Dare to be different, not for the sake of being different, for what would be the joy in that? There is comfort in sameness. There is strength. And humility. It takes courage to be different.
Beyond sameness is transformation, growth and glory. Can a person be humble enough to celebrate similarities while being brave enough to be different, that is, not stuck, not the same, not stagnant? Absolutely. Give your mind new breeze.
DISCOVER LEARN DISCERN DISTINGUISH What is good, pleasing and pefect for you.
ATTENTION PASSENGERS: When oxygen masks are deployed, put yours on first. If you can't breathe or are off balance at the wrong altitude, help yourself first, you're no good to anyone else no matter how willing you are; the brain is impaired.
Being distracted by turbulence is never helpful unless one has the powerto still its waves. If you're not a surgeon, drop the knife; don't touch that heart."We've become a bundle of conditioned reflexes that is constantly being triggered."
"Indeed. It's painful to watch. So conditioned - waves of tragedy easily triggered. It's sad to watch," MC remarked in flight. Meanwhile, the lad had crossed the first bridge en route to Eagle and was entering the garden, coming upon the designed bridge.
We're all members of some team. Many decidedly so. The finest traits of an ideal team member, amateur or professional, are: participation, encouragement, affection, comfort and a deep love for the cause or the game.
It requires subordinating one’s will to the necessitates of the game, surrendering one’s individuality to the cause. A soldier. An acolyte. A servant. Personal joy springs from the pleasure of the owner, the master. It requires commitment, which can be bought, induced or coerced. It requires devotion, which is never for sale. However, dedication is purchasable - always at bargain prices. Difference is a liability.
We're all members of some team. Some decidely so. Some conscripted. The lad had learned these things. And now he was on the other side of the garden bridge.
His awareness was heightened. He was familiar with lessons on and the dangers of surrendering individuality, of relinquishing identity, of being a pawn in the game, a stepping stone on the path, fuel in the fire. A clone. All too familiar. He arrived. He knocked. .... He knew why he was here ....
He was born with potential. He was born with trust. He was born with greatness. He was not created to abandonment nor to abandon his call - the dream. He is necessary in this season. He believed.
His heart raced faster as the door opened. Dove welcomed him and escorted him to Eagle's private theater. "Eagle will be with you shortly," Dove told him. "Here is your update." It was a video overview of The Human Brain Project (UCLA).
Awesome!
The most mysterious phenomenon of the universe
THE HUMAN BRAIN
Daring to be different: not settling - not becoming a recyclable clone - making use of the awesome capacity of the human mind and will - stretching ever deeper into this glorious mystery. Transcending.
Eagle arrived. The lad's heart raced. "Your next assignment is in Teaho." The lad's heart all but stopped at the seeming impracticallity if not impossibility of the task. OMG! Then his heart began racing again. "Will you accept this assignment?"
OUR DEEPEST FEAR
Is Not That We Are Inadequate It is that we are powerful beyond measure It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. Jesus accepted his assignment and embarked upon The Great Adventure along with The Twelve Gathered restoring confidence amongst the masses in the Great Creator and establishing the nature of the new relationship between God and the people.
Thousands followed Jesus, astonished at his mighty works, but many of the religious leaders were confounded by his habits and teachings, so they sought to destroy him. John The Baptist was beheaded and The Rest continued with Jesus doing the work they were called to do.
Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of the mountain, where they witnessed the transfiguration, where they saw Moses and Elias appearing beside Jesus and heard the Voice Of God saying, "This is my son. He pleases me well."
Jesus told Peter, James and John not to reveal their witness of the transfiguration until after his resurrection and they asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elias must come first?”
"For sure, Elias will come first and get things ready," Jesus told them, "But I am telling you Elias has already come and they did not know him. They did to him whatever they wanted to do. In the same way the Son of Man will suffer from them also."
In that moment, Peter, James and John began to understand that Jesus was talking about John the Baptist, who was beheaded. John was Elias whom the teachers of the Law were eagerly anticipating but did not recognize and Herod had him killed.
The wonder of it all! Astonishing. Elias, also known as Elijah the prophet, died. His return was foretold. Elias returned and was amongst the experts who were waiting for him, but they couldn't see him - were they looking for an old man with a long beard or were they blind - they saw John The Baptist and killed him, because they did not like what he was saying. They had his head. And there he was again, Elias, on the mountain top. Beside Jesus. Alive. Now that is DIFFERENT! That is amazing.
Don't be constrained. Reorganize your mind. Redemption clears the slate. It cleans the cloth. This is the miracle: the cloth is not merely washed, it is rendered totally new. It is a new fabric. You are free to create a new garment - unconstrained. The mind is absolved.
Here too is the miracle: not only the old account is cleared, you are not presented with a new account, a new line of credit, you are counted as heirs to the kingdom - the kingdom is yours. That's the miracle. All yours!
Permit yourself fresh thoughts, fresh ideas; allow your imagination to flourish. Renewing your mind is not about preparing for a test to pass through the gate; you have the key. It is the freedom to create anew.
Renewal of the mind is an action YOU have to take. It's yours. Take it. Discover. Learn. Discern. Distinguish. Re-experience the wonder of God. Behold how wonderfully you are made! You are AWESOME.
CLEAR THE CLUTTER
Free Your Mind
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, it is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us." ~ Mirriame Williamson
"You are a person not a tabloid." This is your life; only YOU can live it.
GUIDE US WITH
YOUR GRACE
It is wise to know the whole story. Even so, fragments can inspire.
But I say to you:
Love your enemies.
Bless those who curse you.
Do good to those who hate you.
Pray for those who use you,
and persecute you ....
For if you
Love those who love you,
where is the reward?
Evil doers do that too.
If you welcome members only,
what difference is that?
Evil doers do the same ....
Hmm? Jesus said those. Amazingly, Jesus preached very little. He lived a large and beautiful life. But the little he preached - Wow! Amazing. Yet it is hard to discern this from amongst the loud and warring noises, unless we search out and discover with our own eyes and ears and heart and mind what Jesus said when to whom and why then dare ourselves to pose intriguing questions . . . and thinkon these things, lest in our lack our mind goes limp and the brain atrophies whilst we needlessly wait.
We strive continually to uplift, encourage, inspire and challenge each other to achieve our best in mind, body and spirit. We live, laugh, love, look, listen & learn.
For as long as you allow your God to be God only of that which you do not understand, you'll be fearful of exploring, you'll be frightened of learning and evolving, you'll be terrified of demystifying life's mysteries, for then you will be forcing your God into a smaller and smaller box. You'll keep raising hell on earth.
Seeds In My Hand
The weather is quite peculiar of late. So am I, come to think of it; I have a peculiar relationship with time. We're exploring each other. Nevertheless, a lovely day sprang through the wintry winds and I took advantage of it.
I went for a walk
around our lake
for a good think.
Ours is a lovely lake. Visitors enjoy it. They come a-plenty, camera-ready, in Spring and Summer and Fall. Models too, for their seasonal shots. And athletes.
It's a private lake, actually, but why hog a good thing? It's a well-designed lake with a winding athletic path - a mile or so. Lots of trees. Several springs shoot water upward capturing rainbows.
Fishes. Turtles. Ducks of many kinds. Seasonal birds. Squirrels a-plenty. A friendly lot.
Not always so with people though.
You know?
A question of trust.
Perhaps.
Let's just say that.
I was wearing one of my hoodies and I was careful to put both hands in my pockets. I was probably smiling. No mirror to tell, but folks say I am always smiling. Sometimes I know I am, because a few folks would smile back. I like that. And, occasionally, for fun, when I come upon a frowner I'd make a point to frown right back. I know, I shouldn't do that, but I like to have a little fun every now and then. Why not? My frown could frighten a mischievous cat.
There was a reason I had my hands in my pockets. You see, I walk a lot. A lot. A lot! You should try it. Often. And whenever I take my daily walk around the lake young ducks would come flying out of the lake to my feet, old drakes would come waddling out of the bushes, doves and pigeons would swoop down around me, and skittish squirrels would forgo their skittishness for a while. Oh, they so love me, I used to think. I was amazed. So, I'd feed them lots of little goodies. Guess you can say I was looking for love in all the wrong places. And the kiddy-cats started peeking.
I couldn't help my amazement. And I didn't leave it at that. Oh,no! I had to ask myself why they found me so attractive, so handsome, so have-to-be-with-him, that they'd come flying in from a distance. Did they have a sentry on guard looking out for me - you know - whistle when you see lover-boy coming.
Darn it! I should've left well alone. It wasn't my drop-dead gorgeous features and my catwalk strut that were bringing in the posse, it was the bag of goodies in my hand. Darn it!
So I started leaving the bag behind. I noticed that the young whipper-snappers and flapper-flippers didn't give me but a glance, but the old drakes would still come waddling towards me - if they weren't too tired - and a few feisty squirrels would crane their necks from a tree. And I would feel bad that I didn't walk with goodies for these ones that loved me regardless. But darn it, even these had in mind that I might have a little something in my hands. Nevertheless, because I didn't want to disappoint them - such a softie that I am - I'd tuck away my empty hands.
Then this gorgeous spring day sprang through the wintry winds so I took to walking around the lake for a good think, hands in my hoodies.
Now there is an old man that comes by daily at a certain hour with bags and bags of goodies and the zoo would gather around him for a feast. This was not that hour.
A year or so ago I was so fascinated by the dedication of this man - pigeons on his head, squirrels in his pockets, ducks on his lap - I approached him to say hi. Let's just say he looked at me with fear and trembling, so I never bothered him again, but I'd still wave or bow respectfully whenever I see him. Poor man, I used to think; is he OK?
Now on this peculiar day, hands in my pocket, I passed a mommy with her little girl who was stooped on the grass attempting to attract a duck that didn't give a damn. I crossed our fancy bridge to the other side of the lake. There, a drake came waddling hurriedly toward me, but I had nothing to give, so I took my hands out of my hoodies and like a crazy proceeded with signs and sounds to apologize to the old duck for having to come so hurriedly to me for nothing. Just then I felt a shadow beside me. I turned and it was that very old man. Without saying anything to me the old man took my hand and he poured seeds into it. I smiled and the duck ate from my hand. A few seeds fell to the ground. The little girl came running over. She picked up the seeds and we both fed the duck, while her mother stood by with a frown.
So, you might ask: why am I telling you this story?
I have no earthly idea.
LOVED NO QUESTIONS ASKED
I cherish the moments
Every Moment Is Precious
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