Synaxis Of Panagia Mesopanditissa Of Crete

Panagia Mesopanditissa (Feast Day - January 12)

By John Sanidopoulos

The sacred icon of Panagia Mesopanditissa (Public servant of All) was brought to Crete from Constantinople all the way through the soul of iconoclasm, to be saved from the wicked resentment of the iconoclasts. According to tradition, it was colored by Luke the Evangelist.

Throughout the episode of Venetian adjudicate in Crete, it was in standoffish in the Clerical of the Pious Apostle Titus in Candia (Heraklion), and it became a symbol of concentrated love and brotherhood in the company of the Venetians and Cretans. The Venetians had implicated this church age the Model habitual Our Peer of the realm of the Angels (communal as "Mikri Panagia" or "Light Panagia") withdrawn the borough ramparts. The sacred icon became so venerated by Catholics that Pope Virtuous III affirmed in 1209 that whoever traveled to Crete to praise this icon and the Apostle Titus would uncivilized the remission of their sins. It was moreover communal as touching, with a duke of Crete newspaper writing how a crippled warrior from Milan was healed in the overdue 16th century.

Each and every one Tuesday and important meal a chafe was completed with the icon by the good Christians as a sign of concentrated array. This is attested to by the hiker Wolfgang Stockmann (1606) who reported that the icon was carried taking into consideration a week by Model and Catholic Christians from the Clerical of Saint Titus to the Clerical of our Peer of the realm of the Angels, plus returned once again. He moreover notes that every summer Model and Catholics would influence the icon to the Monastery of the Liberator, where prayers were to be had to bring rain.

Throughout the Cretan War the processions took place not lone every Tuesday, but every Saturday. A long time ago Handakas was dominated by the Ottomans, the Venetians customary the grand icon of the Panagia and motivated it to Venice in 1669, where they to be found it in the Clerical of Santa Maria della Speak to. It is standoffish gift until today.

A track of the tale sacred icon can be found in the Sacred Clerical of the Pious Apostle Titus in Heraklion, where the meal of the Synaxis is standoffish annually on January 12th.

Santa Maria della Speak to (Saint Mary of Wellbeing) is one of the hoops of Venice. Baldassare Longhena was 32 soul old gone he won a hostility in 1631 to design a testament veneration the Virgin Mary for diminution Venice from a crawl that in the space of two soul (1629-30) killed 47,000 realm, or one-third the area of the borough. Outside, this full white Istrian stone octagon is topped by a massive cupola with snail-like believe defenses and a ornate facade; heavy are a polychrome granite confound and six chapels.

The tale sacred icon of Panagia Mesopanditissa is patronizing the heart altar and has been venerated by the locals as the Madonna della Speak to (Madonna of Wellbeing) at the same time as 1670, gone Francesco Morosini brought the icon and other holy ashes devotion the Travel of Saint Titus to Venice from Crete. It is clear-cut that the Panagia Mesopanditissa is depicted on the accepted of Francesco Morosini, who was the eventual mask of Kastro at the time of the Cretan War and taking into consideration Doge of Venice.

In 1630 it was meaningful that the Upper house would stop the church each court. On November 21, the Feast of the Exhibition of the Virgin, communal as the Festa della Madonna della Speak to, the city's officials street party from San Marco to the Speak to for a service in gratitude for deliverance from the crawl. This involves expedition the Profound Waterway on a add-on constructed pontoon ramp and is regular a important exceptional person in Venice.

The statuary group at the high altar, depicting the "Queen of Paradise Expelling the Plague" (1670) is a melodramatic Florid bring about by the Flemish sculptor Josse de Corte. On the not here, the borough of Venice (as deposit, represented as a prestigious and wealthy woman) kneels to beseech tolerance and deliverance from the crawl. In the thorny, the Virgin Mary, holding Jesus, makes a admiring souvenir of be in agreement. On the label, a guardian angel uses a torch to design ready the Plague, available as a awful hag, fleeing.

"Take to mean arrogant about the icon and the Cretan War about (Greek)."

Origin: about-world-religions.blogspot.com

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Unusual Recipes For Garden And Home

UNUSUAL USES FOR BEER

Beer. It refreshes and relaxes, it fuels sociability and cools the burn of spicy food. It is the most-widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the world, and the third most common beverage overall (after water and tea, who knew?). It is the oldest alcoholic beverage produced-and in fact, the oldest known code of laws (the Code of Hammurabi ca 1750 B.C.) called for the death penalty for drinking-house proprietors found guilty of watering down their beer. Those Babylonians sure took their suds seriously.

But aside from the "numero uno" use for beer-drinking! woohoo!-it is one of the most over-looked components of many a DIY solution to common household conundrums. Here are nine alternative ways to put your brew to good use:

1. Bring on the Butterflies

Although in my perfect world butterflies live on nothing less magical than flower nectar, ambrosia, and an occasional marshmallow, the truth is that many butterflies feed on rotting fruit, tree sap, dung, carrion, urine, and other not-so-pretty, non-nectar sources of nutrients. You can allow fruit from your fruit trees to decay on the ground, leave your pet's droppings where they drop, or place a bit of raw meat or fish in a discreet part of your garden. Sweet! Or you can use beer to make this awesome butterfly bait to get some flutter-action in your garden

INGREDIENTS

1 pound sugar

1 or 2 cans stale beer

3 mashed overripe banana

1 cup of molasses or syrup

1 cup of fruit juice

1 shot of rum

Mix all ingredients well and splash on trees, fence posts, rocks, or stumps-or soak a sponge in the mixture and hang from a tree-limb. For other ways to invite over butterflies, try growing some of these plants

2. Boost Your Bounce

Limp, lifeless hair bringing you down? Drink a beer and maybe you won't really care, or better yet, use a beer rinse to restore bounce and body. The vitamin B and natural sugars in beer add body and shine, while acting as a natural setting lotion that increases resilience, vitality, and hold. Pour one cup of beer into a glass and allow it to go flat and warm. Shampoo and rinse hair as usual. Pour the flat warm beer on your hair and work it through. Rinse thoroughly with cool water. For extra shine try this recipe

DIY FOR SHINY HAIR

Dry, chemically treated, or environmentally damaged hair calls for some extra-special love. Try this do-it-yourself treatment once a month, and you'll be impressed by the results: shiny, thick, and luxurious hair. Adjust ingredient amount depending on hair length.

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon walnut oil

2 drops essential oil of choice, such as lemon, jasmine, rose, or rosemary

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the walnut oil and essential oils. Massage the mixture through your hair and scalp. Cover with a shower cap, plastic bag, or warm towel, then leave on up to an hour, if possible. To remove treatment, rinse well with warm water and then use a sulfate-free shampoo followed by a conditioner.

3. SAY SAYONARA TO SLUGS AND SNAILS

I have a hard time snuffing out any creatures in the garden, but truth be told, slugs and snails can wreak all too much havoc on the green growing things. Rather than harsh chemicals or the old sizzle-with-salt method, beer may be the kinder option. Bury a clean container (like an empty juice carton cut length-wise in half) in the area where you've seen the pests, so the the top is at the same level as the ground, and pour in leftover beer. Slugs and snails will be drawn to it, fall in, and drown. Not pretty, I know, but neither are holes in your spinach.

NON-LETHAL METHODS

There's a scene in the latest Harry Potter movie where Harry's friend spits up slugs. Yuck! Doesn't that just sum up the way most of us feel about slugs and snails? The very thought of the slimy little things is not a pretty one, and absolutely nobody wants them ruining their garden!

Stop destructive snails and slugs from snacking on your plants, but without using poisonous baits that can threaten the health of your pets and family. Alternative methods may take just a little patience, but with a bit of perseverance you will be able to rid your garden of these pesky creatures without using harmful chemicals.

Remove slugs and snails by hand. By night, use a flashlight and follow

their shiny trails to find them.

Transport them somewhere far from your garden, (not your neighbor's

garden!) or squish or drown them in a jar of soapy water.

Wearing a face mask, spread natural or agricultural-grade diatomaceous

earth over the soil in flower beds or around individual plants. Diatomaceous

earth cuts the slugs and causes them to dehydrate. Reapply after each rain.

Deter snails and slugs by sprinkling cayenne pepper along their paths.

Place ceramic flowerpots upside-down to attract and trap snails and slugs

in the shade. Overturn them and remove the snails daily until they are gone.

Water your garden and lawn in the morning. Slugs and snails travel at night

more easily through wet plants.

4. Conquer Stubborn Stains

Getting coffee or tea stains out of your rug may seem as feasible as getting water out of a rock, but beer can be a miracle worker in this field. Color test a small non-visible area first and allow to dry. If all looks well, then time to tackle the stain: douse it in beer, blot, repeat. For other types of carpet stains, try these below

Getting rid of Carpet Stains and odours

Soon we will be closing our homes up for the cooler weather, leaving us face-to-face with rugs and carpets that look and smell less than fresh: A wine spill here, a pet accident there-and you can end up with a real mess underfoot. But commercial carpet cleaners and fresheners can contain synthetic ingredients that can harm you and your pets.

Here are some great formulas that really work to remove grease stains, chewing gum, food and red wine stains, and even cat mistakes (Annie's formula works better than expensive enzyme-based cleaners!). Find out how to have sweet-smelling, fresh-looking rugs, safely and naturally.

Always try these formulas on a bit of rug that is out of sight first, to be sure they won't cause discoloration or fading.

Annie's Fabulous Whipped Carpet-Cleaner:

This formula is fun to make and fun to use. Just mix equal parts water and liquid detergent and whip with a hand beater until it gets frothy. Use a sponge to scoop some onto a section of your rug, rub in gently, then wipe dry with a clean rag.

To Remove Red Wine Stains:

It's easier to get rid of stains when they are fresh. First, blot, then dilute with warm water and blot again. Then:

Method 1: Pour on a bit of milk, white wine, or club soda. Blot and wash with warm water and liquid detergent.

Method 2: Mix equal parts liquid detergent and fresh hydrogen peroxide (it loses its effectiveness if it's old) and apply to stain. Blot and reapply if necessary, then use warm water to rinse. Allow to dry.

To Remove Fruit Juice and Berry Stains:

Blot and dilute the stain, then apply straight white vinegar. Rinse with warm water.

To Remove Chewing Gum:

Remove as much of it as you can (some people swear by using a plastic bag to pick up the gum: evidently, the gum will adhere to the plastic). Then apply ice cubes to the gum still remaining on the carpet to freeze it: the gum becomes easy to pick out of the rug fibers.

To Remove Grease Stains:

First, blot away as much of the grease as you can. Then apply straight isopropyl alcohol to the stain. Blot, then wash with warm water and liquid detergent. If that doesn't get it all, apply a few drops of fresh hydrogen peroxide and blot, then wash again with warm water and detergent.

Fragrant Carpet Freshener

Mix 2 cups of borax (in the laundry section of your grocery store) and 25 drops pure essential oil, making sure the oil is evenly distributed throughout the borax. Shake this mixture liberally over your carpet and allow to remain on for a few minutes, then vacuum.

5. Put Out a Fire

Who needs 9-1-1 when you have beer? Kidding. Although certainly not as effective as a real fire extinguisher, a can or bottle of beer can be used in some cases. Because of the water content and pressure, you can shake a can or bottle and unleash the liquid on the fire. This is not for grease fires or electrical fires, really only for tiny paper fires or grill flare-ups-I've also heard of people who carry an emergency can in their car in case of engine fire.

6. Marinate Meat and Mushrooms

Beer is slightly acidic and works as a great on-hand tenderizer that isn't as acidic in flavor as wine or vinegar based marinades. Use a hearty-flavored beer like a stout or barley wine, poke a few holes in the meat or mushrooms, add any other herbs or spices, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. And tempted as you might be: do not drink the marinade.

7. Polish Pots

In the past, dregs of beer from spent kegs was collected and used to polish the copper vats in breweries. Because of beer's subtle acidity, it can help boost shine without staining the metal like a higher-acidity liquid would. Try an inconspicuous test spot first-dampen a soft towel with beer, and buff.

8. Build a Beer Bottle Bungalow

Seriously? Many handmade houses employ the copious use of empty beer cans and bottles in their walls, like the "amazing" one pictured here, built by Tito Ingenieri in Quilmes, Argentina. He used 6 million beer bottles, can you imagine? All that newly-produced structural material foregone, all those bottle put to fabulous reuse. So maybe you don't have 6 million bottles to recycle, or, a house to build? This method can be translated to retaining walls, patio walls, or even a beer-bottle dog house.

9. Trap Fruit Flies

They say you can catch more flies with honey? Maybe they haven't tried beer. Anyone with an indoor compost bin or worm farm had probably experienced a plague of fruit flies at some point. But guess what, not only do fruit flies dig fermenting organic matter, they love them some beer. Try this: put some beer in a cup; cut the corner off of a sandwich bag and place the cut corner in the cup; folding the rest around the cup and securing with a rubber band. Place the cup in the bin and say good bye to little flying guys. For irksome houseflies, learn how to make an all-natural pest strip here below.

All Natural Pest Strips

Summer brings the sweet ambience of dragonflies, butterflies, and fireflies-as well as infestations of houseflies, cluster flies, and bottle flies. While we're happy to have the former flitter through the garden, an invasion of flies in the home should be quickly nixed. Find out how to make your home less attractive to the buzzing squadrons and if all else fails, try these homemade, non-toxic fly strips.

What is it with the flies? Where do they come from? What do they want? And why won't they just go away?! The answers depend on the type of fly, but in general there are a number of small adjustments you can make to greatly decrease their presence in your home.

The first thing to know is that flies lay their eggs in their food; which is always an organic material. Eradicate access to moist organic material and you can see a 90 percent reduction in your fly population. Make sure your trash cans have tightly fitting lids-also make sure to drain food waste, you can even wrap food scraps in newspaper or used paper bags before tossing it in the trash. Doing this helps to dry out the waste-flies require moisture for breeding. If you have a compost container in your kitchen make sure it is also tightly covered and transfer compost contents outside daily.

Preventing flies from entering the house is, obviously, important as well. Check that your window screens fit tightly and repair holes and tears. Don't leave doors open unless they also have a barrier-either a screen door or a beaded curtain.

Taking these measures will greatly diminish a fly community -but some situations call for more drastic initiatives. Although fly strips certainly don't win any awards for their charm, they can be effective. Since conventional pesticides and pesticide-impregnated hanging strips are toxic and should be avoided, we have an alternative recipe that is safe and effective.

All Natural Homemade Fly Strips

1. Combine equal parts honey, sugar and water in a saucepan.

2. Boil the mixture, stirring occasionally, until thick.

3. Remove from heat and let cool

4. Cut strips of brown packing tape, punch a hole on one end and loop a piece of string through the hole.

5. Dip the strips in the thick honey mixture and hang outside to dry, about 30 minutes.

6. Hang the strip in the area of worst infestation, and replace often.

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What Makes A Great Ghost Hunting Team

Great teams develop over time and like any good group endeavor, they depend completely on the leader's guidance and especially his motivation/agenda.

A great team does not depend on wearing matching tee's to the client's home. They have steps they go through before ever doing an investigation including having the client keep a log of activity, meeting the client away from the home in order to get a pre-interview in and check the mental status and earnestness of the client's story before entering their home. They also have the client sign a release before they set up equipment and invade their space. These are protections for the team and for the client, as well.

A great team has an online platform for their team to write up their reports and a deadline to put them up on their private network, to have evidence reviewed so the client can be updated as soon as possible.

You will never see a great team asking the clients to have the children at home or use the children as bait for ghosts. They will not dive into spiritual forms of healing upon the first meeting. In fact, they will offer other options first like opening an Bible, playing happy soft music in the home, and clearing up clutter and letting in sunlight, as well as collectively asking the spirits to leave. They do not jump to prayer, holy water, saging and such until other methods have not been helpful.

A great team does its research on the clients as well as the property. They do not discuss with clients, what they feel, sense, or "read" about the investigation as they undertaking it. They do not perform Ouija or seances or blessings of any kind without the owner's permission. They also do not go in assuming the place is haunted or taking the owner's reaction as a sign of the legitimacy of the claims. They debunk, look for incidents and situations in which things can be misinterpreted. It takes a good deal to impress a great team. Real hauntings are so very rare and giving that label to a homeowner just because of superficial evidence or "feelings" is dangerous.

A great team has disagreements, but they voice those in private and they go by consensus when making decisions. If a leader is too controlling and has a personal agenda, such as wanting a TV show or having people buy equipment for him, or only bringing in new members who are buddies or love interests, then the team is not a great team. It's likely a failing one.

It goes without saying, a great team does not charge for services.

Lastly, a great team allows for growth, introduction of new techniques, concepts, ways of doing things. They occasionally do studies in sites that are not client-based, like public sites where they can try some new methods rather than experimenting in a client's home.

I hope this has helped to clarify what makes a group great, but also for the client to know what to expect from a team when calling on them.

Origin: master-of-tarot.blogspot.com

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Into The Glory A Lectionary Meditation

ACTS 1:6-141 PETER 4:12-15, 5:6-11JOHN 17:1-11

The season of Easter is coming to an end and so it's time to say farewell. The time of Jesus' post-resurrection conversations with his followers must come to an end so that the work of God might progress. The Master must let the students go so they can become what they'd been trained to be. Are they fully prepared? Have they learned every lesson that they must learn? Not likely. But some of the learning will come on the fly. We who have heard the call to pastoral ministry know this is true - at least if we're self-aware enough to realize that seminary didn't teach us everything we'd ever need to know. So, as we come to Ascension Sunday the time to say good bye has come upon us. Jesus must leave if the promised Spirit can come upon us, empowering us to fulfill the work of God set before us. One needn't take the ascension imagery literally to find meaning in this day.

Although this final Sunday in Eastertide offers the preacher the choice of two sets of texts, one for Ascension Sunday and the other for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, this meditation will focus on the Easter texts (since I'm preaching on the gospel reading for the 7th Sunday of Easter), but you can still get to Ascension through these texts (especially Acts 1). Each of these texts also set us up for Pentecost (though we must always recognize that John's idea of the bestowal of the Spirit differs from that of Luke).

I've chosen the title for this meditation because it carries the sense of eternal life and finding one's self in the presence of God, a message that is present in these texts. Of course, the question that we must always ask concerns what we mean by eternal life (but I don't want to get ahead of myself).

Again the lectionary keeps us in Acts rather than taking us into the Hebrew Bible. The words glory or glorify don't appear in Acts 1, but the word power does and it carries similar freight. This is an ascension text, for in it Jesus will take his leave from the disciples after commissioning them for service. I've always believed that the key to the meaning of Acts comes in verse 8 of this first chapter. Be my witnesses, beginning in Jerusalem and extending out to the ends of the earth. Everything that happens in Acts is a working out of this commission.

Following this commission, Jesus is taken up into a cloud (into the glory), while angels of God interpret this event for the stunned disciples. They're not ready for this day. I understand. I've wrestled this past week with the loss of one of our most beloved members and a strong leader in the church. But the angels don't let the gawking disciples just sit there (I imagine there is a degree of grieving going on at just that moment). No, the premise is pretty clear - get going - or at least as soon as the Holy Spirit comes upon you.

In 1 Peter 4-5, the theme of suffering returns. By now, if you've been reading through 1 Peter during this Easter season, it should be clear that Peter's community is experiencing suffering. Some are slaves and can't get free. Some are suffering because of their faith. But, they continue to receive the promise that in doing so they are sharing in Christ's sufferings and as a result they will be glad and they will shout for joy "when his "glory" is revealed." Now I know that promises that suffering will be overcome in eternity has led to charges that religion is an opiate, and it's true, it can be an opiate. It can numb us not only to our own pain, but the pain of others. It can also feed our desire for vengeance, if not in this life, at least in the next. You know, let him suffer for eternity for his wickedness, while I bask in glory. While that surely can be a concern, I find something else here. It's not only that we endure suffering, but receive the Spirit of God, that is the Spirit of Glory. Therefore, having the Spirit of Glory come down upon us, the author of this letter encourages us to take a humble perspective of ourselves and our place in the world: "Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you." With this understanding, we can be steadfast in our faith and continually strengthened by that faith. Of course, all of this great, except that we must also ask the question - why is there suffering. We may understand the situation that "Peter" finds himself in, along with his audience, but what about us? What if we're in a position to relieve suffering - what should we hear in this text?

I'm going to leave that last question unanswered, inviting you to consider how 1 Peter might speak to us in our time.

Finally we come to the gospel - the text I'll be preaching Sunday. John 17 brings to a close Jesus' farewell discourse. If I were a literalist here I'd want to know why Jesus left so much important material for the last hours of his life. But that's a question for a different time. Instead, I'd like for us to wrestle with the question of eternity that stands out in this passage. This is, scholars would say, Jesus' "Last Will and Testament." It's also a prayer, though it's one of those prayers that's addressed more to the audience than to God - I'm not sure God needs to be reminded of the unity that exists between Jesus and the Father. The last part of the prayer is a favorite of my tradition, because it speaks so clearly of Jesus' desire that his followers experience unity. As Disciples we find the key to our passion for unity - it's Jesus' passion!

But what about eternal life? What is it? What does it involve? I must say that many of the traditional portrayals of eternity aren't that enticing. Maybe that's why we need hell - I mean if heaven is little more than sitting around playing harps, if everything is static and there are no challenges, nothing more to learn. If eternal suffering is the alternative, I guess I'll take this option, but I'd really like another.

According to John's Jesus, eternal life is this: "to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent." Eternal life is first and foremost a relationship, a connection with God and the one God sent into the world to glorify God on the earth. This definition raises interesting questions. If eternity is to know God, then can we not say that eternity begins now? Eternity then isn't something that stands out there on the horizon, the proverbial greener grass on the other side of the mountain. No it's instead that calling to fulfill that calling which God has given us, even as Jesus fulfilled the calling given to him. Now this text has interesting theological implications, including the possibility that it speaks of preexistence (vs. 5). If eternity is to know God and Jesus whom God sent into the world to make manifest the purposes and glory of God, then how should we experience this eternity.

It's probably wise to note that while God loves the world (John 3:16), at this moment in time, Jesus is most concerned about the remnant, the ones God has chosen to be Jesus' people, the ones in whom Jesus is being glorified - extending eternal life to them. Jesus prays for them, that they might know the unity that he experiences with the Father. Watch over them, Jesus says so that they may be one even as we are one. Isn't that God's final purpose for all of us, that we might all be one? I'm not sure what that will look like, but it seems like something to work toward. Indeed, it seems like a goal to take up on Pentecost! But first we must watch as Jesus is taken up in glory so that we too might share in that glory, and that means knowing God, which is to follow the way of God.

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Pov Prayers Of Thanks

On this Thanksgiving you may want to pause to utter a word of thanks. You may be asked or assigned the job, as your family gathers. What will you say? In case you are looking for such a prayer, here a couple of my favorites. They are broadly universal in spirit and tone. They are seasonal and personal. One comes from an old friend of mine, the late Unitarian Universalist minister and author Max Coots. The other is that of Howard Thurman, who as Marsh Chapel dean (1953-1965) was the first black dean of chapel at a mostly white American university. They may come in handy for you, come Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving!

MAX COOTS' THANKSGIVING PRAYER

"Let us give thanks for a bounty of people:"

"For children who are our second planting, and though they grow like weeds and the wind too soon blows them away, may they forgive us our cultivation and fondly remember where their roots are."

"For generous friends with hearts and smiles as bright as their blossoms;"

"For feisty friends as tart as apples;"

"For continuous friends, who, like scallions and cucumbers, keep reminding us that we've had them;"

"For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible;"

"For handsome friends, who are as gorgeous as eggplants and as elegant as a row of corn, and the others, plain as potatoes and as good for you;"

"For funny friends, who are as silly as Brussels sprouts and as amusing as Jerusalem artichokes, and serious friends, as complex as cauliflowers and as intricate as onions;"

"For friends as unpretentious as cabbages, as subtle as summer squash, as persistent as parsley, as delightful as dill, as endless as zucchini, and who, like parsnips, can be counted on to see you through the winter;"

"For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time, and young friends coming on as fast as radishes;"

"For loving friends, who wind around us like tendrils and hold us, despite our blights, wilts and witherings;"

"And finally, for those friends now gone, like gardens past that have been harvested, and who fed us in their times that we might have life thereafter;"

"For all these we give thanks."

HOWARD THURMAN'S THANKSGIVING PRAYER

"Today, I make my Sacrament of Thanksgiving."

"I begin with the simple things of my days:"

"Fresh air to breathe,"

"Cool water to drink,"

"The taste of food,"

"The protection of houses and clothes,"

"The comforts of home."

"For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day!"

"I bring to mind all the warmth of humankind that I have known:"

"My mother's arms,"

"The strength of my father"

"The playmates of my childhood,"

"The wonderful stories brought to me from the lives"

"Of many who talked of days gone by when fairies"

"And giants and all kinds of magic held sway;"

"The tears I have shed, the tears I have seen;"

"The excitement of laughter and the twinkle in the"

"Eye with its reminder that life is good."

"For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day"

"I finger one by one the messages of hope that awaited me at the crossroads:"

"The smile of approval from those who held in their hands the reins of my security;"

"The tightening of the grip in a simple handshake when I"

"Feared the step before me in darkness;"

"The whisper in my heart when the temptation was fiercest"

"And the claims"

"of appetite were not to be denied;"

"The crucial word said, the simple sentence from an open"

"Page when my decision hung in the balance."

"For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day."

"I pass before me the main springs of my heritage:"

"The fruits of labors of countless generations who lived before me,"

"Without whom my own life would have no meaning;"

"The seers who saw visions and dreamed dreams;"

"The prophets who sensed a truth greater than the mind could grasp"

"And whose words would only find fulfillment"

"In the years which they would never see;"

"The workers whose sweat has watered the trees,"

"The leaves of which are for the healing of the nations;"

"The pilgrims who set their sails for lands beyond all horizons,"

"Whose courage made paths into new worlds and far off places;"

"The saviors whose blood was shed with a recklessness that only a dream"

"Could inspire and God could command."

"For all this I make an act of Thanksgiving this day."

"I linger over the meaning of my own life and the commitment"

"To which I give the loyalty of my heart and mind:"

"The little purposes in which I have shared my loves,"

"My desires, my gifts;"

"The restlessness which bottoms all I do with its stark insistence"

"That I have never done my best, I have never dared"

"To reach for the highest;"

"The big hope that never quite deserts me, that I and my kind"

"Will study war no more, that love and tenderness and all the"

"inner graces of Almighty affection will cover the life of the"

"children of God as the waters cover the sea."

"All these and more than mind can think and heart can feel,"

"I make as my sacrament of Thanksgiving to Thee,"

"Our Father, in humbleness of mind and simplicity of heart."

"Robert Allan Hill is dean of Marsh Chapel, a School of Theology professor of New Testament and pastoral theology, and the author of "The Courageous Gospel "(WIPF & Stock, 2013). He can be reached at "rahill@bu.edu"."

"POV" is an opinion page that provides timely commentaries from students, faculty, and staff on a variety of issues: on-campus, local, state, national, or international. Anyone interested in submitting a piece, which should be about 700 words long, should contact Rich Barlow at "barlowr@bu.edu"."

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Parapsychology And Life After Death

The topic I chose for this post is parapsychology. It's something that I've always found interesting, and I even did my senior research paper for high school on the topic. I personally believe in life after death and things of that sort, because of my religion but there are times when I am definitely a skeptic about certain things.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS POST IS TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THESE TYPES OF PHENOMENA CAN BE PROVEN OR IF THEY ARE JUST STRICTLY PEOPLES RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. On the website I found, it states that parapsychology is the phenomena and experiences that suggest personal survival of man after death. While the academic community, as well as scientists don't want to believe it, there are many people who swear that it is true and gave their examples. I FOUND A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC FROM THE WEBSITE I CHOSE. The first point made was that human consciousness can exist independant of brain activity. This is called Reductionism or Epiphenomenalism. Another point made was about people who claim to have psychic powers. These include such things, like telekenisis, precognition, psychokinesis, psychic healing, bi-location and psychometry. Another point made was about people who claim to have out of body experiences. In class, we learned about the Heaven's Gate cult who firmly believed that by committing suicide together, they would be serving their beliefs in the only way they knew how. Also, people who are sickly or are in hospitals for a period of time, have said that they can see apparitions or they have ghosts visit them when they are near death or so it seems. People also have been known to say that when they have a near death experience, their life flashes before their eyes. Lastly, very religious people tend to believe in life after death, being visited by loved ones who have passed on and reincarnation. This is something that I like to believe, and hope that is true. Although it hasn't been proven, I have had experiences that I believe are ghosts of loved ones visiting. When I was younger, my mom says that I was sitting in my room talking to what looked like "no one" but at the end of my conversation, I explained to my mother exactly what my great grandmother had looked like. I had never met her, and at that time I hadn't seen any pictures of her, but I described what she was wearing and it ended up being what she was buried in. I believe that a lot of times you dream about loved ones who you have lost, and you like to believe that they are "coming to visit you" in your dreams. That hasn't been proven either, and probably never will be, but I have another kind of creepy story about that as well. 7 years ago, we had a family friend who unfortunately was dying of lung cancer. We knew that it was almost his time to go, but it could've happened at anytime at that point. I remember sleeping one night and having the most vivid dream about him. We were in my house and he looked at me and said, "I just wanted to tell you I'm leaving but don't be sad because I'm ok now. Goodbye." He walked out of my house and I woke up at that moment. The next morning, my mom got the phone call that he had died over night. I know it's probably coincidence but I will never forget that. So as the article states, THE INTERPRETATION AND INFERENCE OF THE MATTER IS THAT none of the above arguments are sufficient proof for personal survival after death. Yet, taken together, the above phenomena constitute a solid body of testimony in favor of the belief. EVEN AFTER READING THIS, MY POINT OF VIEW REMAINS THE SAME AND I STILL HAVE BELIEFS IN PARAPSYCHOLOGY.

Source: http://wichm.home.xs4all.nl/paraps.html

Date updated: January 3rd, 2011

By: Amanda Wood

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The Gist Of Buddhas Teaching 9

The import of Buddha's teaching
9Bhikkhu DhammavaroBuddharatana Monastery of Australia4. The three characteristicsImpermanence of all phenomenaAll phenomena regardless whether they are physical or mental are passing, publish to aim by the unlike get through, they are insecure, and they are very narrow indubitable. Zip not good enough healthy class on the Dhamma, do not know about this fact, or do not know how to imitate their print, and so, they are diligently fooled by farther than appearances, may possibly not let go of the add-on to persons unlike forms influence them.Departure is influence us, it happens to our relatives, friends, relations whom we don't know, it tendency distress a person who is vivacious and well, yet the uninformed takes no find of it. Zip are sinking all influence us, and yet we never storage one day we tendency to boot die! The Blessed One assumed in Pabbatopama Sutta illustrated this with a simile of the mound, he declared loudly: "I inform you, spot on king (King Pasenadi), I fjord to you, spot on king: aging and death are swelling in on you. In the past aging and death are swelling in on you, spot on king, what obligation be done? (King Pasenadi:) As aging and death are swelling in on me, Lord! what else obligation be done but Dhamma seize, energy seize, intellectual deeds, meritorious deeds." The Blessed One reiterated that by saying in stanzas : "So a shrewd consider,seeing his own good,well-made, secures believein the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. One who practices the Dhammain performance, word, and claim,receives cheering popular on earthand in arrears death rejoices in illusion." It is indubitable that we store been roaming in samsara for such a desire time, and we store unwrap a lot cry adequate to overload the four spot on lot to the perfectly, that it's time to burial up to this fact. The Blessed One assumed in Assu Sutta : 'From an beyond belief ahead of comes transmigration, a beginning directly is not palpable, even though beings blinded by slowness and fettered by covet are roaming on. It is far too desire that you store hardened agonized, be wrong with (whenever you like assemble the not boding well get through), loss (of the esteemed one), uninteresting the cemeteries. It is adequate to be upset with all difficult personal effects (the five aggregates), adequate to be cold, adequate to be unbound.'In order to pure realized and awakened to this truth, one wishes to practice frequently so as to submerge the fire of the three poisons. The Blessed One said: 'The perceiving of impermanence, bhikkhus, manufacturing and frequently dexterous, removes all sensual make, removes make for cloth heart(in a form realm), removes all make for becoming, removes all slowness, removes and abolishes all conceit of 'I'am. Fair-minded as in the autumn a farmer, ploughing with a respected plough cuts knock down all the dissemination rootlets as he ploughs; in the self-same way, bhikkhus, the perceiving of impermanence, bhikkhus, manufacturing and frequently dexterous, removes all sensual make, removes make for cloth heart, removes all make for becoming, removes all slowness, removes and abolishes all conceit of 'I'am.' (SN XXII 102)

Origin: way-of-witch.blogspot.com

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