Recent Books, Movies, and Powerful Poem

 how refreshing!!

Before Inauguration, and then that, too, was fabulously hopeful!

Cord of three strands in not quickly broken : Ecclesiastes 4:12

Day 204  of BibleProject's reading of Bible from the beginning straight through. Day 205

Ecclesiastes is so much more than 3:1 "time for every purpose unto heaven"

Friendship, Family, good meal, sunny day, gifts from God. Fear God, keep His commandments." Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Great Equalizer: Death

Hevel. Hevel no guarantees Enigma acceptance. Honesty and

Integrity before God

Jan 24 2021 : Interesting overlap of church messages. Summit. Grace. and GraceSummit: "John 4 - Nicodemus Contrasted with the Woman at the Well - Jesus Elevates"

"Keep Your Confidence" January 30 "GOD, your God, is above all a compassionate God. In the end he will not abandon you." Deuteronomy 4:31 Restoration Year: 365-Day Devotional by John Eldredge

Listening to the entire Bible, passage by passage, Psalm by Psalm, Proverb by Proverb...

Mr. Church YouTube movie staring Eddie Murphy - so good!

"Need to put our whole self into being [with Jesus] and pray back to God what we find there." p. 171 Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice and practice loving our Neighbors no matter what...

"Our job, then, is to pay attention to this constant companion of our lives. This

Practice of the Presence of God is not a chore but the best way to live. We can turn our thoughts to Jesus throughout the day, using small reminders at first but always living out of a foundation of regular moments of being with Jesus through the written Word." p. 171 Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice

 "Quantum entanglement" suggests that our perceived material reality is actually a simulation, projected and controlled from another dimension. This phenomenon also suggests that, through a concept known as...

 "Retrocausality time loops," our inevitable future currently co-creates our present dimensional experience as we simultaneously co-create that same inevitable future—in endless feedback cycles to the end and beginning of time. And as I 

Stand in the shadow of such immense possibility and implication, I realize more profoundly that all I really want to remember, feel and give from this moment forward and for as long as I'm able to...is 

love and compassion."

The Shack I watched this movie somewhat reluctantly. I finally read the book last May, having out it off for over a decade after Misty literally devoured our first copy. Not really sure what to say about it though... interesting way to depict God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but more importantly, a clear message of LOVE and forgiveness over the pain of anger and judgement. 

"Understanding and doing the things Jesus gave us specific commandments and teachings about... Consider how Jesus would lead your life if he were you—working at your job, living in your family and neighborhood, going to your church." p. 172 Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice

Vexation of Spirit : Ecclesiastes 1:14-2:26

Without Brushing My Hair

The

Closer

I get to you, Beloved,

The more I can see

It is just You and I all alone

In this 

World.

I hear

A knock at my door,

Who else could it be,

So I rush without brushing

My hair.

For too

Many nights

I have begged for Your 

Return

And what

Is the use of vanity

At this late hour, at this divine season,

That has now come to my folded

Knees?

If your love letters are true dear God

I will surrender myself to

Who You keep saying

I

Am.

Hafiz Translation:  Daniel Ladinsky

Peace - the week in review

A human being is part of something so much greater. We tend to experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion has become a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. ~ Albert Einstein

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone's soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd ... ~ Rumi ~

 listen on Scribd

"Entrust our souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right" 1 Peter 4:19

"Faith is not a Feeling" YouTube video shared by Jess, check it out here

God, show me how to rest in your life as you give it to me. Show me how to be at peace, Amen 🙏 

Help someone's soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd ... ~ Rumi

Inauguration Day  at my work space

"If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world." C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity 

Journals of old have treasures like this one

Kate's 41st birthday...Loyal Love video by The Bible Project

"Learning how to use His strength and ours together to bear our load and His. We will find His yoke an easy one and His burden a light one because, in learning from him, we have found rest for our soul..." p. 143 Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice: Experiments in Spiritual Transformation

 PLNL Children's section 1.19.21

"One of the most common descriptions of God in the Hebrew Bible, and it’s almost impossible to translate into any other language! "Khesed" This word is rich with meaning, combining the ideas of love, loyalty, and generosity. Join us as we explore this fascinating Hebrew word and how it shapes our understanding of God’s character." Bible Project Podcast

"Quiet isn't always peace" ~ Amanda Gorman

Rest for our soul is Rest in God. Our soul is at peace only when it is with God, as a child with its mother." p.148 Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson

“Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.” – Ansel Adams

 thank you Priscilla

"The Thunder, Perfect Mind : This mysterious poem, discovered among the gnostic manuscripts at Nag Hammadi, is narrated by a female divine revealer. 'Thunder Perfect Mind' is a marvelous, strange poem. It speaks in the voice of a feminine divine power, but one that unites all opposites...It's a poem which sees the radiance of the divine in all aspects of human life, from the sordidness of the slums of Cairo or Alexandria, as they would have been, to the people of great wealth, from men to women to slaves. In that poem, the divine appears in every, and the most unexpected, forms.... source

   PLNL Children's section 1.19.21

"What if " Works both ways" qtd from "Faith" video shared in "F" above... What if ...

"X" never happens? p. 146 Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson

 sent to Jess before finally getting a chance to chat this week.

Zoom meetings Bunnies style :)

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us." p. 45

"By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.” p. 185

“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the 

Door at which a man must knock..." p. 45

“Earthly goods are given to be used, not to be collected. In the wilderness God gave Israel the manna every day, and they had no need to worry about food and drink. Indeed, if they kept any of the manna over until the next day, it went bad. In the same way, the disciple must receive his portion from God every day. If he stores it up as a permanent possession, he spoils not only the gift, but himself as well, for he sets his heart on accumulated wealth, and makes it a barrier between himself and God.” p. 175

"For God will give us all we need  / To cover our necessity." qtd. Tersteegen p. 175

Grace has proved a fount of mercy...go with Jesus... gift of Christ " p. 61-63

 “Hear the Word, receive the Sacrament; in it hear him himself, and you will hear His call.” p. 228

“It is only because he became like us that we can become like him.” p. 304

“Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are. But in the love of Christ we know all about every conceivable sin and guilt; for we know how Jesus suffered, and how all men have been forgiven at the foot of the cross.  ” p. 185

Knock and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 p. 182

"Love is illuminating" click here for article

"Messengers of Jesus will be hated to the end of time. 

“Not hero worship, but intimacy with Christ.”

"Only he who believes is obedient ... Only he who is obedient believes." p. 63

Path of discipleship is narrow, and it is fatally easy to miss one’s way and stray from the path, even after years of discipleship."

"Question - where today do we hear the call of Jesus to discipleship, there is no other answer than this: Hear the Word...

Receive the Sacrament; in it hear him himself, and you will hear his call." p. 228

"Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only...

True life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner." p.45

"Unless he believes, a man cannot obey." p. 66

Visible Community - Chapter 30

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” p. 89

“How would you eXpect to find community while you intentionally withdraw from it at some point? The disobedient cannot believe; only the obedient believe.”

"Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth..." Exodus 34:6 Bible Project Podcast #216 listen here

Zeal which refuses to take note of resistance, springs from a confusion of the gospel with a victorious ideology. p. 186