~Today's Inspiration~

There is a difference between a vocation and an avocation. If a person has a vocation they are a professional in that field and only do it for money. A person with an avocation would do it for free, it's a calling. Few people feel psychology is and avocation and are willing to take the time and money to attend college and fell subjects like counseling are worthy of their time and money to give away for free.

I haven't met very many lay ministers that had the time, money and inclination to peruse certification in that field, however I have met a few. On the flip side I have known professional pastors who ignorantly think that mental/emotional problems are all a spiritual distress. Most in the mental health field have a head full of biological science with no education in spiritual matters. Many, perhaps the majority are agnostics or worse. Even Psychiatrists I've known of Jewish descent are atheist's, with no belief in spiritual matters. How many seminaries teach psychology or how many medical schools teach theology? How many people care enough to learn both and have the time plus the money? My guess is not many.

I've gone to school and have spent plenty of time on both sides of the lectern (podium). It's a calling of mine. I have known a few others but I mean very few. The ones I known are survivors more than preachers or academics.

Money, power, and prestige gum up everything. Let's strive to took beyond those temporary things.

"My Creator, grant me the wisdom to live in harmony with all things."
'Praise God'

Thank you for sharing. BTW I'm up and running now and everything seems a-ok.

"I pray God's 'presence' is close by to comfort and allow strength and understanding, life
is a challenge...God's 'presence' helps us to bear our burdens. Let us be thankful for the
time that was, and the time that is at hand. God's love has no end, would it not be a
miracle if God and love were more prominent in everyday news and social media...but is it
not true...society has lost it's spiritual equilibrium...'growing pains' has a chilling reality
that is being witnessed. 'God's love...let us pray to know it well...many know not"
'Amen'
'Praise God'

~~~Let go of your burdens each night Stress Management~~~
'A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water in her hand while leading and
explaining stress management to an audience. Everyone knew
she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'... She fooled them all .... "How heavy is
this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz.
She replied , "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute,
that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'llhave an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold
it, the heavier it becomes."She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the
time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're
refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as
early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the
night... Pick them up tomorrow.'
'Praise God'

"Prayer is spiritual communication between man and God, Prayer is the practice of the presence of God. In this age, prayer has become a mockery...
materialistic selfishness at the highest level. Prayers are not in the way the human mind perceives them to be answered...void of spiritual understanding leaves an emptiness of the soul. God wants us to use our mind, driven by Scripture illuminated by the indwelling Holy Spirit, to live a godly and fruitful life for His glory. A major problem arises when UNWILLING to accept this TRUTH.
The profound and disturbing deception falls on those perpetrating heresies, born out of man's imagination.
Has this too, not been told of...many false heresies would come 'to be'. God's 'inspiration of words' has been so twisted and polluted, so as to suit the selfishness of man's traditions. Why are not the profound WARNINGS, and the many difficulties and suffering explained and brought to remembrance to instill in the world that these things can and will take place in our life.
Life is not meant to be easy, but abiding in God's 'principles' of life
will surely assist in dealing with life in this age. Surrender unto God...in spirit and truth...behold and rejoice in praising the glory of God's Divine Spirit."
'Praise God'

"SPIRITUALITY is for those folks who have been to hell and back, who are willing to SURRENDER their ego, their will and their lives to the WILL of THEIR CREATOR, and pick up their own responsibilities to their CREATOR, to themselves and to all of humanity, because they know they will not survive if they don't face REALITY and SURRENDER to the WILL of The CREATOR!
I have absolutely no intent to tell you how or what you must or must not believe, because I don't know how the Creator will reveal himself to you! I just know that he will if you seek him in all honesty and true openmindedness, and in that is your salvation and your survival."
( from a friend to a friend...R.I.P. ) ®
'Praise God'

<<<Message from Hopi Elders>>>
~~To my fellow swimmers:~~

"There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift, that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.

"At this time in history, we are to take nothing personal. Least of all, ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

"The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!

"Banish the word "struggle" from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

"WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR."

Oraibi, Arizona
Hopi Nation

Received from the campfire spirit one night in the Mojave desert, November, 1999 . . .

From Earth we are created,
From imagination we are uplifted,
From history we are transcended,
We are the Past, Present and Future,
We are Now.

The fruit of the Spirit is
Gentleness, Patience, Kindness
Self-Control, Love, Faithfulness
Joy, Peace, Goodness.
( from a friend to a friend...R.I.P. )®

+++Political Wisdom+++
~~If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed. --
~~Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress .... But then I repeat myself. ~~I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. ---
~~A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. --
~~A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.---
~~Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. --
~Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. -
~~Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. --
~Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.
~~Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. --
~~I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. --~~If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free! --~~In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. --
~~Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! --
~~No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. --
~~Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it. --
~~The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. --
~~The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. --
~~The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. --
~~The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. --
~~There is no distinctly Native American criminal class...save Congress. --
~~What this country needs are more unemployed politicians. --
~~A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. --

~~Where is God?~~

'Where there is Joy springing from the Good there is Love,
But it is only where that Love is, that this Joy comes from the Good.
Where there is Joy in the Good, there is Giving and Sharing,
And where there is Giving and Sharing with Joy there is
That LOVE, which is GOD.'

'His gift to us, His Beloved Children, is the Gift of Life,
Sharing with us His Eternal Spirit that we might become MAN,
The Being which seeks GOD.
And if, in his seeking, MAN seeks with sincerity,
He has already found HIM.'

'Take comfort, You who would seek ME, for in your seeking
You have already found ME, and ----
YOU WILL KNOW and UNDERSTAND that

'I AM LOVE'

( anonymous )
'Praise God'

"A prayer for all that come by...it is with hope that each shall come to fully understand...
each shall be held responsible and accountable of ones own spiritual well being...in the now."
"Let us pray to fully understand and acknowledge a profound truth...
materialistic worldly attitudes and behavior are apart from a spiritual
attitude and behavior...two separate and independent mindsets'.
Pray to understand, utter confusion and imaginary fantasies will always
prevail until some amount of realistic harmony is acquired...believe it.
Not only does God's word make this explicit, it can be witnessed by the
untold imaginary fantasies of believing all that is needed is read the word,
pray and ask and you will receive...a great folly with grave consequences.
Pray to understand, it requires the willingness of each individual to apply
God's 'principles' in ones own life, it is not meant to be any other way...
except those in contempt of this truth...shall want in vain. When something
seems not to be working, but continuing to do the same thing over and over
expecting different of better results..is not something terribly wrong.'
Mirror Mirror on the wall...what is it that YOU see. Pray to know that each
is responsible and accountable for their own inventory of ones own self."
'Amen'
'Praise God'

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7:15 NIV

24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

"God gave us the Ten Commandments to lead all mankind in the quest for Understanding, Hope, Love, and Peace, to walk Free of all bondage with a righteous loving God. They embody the heart of all good law. Each commandment has its own reason and rationale, and is designed to protect rights -- The right of God to be reverenced for what He is, The Creator; The right of Him to be mentioned only in a holy way; The right of parents to be respected; The right to life; The right to property; and The right to the truth."
'Praise God'
_______________________________________________________________________
~Ten Principles for Daily Living~
_________________________________
1. Show proper respect for authority.
2. Have a singleness of purpose.
3. Use effective communication.
4. Provide work, rest and reflection.
5. Show respect for elders.
6. Show respect for human life and dignity.
7. Maintain stability of the sexes.
8. Demonstrate the proper allocation of resources.
9. Demonstrate honesty and integrity.
10. Maintain the right of ownership of property.

'Praise God'........

I put a just for today quote on CRA just now. Thanks for sharing Bingo.