Jesus, Not Jesús: Finding The Divine In The Space Between Us.
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An unknown devotional source

2/17/2014

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This came in my email today. For some reason I feel compelled to share it. Or at least store it on this blog:

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:35 NIV)


Forgiveness: The Path to Real Peace and Joy 

A few years ago someone told me about a person who was doing business with our ministry and making a good deal of money because of their relationship with us. My friend happened to be at the same restaurant, seated in the next booth, and overheard their conversation, which just happened to be about me - and they weren't saying good things either. 

At first I got mad and just wanted to tell him that he was never getting our business again. But in bed that night, the Holy Spirit said to me, "You're not going to do any of those things." He said, "No, you're going to do what you teach. You're going to go buy him a present, and you're going to tell him how much you appreciate the services that he's given you all these years." 

Needless to say, I resisted at first. But eventually, I relented and bought him a gift. 

What I remember most about the situation is that as soon as I started taking action to do something good for them, it just got so funny to me. I was laughing out loud in my house, all by myself. 

When we can look at people who've hurt us with compassion, there's a party that goes on inside of us. 

So who can you forgive and do something nice for today? Practice forgiveness and follow the path it leads to real peace and joy! 

Prayer Starter: God, I want to obey Your word, which tells me to be compassionate and good to those who have hurt me. I know that when I do, I will experience peace and joy on the inside.

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The Goodness Around Us

2/14/2014

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Seeing the Beauty and Goodness in Front of Us

Henri Nouwen writes, "We don't have to go far to find the treasure we are seeking. There is beauty and goodness right where we are. And only when we can see the beauty and goodness that are close by can we recognize beauty and goodness on our travels far and wide. There are trees and flowers to enjoy, paintings and sculptures to admire; most of all there are people who smile, play, and show kindness and gentleness. They are all around us, to be recognized as free gifts to receive in gratitude."

How many times have we simply walked passed a rose bush and never stopped to smell the blooms on the branches? Are they invisible? Do we fear getting stuck by the thorns? How is this reflective in our society and how we see other people? Perhaps too often we succumb to the grim news that always seems to grab our attention. Perhaps it has made us blind to the true beauty that surrounds us everyday. In people, places and things. But Jesus healed the blind, yes?

Nouwen concludes, "Our temptation is to collect all the beauty and goodness surrounding us as helpful information we can use for our projects. But then we cannot enjoy it, and we soon find that we need a vacation to restore ourselves. Let's try to see the beauty and goodness in front of us before we go elsewhere to look for it."

If we simply open our eyes, to allow ourselves to be healed from our blindness, we will begin to see God in a new light. An active God participating in all that we do. An ever present God who is inscribed on the hearts of every one we meet. A blessed God who created all the beautiful flowers and who put us in charge to cultivate all the goodness around us.

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With the best intension at heart

2/14/2014

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Thank you Pat Carroll for this reminder that love is all around us.

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Don't Give Up Doing Good

2/13/2014

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Galatians 6:9-10 ESV

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/59/gal.6.9.esv

Many times I am guilty of this. That is, growing weary of being kind. I sometimes wonder if I don't let out a little bit the old ass of a self then I fear I might implode completely. But then after a little steam is released (and perhaps a little guilt too) I begin to look at what doing good things does for making my day a little better. And I am reminded by what Ben Franklin said in that you do well by doing good. And so I push myself to embrace the steam building up in me and used the energy to do something good. And do it well.

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The capabilities of the Spirit are endless

2/8/2014

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"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems."
-Mahatma Gandhi


We all have the power to transform our individual selves into adopting the qualities we wish to see in the world. For me that is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the world and in ourself. It is an active energy, fully participating in our lives. We've been giving power to welcome it or not. But in having the strength of God's Spirit within us, we are able to transform from the inside out. Will it change the world? Or is it simply life changing?

In the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi, "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world -- that is the myth of the atomic age -- as in being able to remake ourselves."

In this article, the Positivity Blog's, Henrik Edberg, addresses Gandhi's top ten fundamentals for changing the world.

http://www.dailygood.org/story/466/gandhi-s-10-rules-for-changing-the-world-henrik-edberg/

Dr. Martin Luther King wrote a beautiful sermon on Paul's letter to the Romans regarding their spiritual transformation. For all you brainiacs whose minds need a little push in the right direction:

http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/primarydocuments/Vol6/July1962-March1963DraftofChapterII,TransformedNonconformist.pdf

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Three ways to challenge your kindness

2/7/2014

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Thank you Thao Phi for her enlighting observations and wonderful post:

http://www.dailygood.org/story/642/three-lessons-from-my-kindness-challenge-thao-phi/

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What does kindness create?

2/7/2014

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"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love." Lao Tzu

While these are great words to live by, I would also add the kindness we receive and the way we receive it creates a bond of I breakable kindness.

As we give kindness to strangers, let us not forget to receive kindness in return. It might be their kindness that triggers yours. Such willingness allows for growing our confidence, profoundness, and love.

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    Ian Macdonald

    An ex-copywriter turned punk rock pastor and peacemaker who dedicates his life to making the world a better place for all humanity. 

    "that they all might be one"  ~John 17:21


    “Prius vita quam doctrina.”
    ​~ S
    t. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)​
    * “Life is more important than doctrine.”


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