For Christian Voters

"Far too often, the church has abandoned its first love for the siren song of political parties promising protection, prosperity and peace. Far too many times, the church has ceded the practice of its faith to the spiritual and the private while leaving others to address matters of justice. And far too frequently, the church has attempted to speak truth to power while seeking and relying on that same power for protection."

A powerful message for all US citizens who claim the name Christian.  Read the whole article.

My Take: On Election Day, proclaiming my loyalty to Jesus

Quote for the Day

A brother said to Abba Poemen, 'Give me a word,' and he said to him, 'As long as the pot is on the fire, no fly nor any other animal can get near it, but as soon as it is cold, these creatures get inside.  So it is for the monk; as long as he lives in spiritual activities, the enemy cannot find a means of overthrowing him.'

-- Sayings of the Desert Fathers

The Wealth of the Church

I'm reading Redeeming the Past My journey from Freedom Fighter to Healer by Anglican Priest Michael Lapsley.  Lapsley was an anti-apartheid activist who lived in Zimbabwe while we were there.  He lost both hands and an eye to a letter bomb sent to him by the South African Government.  I never met him but remember the news when this happened.

Speaking of the Suffering Servant passage in Isaiah, Lapsley observes:

As I reflected on these passages of scripture and allowed them to do their healing work, it began to dawn on me that disability is actually the norm of the human condition.  Imperfection, incompleteness, brokenness--these are universal human experiences, and those of us with dramatic physical disabilities are mirrors for what is true of the whole human family.

He then tells this story:

There is a Christian martyr from the second century, St. Lawrence, who was commanded by Roman persecutors to produce the wealth of the church as tribute.  Of course, they were expecting gold and silver.  Instead, St. Lawrence brought the very old, the sick, the blind, and those who couldn't walk, and said, 'Here, here is the treasure of the church.'

Let us count the wealth in our churches today.

Breton Sailor's Prayer

Had to update this picture. It just seems so fitting for the

Breton Sailor's Prayer.

I Miss the Ocean

Quote for the Day

Some old men came to see Abba Poemen and said to him, 'When we see brothers who are dozing at the synaxis, shall we rouse them so that they will be watchful?'  He said to them, 'For my part when I see a brother who is dozing, I put his head on my knees and let him rest.'

-- Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Illusion of Reality in Photoshop

A bit of fun with Photoshop. The frame was done completely in Filter Forge and Photoshop. No trees were cut. No metal was cut or nailed. Just a lot of 1's and 0's working together to create the illusion of reality.

Quote for the Day

A brother questioned Abba Poemen saying, 'If I see a brother whom I have heard is a sinner, I do not want to take him into my cell, but when I see a good brother I am happy to be with him.'  The old man said, 'If you do a little good to the good brother, do twice as much for the other.  For he is sick.  Now, there was an anchorite called Timothy in a coenobium.  The abbot, having heard of a brother who was being tempted, asked Timothy about him, and the anchorite advised him to drive the brother away.  Then when he had been driven away, the brother's temptation fell upon Timothy to the point where he was in danger.  Then Timothy stood up before God and said, "I have sinned.  Forgive me."  Then a voice came which said to him, "Timothy, the only reason I have done this to you is because you despised your brother in the time of his temptation."

-- Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Atlas Exploited

Atlas Exploited: The Clever Hoax of Ayn Rand

You can follow Jesus or you can follow Ayn Rand. Unfortunately, some people are trying to follow both. They'll wind up doing the splits. You can't walk in opposite directions at the same time.

Quote for the Day

Abba Poemen said, 'God has given this way of life to Israel:  to abstain from everything which is contrary to nature, that is to say, anger, fits of passion, jealousy, hatred and slandering the brethren; in short, everything that is characteristic of the old man.

-- Saying of the Desert Fathers

Quote for the Day

He [Abba Poemen] also said, 'Men speak to perfection but they do precious little about it.'

-- Sayings of the Desert Fathers

AAUW BOOK SALE

The annual American Association of University Women Book Sale is Friday and Saturday, 5 October 2012.  This is a big event in the year for me and I always take the day off from work.  I get cheap books.  Someone has a less cluttered house.  And some young lady will receive a scholarship to help her get a higher education.

Can't beat that!

Quote for the Day

A brother asked Abba Poemen, 'How should a man behave?'  The old man said to him, 'Look at Daniel:  no-one found anything in him to complain about except for his prayers to the Lord his God.'

-- Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Texas Police Kill Amputee in Wheelchair

Texas police kill amputee in wheelchair


It's time we remove the cowards from our police forces.  Too often we are reading or hearing on the news that someone has been killed by police.  Someone who is acting irrationally or in a threatening manner, but has not injured anyone.  Police open fire in anticipation of possibly being injured.  They call it self defense.

Until EVERY alternative means of resolution of a situation has been failed or actual injury has occurred, use of deadly violence is a cowardly act of murder.  It's that simple.  It does not matter who carried out the act.

The reason for most of the police violence we're seeing is fear.  We need to provide training in how to be less fearful in tense situations and how to patiently resolve them.  It is not enough to feel threatened.

In this case it is unimaginable that an able bodied policeman cannot out maneuver a double amputee in a wheelchair and must resort to killing him with a gun when the person only has a shiny object as a weapon.  He is known to behave irrationally and get over it.  He has not yet injured anyone.

It's time to get the cowards off of our police forces or to disarm them at the very least.  And that includes tasers!

Just for Fun - An Old Truck

Trying out some ways to display photos using Photoshop plug-ins.  Here's something using Topaz, AutoFX and OnOne Software plug-ins to perk up an old truck.

God Helps Whom?

They say "God helps those who help themselves."

That is wrong.  God helps those who cannot help themselves.  God helps those who help others.

Those who can help themselves have no need of God's help.  Too often they have no time to help others.

We need to attempt more than we can do so that we can experience God's help.  We need to be willing to try the wild and impossible that no one can achieve so that God may achieve it through us.

I can't help it, I need God's help most of the time.

How about you?

Quote for the Day

He [Abba Poemen] also said, 'If man remembered that it is written:  "By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned," (Matt. 12.37) he would choose to remain silent.'

-- Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Quote for the Day

He [Abba Poemen] also said, 'The victory over all the afflictions that befall you, is, to keep silence.'

-- Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Not 2 Bee

Shakespearean allusion for those with apiarian inclinations.

[If you can stand the PUNishment.]

Quote for the Day

A brother asked Abba Poemen, 'An inheritance has been left to me, what ought I to do?' The old man said to him, 'Go, come back in three days and I will tell you.'  So he returned as it had been decided.  Then the old man said, 'What shall I say to you, brother?  If I tell you to give it to the church, they will make banquets with it; if I tell you to give it to your relations, you will not receive any profit from it; if I tell you to give it to the poor, you will not do it.  Do as you like, it is none of my business.'

-- Sayings of the Desert Fathers