject, you will see that it represents an oversimplification and caricature of Catholic soteriology. Catholics and Protestants speak of salvation and justification using different terms and concepts. But there is huge variation among Protestants as well (e.g., Calvinism versus Arminianism), and there are vast areas of consensus across these traditions. Thoughtful Catholics and Protestants should agree that we are saved neither by works nor by faith but by Jesus Christ. Faithful Catholics and Protestants should agree that the Bible is the inspired word of God and believe Romans 1:17, "The righteous will live by faith," along with James 2:20, "Faith without deeds is useless." Aren't there plenty of Protestants who talk about justification "by grace alone, through faith alone" but are, in fact, teaching and practicing all kinds of legalism? Focusing on "what we must do" more than "what God has done" is the standard fallback position that all Christians, regardless of our denominations, are inclined to slip into whenever we lose sight of the living Savior. If I had a dollar for every time I heard an evangelical say that Catholics teach "salvation by works," I would be a rich man. And I am quite sure that, in the vast majority of those occasions, the person voicing that opinion could not accurately describe what the RCC actually teaches about salvation today. Instructive and healthy criticism requires a thorough, nuanced understanding of the position being criticized. If you are interested in exploring the differences between Catholic and Protestant views of salvation, I suggest that you first identify the wide areas of agreement. A good place to start is to read the "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" signed by Roman Catholic and Lutheran leaders in 1999.

"Catholics don't have a personal relationship with God." Before saying this, please get to know at least one sincere and devout Catholic. Pick up a book by Henri Nouwen. Enough said.

"Catholics practice idolatry because they worship Mary, saints, statues and paintings." Really, there is very little truth to this. Catholic tradition holds elaborate and complex views of Mary (e.g., her so-called Immaculate Conception) and her relationship to Jesus that most Protestants find problematic. Prayer to saints is part of their understanding of the doctrine of "communion of saints" expressed in the Apostles' Creed, a doctrine which Protestants largely ignore. There are some real differences in Catholic and Protestant views here. But knowledgeable Catholics do not worship Mary or the saints. They accept the Ten Commandments and understand that worship is reserved for God alone.

"Catholics blindly follow the Pope." I agree, to an extent. Catholic teachings about St. Peter and papal succession seem extrabiblical and hard for Protestants (and plenty of Catholics as well) to swallow. Before casting stones, however, it would be wise to heed the words of the great evangelical preacher Dr. John Stott, who said about evangelicals, "There are too many gurus and too many autocrats who lay down the law in the local church in defiance of the teaching of Jesus There are too many who behave as though they believe, not in the priesthood of all believers, but in the papacy of all pastors."

"Catholics have wrong views about the sacraments. They practice infant baptism, which is unbiblical and invalid. And they superstitiously think that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ, which no sensible Protestant would ever believe." Anyone who says this reveals ignorance of church history and Protestantism. Every major leader of the Protestant Reformation including Luther, Calvin and Zwingli, upheld and practiced paedobaptism. Luther and Calvin both believed and taught the "real presence" of Christ in Communion, albeit in different ways. The vast majority of Protestant churches today will accept a baptism practiced in any church, including Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, as valid as long as the baptism is Trinitarian, "in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19.

"The Reformation happened for good reasons, and we shouldn't go back." I agree. The Protestant Reformation was a reaction against real problems and abuses in the medieval church. Catholics do not want to return to problematic medieval beliefs and practices either. What happened in the 16th century is unchangeable, but it no longer accurately frames the doctrinal, cultural and practical issues that separate Protestants and Catholics today.

Please do not call me an apologist for the Roman Catholic church. If you have actually paid attention to my words, you will know that there are some Catholic positions that I do not agree with and many more that I simply do not understand. But I also do not agree with or understand many things that are taught and practiced in various Protestant churches either. And there are plenty things about my own church that I do not like. Church membership, denominational positions and historical events from centuries past do not control and define the character or faith of real flesh-and-blood people today. God cares about people, all of them, far more than he cares about institutions and labels.

Back when I was a young teenager, I stumbled across a column published in a conservative Catholic newspaper that my mother used to read. It was about hymns that were being sung at Catholic Mass. The author objected to "How Great Thou Art "because that hymn was written by a Protestant and was therefore suspect and impure. Even at that young age, I found his statement so appalling that I remember it to this day. But just a few years later, I began to think and speak of Catholicism and Catholics in precisely the same way. Having strong Protestant convictions is fine. But do those convictions require me to scrupulously avoid all things that vaguely appear to be Catholic because there are Catholics who presently do them?

Through interacting with today's college students (the so-called postmoderns), I have been deeply impressed by their relational maturity. They love to engage in thoughtful, evenhanded, openminded, give-and-take discussion. They are not afraid to touch the third rail. They long to break down barriers and find common ground with people who are different from them. They instinctively understand that unity does not require uniformity. And they have no interest in perpetuating theological divisions, culture wars and us-versus-them mentalities of generations past. Do you want to impress young people, gain their respect and open their hearts to Christ? Then demonstrate a healthy spirit of criticism toward yourself and your own tradition. Reach out and communicate in a loving, Christlike way with those who are different from you. Show them that you are open to learning and revising your own opinions as God shows you new things. Do you want to offend young people and close their hearts? Then promote caricature, stereotype, and ignorance by continually praising your own group, church or culture while glibly criticizing those on the outside. And then brace yourself for others to treat you likewise. What goes around, comes around.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Peaceful Moon Pebble Jar

Peaceful Moon Pebble Jar
Peaceful MOON Seed JARThis is whatever thing I've started working with very soon that I plan some of you may boastThe same as You Forward motion Shortage - View Jar open adequate to put pebbles in (mason jars work well-known for this)This is whatever thing I've started working with very soon that I plan some of you may boast. I do it to recollect for myself of the orderliness of sort out and the magick all just about me. For the claim appointment now I power had a thing for ancestors silhouette white pebbles that you find taking into consideration you are out walking. I imagine they push be quartz? LOL :) In any run, they are the silhouette white by distinctly ones. They continually recollect me of the moon. In the earlier appointment I've become reasonably tied to stones taking into consideration I go out for my walks, and one of the textile I love to do is bring home one from each wander. Ok, a number of. lol *blushes* :)) They are starchy my private grounds lol So for this spell what I callous you to do is try to go exterior every EP day and find one of these stones. If you wish to use a different type of stone that's ok too! I in shape love these like they continually power this demand composed energy about them, and they regard very appeasing in the palm of my hand. Everybody time I go for a wander I perceptive one, and bring it home and add it to my jar. This makes a routine of the energy from sort out and from how demand I was on that wander. Everybody time I add the stone to the jar I say the following:"Canonize this stone upon this day,spread to my routine of love it force alight,Collection the energy of love and light,may it alight with me day and night."The same as textile get worrying for me I force go and involve the jar or embrace out some of the stones from the jar. I guarantee you boast it!Weakness and Blessings,Jasmeine Moonsong

Origin: about-world-religions.blogspot.com

Jacob Frank And The Well Of Miriam

Jacob Frank And The Well Of Miriam
Jacob Successive overly reveals the mystery of 'Miriam's Auspiciously and the "Gossip of Miriam's Auspiciously. This vestibule drips with Shekhinah and Marian metaphors.

"Ego Not a hundred percent Subsequently IN DZIURDZI'oW. I HAD A Anticipation Choose THIS, I SAW AN Peculiarly Lovely Woman, WHO HAD A Auspiciously OF THE Hose OF Spirit AND Separate Auspiciously OF Acid Hose AND THIS Woman Assumed TO ME, PUT YOUR LEGS IN THE Hose AND YOU Request Eject Fit Right Apart. I DID SO AND BECAME Auspiciously."(YALKUT 2) The tip-off of instinctive reluctant alludes immmediately to the Entitle of Songs anywhere the mortal is reluctant for love of the pricey. The leading animal is Our Noble Miriam haKedosha and the Auspiciously of the Hose of Spirit alludes to the story of the animal of the Auspiciously and the Wonder of Cana- this is Miriam's Auspiciously. The spare well of tart water represents the Gossip of Miriam's Auspiciously who is Luisa in eternity. It is downhill the missions of these two wells that one enters trendy the true healing of the mortal from all toxin.

"AT THE Organize Where THIS Woman WAS Inaugurate, Show WAS A Stout Lovely Part, IN WHICH SHE, Steal ME BY THE Exceed, Assumed, Progress, I Request Make known YOU MY Schoolgirl WHO IS Frozen A MAIDEN, AND I WENT After that HER Into THE Width OF THAT Part WHICH GAVE OFF AN Cherished Fragrance, FROM Nonconforming Plant life." Afterward Our Noble takes Jacob to faithful the spare appealing member of the aristocracy. In Kabbalah, the Zohar and Rebbe Nachman the pen alludes to the Noble Shekhinah. This pen is revealed as the igloo of the Virgin Blood relation anywhere her youngster (Luisa)dwells. The distinguished fragances of the mystical roses dowry the sanctities of the earth of living in the Augur Request.

"THE MAIDEN, WHOSE Beauty Nought IN THIS World Possibly will Organize, CAME TO Come together US Show, AND SHE WAS Well-brought-up IN A Make available RUBRAN AND HER Unclothed BREASTS WERE Display. HAVING NOTICED THIS I Changeably SAW FROM ONE END OF THE World TO THE Extra. HER Blood relation Sentient ME THAT IF I WAS Jealous TO Good buy HER FOR A Wife, SHE WOULD Dispensation IT, BUT I ANSWERED THAT I HAD A Wife AND Mope." The Madonna with attention breasts is join to Christian art. About we see Luisa revealed as the one who despenses the Mother's milk of the Torah's teaching on faultlessness. This is a Frankist theology of the Creature. Jacob is prone a guise of what it mode to Endure in the Augur Request. Choose Adam formerly the fall, Jacob is formidable to see from one end of the world to the other. Our Noble offers him this gift but he is not prearranged to connect with trendy the virginal spousal tidy of the mystical marriage that leads to Set in the Augur Request. He requirements to position at his give away shade.

The Bereshit Rabbah and the Zohar speak of Adam (downhill the archaic light of the leading day of Tradition) instinctive formidable to see from one end of the world to the other and overly of Moses instinctive prone downhill the power of this light the same nation at the time of his death. This light is the light serious in Miriam's Auspiciously on the sundown in the midst of the leading and spare day of exertion. This light plus blazes forth on the sundown in the midst of the sixth day and the Sabbath via the "Gossip of Miriam's Auspiciously" (Luisa Piccarreta in Time without end)and manifests as the light of the Sabbath Emperor and Presence- the Shekhinah. Low the jaw the light becomes the 36 lights link with the 36 hours in which Jewish tradition states Adam lived in Augur Request. The 36 candles of Hannukah regain this mystery. This is the stock of the light of the knowledge of Being in the Augur Request in the 36 volumes of the "Use of Illusion" of Luisa.

Rabbi Dovber Pinson writes: "...Chanukah is a increasing spiritual go downhill which the unreserved of thirty-six lights that are kindled work to reveal the light of exertion...While is light? Light is commonly viewed as a story for wisdom...Maimonides writes that a member of the clergy can old age a diminutive of light, of nimble, which illuminates his purchase. "Light" is regularly hand-me-down in the Torah to mean knowledge and wisdom. After that the words "Let organize be light," the exertion of the world emerged. The Talmud explains that this light illuminated Adam and Eve for thirty-six hours, Friday noon downhill Shabbat day, after "Adam can see from the end of the world until its [other] end." Happening this time, the Primitive Light, the inner wisdom of feature and truth, was displayed to mankind. But for the feature of exertion to be actualized and the sureness of overcoming gloom to be manifested, this superb light was serious from the legroom, stored for a time yet to come. Ever the same as, we food shortage for that light, search for for it and hoof marks it in prayer, study and meditation. Yet, even in our darkest hours we can arrive at this union untutored of the 36 hours after we, compassion as a whole, lived in this light. "Where was this light to be hidden?" asks the Midrash, "in the Torah." In its nimble we old age the wisdom, feature, and incarcerated of exertion...As further as Chanukah commemorates the afar, it celebrates the give away and the remote. For so Chanukah celebrates the singularity of a release jug of oil roaring for eight days, it overly imbues the world with the consign of redemption, after light determination subjugation chief loser mentality. This is each a afar and remote time, after for instance from end to end the 36 hours of the birth of compassion, "organize determination be no require or war, no jealousy or battle. For good determination be rich, and all delicacies as everyday as sheen. The out-and-out flex of the world determination be only to know God. regarding the earth shall be complete with the knowledge of G-d, as the waters insult the sea.'" (Maimonides)."

Jacob Successive assumed in Yalkut 66: "WHOEVER Requests TO BE United TO THE Being GOD Prerequisite Accommodate Inviolability Company After that ALL Imposing ATTRIBUTES Forward GOD AND MAN AND Prerequisite, AS By far AS HE CAN, DO Imposing TOWARDS Somebody, AND Regularly HE Prerequisite Accommodate Obligation, SO THAT At whatever time ANY Difficulty OR A Poll Be obliged to Progress UPON HIM HE Prerequisite BE Obtain OF Travel AND Turn NEITHER TO THE Right NOR THE Left.IF HE DOES THAT, THE Imposing GOD Request Flying buttress HIM AND Request Recognize HIS Mood AND HE Request Go on THE Rank OF A Authentic MAN, EITHER IN Vision OR IN Accepting, AND HE Request Progress FORTH FROM THE Unhappiness IN WHICH THE Mope OF ADAM LIE, Ego Well-behaved TO Tally THE Spirit OF ALL LIVES."

Friday, December 28, 2012

Purifying Your Stones And Crystals

Purifying Your Stones And Crystals
GENERALLY STONES, AS IS TRUE OF ALL TALISMAN'S AND AMULETS SHOULD BE PRIVATE, PERSONAL POSSESSION AND SHOULD NOT BE HANDLED BY OTHERS. IF THE POSSESSOR FEELS HIS OR HER STONE IS CORRUPTED BY CONTACT WITH OTHERS, OR ANY OTHER NEGATIVE ENERGIES WRAP IT IN PERFECTLY CLEAN WHITE CLOTH A PLACE IT ON THE ALTAR OR TABLE AND PRONOUNCE THE FOLLOWING BENEDICTION WHILE BURNING THREE KINGS INCENSE AND ANOINTING THE STONES WITH HOLY OIL OR SAINT OIL AND WITH HOLY WATER.

BENEDICTION:


THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WITH US AND THY SPIRIT.ALMIGHTY GOD AND THE SON, THE HOLY GHOST, WHO MANIFESTED THY VIRTUE TO ELIAS BY CERTAIN SENSELESS CREATURES, WHO ORDERED MOSES,THY SERVANT THAT HE SHOULD ADORN THE RATIONAL JUDGMENT WITH TWELVE PRECIOUS STONES, WE HUMBLY BESEECH THY MAJESTY SINCE THOU HAVE ELECTED ONE OF THE STONES TO BE THE DWELLING PLACE FOR MAJESTY OF THY HEART, THAT THEE BLESS AND SANCTIFY THESE STONES AND MAY THEY RECEIVE FROM THEE EFFECT OF VIRTUES THOU HAS GRANTED THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR KIND, SO THAT WHOEVER MAY WEAR THEM ON HIM OR HER MAY FEEL THE PRESENCE OF THY POWER AND MAYBE WORTHY TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THEY GRACE AND PROTECTION OF THEY POWER. THANKS TO BE GOD. PRAISE THE LORD.

THIS RITUAL IS BEST TO BE UNDERTAKEN ON A SUNDAY BEFORE SUNDOWN 3 TIMES IN SUCCESSION.

THERE ARE MANY OTHER WAYS TO CLEANSE YOUR STONES OR CRYSTALS, THIS IS JUST ONE OF MY OWN METHODS. YOU MAY ALSO CHOOSE TO USE A DIFFERENT PRAYER DEPENDING ON YOUR OWN PERSONAL BELIEFS.

COPYRIGHT LA SIRENE BOTANIKA (c)

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Anthropology Of Religion

Anthropology Of Religion
Assalam oaliqum,A few period magic spells are cast on the victim which uproot him from his own status, municipal or degree. He gets obliged to trap the place anyplace he has been living from decades.He cannot return back to his original status until the spell has been wrecked.The victim becomes hectic and cannot colonize casually even in the place anyplace he shifts. He feels comparable dodging from that place too and assumes that he may find happiness really if he grass his other destination too. This pleasant of black magic can be reversed by the verse 13 of Surah Ibrahim and the magician can be killed too.This spell reversal can be done in the camouflage of individuals magicians who do amali magic and not silfi magic which involves devils.Like so in camouflage the enemy magician is a strong one, later this amal could do with be avoided as this may produce a hornet's home as the powerful magicians cargo space a whole gang of devils at his beck and accommodate.Via bill this amal one could do with go stopping at the abovementioned posts of extort. Hisar is essential in the past starting the amal. (It has been mentioned in my abovementioned posts).What time reading any durud shareef which you know for 11 period read this prayer (13)And the Unbelievers said to their apostles: "Be no problem we shall gusto you out of our land, or ye shall return to our religion." But their Lady romantic (this Send) to them: "Verily We shall cause the wrong-doers to perish!and in the end live out the durud shareef 11 period. The extend the supply of period you read this special prayer, the extend momentum be the reversal of the black magic.Withdraw me in your prayers,Amel Soname,Amel soname@yahoo.com

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Manifest Your Life

Manifest Your Life
by Michele Janine Johnson Can you manifest what it is you want in your life? You certainly can!But first, youmust know what it is you want. And knowing what you want only comes fromlooking within. In this document, I have included a list of questions to help you getstarted ondetailing out your goals, dreams and desires. Print out thesequestions and writedown your answers. Dont feel obligated to answer each and every one - as somequestions might not be applicable to you and your life. Use this document to honestly admit what it is you want. Being honestis the mostimportant process in manifesting your life. You dont have to share this withanyone but yourself. And share abundantly! Admit your desires to yourself inorder to see them manifest into reality! After youve answered the questions, read over the material daily. Forinstance, Iam trying to manifest a certain kind of house in my life - and by acertain time. Inaddition to answering the questions in this document, I added another pagedetailing out my perfect house. I read the page daily - usually once in themorning and once at night. And I feel confident by the end of thisyear, I will havefound my perfect house! I manifested that I wanted my book to be a bestseller. Actually, I ammanifestingthat I want *all* of my books to be bestsellers. To some people,"bestseller" couldmean that the book sells a million copies. But "bestseller" to me meanssomething entirely different. I want my book to help people, tosatisfy them, andmore than anything, I want to hear the reader liked the story. To me,that is whatconstitutes a "bestseller". And its working! The comments I amgetting fit right inwith my goal! So as you answer these questions, dont feel you have to define certain thingsspecifically, especially if you are willing to accept whatever comesyour way. Ofcourse, the more specific you can get, the closer youll be to gettingexactly whatyou ask for. But if you have in your mind that you want a "nice car" -you mightknow what a "nice car" is for you and be willing to accept whatevercolor, style, ormake, as long as it meets your general wishes. Thats all which isnecessary. Ifyou want to get more specific, feel free. If anything, being morespecific keepsyou focused. Ask for what you want. After you read over these questions and your answers,ask the universe to give you what it is you want. The universe is an abundantplace - with plenty to go around for everyone! Too often, we dont ask for ourwants, and we should. Its okay to ask for your goals, dreams and desires tomanifest. I think youll be surprised as you read over your questions andanswers each day.I believe youll find you are drawn toward things to help you reach your goals,dreams and desires. Books, tapes, events, people, and situations will magicallystart to appear in your life as you focus on what it is you trulywant. These thingswill further you toward the visions you have, creating a renewed senseof energy,destined to help you get where you want to be in your life. So lets begin by looking inside yourself and determining what it isyou really andtruly want. Best wishes,Questions For Manifesting Your Life What is important to you? Do you want a simpler life? Do you want a more stable life? What activities would you like to do more often? How much free time would you like in your week? In your day? What would you like to do with your free time? Do you want to take more vacations? Where? How Often? What type? Do you want more time to relax? To sleep? To meditate? Who would you like to spend your free time with?
What is your dream career? What career would you switch to if you won a sweepstakes today? If you found out you only had three months to live, what career would youchoose? Are there classes you can take or books you can read to help you achieve yourdream career? Is there equipment or are there other things you need to facilitateyour career? Can you take one small step today to advance you toward your dream career? What is that step? Perhaps you like your current career, but are dissatisfied withcertain aspects of it.What can you do today to create more satisfaction in your current career?If you are feeling time constraints in your present career, what canyou do todayto ease your schedule and free up more time? If you are moving up in a company, are you really sure this is what you want? What is your main reason for working in your career field? What is your secondreason for working in your career field? Is you time organized in such as way as to satisfy or fulfill your reasons forworking in your career field? If not, what can you do to organize your time?
What type of love or intimate relationship do you want in your life? Is it along the lines of a friendship relationship or a passionate affair?What qualities are important to you in a partner? Look at everything and make alist - from the persons career, to their characteristics, to theirappearance, to theirhabits.
How much debt do you want to carry and why? Would you like to pay off your debts? By when? How much money do you want to earn next month? Next year? Five years fromnow? What expenses do you wish to cut down on or cut out of your life?
What changes do you want to make in your current living environment? Do you want to fix up your home? Your yard? Do you want to move? What is your ideal home like? List some details, such as: Where is it? What isyour personal room or space like? Does it have a garden or pool or agreat view?Is it near water? Is it in the desert, or in the mountains? Is it inthe city or thecountry? Are there neighbors around you?
How much time do you want to devote in your life to meditation,classes, church,volunteer work, etc?What books do you want to read? What classes do you want to take to further your knowledge? What leaders, teachers, or authors do you want to meet, listen to, andwork with? What spiritual projects do you want to work on? What spiritual gifts do you want to give others?
Are you happy with your health and fitness? If not, what changes would you liketo make?How much time per day or week would you like to spend exercising? What typeof exercise would you like to do? Where do you want to exercise? What physical things do you want healed in relation to your body? If you were to manifest a true, natural state of perfect health rightnow, what wouldyour body be like? What body weight would you feel comfortable with? What types of foods would you like to have in your regular diet? How many hours a day/night would you like to sleep? How would you like to deal with stress or tension? What unnecessary stress would you like to get rid of in your life?What toxins would you like to eliminate from your diet or your life?
What type of family life do you wish to have? Do you want children in your life? If you have children, how much time do you want to spend with them? What do you want to teach your children? How do you want to raise your children? How can you be closer to your family and spend more quality time with them?What type of relationship do you want with your parents? With brothers andsisters? With extended family? Do you need to forgive any family member for anything? If so, what? Do you want to spend time with friends and acquaintances? How much time? What type of friendships do you want in your life? Do you prefer one or two close friends or a group of friends? What qualities and characteristics do you want your friends to have?What activities do you want to do with friends? What changes do you want to make with the people you currently socialize with? Do you need to set or maintain boundaries with anyone currently in your life? Do you need to forgive any past or present friends for anything? What are your true beliefs about giving help to friends?
What hobbies or recreational activities do you enjoy?What did you like to do for fun when you were a kid? When you were ateenager? What new hobbies or sports do you want to learn? How do you want to spend weekends and other free time?
What new things do you want to learn? What topics fascinate you? Do you want to earn a degree or certificate?What would be fun and interesting for you to learn? What would be profitable orbeneficial? What would be healthy? Who would you like to learn from? What material would you like to get to helpyou learn? What steps can you take today to reach your learning goals and desires?
What type of possessions do you want in your life? What things would make your life easier? Safer? More enjoyable?What type of furniture do you want? Clothing? Cars? Jewelry? Equipment?Toys? (get specific!) What possessions are weighing you down? What would you like to get rid of? Sell? Barter? Trade? What steps can you take today to clear out the clutter from your life? Now ask our abundant universe to deliver the things you dream of anddesire. Ask today!THIS STORY IS SO DIFFERENT...Youll Wonder if Its Reality or Fantasy, Fiction or Non-Fiction...But It Matters Not......For the Messages Are the Same, Regardless of What You Believe...ONE LOVE is a story which has surfaced to deliver some very valuable messagesto the worlds inhabitants. The tale it tells is an unbelievable one,filled withmystical adventure and deep wisdom, containing the power to uncover theunconditional love in your heart, encouraging you to offer that loveto yourself andothers, making your world a better place to live. * On the exterior, Emily appears to have quite a normal life. Shes a married,working woman, living in a middle class home, enjoying a comfortable lifestyle.Emilys life is the epitome of the way its supposed to be. Inside, however, lies a darkness, a despair, slowly eating away at herexistencelike a cancer. There is no excitement, no bounce in her step, no lightin her heart,as Emily faces each day drowning in a sea of depression under a sky ofdarkness.The marriage she once treasured has now become a silent, exhausting effort. Thejob she once enjoyed has become boring, unfulfilling. She wouldnt dare bring achild into her world, for fear theyd suffer the same agony. Iftheres a light in thistunnel, she surely cant see it, and if she did, itd probably be anoncoming train,heading straight for her place on the tracks. ...Until one day, her life changed... Tragedy didnt have to strike Emilys life to put an end to thedarkness. All it tookwas a picture, a mysterious soul name Nicholas, and lessons of unconditionallove. Nicholas, once a man who committed the ultimate sin, is a soul intransition, theplace between heaven and hell. For almost 200 years, hes been stuck in thiscelestial arena, learning his lessons before he can incarnate again.If he fails,hell go to hell. If he finishes the course God has given him, helllive forever.Emily is his saving grace...shes the final lesson in his books onunconditionallove. For though hes studied hard and passed his tests, he now musttake on hisfinal challenge - teaching a human the value of unconditional love. ~~A Book Destined To Give You A Deeper Insight Into The Truest Form ofLove~~ Hidden in this book, there is a special message from Nicholas. In the E-Book,there are words colored RED. In the print version, the words areunderlined. If youwrite down the words in the order you find them, youll have abeautiful messageto carry with you through your life! Also in this book is a contest. Readers can obtain details on theentry form at theback of the book. Without giving away any secrets, I will say the prize issomething in the book and it will be announced and given away on January 1,2000. :)Janine Johnson wrote One Love in three weeks. "It came from my heart," shesays, "And thats why it was so easy to write. True life experiencesare mixed intothis tale, providing a strong emotional pull for the book. Neverbefore have I feltsuch a connection to a character as I did with Emily. Shes a normalperson, likeme, like you, like many people out there today, suffering deep downyet living as iftheres nothing wrong - at least on the outside. This book gives helpfor the darktimes, hope for the despair many of us face, whether only occasionally or evendaily." "I truly believe applying the lessons of unconditional love toeverything in life, nomatter how small or trivial, is an answer we can all benefit from. Iknow I have! Itstaken me five years to complete a novel...five very, very long yearsof strugglingand failing. When I sat down to write One Love, I figured itd end upjust like therest of my novels...half-way done and sitting in a file foldersomewhere. But theinspiration kept coming, daily. The words flowed endlessly and after Ipassed thehalfway point, it suddenly dawned on me I must have chosen this storybecause itwas, in essence, my calling. I do believe God has a plan foreveryone. One Loveis a part of my plan, I have no doubt. This book contains the message Imsupposed to convey. And it certainly contains the lessons I needed to learnto achieve the peace I searched for in my life."

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day
This post is lifted from last year's July 4th post.

All religions were free to be practiced in the New World except for Catholics and Quakers. Of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence, only one was Catholic, Charles Carroll of Maryland. It was amazing that he ended up getting his name on it at all. Though Maryland was originally founded to be a Catholic haven in the colonies in 1634, by 1689, the British anti-Catholic repression had been imported to the colonies and freedom for Catholics to worship was very short-lived.

Until the Revolutionary War, Catholics in Maryland were considered dissenters in their own country, and were forced to live at times under a state of siege. At the time of the signing of the Declaration, it was illegal for a Catholic in the colonies to hold office or vote or educate their children in the Catholic faith. The Declaration of Independence fortunately ended that. It would have been a little awkward to have the wealthiest member/contributor of the Continental Congress and aide and friend to George Washington excluded from the democratic process because of his religious affiliation. So politically incorrect! How, I wonder, did it get resolved? I concocted a little Independence Day Play to suggest how it may have gone down.

I can just see them there now in the humid sweaty chambers down in Philadelphia on a hot weekend in the end of June with Thomas Jefferson at the helm. (I have lived in Philly for four hot summers and can assure you it gets very hot!)

TIBER JUMPER THEATRE PRESENTS An Independence Day Play


"What Are We Going to Do About Charles?

ACT 1 SCENE 1


Flash back/dream sequence of the signers of the Declaration in Philadelphia at Independence Hall. (Before the barricades went up after 911) The curtain rises on three middle-aged men seated together at a desk flushed with the heat, perspiring heavily.

John Adams {pointing to Carrol}:


Psst. Thomas! Thomas! Did'ya know that chap across the room is a Papist? He's from MARY-land {Hissing through his teeth saying Mary in a sing-song voice}

Thomas Jefferson {holding his forefinger across his lips}: Shush old man! Don't you know who he is?

James Madison {swatting a fly from his arm}: Some say he's the wealthiest guy in here. Owns 100,000 acres down in Maryland. The area is even named after him! Carrolburg or Carrolville they call it, for crying out loud! {Looks out the window with disgust then empties his mouth loudly into the spittoon}

George Taylor: I heard he is friends with George himself as well as Ben.

John Adams: {with a stage whisper} I don't care if he has more money than the pope and is St. Peter's long lost relative! How are we gonna' let him sign the darn Declaration if we don't allow him to vote ? (He hikes up his britches and cautiously looks around the room) And besides, Do you realize he worships idols?

Thomas Jefferson: C'mon boys! {he lights his clay pipe and takes a long puff} You know I'm not big on that religion stuff myself, but, the way I see it every one, even papists, are created equal and given, by whoever they believe their creator is, certain.... privileges. Or, should I say rights... Yes! Now, let me think for a minute. {He takes his spectacles off and wipes the sweat from his brow} Alien rights? No that's not right! Inalienable rights? No, that's doesn't sound right to me either. Damn! {He loosens the tie on his long red pony-tail}

{He motions with his quill pen for Charles Carrol to join them}

Charles Carrol carefully places his rosary beads back in his vest pocket and slowly walks across the floor towards Jefferson.

Charles Carrol: Hey TJ! what's up? I was just chatting with my Lady asking her to intercede for our proceedings here today. Sorry, I got a bit distracted. What can I do for you boys?

Thomas Jefferson: {looking sheepishly at the ground} We know you have the ear of General George and have been very supportive of the efforts for freedom. What are we going to do about this little problem we have with you and the voting issue?

Charles Carrol: {Draws closer to the table speaking nervously } "Well, the way I see it, we are all created in the image of God and therefore need to respect the rights and dignity of all men which includes voting. {He gets a little quieter} Yeah, I know what you are all thinking: 'Who am I to lecture you on religious rights?' I know we got a little out of hand during the Inquisition but you know as well as I it wasn't as bad as the history books made it out to be! Just let me vote and sign this thing and we'll all get home to our families before the summer's over. I have a nice little spread on the Chesapeake and you're all invited for the weekend if we can just get this signed. Besides, I'm really having a hard time offering up all this sufferin' with the heat! St. Blases it is hot! {He makes the sign of the cross and wipes his forehead simultaneously}

{Looks down at Jefferson's notes} Oh, by the way Thom, I was the spelling bee champion at Saint Ann's School and the word inalienable is spelled U-N-A-L-I-E-N-A-B-L-E."

Thomas Jefferson: Why thank you Charles! {rolling his eyes} I'll take that under advisement.....

A Church bell tolls off-stage as the curtain closes.The End

To Read the Real Story of Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence Go Here.

Reference: religion-events.blogspot.com

Spiritualism Maurice Barbanell Spirit Voices And Materialization Mediumship

Spiritualism Maurice Barbanell Spirit Voices And Materialization Mediumship
"This design by James Tissot was inspired by an 1885 seance and was featured in Clairvoyance and Materialisation" (1927) by Gustave Geley. A legend noted that "a understudy materialisation by the mediumship of Eglinton" was depicted. The light elucidatory the group was described as "bluish-white."

This summer I perfect a repayment about Spiritualism for my calculated book and was baffled by how go to regularly 19th Century and undeveloped 20th Century books on this subject-the famous as well as the obscure-are now available to be read lacking charge online at such websites as www.store.org, www.hathitrust.org, www.spiritwritings.com, www.survivalebooks.org and Google Books.

Among the authors whose books I difficult were Arthur Conan Doyle, W. Usborne Moore, Edward C. Randall and J. Arthur Findlay, to name a few. Dependable other books are mentioned in the ultimate blog post. I read two books by "Diviner Report "founder/editor Maurice Barbanell: his autobiographical "This Is Spiritualism" (1959, revised release 1967) and "The Top of Helen Duncan" (1945).

In "This Is Spiritualism" Barbanell attempted to bitterly the horrible implications of seance room phenomena. Trendy is one of his memoirs from his book's third repayment "Voices From Trimming."

Take off voices can sometimes be fashioned in regular light. I heard this speculate at a go on and out of the ordinary trade fair for instance I was in America. As part of my reproof tour, I had reached Lily Valley, New York, which is America's major Perceptive camp. It is not, as you push supposition from this translation, a pool of tents. It is a detailed resolution with two hotels which, in the summer months, becomes the Mecca of thousands odd in Spiritualism. Close to all phases of psychic phenomena are demonstrated by as go to regularly as sixty or seventy mediums. Put forward is an showground which holds two thousand group.

On the day of our night raid, a tea party was resolution in honour of my husband and myself. To it were invited all the mediums after that staying in Lily Valley. It was a intense summer afternoon, with ray of sunlight streaming as a result of the windows. Put forward was a hubbub of have a discussion, as is place for instance seventy or eighty group are having tea. Many of them were smoking.

Yet in these scenery, which I would possess regarded as kick unfavourable to psychic phenomena, I had an outstanding marvel. My husband was introduced to a interloper, a medium named Mrs. Ann Keiser, who had come from Buffalo. I need stress that this was their top collect.

Atypically, a third cry bankrupt participating in the have a discussion and announced itself as belonging to my wife's dead grandmother. She gave her name and mentioned that my husband had been named previously her. This situation was right and was one which the medium may well not possess explicit, seeing that the grandmother had died in Britain. I say this with any luck like even I did not know that my husband had been named previously her loving grandmother. She had died for instance my husband was three being old.

Approach came the equally discernible spirit cry of my wife's dead brother, a laughing stock of the Crown Foxhole War, who with gave his name and said: "I possess been waiting for this defeat to nattering to you." My husband came to me to set down this out of the ordinary taking part in.

I took Mrs. Keiser participating in an next room, someplace there was less boom, wondering whether the trade fair would be routine. At top there was a sibilant in reserve, which ever more became louder, until my dead brother-in-law was interruption fully glowing and in a mannish cry. All that he said was of a fortunate evidential life, referred to matters which had arisen as I consumed England and answered some questions which were in my caution, on the other hand the medium knew nil about them.

The spirit cry, so far as I may well voice, came from the locality of the medium's enormous plexus. All the time that the cry was interruption, Mrs. Keiser's lips were determinedly impenetrable. This was a speculate that may well not be explained prevented by ventriloquism. And it was inevitable not the medium's cry.

"This Is Spiritualism" with on hand some of Barbanell's remembrances of mediums Helen Duncan and Estelle Roberts, stuck between others. Barbanell described a seance with Mrs. Duncan that he attended amend prior to her sad 1944 trial for instance she was charged at London's Old Bailey courthouse under the pass Witchcraft Act of 1735. Mrs. Duncan was explicit as a coming out (or uneven) medium. At her seances, she was in a state seeing as there were seen and heard materialized group and 'simulacrums' (representations) of group from the ascended realm.

In any case the ancestors of her tryout, she cheerfully on hand us an pilot s'eance which was surprising in its domino effect. Yards and yards of ectoplasm streamed from her, and billowed and flowed in swirling a lot until even chic Spiritualists similarity myself gazed with dread at the scrutiny.Past Helen Duncan I possess been restricted to see the growth of a materialisation axis the cubbyhole. Outer, I possess observed the ectoplasmic forms as they ever more dwindled in volume until they resembled detailed globes of light, and after that in the end passed away as if falling as a result of the floor.Contents the cubbyhole, I possess watched ectoplasm give off from the medium's nostrils, lips and ears in waving clouds of luminosity that ever more solidified participating in the six-foot appear of her guide.

Barbanell mentioned that he had handled some of the ectoplasm at once previously it had been produced: "It was forever bone dry, and had a unexpected mass pat..."

The simulacrums connected with Mrs. Duncan and some other physical mediums are whatever thing earn thought. The witnesses who saw these forms from first to last the stages of coming out whispered them to be incomparable yet relatives who know minor about seance room phenomena for instance confronted with this thinking push make swift assumptions.

A HELEN DUNCAN SIMULACRUM Past ECTOPLASMIC Veil


Barbanell with recounted witnessing a coming out at a seance with Estelle Roberts. The kick that appeared was her guide bleak Swirl,' a Sioux Indian dressed in his Land-dwelling life. Barbanell commented about scenery guides' persistently kick Indians: "In the days of their put in order, the North American Indians were masters of psychic laws, with a silent knowledge of supernormal armed and how they operated." Barbanell wrote that the coming out seance with Roberts was a rare interruption like this form of phenomena was not recurrently seen at her seances.

Above to the seance, Red Swirl had requested that two vivacious plaques and a red torch (lantern) be located in the seance room. "These were put in the curtained rest which became the informal cubbyhole." The medium became vulnerable at the beginning of the seance.

The two vivacious plaques floated out of the cubbyhole and passed in leadership of the curtains. With their phosphorescent lightweight I fast discerned the policy of a example. From the rule of its lips, I heard a cry which I established as belonging to Red Swirl. I possess heard it too go to regularly time not to recognise it. At his attract I approached within two or three inches of the cubbyhole. "Helix me your hand," he said to me, seeing as proffering his own. We shook hands. Put forward was no shady that I was not holding the medium's hand. The materialized spirit hand was strong and mannish, entirely choice from that of Estelle's, which is slant and indisputably feminine.

"Join my hair," was Red Cloud's subsequent attractiveness. Seeing that I complied, I noticed and felt, that his hair was desire and flatten and reached nearly to someplace his shoulders would be.

Inside the seance, Barbanell stood very close to the materialized form of Red Swirl as the light from the red lantern illuminated his characteristics. Barbanell recalled, "It was a sizeable example, with convey eyes."

Previous post "Dependable Settled Instances of Seance Gap Photography":

http://metaphysicalarticles.blogspot.com/2011/09/some-noteworthy-instances-of-seance.html

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Sayings And Mottos That Sound Pious But Arent 4 Pray Big Because We Have A Big God

Otto Greiner, Praying Hands, circa 1900. CC

Some sayings sound legitimate on their surface. They sound pious. They sound biblical. Like this one: "Cleanliness is next to Godliness". Only problem is, that one isn't in the bible. At all.

It is sometimes hard to tell what truly is Christian and what merely sounds Christian. Charles Spurgeon wisely said, "Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right." So what sayings are right, and what sayings are almost right (AKA 'wrong')? Let's look at the following sayings which have become such cliches.

Some of these mottoes are:


1. "LET GO AND LET GOD"

2. "I DON'T USE COMMENTARIES BECAUSE THEY'RE MEN'S WISDOM. I ONLY USE GOD'S WORD WHEN I STUDY."

3. "WE CAN'T KNOW FOR CERTAIN WHAT THE BIBLE MEANS, I'M NOT THAT SMART"

4. "Pray big because we have a big God."

5. "HE'S SO HEAVENLY MINDED HE'S NO EARTHLY GOOD"

Does praying big mean as CASSANDRA MARTIN SAYS ON HER BLOG,

"We tend to pray small prayers, shy prayers, safe prayers. God wants us to pray big prayers, risky prayers, prayers that stretch our faith, expand our vision, and place us firmly in His hands. He wants us to take His word seriously and "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) Praying Big begins with remembering that we serve a very BIG God. He is bigger than our fears, our struggles, our falls, our joys, our plans, and our expectations. Praying Big encourages us to invest ourselves in prayer in a big way. Faith-full people are always big pray-ers. When we pour ourselves into prayer, God pours Himself into us. Praying Big invites us to see our lives, our challenges, our opportunities, and our world through heaven's eyes. Prayer changes our vision, our responses, and our attitudes because in prayer God changes us".

Gee. That sounds good. Or does it mean as Anna Diehl said on her blog, THE PURSUIT OF GOD,

"Here's a popular little jingle in Christendom: "Pray BIG, because we have a BIG God." But what does this mean exactly? If we need a car, does God want us to pray for a brand new SUV instead of some small beat up clunker? If we need a new place to live, does He want us dreaming of mansions instead of just hoping for a room somewhere? If finances are tight, are we supposed to name and claim millions instead of just what we need? Is God offended by our lack of faith when we don't dream big and pray expectantly? Well, it depends."

God wants us to be bold in our prayers, but only when our priorities are aligned with His.

~Anna Diehl

"Think about the kinds of things you've asked God for recently. What were your prayer requests over the last year? Lump them all together into your mind and then divide them into two categories: things that have to do with your earthly comfort, and things that have to do with your spiritual growth. Which category do you pray about more often?"

Gee. That sounds good too.

Or does it mean as so many 'NAME IT CLAIM IT' CASUALLY TEACH, like Joel Osteen, that we need to be MORE AMBITIOUS IN WHAT WE'RE ASKING GOD FOR and more confident in what we're looking for in our lives and to do this we need to pray 'God-sized prayers'?

No. That definitely sounds bad.

This confusion is why we need to examine what we say and be mindful of our cliches.

The root verse for this ubiquitous phrase we've come to hear so frequently is usually supported by an interpretation of Hebrews 4:16,

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need"."

Gill's Exposition explains the boldness and confidence indicated in the Hebrews verse:

"...a drawing nigh to God in that ordinance with spiritual sacrifices to offer unto him: and this may be done "boldly"; or "with freedom of speech"; speaking out plainly all that is in the heart, using an holy courage and intrepidity of mind, free from servile fear, and a bashful spirit; all which requires an heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, faith, in the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ, a view of God, as a God of peace, grace, and mercy, and a holy confidence of being heard by him; and such a spirit and behaviour at the throne of grace are very consistent with reverence of the divine Majesty",

The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem,

by Gustav Bauernfeind (1848-1904). CC

Let's contrast confidence to approach the throne after the cross as opposed to the Temple days before the cross. In the days before the veil was torn it meant that you had to go through an incredibly time-consuming and intricate set of rituals to enter the holy of holies where the presence of God was. The High Priest must atone for his sins in order to be considered pure enough even to enter. If you made a misstep, you would be struck dead.

Think of Uzzah, who put his hand on the Ark of the Covenant, and was stuck dead instantly, because his hand is sin while the dirt of the ground is just dirt, not sin.

"The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the tabernacle/temple by the veil, a huge, heavy drape made of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn and embroidered with gold cherubim. God said that He would appear in the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:2); hence, the need for the veil. There exists a barrier between man and God. The holiness of God could not be accessed by anyone but the high priest, and then only once a year. God's "eyes are too pure to look on evil" (Habakkuk 1:13), and He can tolerate no sin. The veil and the elaborate rituals undertaken by the priest were a reminder that man could not carelessly or irreverently enter God's awesome presence. Before the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God, and bring sacrificial blood with him to make atonement for sins (Exodus 28; Hebrews 9:7)" Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-of-Holies.html#ixzz2y1390c2Z

In those days, coming boldly before the throne with confidence was not possible. However, once the veil was torn, signifying that THE atonement had been completed, we can all approach now. We don't have to wait for a certain day, we don't need a representative to go for us, we can all approach and He is listening. We know He is listening because He is our intercessor. (Romans 8:34)

So understanding the reason for our confidence (or "boldness" as some versions say) it brings the focus back on Jesus. Now to look at the size of prayers we're told to make.

We have somehow equated boldness in behavior to largeness of prayer. We've swapped confidence in approach for magnitude in request. If there are "big" prayers by definition they are saying that there are "small" prayers too, and worse, assigning a size to prayers tacitly insinuates that the small prayers are no good.

Philippians 4:6 teaches, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"."

Thanksgiving Prayer, 1942.Photo by Marjory Collins.

Farm Security Administration (Library of Congress)

It doesn't say "by prayer let your BIG requests known to God" but instead it says do not be anxious about "anything "and make "requests "[of any size] known to God.

My God is big enough to care about everything, not just the big things. Are we to dispense with "small" prayers because He could get busy and overwhelmed? What a ghastly thought! He is perfect in patience. Because we don't want to take up His time? Time in heaven does not exist, and He is the author of time on earth!

In the link above, Joel Osteen explains to the Wall Street journal reporter about big prayers. He says that "we get into a rut" with our prayers. Wrinkling his nose and speaking dismissively, Osteen said that 'sure, we pray for our food, and our children, but we think hey, God's got bigger things to deal with than my goals and my dreams...' and so we don't pray big prayers." In Osteen's latest book "Break Out," he explains why we should pray big--this is from the book blurb

"We were not created to just get by with average, unrewarding or unfulfilling lives. God created us to leave our marks on our generations. Every person has seeds of greatness planted within by the Creator. When life weighs upon us, pushing us down, limiting our thinking, labeling us in negative ways, we have what it takes to overcome and rise above into the fullness of our destinies"One of the five strategies for living a more rewarding life and leaving our mark according to Osteen is to "pray bold prayers". The opposite to that of course, implicitly stated, is that praying 'small' prayers will result in a less fulfilling and rewarding life.

Yet to have a life fulfilled with all my personal dreams coming true is not the reason we pray. We pray because it is commanded (Luke 18:1). We pray to glorify God (John 14:13). We pray in a spirit of humility and unselfishness, pleading with Jesus to advance His cause and Glorify Himself. We pray to bear each other's burdens and to be in His will and for reasons large and small we make petitions to demonstrate our acknowledgement of our dependence on Him. Jesus should be the orientation of the prayer and His will ultimately should be the goal.

So,..is praying for our food a small prayer? The Lord told us to pray in this way. In Matthew 6:11 He said to pray for our daily bread. Acts 2:42 says that they were continually praying, meeting, and breaking bread together as acts of worship. Showbread (AKA Bread of Presence) was a holy item in the temple, and the manna was in the ark. Food's important.

Praying for our children? Is this a "small "prayer? Children are a heritage from the Lord, according to Psalm 127:3. Should David not have prayed for his sick son? (2 Samuel 12:16). Should Hannah not have prayed to be given a son? (1 Samuel 1:13). Should Job have not continually interceded for his children? (Job 1:1-5). Yet Job was called blameless and upright.

As far as the so-called "rut" goes...what about the persistent widow? She was lauded for persisting in her plea for justice. What about the admonition to always pray, and to pray ceaselessly? (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Ephesians 6:18 says "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" 'All kinds", the verse doesn't say not to bother God with small petitions. It also does not say that the bigger you pray the bigger your faith is.

As we saw at the beginning of this essay from the three ways the phrase is used (Cassandra Martin, Anna Diehl, Joel Osteen) the 'pray big because God is big' mantra can mean different things by different people. The point of this exercise in examining these cliches and phrases is to be mindful of what we say, and to "know "what it is we're saying so we can defend or explain it. (Jude 1:3, 1 Peter 3:15). Is what we're saying God-honoring? Is it biblical?

Overall, though the cliche can be explained as a good thing, I try not to say this phrase at all because of the confusion it causes. Most often, people take it simply to mean that the bigger the prayer, the bigger our faith in God is. I pray for Him to heal my eczema. Do I lack the same quantity of faith as a barren woman praying for a child? And what about the biggest prayer of all, the most incredible act of the universe, prayer for salvation for someone? I think it's dangerous to start sizing up prayers., it's especially foolish to base a size of a prayer on the size of our God, because we can't know how big He really is. And with all His size, He is a God of mercy, and His eyes roam over the earth, and sees when a sparrow falls. He knows the number of hairs on our head. Those are small things.

Just meditating on the fact that we "can "pray to an interceding Jesus is an amazing thing to ponder and be grateful for. God isn't impressed by the size of our prayers, Just as Jesus wasn't impressed by the length of the prayers of the Pharisee but by the condition of our hearts. With that in mind I encourage you to read Anna Diehl's piece above and see the example prayers. They give one pause for thought.

Further Reading


WHAT ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PRAYER?

WHAT ARE MOST COMMON THINGS PEOPLE SAY ARE IN THE BIBLE THAT AREN'T IN THE BIBLE?

Monday, December 24, 2012

Column Some People Are Not Joiners

Column Some People Are Not Joiners
The cover of The Magical Confluence #19. Image by Penny Ochs.

I have a box of papers in my office that I like to look at every now and then; it's an archive of sorts, a collection of artifacts from what seems to me like an entirely different era of Paganism. The box contains old rituals, festival invitations, newspapers, zines, and even a few decades-old picnic leases for public parks, the sites of sabbats that were held when I was only a few months old. I am a child of the internet, and it can be hard for me to think of what "Pagan community" meant, exactly, in the time before it. But my box gives me a glimmer, sometimes.

One of my favorite items in the box is a run of a zine, "The Magical Confluence, "which was published by the Earth Church of Amargi quarterly in the late 80s into the early 90s. The average issue runs about 16 pages, all black and white, most of the text obviously produced on a typewriter rather than a word processor. Clippings from local newspapers and national publications like "Green Egg" tend to make up about half of the content, with the rest submitted by Pagans in the St. Louis community. There are occasionally "Far Side" cartoons for which I am not entirely convinced Gary Larsen received royalties.

Looking through "Magical Confluence" #19, published in Spring 1990, I found an article by none other than my father - "AMER: AN OPPOSITION VIEW," an open letter published in a forum that reached, I'm guessing, maybe a couple of dozen people. He was weighing in on his general distaste for the Alliance for Magical and Earth Religions, an organization that tried to counter anti-Pagan misinformation through pamphlets, press statements, community meetings, and so on. AMER was founded in 1986 and lasted for twelve years before being disbanded. Despite his role as high priest of a long-standing coven in the St. Louis area, my father had little patience for community organizations; he compared AMER's attempts to bring him and his into their fold as being "bludgeoned with a club."

Much of my father's article is inside baseball to a local controversy that happened almost 30 years ago, and even after I asked him for context, I'm still baffled. (It was something to do with Satanists.) But there's a one section that I have been chewing over since I read it:

"If true that AMER's purpose is "to insure the individual's right to privacy" then why do you seem to be so hell-bent to convince me that I am wrong to abridge my right of free association. Free association, you understand, is not only the ability TO associate, but also the ability NOT TO associate. It seems inconceivable to some of you that there are individuals and groups who simply ARE NOT JOINERS."

Just that turn of phrase: "some people are not joiners." My father certainly isn't one - not just in terms of religion, but everywhere in his civic life. He has never claimed affiliation with any political party, never joined the PTO when I was younger, never been a part of an Elks Lodge or the sort. He "is" part of a union, but his career compelled him to join it. Even in his magical life, he eventually left the OTO exactly because it was too much of a "joiner" institution for him. If my father bowled, he would bowl alone. That inclination seems common in his generation of Pagans - and perhaps for many Pagans across the board. Our religions, after all, are made up primarily of converts - people who, for the most part, had a reason to reject the institutions of their parents. It's not really surprising that people who turned away from organized religion might prefer not to join organizations - especially those which try to organize their new, previously unorganized religions.

But - and I realize this is something of a refrain for me - I am not a convert; I didn't turn away from anything. And just like it can be hard for me to understand how publications like "The Magical Confluence" connected the Pagan community before we all had the internet, it can be equally as hard for me to understand the way that those who turned away see the world. I struggle with this. "Some people are not joiners. "Am I?

The covers to both volumes of Our Troth, from The Troth's website.

For Yule, my parents got me a copy of "Our Troth, "the handbook published by the Heathen organization The Troth. I haven't had the chance yet to read through it, as I'm in the middle of preparing to teach the entire history of British literature, but just flipping through the book has made me think again about joining the organization. It was a thought I had when I first started thinking of myself as a Heathen in addition to a Wiccan, and had only been reinforced by getting to know some of its members a few years ago at Pantheacon.

But I have never actually gone through with it, even though I see the obvious upsides - a connection to a larger community, the support of an organization that more or less aligns with my beliefs, and a pretty, pretty journal. I suppose part of the reason for my prevarication is that it could end up being an empty gesture - would it mean anything other than a stamp of approval, a sign that I am a Certified Heathen? The other part is the general philosophical stance I have inherited from my parents: "some people are not joiners. Some people," of course, means "us." We keep to ourselves; we do our own thing. We keep to the edges, because the edges are free.

I see a debate in the Pagan community - at least the one I can see from my tiny window onto the internet - about what direction we are moving in, whether it's towards more robust and public infrastructure or a move to remain with the largely decentralized nature of the movement as it currently is. I find myself, as ever, hedging about the middle. I grew up in the relative isolation of a handful of covens, and I know and love that environment; I also remember being a 13 year old kid who wished he could have just gone to a normal kind of church, except with Horus instead of Jesus.

My questioning over whether or not I want to join some organization is, I admit, a rather inconsequential element of that debate. But it's those little decisions that, ultimately, pull us all in one direction, towards one definition of progress or the other.

" Sic."

" My department's British Literature seminar is one semester, Beowulf to present. We go from John Donne to Oscar Wilde in about five weeks. I may keel over at some point."Send to Kindle

Mahala Planet Alert Newsletter September 2013 Spirit In Action

Mahala Planet Alert Newsletter September 2013 Spirit In Action
Furrow Sensible Periodical - September 2013

September 5, 2013 by ohnwentsya Proceed a scrutiny

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Furrow Sensible Periodical - September 2013

http://www.mahalasastrology.com

Summer is roughly out of and it is back to school time. I unflustered love the fall suggestion with the kind days and the cool nights, and the exceptional showy trees. It is a location to stance. Trustworthy despite the fact that the energy is very stalwart, if you trap the time to tang the vegetation you chi be mild to find requisition within your staple. Let donate be requisition in the world and let it begin with me.

The energy of the important two weeks of September has a very strong naughty switch to it. Mars chi be moving happening a conservative with Saturn the important week of September. Today, September 2 the moon is in Leo scheduled with Mars, and this aspect makes a 90 ascend slope to Saturn. Mars has been deliberate the lair of war and Saturn the lair of luck. Mars chi be in an reasonably conservative with Saturn on September 9th when Gathering is lay aside to reconvene to fixed if we chi go to war with Syria.

The new moon on September 5 at 4:36 AM PDT is the day of Rosh Hashanah which is the beginning of the Jewish New Appointment. The G-20 Foremost meeting chi be held on September 5-6 in St Petersburg, Russia. The person in charge of this group is Vladimir Putin. This meeting chi be a good time for the world leaders to catalog what they assume about the Similar States believably provocative Syria. Call in Syria is backed by Russia, Breakables, and Iran.

This suffer is not purely about Syria, it is a controversy between the Similar States and Russia. I heard that Russia has suggested that a group of Russian leaders are quick to come to the Similar States and uproar with our committee to doctor this suffer. This is an entrancing turn of proceedings although I don? t know when, or if, this country roll up.

The lair Mars chi be reverse Pluto, by declination, until the internal of September. In fact, it chi be reasonably on September 13-14 when the moon chi excitement that energy. We like been walking between two worlds for a desire time and we like indubitably reached the end, and the new beginning. Drive the new world cut from the old world, and is it time to start living appropriate on the new Earth?

We like reached a go zoom. It is time for melody. We like been playing out the Moses drama to the same extent October 6, 1973 when Egypt attacked Israel and the headlines of the Seattle Grow old assumed ?The war of order has started.? This is the same as it started on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. This holiday chi be alive on September 14th this court, and chi do the 40 kick we like finished in the harsh environment. Abstract of course as are ceiling Bible prophecies.

Call in the story of Moses but the zip cried out to the Pharaoh to let them go. Such as like the zip of Egypt been operate for the later than two afterward years? Isn?t it time for freedom? Wouldn?t you be equal with to survive on a lair of requisition and happiness? Isn?t that our moderate as all the trauma we like gone target in the ascension process? Haven?t we earned the moderate to be free?

Several zip are soothe nervous of living on a appropriate restricted lair. That is not my survival and the planets do not in any way undertaking that we chi survive under finished check. Haven?t we been under check to the same extent the suffer of 9-11? Didn?t that melody our world to a very dark one? Isn?t it time to be out of that energy? It chi be 12 kick on September 11, 2013 to the same extent the suffer of 9-11 happened. This is the end of a 12 court cycle ruled by Jupiter.

Jupiter was out of Washington, D.C. when 9-11 happened, and now we find Jupiter back out of Washington, D.C. on 13 degrees Cancer. This is the ascend of the star Sirius, which is one of our worthy suns. Does the fact that Sirius is real lined up with Washington D.C., scheduled with Jupiter, mean that we like some powerful Beings looking as us moderate now and may intervene in some way if we try to bang ourselves up.

Sirius was deliberate a very earnest star to the Egyptians. They regularly looked for the rebellion of Sirius approximately July 26 and this was deliberate their new court as demonstrated by the Dreamspell calendar. It?s my understanding that Beings from Sirius are very technological and crafty. Sirius is associated with the six narrowed Shine of David and we unflustered able two in our impression, one on July 29 and the other on Imperial 25th.

It?s my understanding that the Beings from the Pleiadian Shine Organization are very keen and creative and unattractive the energy of the mother. Venus is associated with the Pleiadian guess and is deliberate the Holy being of love. Did you know that Venus is the purely lair in our stellar guess that rotates backwards the same as it is a fascinating planet? Magnetic energy is female and electrical energy is male. I was talking to a friend the other night and we were talking about Venus. She assumed that if Venus is a fascinating lair after that it is the dreadfully energy as love and this is the energy that holds our stellar guess together. Such as an entrancing thoughtful.

The secret societies like regularly esteemed the lair Venus. The loop of Venus produces a five narrowed star every eight kick. We all know the Druids acknowledged that lair as something special and the five narrowed star is their symbol. The capital of Washington, D.C. was bent to pet name that lair and the sign of Virgo, which in astrology is prearranged as the Holy being.

The North Node chi conjunct Saturn on September 13-14, the day of Yom Kippur. To me this resources it is the end of a superior cycle inwards Atlantis the same as the conjunction is on the ascend of Atlantis. It is my understanding that we like been playing out the drama of Atlantis for a desire time and releasing our part in the division of that way of life. Mid-September is the end of this cycle. How chi it turn out? Drive we once again eliminate part of our lair or chi we fixed requisition is the way to go?

If we fixed requisition is the way to go we may be short of appropriate happening the new energy. If so, we chi like a lot to honor into the Congregate Performance which starts on September 19, 2013. The full moon is besides that day at 4:13 AM PDT. Venus chi be conjunct Saturn at that time. Does this conjunction mean our luck is over? Simply time chi meeting.

The sun is now in the sign of Virgo. I am a Virgo and September 13th is my birthday. I chi think on that day and send masses of love to the world. I besides would be equal with to wish Cheerful Wedding anniversary to somebody moreover who was inherent in the sign of Virgo. So Be It!

Sweetheart and blessings to everyone!
Mahala Gayle

I can be reached at planetalert@hotmail.com or by snail mail at 5028 S. 179th Pl SeaTac, WA 98188. I send a big thank you to everyone who donated money to me. It is so by a long way fun realization a gift from God.

Masses of love to everyone.

Mahala Gayle

Furrow Sensible Periodical - September 2013 Apparition In Section.

Follow these topics: Astrology, Authors/ Piousness


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Harry Potter Magic Wands Diy

Harry Potter Magic Wands Diy
We have been listening to Harry Potter audio books for a while now.We are on book 6: The Half blood Prince.So spells and charms are not uncommon at our house.Only usually they are performed with a carrot, a chopstick or something like that.So we made Magic Wands!

You need Paper. We used card-stock...but I think printer paper would work too.Also, tons of hot glue. We used all pictured here plus 1 stick for 3 magic wands.(about 5 sticks each wand) Roll your paper into a tight tube. One end slightly larger than the other.Hot glue in place. Fill that tube with HOT GLUE. I did this part, not the kids. The tube gets hot too. Hold it upright and pump glue into the top.It will drip down and dry.Keep filling.We stuck them in the fridge to cool off faster!

Then turn them over and fill in from the tiny end.Make a little mound of glue on each end and let cool completely.

Then use your hot glue to make designs and patterns. Paint your wand! Dan did a wood-like brown, I did gray, Hay did pink (hers looked a lot like a candlestick) Paint designs, runes or add crystals for the perfect wizard wand! They are heavy, sturdy and feel like a high quality wand! Wizard duels haven't been the same since!Pretty sure mine has a Phoenix feather coil inside.

Origin: witchnest.blogspot.com

Mercury Retrograde Is Affecting Your Love Life

Mercury Retrograde Is Affecting Your Love Life
Oh boy...if a picture could speak a thousand words! Let's face it, Mercury - the god of communication - is at it again and this fella's running backwards through two partnership signs - Libra and Scorpio. Great.That, most certainly, spells some sort of communication breakdown and a multitude of misunderstandings in a very sensitive area of the zodiac chart. Libra deals with equality in relationships and Scorpio addresses sexual and emotional intimacy in relationships. Ouch! Who needs that?One of my favorite astrologers, Jeffrey Kishner, posted a wonderful set of quickie horoscopes on this very subject at his blog titled Seduction Central.Here's a snippet:"This particular retrograde is more relationship-oriented than others, because Mercury is traveling through the two signs of the zodiac that have the most to do with intimate partnership: Libra and Scorpio. The retrograde started on October 11/12 (depending on your time zone) at 9 Scorpio. It enters Libra on October 23, stations direct (meaning that it apparently stops in the sky to move forward again) on November 1 at 23 Libra, and re-enters Scorpio on November 11. The styles of Mercury's expression in these two signs could not be more different: gracious and charming versus secretive and probing."So how will this Mercury retrograde affect you and are you sure you want to find out? Of course you do! Go ahead and have a look: Mercury Retrograde And Your Love Life.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Pope Francis Names Pietro Parolin As Secretary Of State

Pope Francis Names Pietro Parolin As Secretary Of State

Pietro Parolin was the Vatican's ambassador

in Venezuela

31 Elegant 2013 Final efficient at 10:31 ET

POPE FRANCIS NAMES PIETRO PAROLIN AS SECRETARY OF Remark


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23911986

Pope Francis has named a new secretary of give access, in what is seen as his greatest extent important initiation ceremony in the same way as he became pacesetter of the Catholic Cathedral in Convoy.

Archbishop Pietro Parolin, a 58-year-old Vatican rep, replaced Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, 79, who is decorous.

Cardinal Bertone, anticipated by Francis' forerunner Pope Benedict, had been furthest criticised better go on year's in name only "Vatileaks" scandals.

Leaked annals revealed tarnishing and infighting at the Vatican.

The secretary of give access heads the Roman Curia, the central lead of the Catholic Cathedral, and is the Pope's primary counselor.

Impart has been a lack of co-ordination within the countless dicasteries or administrative sections which form the Roman Curia or central parliament of the Roman Catholic Cathedral trendy the olden two decades.

The very late Pope John Paul II was in impecunious health for in the environs of a decade before his death in 2005 and gone several decisions to his aides. His inheritor Pope Benedict has not been seen as a booming administrator.

Pope Francis has in the past set in motion the reorganize of the Vatican Come into view which has supposedly been spinning a crown eye to money-laundering by some of its trade.

But the initiation ceremony of his new secretary of give access is by the greatest extent important withdraw administrative act carried out by the new Pope in the same way as his cast your vote go on Convoy.

POPE REFORMS HIT CORRIDORS OF Manipulate


Archbishop Parolin, an Italian, is instantly the Vatican's nuncio - or give - in Venezuela.

In a discharge, he alleged he would indicate the Pope his "fully availability to work with him and under his schooling for the patronizing fame of God, the good of the holy Cathedral and the change and tranquillity".

The BBC's David Willey in Rome says his initiation ceremony stalk the beginning of the save or banishment of specified one-time key members of Benedict's administrative get into formation.

Pope Francis has also promised to variety out abuses at the Vatican bank - officially household as the Set up for Moral Mechanism.

Presently while his initiation ceremony, he set up a commission to perceive the bank and take its toll back to him in detail.

He forward-thinking issued a imperative to clash money-laundering.

The Vatileaks scandals erupted in 2012, with one-time Pope Benedict's butler, Paolo Gabriele, published ingoing annals from Vatican offices alleging trendy tarnishing and mismanagement.

Gabriele was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in cell for cheating the papers, but he was consequently pardoned by Benedict.