I believe that Bible reading can be as enjoyable as anything we do under the sun. It should anyway because after all, it is the Bread of Life for our soul. But it takes a little extra effort, and perhaps investments, to grab the attention of say, the children, and make them see the importance of the Bible.
The Bible of course is not just any ordinary book. It is a rich resource of spiritual insights and wisdom that can only be understood with the help of th Holy Spirit. Paul argued this effectively when he said:
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2.11)
Even then, the Bible should not be misunderstood as a puzzling book that only smart men can decipher. Indeed, God has revealed His plans, not to the wise, but to babes in heart. (Matthew 11.25) The Bible is simple enough for even the least educated to understand.
Here are my simple ideas that can help anyone get back their passion for Bible reading.
Decide to read the Bible for your own spiritual benefits. What do eating, working, playing, and watching TV have in common? They are actions that we decide to do every day. Why not reading the Bible? Why not read the Bible when you can learn so many things from God from its very ages? I’m convinced that unless we make a decision to step into a spiritual journey with the Book. (If you want to know what the Bible means to you and your faith, read this article.)
Set a time and a place for you to read your Bible. There is a saying that goes, “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” In a world that’s getting more crowded and noisy, God’s Word requires that we set aside a place and time if we want to gain the wisdom It offers freely. Find your self a corner where you can focus on your reading. It can be any place in your house, in a park, or a coffee shop. In my younger days I used to bring my reading materials outdoors, usually under the shade of a tree, where I read for hours with nothing to disturb me (except the chicken in our back yard). When I moved to the city, my favorite reading hangout was any coffee shop that is cozy and quiet. (Starbucks!)
Now, one reason we cannot stand reading the Bible is because we usually reserve the time when we are most tired, stressed and totally spent. Why not give the most active time of your day to Bible reading? The early morning is also a good time to spend with your Bible.
Bring your tools with you. Consider Bible reading as a task as well as an adventure. Why? Because when you go on an adventure trip, you will want to bring tools with you to help you along the way. That’s why. Read your Bible with a pen and a notebook and probably a dictionary and other reference materials that can help you discover and understand the meaning of words and things. You will also want to write down your questions, the ideas you discovered, the wisdom you learned, and things to do later. Now that’s an adventure!
Decide which way to take the trip. There are a number of ways you can begin your Bible journey. Basically, the Bible as a book consists of biographies, historical accounts of places and records of ideas and cultures of the ancient days. The Bible is also a book of wise sayings, love stories, doctrinal expositions and prophetic utterances. Whichever way you start the path will surely lead you great adventures with God and His people, and will unravel spiritual riches that are definitely out of this world.
Write as you read. As I’ve mentioned earlier, write all your discoveries because it is one of the surest way of not losing them. Don’t trust your mind.
Don’t end your reading session without giving yourself an assignment. Having an assignment that you will work on helps you look forward to your next Bible reading session. You can take not of things that you might do to supplement your Bible reading. Is there anything you will need to ask to your Pastor or parents? You can use your friends, the library or the Internet to supplement and expand your learning.
Treat yourself afterwards. Better yet, bring your things to your favorite coffee shop so you can read and enjoy your favorite blend.
Also, you can try reading with a group of friends. This is very interesting when you have friends who want to read and share at the same time. This is exciting, I tell you.
Jonathan Togonon
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/can-you-read-the-bible-and-enjoy-it-729079.html
December 31, 2008
To my Beloved Friends and Family,
Oh what a year it has been! I find myself ending 2008 exactly where I started it here in India. As I ride my bike around smelling the burning of trash and open sewers, swerving to miss cows in the road and beggars as well I often ask myself, “What am I doing here?” I am sure many of you also ask that same question, “What is he doing there?” I am not really sure if there is a logical answer to that question. One theory I have on the reason I choose to be here instead of Maui is that Maui represents outer external beauty, while India for me at least represents internal beauty. We can be in a place surrounded by all the beauty in the world, but if internally we aren’t feeling good then we will hardly even notice the beauty that surrounds us.
However, if our internal world, meaning our mental state and our dominant feelings and emotions are in a clear peaceful space then we can be riding down the streets of dirty, smelly, crowded place such as India and perceive it all as beautiful and feel wonderful. That has been the biggest lesson that this country has taught me.
When I first arrived in India in 2006 I could never understand how these people could possibly have smiles on their faces or how they could always be so loving and polite. They live in what most of us would consider squalor, there are WAY too many people here and compared to the West, they live pretty rough lives! However, after spending about 6 months total here, it all makes sense. They have inner peace and when you have inner peace, you can hold that smile and offer that kindness no matter what your outside world and surroundings seem to be. So what is the difference between them and us?
There are many for sure, but what I have found is their absolute belief and devotion to a higher source. Here they literally have hundreds of different deities that they offer devotion, praise and pure heart felt love for. Their lives are centered on this higher power that most of us would call God. Their God or Gods may look completely different from what we perceive God to be, but it doesn’t matter. I firmly have come to believe that there is such thing as God, but that God can look and act and be whoever or whatever you want it to be. I have also come to know through direct experience that this Divine source lives outside of us, but even more importantly this Divine Source is our purest essence and is deep inside our very being.
When I first came to India in 2006 to a place called Oneness University I was given my first or at least my most powerful direct experience with this Divine Source. It is hard to describe what that felt like other than I could physically feel the Divine source inside my chest. Imagine that feeling when you fall in love with somebody. We have all had this feeling; it’s a light joyous feeling and it feels like we have butterflies in our chest. It is so beautiful. When I had this direct experience with the Divine a huge shift occurred in my being. I felt full, like I needed nothing outside of myself to be happy. Until then I had always been looking for that special someone to love me, to make me happy and to complete me. While I found this many times, it was only temporary and then ended in despairing agony and heartbreak. For many of us we think we will be happy when this happens or that happens…but when it finally happens are we really happy? Maybe for a short time, but then it’s on to the next thing that will make us happy again. I have been there, you have been there, we have ALL been there!
All of a sudden, I no longer felt the need to look for anything to make me happy; I realized that longing feeling for happiness was completely gone. I was happy! I knew this Divine Source had always been there, I was just not aware of it before. It was like this source was enclosed in a glass box inside my heart and the glass was so dirty that the Divine Source was hidden from my awareness. What I experienced here in 2006 was a glass cleaning, now I was able to see and feel this profoundly loving aspect of myself. What a gift this was! I want to share this gift with everyone, because it greatly altered the course of my life in such an immense and tangible way. Since that day, I have felt completely and totally guided as if someone very wise, loving and intelligent was guiding my every step and every move.
In 2008 that loving guidance was more evident than ever and I am so grateful! So it doesn’t matter what your religion is or what you call your God or your Higher Self or Divine Source, just please be aware that it is there inside you. Find your own way to have a glass cleaning and find your own glass cleaner ; ) When you experience your Divine Essence you will know and you will have no doubt that what I say is true. It is beyond any words that are written in any book or religious text. The Divine is trying SOOOO hard to reach out to us, to love us, to guide us, to nurture us and to support us in every move that we make. All we have to do is make ourselves available to let the Divine reach us. You can do this in so many different ways, through prayer, mediation, singing, dancing, surfing, being in nature, falling in love or a thousand other ways! You can simply sit and focus on your breath that is one of the easiest ways to come into contact with the present moment, which is the most important quality of Divine Source. All techniques are simply that, just techniques or tools to help you clean your glass and experience what is already there inside you!
The main tool or technique that I have been blessed with is Deeksha or the Oneness Blessing. If you want more info on this let me know, but I am not here to preach to you. Just because Deeksha works for me doesn’t mean that it will work for you as we all resonate with different things. The reason that I love it besides the fact that it has literally transformed my life in almost every area is that it is beyond any religion or belief system. It simply enhances whatever belief system you already have. The experience of the Oneness Blessing is just that an actual experience, meaning that it is beyond words. It is one thing to describe a first kiss and quite another to experience a first kiss! It is one thing to read about God and quite another to experience her.
I will leave you with the most important teaching I have ever come across that has translated into a freedom in my everyday life that is beyond belief. I was taught to me as the Art of Suffering. We all suffer! It could be physical suffering or emotional suffering and the reasons that we suffer are infinite. There is a multi million dollar industry that could be called suffering management, if you don’t believe me go to your local Bookstore and look at the Self Help section. There are a multitude of books that tell you how to handle your suffering and many 10 step processes to fix this or that about yourself. However, what if there was a way to really get rid of your suffering for good? It seems preposterous, but I have had personal experience that it is true. My teachers say, that ANYTHING FULLY EXPERIENCED TURNS TO JOY!!
What this means is that even the so called negative emotions that we don’t like to feel such as hate, anger, shame, jealousy, worry, anxiety etc…if fully experienced actually turn into a joyful or peaceful feeling! When I first heard this, I thought it was total BS for a lack of an appropriate spiritual term. How is that even remotely possible? I was thinking I HAVE fully felt all of those emotions and they certainly do not feel anything like joy….
Then my teachers explained the following: Every emotion that we feel whether positive or negative translates to a physical sensation in the body. Using the earlier example when you first fall in love you physically feel butterflies in your stomach and a feeling of euphoria like you are on top of the world. If you are scared or angry you feel a tightening in your chest or a lump in your gut. These are very real and physical sensations.
We have no problem fully experiencing the positive emotions such as love, happiness peace etc…We naturally fully experience these emotions all the time and it does feel very joyful. To my surprise, I found that it wasn’t the actually emotions that felt good, but it was the fact that I was completely allowing without resistance what was occurring in that moment. When we experience the moment with no resistance our natural source and state comes bubbling out of us, which is joy, bliss, peace and calmness. However, when we start to feel any negative emotions we do anything we can to escape feeling it because it is too painful and we are afraid to let ourselves go and feel it. On top of that we are always told to stay positive and there is a stigma against people expressing negativity. This means that at any hint of negativity, we use several methods to escape from feeling emotion and the pain:
1. We tell ourselves its OK, even when we know it’s not.
2. We use philosophical sayings like, it’s just the way it is, life isn’t easy, it was meant to be that way, it will go away, it’s my karma, no pain no gain etc….
3. We blame others or we blame ourselves and get caught up in the drama of the story.
4. Finally when none of those help us to feel better we go to McDonalds i.e. overeat, smoke, drink excessively, do drugs, etc…These are the ultimate escapes because they actually change the physiology of the body and make us feel better physically, at least temporarily.
We have all done these types of things so no one is alone. It is great to feel better, however if we never fully experience these painful emotions they get physically stored in our body. These emotions are stored as an actual electric charge in our cells. Eventually they can cause blockages that lead to sickness or dis-ease if they are not released. You have also heard of “The Secret” and the Law of Attraction I am sure. These stored negative emotions are actually much more powerful attractors than any thought you could ever produce consciously. Having these negative charges will actually attract people and situations into your life that will once again give you the opportunity to fully feel that particular emotion over and over again until it you fully experience it and release it. Each time you feel the emotion and fail to release it, the charge can get stronger and stronger and the events become even more difficult and even more painful!!! Have you ever experienced this in your life? Do you wonder why you always date the same kind of person or why the same basic patterns happen over and over in your life? This is one of the main reasons why!!! Knowing this information is vital and will be life transforming.
So how do you fully experience a negative emotion???
1. When you start to feel the negative emotion notice where in your body you feel the physical discomfort…. normally in the chest or stomach.
2. Focus your full attention on that area of your body.
3. Your mind will try to take your focus off of experiencing the pain, by all of the things I listed above and more. Here is the good news…You can’t stop the mind from doing that, so don’t waste energy trying. Just let it be!
4. What you can do is be aware that the mind is trying to help you escape from the feeling. Becoming aware of what is really going on will stop the mind in its tracks. So instead of going into drama or blame or self-pity you simply say internally, “my mind is trying to escape.” This in effect is like putting up a roadblock. Once you have this awareness you will want to bring your full focus back to the physical sensation in the body.
5. This is a process that you might have to repeat over and over until all escape routes the mind can take are blocked off by your awareness. You might have to say, “my mind is escaping” every 5 seconds if that’s what it takes. Any distraction either internally or externally the mind will grab on to and try to run away with your attention. Blame is the easiest distraction. “It’s his fault or her fault or the companies fault or the Government’s fault”…. Be keenly aware that this is a distraction and will keep you in suffering.
6. You will eventually get to a point in which you feel the physical discomfort in the body, but there is no mind activity or very little. At this point simply focus all of your attention on and fully experiencing the sensation. At this point you could simply ask whoever or whatever you consider the Higher Power to be for you whether it’s God, Light, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, The Universe, Your Higher Self, Void, Nothingness, Higher Intelligence etc….to help you release this emotional charge from your body.
7. Then just relax and fully experience the physical sensations that occur.
8. You might experience a range of things at this point and they are all perfect for you. You may experience a deep peace, laughter, joyful tears, if the emotions are really deep and painful, your body may shake and jolt around. This is just the charge being physically released and it is a huge blessing to have this happen. Depending on the severity of the emotion you could experience intense physical pain during this process as well. If you simply face it and experience it in this moment it will save countless days, weeks and months in the future of continued suffering.
I have used this process in my life and it gives you a freedom that is indescribable. You can then face any situation, any feeling, and any emotion in life knowing that it will turn into a feeling of joy or peace! When you experience it one time you will have the faith that it works and magic will start to unfold in your life!
Obviously there is a time a place to go through this process. You will want to be alone in a quiet place with as little distraction as possible. When you are in the heat of an argument, or at work for example you have to do what you have to do in the moment to get through it and then find some quiet time later to go through this process. If you have any questions at anytime you can always e-mail me at wiser1215@aol.com.
I cannot think of a more powerful gift in life that I could give you all than this. It has been given to me and I cherish more than life itself! I love you all and am so grateful that you are in my life! Thank you Thank You Thank YOU!!!!!!!!!! May 2009 be a year of joy and freedom like you have never experienced before!
Love and Many Blessings,
Patrick
Patrick Wise
http://www.articlesbase.com/spirituality-articles/a-letter-to-friends-and-family-sharing-what-i-have-learned-about-how-to-end-suffering-in-our-lives-717947.html
about life in general, but more specifically, love, relationships, and rejection. REJECTION is the one i need most advice on.
* life is simple, but we insist on making in complicated
* you miss 100% of the chances you don’t take
* everything happens for a reason … it all works out in the end
* he’s just not that into you …. and face it, you’re not that into him either
* no one can make you feel inferior without your consent
* it’s their loss, I’m fabulous dontchaknow!
* i’m good enough, smart enough and gosh darn it, people like me! (haha – Stuart Smalley, SNL)
* live the life you love
about life in general, but more specifically, love, relationships, and rejection. REJECTION is the one i need most advice on.
* life is simple, but we insist on making in complicated
* you miss 100% of the chances you don’t take
* everything happens for a reason … it all works out in the end
* he’s just not that into you …. and face it, you’re not that into him either
* no one can make you feel inferior without your consent
* it’s their loss, I’m fabulous dontchaknow!
* i’m good enough, smart enough and gosh darn it, people like me! (haha – Stuart Smalley, SNL)
* live the life you love
Learn Afrikaans Colors Free at http://www.byki.com with Byki. Byki is a free language learning program for Afrikaans. Soon you'll understand Afrikaans phrases and sayings without lessons!
Duration : 2 min 6 sec
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Learn Afrikaans Colors Free at http://www.byki.com with Byki. Byki is a free language learning program for Afrikaans. Soon you'll understand Afrikaans phrases and sayings without lessons!
Duration : 2 min 6 sec
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like does a polar bear sh*t in the woods??
There’s more than one way to skin a cat..
stuff like that
get it how you live
one birdie in hand is better then two in the bush
dont count your chickens before they hatch
some people dont believe fat meat is greasy
keep your friends close and your enemies closer
Potential home buyers who are on the fence may trying to time their purchase so they can buy at the bottom of the market. Krisstina Wise of the GoodLife Team talks about her method for measuring where the bottom is.
Duration : 10 min 11 sec
Read the rest of this entry »
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Potential home buyers who are on the fence may trying to time their purchase so they can buy at the bottom of the market. Krisstina Wise of the GoodLife Team talks about her method for measuring where the bottom is.
Duration : 10 min 11 sec
Read the rest of this entry »
Technorati Tags: goodlife
i love those. hahaha. pls. give me some like the one’s of dr.seuss. they’re really meaningful but in a funny way.
p.s. dont put dr.seuss quotes ‘coz i already know them.
All of these quotes are from Groucho Marx, perhaps one of the wittiest persons who ever lived………..just my opinion though.
A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five.
Alimony is like buying hay for a dead horse.
Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot.
Before I speak, I have something important to say.
Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.
Either he’s dead or my watch has stopped.
From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it.
I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
I have a mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it.
I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.
I intend to live forever, or die trying.
I must confess, I was born at a very early age.
I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll be glad to make an exception.
I read in the newspapers they are going to have 30 minutes of intellectual stuff on television every Monday from 7:30 to 8. to educate America. They couldn’t educate America if they started at 6:30.
I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.
I remember the first time I had sex – I kept the receipt.
I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
I worked my way up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty.
I’ve got the brain of a four year old. I’ll bet he was glad to be rid of it.
I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.
If I held you any closer I would be on the other side of you.
If you’ve heard this story before, don’t stop me, because I’d like to hear it again.
Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him.
Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?
Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.
My mother loved children – she would have given anything if I had been one.
Next time I see you, remind me not to talk to you.
No man goes before his time – unless the boss leaves early.
One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I’ll never know.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.
Politics doesn’t make strange bedfellows – marriage does.
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.
Practically everybody in New York has half a mind to write a book, and does.
Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted.
Room service? Send up a larger room.
She got her looks from her father. He’s a plastic surgeon.
The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.
There’s one way to find out if a man is honest – ask him. If he says, "Yes," you know he is a crook.
Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.
Well, Art is Art, isn’t it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.
Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?
Whoever named it necking was a poor judge of anatomy.
Why a four-year-old child could understand this report. Run out and find me a four-year-old child. I can’t make head nor tail out of it.
Why should I care about posterity? What’s posterity ever done for me?
Why, I’d horse-whip you if I had a horse.
Wives are people who feel they don’t dance enough.
A man’s only as old as the woman he feels.
A woman is an occasional pleasure but a cigar is always a smoke.
Women should be obscene and not heard.