Need or Want

 

I think it’s our lower self, our ego that tells us we must have “the best” and the latest everything.  The professional public relations people and the Devil ply on that part of us until we “know” the most expensive everything is better than the less costly version and we “need” it. Our needs and our wants are two different things yet we convince ourselves and find excuses to lie to ourselves, and anyone who dares to question our logic, that we really need whatever we want. It’s no wonder so many people are in debt.

It’s time we used our brains and changed our patterns.  It would help if there were classes to teach us how to recognize our lower self, but I doubt that will become mainstream.  Thankfully there are some spiritual, religious and self-help groups that point us in that direction. Take a chance; look into some teaching that includes Knowledge of your lower soul.

 

One Day’s Fever

One day’s fever erases a year’s sins, so I’m happily reporting yesterday I had a fever. Physically I feel weak, spiritually I’m Blessed. God is Great. Without His messengers telling us the reality of things, I doubt anyone could figure them out.  Who would know pain erases sin – or poverty is a Blessing?  Things are not as they appear and all things have hidden meanings. Best just be thankful for all and be patient and in difficult times, take solace knowing nothing lasts forever.

 

Practise What You Preach

 

I’m happy to report it’is my turn to “practice what I preach”. I woke this morning with a deep persistent cough, which I recognized as a Gift from Him and was thankful.  A little later my back began to ache – next my neck and then my head. A tooth and an ear joined in the pains and, so far, thank God, I’m still grateful for the purifying, which I’m certain I need.

As much as this is, it doesn’t come near the trials and pain His servant Job went through. So many of us want to be near to Him but when we realize the trials we must go through to attain that nearness, balk.

All praise is due to God; so far I’m still hanging in there and know I’m not going to get more than I can bear.

Attention, Please

For days I’ve been listening to young people complaining they want newer, bigger and better things than they already have, and believe me,  all of them have more than most people. Something I quoted here last winter has returned to the front of my mind and God Willing, I’ll write it again.  Hopefully it will be read, believed and acted upon.

If people knew how many secrets and benefits are to be found

in need, they would have no other need than to be in need.

 Amen.

 

Point of Consummation

Sometimes when I think of the attributes of God I’m attracted to, what appear to be, His Opposites; like The Manifest and The Hidden or The Expander and the Constrictor.

The consummation of times, like day changing into night, winter ending and turning into spring remind me of Him. When the ocean swells, then recedes, it also reminds me of Him.  Today I was thinking about events in our daily lives – they too are reflections of Him.

 I’ve noticed in myself and others that our times of receiving, giving, struggling and trials come in waves, and they all have a point of consummation, as do our lives. The trick is to remember that, and when life is tough know the trial will not last forever. And when things are going well, be grateful before those times change into trials again. I’m certain, and Thankful, His Wisdom is behind it all.

No Expectations Please

Only God is Perfect. I’m so absolutely certain of this fact that instinctively I sense imperfections and as I know expectations come from the Devil I won’t say or think “I expect” imperfections, they just stand out. A few examples of imperfections have already surfaced in my home, which, by the way I moved into yesterday following more than a month of qualified workers doing renovations. Day 1: the new air pump which should automatically provide heat or cold air has stopped working. Day 2: the tub stopped draining in the middle of my shower and shampoo.

An extremely useful Gift I’ve received from The Almighty and Glorious God, is the ability to immediately smile and say, “Only God is Perfect” when these, sometimes inconvenient, imperfections appear.  I guess we can call that Gift, “Faith”.  Faith carries us through the most difficult of times.  So often we’re faced with trials we cry over, complain about, fret and stew over and think we can’t handle and then the relief comes and an understanding of the good that trial actually brought to us.  We should then realize what foolish behavior we exhibited and be embarrassed at our lack of faith.  It’s so much easier to surrender – surrender to The One Who brings these calamities to us, for our own good and just say, “Thank You”.  

 

 

The Best

The best of people is the best to people.

Playing Telephone

 

When we were young a popular game was “Telephone”. We’d sit in a circle and one person would whisper a word or phrase into the ear of the person to his right.  That person whispered into the ear of the next person and on and on until the last person in the circle heard the secret. They would then, out loud, say what they heard.  Sound familiar? The announced word or phrase was always so far from what the first person said we’d all be uproarious with laughter. Silly, yes, but also a handy lesson to be used throughout life.

Last week a group of women decided to give food to a charity that feeds the needy.  One woman in the group, who missed that meeting, heard the plan and volunteered to do the shopping.  She can get food at a wholesale price, which would allow us to provide more food for the same amount of money, so we were delighted. She got the list from a woman who got the list from another woman and then she told her husband, who was to actually do the shopping. However, as in the game of “telephone” – nothing was the size or amount or even the items we ordered. At first we were stunned – then grateful – everything was edible, and then we laughed like children who had just heard the “secret word” butchered through repetitious whispering from ear to ear.

Next time, God Willing, we’ll know better.

 

Good Job

Just received the long awaited good news – the renovations on my home are complete and God Willing, I’m to be moved in on Wednesday.  Not too bad, just one week longer than originally projected.  In this age of procrastination, of “fashionably late” being fashionable and just plain “no-show” being oft repeated, I’d give the contractors working on my home an A, good job for getting it done!  Of course, the “proof will be in the pudding”.  In this case that means when I move in and live with the changes.

 vvv

Michael Jackson Muslim

We’re not surprised the media is hiding the fact that Michael Jackson became a Muslim before he passed on. It would cause such a large ripple throughout the entire world and “the powers that be” who think they’re ruling the world can’t have that. Of course, they’re not really ruling the world; it is, without a doubt, God Who is The Ruler of all the worlds. He’s just allowing “them” enough rope to hang themselves – but not forever.

If you doubt what I’m telling you, it’s easy to check for yourself, and I’m sure you know how.

Avoid Rulers

My friend just returned from Turkey where he visited the Holy Shrine of Jalal Al-Din Rumi. We had a small gathering to welcome him home and hear his stories of his journey. The Holy Shrine has been turned into a museum, much to my dismay – well, not really.  Why shouldn’t we expect governments to turn Holy Shrines into modern day attractions? The great Saint, lover of God, Guide to millions, warned us not to visit kings. The modernization of this Holy Shrine explains his warning.