God and Science
Sufficient to the moment are the troubles thereof
A Zen story: A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together. One day, they came to a deep river. At the edge of the river, a young woman sat weeping, because she was afraid to cross the river without help. She begged the two monks to help her. The younger monk turned his…
Read MoreWhy—and how–do I react to people? Am I kind and loving, patient and tolerant? Or something else?
If I get upset, is my reaction because someone attacked me physically or degraded one of my core values? Or is it because of pride or a need to be right? Do I respond with little thought, without being peacefully centered? Or do I pause, pray and try to respond with maturity and love? People…
Read MoreCharacter growth or character building? One follows the natural path; the other is doing it my way.
Building indicates that I have the blueprint, that I am the planner and the “doer”; growth infers that I am willing to plant the seed, nurture and water it with the right thoughts and actions, and let God and nature decide the direction and timing of my natural growth. We’ve reached that point where we…
Read MoreLife isn’t always fair; so what do we do about it? We can become mired in self-pity and resentment—or we can move forward.
A number of different things affect our idea of fairness: what we think ‘should’ happen or what we believe is ‘right’; our current reaction to misery symptoms (anger, guilt and so on); and the immediate influence of our self-driven will (selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-righteousness.) In any situation, we may not have a fair idea of…
Read MoreActions—not intentions or promises—produce results
Three frogs are sitting on a log and one decides to jump in the water. How many frogs are left on the log? Of course, three frogs are still on the log. Making a decision to jump in the water is not the same as jumping in the water. Action—the actual ‘doing’, the implementation of…
Read MoreCarrying rocks in your pocket adds burden to your journey
It’s just common sense: if you keep adding rocks in your pocket, the extra weight makes walking difficult and sooner or later, something has to give. You don’t see adults with a pocket full of rocks but yet, quite a few carry the weight of resentments, guilt, remorse or shame as a daily burden. Everyone…
Read MoreBuild a memory of love today; use these to rise out of future darkness
I have experienced the great advantage of almost dying, of being pretty certain that I would not live to see another day. Near death, I had no thoughts of my work, of my money or the possessions I was leaving behind. My reflections centered on the relationships and experiences in my life. I have loved…
Read MoreI will live every day until I die; will I settle for mediocrity or reach for happiness and joy?
Some will Say “Duh–that’s dumb. Of course I’m going to live every day until I die. “But what about today, this little 24 hour time period right now? Am I really going to live it or just slide through it? Will I gain a single thing from this day that makes it worth the time…
Read MoreA loving God does not cause pain, but alleviates our misery;
Does not test his children, but provides solutions when we are tested by life. Does not make us wander in the wilderness of confusion, but offers clear purpose and direction. Does not willingly afflict his children, but soothes and strengthens us when we are afflicted. Does not take people, he receives them. Perceptions and expectations…
Read MoreTomorrow’s dread is not real today
Worry and anxiety about tomorrow devastate today’s serenity. We start focusing on the future, thinking something “might” happen and it will have the worst possible outcome. Our fear-driven thoughts develop into an obsession that makes it impossible to feel peace in this moment. When this happens, we can stay unsettled or we can change. We…
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