Random Thoughts

My Dear Spiritual Companions,

We live in an age when there is unlimited information available about everything imaginable and unimaginable, but there is a shortage of wisdom that sorts the information and distills the essential.

Also our culture is in a remarkable period of decadence, which means cultural death and the evaporation of values---or should I say loss of soul?

Like you and many others, my desire is to see the church and our nation operate according to Biblical principles and be of full expression of God's grace and truth. True Biblical wisdom is difficult to come by in these times and seems to receive very little respect in our present culture.

I believe our meeting together for Scripture study, prayer and reflection is more important now than ever before. Remember, God was willing to spare Sodom if there were found to be ten righteous. Often I wonder how many there are at present responsible for holding back the wrath of God.

As I have said many times, we are on a journey. We need companions for the journey.

Let us give each other comfort, compassion, and encouragement, on our travel to that sacred destination

I don’t remember where I found this but it somewhat fits this discussion: “A pessimist, they say, sees a glass of water as being half-empty; an optimist sees the same glass as half-full. But a giving person sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who might be thirsty.”

Motivation is very important, and thus my simple religion is love, respect for others, honesty: teachings that cover not only religion but also the fields of politics, economics, business, science, law, medicine-everywhere. With proper motivation these can help humanity… The Dalai Lama

First a person should put his house together, then his town, then the world. Rabbi Israel Salanter

We can never be the better for our religion if our neighbor is the worse for it. Anonymous

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Dr. Seuss

Error moves with quick feet…and truth must never be lagging behind.

Alexander Crummell (1819-1898) Cleric and scholar

Kindly words, sympathizing attentions, watchfulness against wounding men's sensitiveness--these cost very little, but they are priceless in their value. -F. W. Robertson

He who can work in the realm of the real and live in that of the ideal, has attained the highest.

Ludwig Boerne, German-Jewish political writer and satirist

Lose with truth and right rather than gain with falsehood and wrong. Maimonides,

Shalom

P.S. Here’s a spiritual exercise. Look again at your Christmas cards and say a short prayer for each person that sent you a card.