Understanding salvation

There are all sorts of people that have a basic idea about salvation, mainly having to do with the salient fact, that salvation is a very good and a necessary attribute to achieve, but seemingly don’t know the process to achieve salvation, except to believe it comes from the outside, in which, because of our devotion or our catechism, we are thereby blessed by God, and thus achieve salvation.  Perhaps this is the way that salvation works, but if we examine such, more closely, and understand better the mission of Christ, as well as other insightful avatars we will recognize that the very point of Christ when he was amongst us here on earth, was not really for Him to bring salvation to the people, though He did, but rather to awaken people to the fact that the salvation that they so richly desired, was possessed within their being, to begin with, and therefore it was up to them, to actuate such, to bring thus the necessary enlightenment and lasting salvation to their soul.

That is to say, everything that we need to have in order to have a successful and fruitful life is contained within us, and it is our obligation to do our fair part to activate such, by the conscious recognition that the salvation that we so seek is ours for the taking, if only we would make the consistent and constant effort to obtain such.  After all, Christ was only here upon earth for a very limited time, of which His mission, wasn’t really to hold our respective hands until we crossed the finish line, but was instead to provide us with the necessary tools to find our way back to that sacred place to where we always have belonged.  It is, in our effort, that we earn our way to salvation, as opposed to it being something that is just granted to us, simply because of our devotion.  Indeed, it is vital to be devoted. Still, we also need to have the wherewithal to utilize that devotion to accomplish something of merit, or else, we haven’t truly done what we could have done, to make not only our life more meaningful and of purpose but to help make society better for our participation in it.

It is our duty to awaken our slumbering soul, to recognize that we are not just some sort of physical body, but are in actuality, a spiritual being, eternal in nature, of which, it is this soul, that has been created in the image of God. Therefore, it is through that eternal soul, that we must find our salvation, or else remain in ignorance and semi-darkness.  All of the drama of this world should be properly seen as the opportunity to live and to learn from all that happens and surrounds us so that ultimately we understand that the purpose of our mission is to help one another comprehend that the prime objective of our existence here is to obtain salvation not just for our self, but also to do our good part to help others become enlightened, as well, because until we do that, we are not free, but are instead in chains of our own egotistical making.

From the invisible comes the visible

The very first thing that humankind gets wrong is to somehow believe that the visible creates the visible when this could never conceivably be true, because as in anything, there has to be a first cause, of which, that first cause could not have ever been visible.  Rather, it is the invisible that is the master of the visible, and it is thus our solemn duty to understand that the actuator of our life in this world is not only invisible to us but also represents that which will help provide us with the insight to understand better what life on this planet is all about.

After all, most of the trouble that humankind gets into is believing that this world represents the be-all and end-all of our existence, and for those that have that type of wrong mindset, this lends itself to desiring all sorts of material things, or that which aggrandizes our personal position, at the expense thereof of other people and their personal desires, leading to all sorts of conflict, injustice, and war.  That is to say, far too many people and the societies that they are a part of are hellbent on getting as much as they can, of what they feel that they have to have, and care little or nothing about who and what they have to trample upon to get theirs.

Look, a far better way and also a more accurate way to look upon this world, is to see those that are the players within it, as having their role to play in this drama of life, of which, the upshot of that role is how well we do in consideration of what we have to work with.  Those then, that get so entwined within this material life so as to believe that nothing much matters other than what feeds their ego or improves their position vis-à-vis other people are the very same that seemingly don’t understand that nothing of this world, ever lasts, and the more that we try to hold onto that which cannot be eternally held onto, the more that we buy into the delusion that only this world matters, as opposed to seeing it, as a proving ground, to best develop our character so as to properly graduate from the visible back into the invisible.

Remember this well, our thoughts are not visible, but it is our thoughts and then our subsequent actions that define us, so that, we know intuitively that there is much more than the visible that is part of our being, and therefore it is our responsibility to prioritize what we should concentrate our efforts upon, and those that are unable to reason correctly to therefore do proper homage to their eternal essence, have made a very poor choice.  Our Creator is the master creator of it all, and those who best recognize this, understand well that we are meant to better ourselves by doing that which is consistent with God’s good attributes, proven by our thoughts and actions in this realm, above all.

Constant surveillance and the lack of privacy

There aren’t that many people who believe that it is Constitutional, let alone right, for the government to know everything about us, such as the places that we go to, where we congregate, as well as our social interactions with others, but this indeed is the state-of-the-art at the present day, because our cell phones, in conjunction with our social media posts pretty much gives up the ghost to the government, whenever that government chooses to access that data, which they are quite adept at accomplishing.  It has to be recognized that the average citizen, would not sign up for, nor agree to, to carry upon themselves an extremely accurate location device, such as an ankle monitoring bracelet that serves to keep track of their exact location, or would we allow ourselves to have a listening device that is subject to being constantly on within our house, but modern day smartphones, reliably track where we are, at all times, though its GPS functioning, and also because cell phones are voice-activated, they are quite capable then of being able to listen in on our conversations without us being able to wholly control or counteract that.  So then, we live in a day and age, in which, any of us, can be surveilled, essentially without our expressed permission or our knowledge, which is certainly a violation of our privacy and should be seen then as an infringement upon our Constitutional rights.

It would be one thing if our government behaved as a good parent, who was thereby concerned about our well-being and specifically desired to monitor us, as an extra protection device, meant to protect us from harm, or from those that would harbor ill intentions towards us.  Regrettably, this government is not a good parent, whatsoever, and further to the point, has zero of the qualities of what would be the attributes of a good parent, for this government doesn’t seem to really care about our welfare, or our sovereignty, or our dignity, or our freedom, but desires instead to monitor us for its own impenetrable purposes, which are often at cross-purposes to what it means for us to have life, liberty, and happiness.

This is indeed a dangerous surveillance age, because the more actionable information that the government has about us, the more that this can be utilized by that government as a cudgel to suppress those that are unorthodox or are considered to be outside the norm, or troublesome.  When it comes to many a government, what they so desire from the average citizen, besides productivity, is obedience to the state, and thereby they aren’t interested in hearing of or having to deal with dissent.  Those who know everything about us, are quite capable of using that as a pressure point to get us to acquiesce to whatever it is that the government wants, or those of private enterprise that work hand-in-glove with that government, desires from us, and the price of disobedience to that is at a minimum to possibly expose our private life in the worse way possible, in order then to embarrass us, or to humiliate us, as well as an object lesson for all others, to learn from.

A better idea for the EPL final matchday of the season

There is always room for improvement when it comes to any sport, in regards to its rules and also how fans of the sport engage with it.  In regards to the English Premier League (EPL), this is not only the most successful sport in all of Europe, but it also is the most watched, so therefore, whatever can be done that would be better for the fans as well as increasing the revenue from such a sport, should be seriously contemplated upon.  At present, the final weekend games of the season are played at the same time for all teams, under the impression that this is the fairest and therefore the right thing to do.  But is it?  After all, many of the fans of soccer (aka football) are the type of fans that have an interest in seeing not only their favorite team play but also want to watch the most meaningful games, and when these conflict, this poses a problem for them.  So too, the more eyeballs watching games, the better it is for those that broadcast these games.

A far better way to look at the last day of the season is to understand that all can still be fair, with a staggered playing time, when there is a set of priorities that are faithfully followed.  For instance, when it comes to the EPL, that priority should be prioritized first as to who will be the EPL champion, next would be the relegation battle, followed by those fighting for qualification to the Champions League, then for those playing for qualification for Europa League, and finally by those fighting for qualification to Europa  Conference League.  That is to say, the final game of the year should be prioritized in a way and manner that would be fair but also would allow fans to watch the most important games without necessarily having all of the games being played simultaneously. 

The following table below is from the 2022-23 EPL Season, with the standings as they were at the end of Match Week 37.  In regards to the EPL champion, that has already been determined, so the next priority is for the relegation struggle of which three teams are fighting not to be relegated, which are Leeds United, Leicester City, and Everton FC.  The next step is to look at the final day schedule for these three clubs, which would consist of Everton FC v. AFC Bournemouth, Leeds United v. Tottenham Hotspur, and Leicester City v. West Ham United.  This would indicate that the other seven games would take place earlier in the day, and these three games for the fight to not be regulated would be played after, subject to other priorities yet to be looked at.  So then, before we conclude that our business is done, we need to look at Champions League qualification to see if any of those games need also be scheduled at a different time, but the Champions League qualification has already been determined.  We then take a look at Europa League qualification, but this also has been settled.  Finally, we look at the Europa Conference League qualification and we see that three teams are in the running for that: Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Brentford FC.  This signifies then that Aston Villa v. Brighton & Hove Albion, as well as Brentford FC v. Manchester City, must also be played at the same time with the three relegation games because Tottenham Hotspur is scheduled to play Leeds United in a relegation game.

So, what has occurred is rather than having all ten games starting at the same time, we have instead, five games starting later for the relegation battle, as well as the Europa Conference League qualification, which provides those that are the biggest fans with earlier games to watch or attend, followed by picking which one of the other relevant games, most interests them.

4/7/24

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Team

M.

W

D

L

goals

Dif.

Pt.

1

Manchester City

37

28

5

4

94:32

62

89

2

Arsenal FC

37

25

6

6

83:43

40

81

3

Manchester United

37

22

6

9

56:42

14

72

4

Newcastle United

37

19

13

5

67:32

35

70

5

Liverpool FC

37

19

9

9

71:43

28

66

6

Brighton & Hove Albion

37

18

8

11

71:51

20

62

7

Aston Villa

37

17

7

13

49:45

4

58

8

Tottenham Hotspur

37

17

6

14

66:62

4

57

9

Brentford FC

37

14

14

9

57:46

11

56

10

Fulham FC

37

15

7

15

54:51

3

52

11

Crystal Palace

37

11

11

15

39:48

-9

44

12

Chelsea FC

37

11

10

16

37:46

-9

43

13

Wolverhampton Wanderers

37

11

8

18

31:53

-22

41

14

West Ham United

37

11

7

19

41:53

-12

40

15

AFC Bournemouth

37

11

6

20

37:70

-33

39

16

Nottingham Forest

37

9

10

18

37:67

-30

37

17

Everton FC

37

7

12

18

33:57

-24

33

18

Leicester City

37

8

7

22

49:67

-18

31

19

Leeds United

37

7

10

20

47:74

-27

31

20

Southampton FC

37

6

6

25

32:69

-37

24

Champions League

Europa League

Relegation

https://www.worldfootball.net/schedule/eng-premier-league-2022-2023-spieltag/37/

Deo vindice

One can learn a lot about what matters to an individual or to a nation by examining the motto that they believe best reflects what they are about or trying to achieve.  We find that the Confederacy had as their motto, Deo vindice, which translates to  “with God as our defender.”  Indeed, those who invoke God as their defender, best hope that what they claim God is defending is actually consistent with the attributes of that God, and to somehow sincerely believe that God accepts that mankind should enslave other mankind, or be authorized to do so as sanctioned by God, because of skin color, or because of religious affiliation, or because might is right, is to fundamentally miscast God, as unjust, prejudicial, and bigoted.

Those of the Confederacy met the only fate that they so deserved, for when they invoked God as their defender, what they really invoked was for God to defend what is wrong over what is right, and seeing that the Confederacy was wrong, they paid the justified price for their unjust war, so waged upon their fellow Americans.  Undeniably, those who dare to believe that what they are doing is so being done on behalf of God had better make sure that this is true, for the penalty for bringing God into the fold is always going to be much higher than those who do not, because God is a God that will not be mocked, and to use God to persuade others that they are on the right side of God when they are surely not, is a very bad place to be.

There are all sorts of people and nations that in order to emphasize their point, desire to bring God into the equation so that what they are proselyting to others, seems to come from the very authority of that God.  That may well be effective for many a person and perhaps should be, but when those words conflict with what God truly represents, then those who have spoken those words and claim to believe in those words, are going to have to pay a very heavy price for having stated as a truth, what is not true.

In this world, we do find, that many a person doesn’t feel that the words that they are speaking will carry enough authority to persuade others, so then some of those very same people find themselves inclined to utilize an authority figure, such as God, and of which, that God, is supposedly then on their side, to thereby make their point so as to thus have more impact and influence upon others.  The problem though with drawing upon God for those who are committing actions that are inconsistent with God is that the error being made is compounded, and therefore the subsequent price to be paid will be significantly higher.  All those who invoke God as their defender should best make sure that God will be their righteous defender, for if not, their calling upon God, will result in a serious consequence,  which will not be to their liking, though it will be just.

Towards a High School “Practical Living” class

There was a time when High Schools had a class known as “Home Economics.’  This class was primarily for females and was designed to teach women the basics about cooking, sewing, budgeting, and childcare, and pretty much the things that a wife ought to know to develop thus the necessary social skills to become a good housekeeper and parent.  Sure, the times have changed and the expectations for females are obviously quite broader than they were back in the day, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is that those who are soon to become young adults truly do need assistance in the navigation of the real world.  That is to say, all High School students should be mandated to take a course entitled, “Practical Living,” which would cover the whole gamut of bills, insurance, good nutrition, apartment rentals, scams, online social media dangers, student loans, credit cards as well as credit reports, financing, interest rates, taxes, budgeting, as well as any other items of this general ilk that would be of interest.  In other words, while it isn’t so much that High School students are “thrown to the wolves” upon their graduation, it is fair to state, that there are plenty of things that they need to know so that they will be better able to adeptly deal with real life and the consequences, so of.

It doesn’t take a genius to know that there are plenty of High School students, even very intelligent ones, who truly aren’t prepared for how they are going to be marketed to and are susceptible then to being taken advantage of when they haven’t developed yet the necessary preparation skills to defend themselves from being manipulated, and taken advantage of.  After all, in this capitalistic society, those who are selling goods of all types, typically don’t care about whether or not the person they are trying to sell their goods or services to, really understands the financing or their commitment to such. Instead, they mainly care about making that sell, and the responsibility of paying for this is thus left to the consumer.

Indeed, there are plenty of young adults, who learned their lessons the hard way when they first entered into society no longer having their parental safety net, and thus regret that they had to pay a price by being taken advantage of, in the learning of those lessons.  It need not be that way if as part of our educational system, we did more to educate our students with the practicalities of how best to not only protect themselves but to navigate through life in a manner that would be of better service to them, and at least this then would give them the chance of being able to hold their own against those that are trying to get over on them.  That is why, we need to do more to take the theory of education and distill it into practical lessons that correlate well with real life, so that young adults, will become more adept in understanding the value of knowing mathematics, as well as in reading comprehension, and in those areas that they have trouble in, requesting then the aid of trusted friends or family.

Verbal words and the tone of those words

In this modern era, there are a multitude of ways to convey our messages to others, instead of always verballing expressing what it is that we desire to say, we can utilize email, texting, and the written word, of which, oftentimes we are compelled to do so, for ease of communication purposes as well as convenience. The thing about each of these communication avenues is the fact that the written word is subject to more easily being misinterpreted by the other because what is missing from that written word, is the body language, and the tone, so of.  In other words, when we get most in trouble when it comes to miscommunication with others, is typically not when we are talking face-to-face, but rather it is the written word, which can be interpreted ironically, sarcastically, critically, and all sorts of other gradations and interpretations that we may not have been trying to convey.

Indeed, when we speak, we find that the words themselves can be of far less importance, than the tone and the manner that we are speaking to the other.  In other words, while words do matter, how we express those words, such as angrily, or with sarcasm in our voice, will certainly make a difference in how they are interpreted.  That is to say, the very same words, but with different emphasis and different tonality, combined with different facial expressions, will be interpreted differently, and should be, because though the words are the same, the intent behind the words is different.

So then, it has to be acknowledged that words spoken, will have a different meaning, depending upon how the voice expressing those words is coming across to those that are its intended audience.  We know this, by our own experiences in our communication with others, in which, certain words spoken in a certain way, can lead to an actual physical fight; whereas, the very same words spoken in an endearing or friendly way, can lead to a friendly exchange.

Undeniably, it is fair to say, that the combination of verbal words, body language, tonality, as well as the pitch and inflection of the voice, along with our knowledge of the person so speaking, will typically permit us to correctly interpret the meaning of those words so being spoken, quite accurately.  However, those very same words, written down in a text or an email, can easily be subject to misinterpretation, even though the words are the same, because, without a good understanding of the context of those words, we may not well understand them.  That is why, the best way to communicate to others, in regards to those areas of high importance, is always going to be through the verbal word, because not only does it provide an opportunity for the other to speak in response, but also because we read each other’s body language, the person so speaking will often adjust their tonality, their volume and the pace that they are so speaking, to better reflect the idea behind the words that they are saying, because they want to convey their message accurately and thereby to best have it understood, without error.

The need to know what is really going on

There are those times when we definitely need to know the why of what is so happening to us, and our inability to know that why can easily lead then to a whole lot of frustration as well as confusion.  That is why those who have the annoying habit of simply giving orders and then expecting such to be obeyed without objection, or discussion, need to understand that orders are more likely to be obeyed when those who are supposed to obey those orders, understand the reasoning behind such.

In life, we are going to invariably be placed in those situations in which our voice does not matter and of which it is expected of us to do what we have been given to do, but it has to be understood that human beings are thinking beings, and because we are thinking beings this signifies that we have an inherent interest in knowing why we are being told to do certain things, and therefore to know the purpose, so of. While it has to be said, that there are times when that information cannot be prudently disseminated, that clearly also means there are plenty of times when that information could be provided, but for whatever reason, it is withheld from us.

Those who desire to develop loyalty from other people have got to recognize that the price of that loyalty involves the need to get successfully across to them what the big picture is and to make sure therefore that this is understood well by those who are an integral part of getting that result to so occur.  That is to say, when people know what they are working towards and believe in the principle behind such, then they often do not need to know all of the details or minutia to do their good part to get this actualized, but without that information, dissent and willful disobedience may well occur.

There are plenty of people who desire to do their fair part to get good results on behalf of those who employ them, or who teach them, but are resentful of leaders who have a bad habit of essentially just desiring to boss them, without any real explanation of why this has to be the way that it is.  Those who feel that they are being used and that therefore their viewpoint either doesn’t matter or has no relevance, are going to be prone to not only feelings of frustration, which can lead to anger, but this can even become a situation in which they then desire to undercut the whole process.

In regards to any objective of which a particular person or entity is in charge of achieving a certain goal, and of which it is necessary to join hands with others to accomplish that given task, then it would behoove those that are in charge of those matters to take the time to explain not only the purpose of what is so occurring but also of its importance, which when done correctly, would make for a better and more coherent team that thus would do their good part to help achieve that very thing.

Christ: the fruit of redemption

It would seem that as written in Holy Scripture, when Adam and Eve first walked upon this good earth, all was well, until they made their fateful decision of disobedience to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which thus changed their dynamic, dramatically.  In other words, before they ate of the tree of good and evil, they knew not sin, nor were they capable of behaving in a manner that would create sin, but once they became knowledgeable, it thus meant that they were now free agents, capable of making their own decisions, good or bad, and therefore to suffer the appropriate consequences, so of.

That is to say, each of us who are here in this present domain has been provided with the power and therefore the free will to make our own decisions, and if so determined to do so, to defy God or our fellow humankind.  The problem though with being willfully disobedient to God’s good Commandments is not that we are disallowed from doing so, but rather the issue is that there are consequences to be paid, for those who make decisions that are detrimental to their soul, as well as often being harmful to others, which must be corrected, because God, our God, is both just and inerrant.

That said, our God, is a God that desires the best for us, which means that when we are troubled, misguided, or confused, there is always going to be a pathway that will bring enlightenment to us if only we would dutifully follow it.  That pathway is best represented by our Messiah, the Christ, who came here to liberate us from the delusions and mistakes that so often we are prone to suffer from.  Indeed, whereupon there was once that tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we find that God has provided us with a new fruit from a different tree, which is the fruit that Christ so represents.  So then, our option is to take and eat that fruit of Christ, and hence find redemption or to ignore such to our detriment, as per our inclination and free choice.  Those though, that are sincere about finding their way back to God, and of their salvation, therein, are the very same that eat that fruit, in the recognition that by doing so they will find that eternal sanctuary that thus far has eluded them.

It must be said, that when we ponder upon God and the justice that God so represents, we have to take into fair consideration that God desires each one of us to return to the fold, and God will not rest until that so happens, which is why Christ came amongst us, to provide us with what we need to know to accomplish that very task.  Those then, that eat the fruit of Christ, are the same that have been redeemed, and in that redemption, their eyes will be re-opened, knowing the important difference between good and evil, and have thereby sworn themselves to the good, forevermore.

True humility

There are a fair amount of people who truly believe that they are humble, and yet contradict that belief, by wanting to be recognized by others as being humble.  So too, some believe that they are the epitome of humility because they abase themselves in some visible form or another  -- somehow not recognizing that purposely drawing attention to oneself as an act of debasement deliberately done to be perceived as being humiliating, is not then being humble.  Look, humility, really does mean letting go of our ego attachment of desiring to be recognized by others as being the person who thereby deserves recognition for whatever good deed that has been accomplished.  Those who are faithfully practicing humility, are the very same, who derive satisfaction from having performed their good deeds and that alone, and hence do not need or expect to receive attention for what they believe they felt they needed to do. In other words, we should get our satisfaction from having done the right thing, and should not then feel the need to be visibly recognized for such, for the recognition that we need, is actualized by the good actions that we have done.

It isn’t easy to be humble, because human beings have a strong inclination to desire to be validated by those of their peers, which is perfectly acceptable.  Those then that are being validated, do not though deserve to be seen as being humble for they are being recognized by their peers for the work that they have done.  On the other hand, those anonymous people or unsung people who perform good deeds, but are not recognized, though they could seek such, are people who are truly practicing humility. 

Additionally, there is a tendency for those who perform good deeds to believe that somehow they are therefore better people than all those who do not do the same, and hence, they take on the aura that they are essentially worth more than the other.  Indeed, while having such an attitude like that is no crime, it does though represent someone who has permitted their ego to take a degree of precedence over the good that they have done.  In actuality, those who are humble are the type of people who concentrate on just getting done what needs to get done and are unconcern as to whether or not they receive accolades for having accomplished such.

To be humble is to identify less with the egotistical self, and thereby identify more with the bigger picture, that we are all created by the same God and equally valued by that God, who shines His light upon the just and unjust, alike.    We are meant to do our best in this world by the decisions and the acts that we address, of which, we therefore take responsibility for those acts.  Indeed, the only prize that truly matters is not of this world, and those who concentrate on the obtainment of that prize are the very humble ones, for they do not permit themselves to get sidetracked by this or that in this material world, but rather they keep their eyes focused exclusively upon that eternal prize.

John 10:16

We read in Holy Scripture: “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.” (John 10: 16)  This particular passage should be seen as to what it so richly represents, which is Christ did not come to us with a sword in His hand, but rather came to us, in peace and in justice, to remind us that each of us has been created by the very same hand of God, that therefore we are equal in the eyes of God, and hence our singular purpose is to thereby recognize that we are all meant to join together as One, and if we are unable to do that, we have thus failed to become that One flock answering to that One Shepherd.

Indeed, way too much time and energy is spent by human beings in conflict and division, and way more time should be spent by humanity in harmony and unity with one another.  The greatest task for all of us is to recognize the universality of the message that Christ brought to us, which is meant for the entire human race, and when we ignore such, we do this to our spiritual detriment and damnation.  While it is never going to be easy to join hand-in-hand with everyone, this though should be an important part of what we duly owe one another in society, and should be the prevailing challenge for all of us in this day and age.  After all, if we cannot be harmonious in this world, then we surely cannot be harmonious in the dimension beyond this.

Life on this planet is a proving ground, so we will be tested, and those who cannot learn from their mistakes are the very same who will have to keep trying and trying until they successfully overcome what needs to be overcome.  We are meant to be One, and we are provided therefore with the Great Shepherd to aid those who are lost so that they can fruitfully find their way back to the only destination that matters.  So then, each of us is responsible for doing our good part to help bring this about, and to the degree, that we do so, we are being of benefit to not only ourselves but to the society that we are an integral member of.

The wars and rumors of wars that we hear about or are a part of are a reflection that humankind does not seem to want to work together, and further, that nation-states seem to still believe that the most appropriate way to resolve differences is through might, as compared to diplomacy or through the interaction in which each party has its say, and the overriding desire thereof is for fairness and consideration of the other.   We do so find that humankind despite what it claims or wants to believe, does not readily hear the true voice of God, nor do they listen and obey that Good Shepherd, and because this is the case, we still represent the many, who have not done enough to even come close to ever becoming united wholly into the One.

True Charity

We are taught to be charitable to others, of which, how few of us are truly charitable in the best meaning of this word as in of being of true service to the other.  That is to say, it is essential that whenever we are being charitable we try to empathize with the other, which will enable us then to see ourselves as being one with them, for each of us is made out of the very same substance as the other, which is indicative that we are thus equal in the eyes of our Creator.  This signifies that as equally created members we have an inherent obligation to the other, to do our fair part to alleviate and ameliorate what so ails them, through our charitable acts which are performed without obligation and without an expectation of receiving something in return.  In other words, to be truly charitable, our act must come from our heart, so done because we know it as being what a good neighbor would do for their fellow neighbor.

In life, there are far too many of us who end up becoming lost, so when we look upon those who are lost, we tend to not see the hidden humanity that lies within them, and because we miss that, we treat them differently than we would if we saw them the same way that we might see a good friend or favorite relative.  It is an error whenever we discount the humanity within the other, for our solemn duty when performing charitable acts is to first meet the person that we so see on the level they appear to be at, so that we can thereby better identify with them, by impressing upon our mind what it would feel like if the shoe was indeed on the other foot.  Those who need charitable acts performed for them aren’t typically looking for pity, but rather they are looking for someone who can still recognize their value and intrinsic worth which is an unalienable quality of theirs that can never depart from their immortal soul.

Indeed, there are many hurting people in this world, and the best service that we can thereby provide for them is to provide them with hope, which on some level, whether that happens in the here and now, or occurs in the future, thus provides them with the rebuilt foundation to thereby construct something of meaning which will thus aid them in their rediscovery of who and what they truly are at their core.  We are meant to be charitable because we are meant to be a shining light to others, which thereby helps those suffering people to erase the darkness that precludes them from seeing that immaculate light, and those who are the most charitable are those who can best bring that meaningful light to others, which helps then to free them from the imprisonment which has precluded them from recognizing what they truly are, and what they were always meant to be

All talk, no listen

There are plenty of people who like to do all of the talking and aren’t all that interested in doing much of the listening, which truly reflects them being concerned much more about themself, or the belief that what they have to say matters more, than what the other person might have to say.  No doubt, there are those situations, in which one person, such as a teacher, a mentor, or a parent, should be doing most of the talking so that they can communicate important information, but in regular conversations or what should be conversations, it is going to be a healthier environment if each person truthfully believes that the other has listened to what they have so had to say.  Indeed, perhaps one of the reasons why so many people are so enamored over their pets is the fact that pets can’t actually have much of a conversation with us, but instead must be the ones that pretty much do all of the listening, all of the time.

The art of communication is certainly an art and those who respect that art, are the same people who make it their point to see that in their communications with others, the other has their fair say.  Of course, there are going to be those times when we are so excited about some particular event, which represents something of high importance, that we are going to just tell our story, with the sole expectation that the other person just needs to listen.  While that is indeed understandable, it has to be said, that far too often, there are those people that simply believe that everything that they have to say, always is of high importance, when in actuality, that is seldom the case.  Still, we must learn to listen to one another, because those who feel that they have been discounted, ignored, or trivialized, are prone to want to have their say in some other way, perhaps by spending less time with us as friends, or perhaps striking back at us through behavioral actions which are meant to draw attention to themselves.

So too, it is important that we meaningfully listen to the other, as opposed to half-listening, as in when we are, for instance, planning out what we are going to say when it becomes again to be our turn.  Indeed, while we may always have a strong tendency to believe that what we have to say is of more importance, it isn’t considerate though to not provide the space and give the time to hear the other person out, for that is our fair obligation to them.  After all, the same consideration that we desire to be given to us, we owe it to the other, because good communication skills necessitate reciprocity.  That is why each of us needs to consciously understand that when we listen well, we can empathize better with the other, because we are doing our part to understand them from the perspective that they are coming from, and when we do that, not only is it appreciated, but we learn more about the other because we are now truly listening to them.

Is it irrational or is it not?

In life, we will come across behavior by others that appear to us to be certainly irrational, but the thing about making a judgment like that is the salient fact, that what appears irrational to us, may not appear irrational to the person so making that decision, and further to the point, that often we do not ourselves have all the information to be able to know for a certainty how irrational a decision may or may not have been.  That is to say, the information that we have as compared to what the subject person has, can be not only dynamically different but may indeed conflict with one another, therefore their act is going to appear irrational to us because the information that they are acting upon is not the same information that we so have.  Additionally, two people can have the same information but come to differing conclusions because their interpretation of that information is not the same.  This is why we have those cases in which we believe that we have instructed our underling with what they so need to accomplish a given task, only to find out, that their interpretation of such, has come from a different place than what we so anticipated, which we did not even consider as being a reasonable possibility to begin with and why consequently we don’t get the result that we expected.

As much as people would like to think that we are at least, occasionally, irrational, the bottom line is that most people intuitively are quite rational, it is rather our perception that makes them seem to be irrational.  After all, it’s difficult to truly know what another person is thinking, or the reasoning behind such, if we aren’t that very person, because each of us has not only had different life experiences, but we also process information differently, as well.  That is why, things that look positively stupid to us, that other people fall into which makes them appear to be utter fools, are probably that which on a certain level, is rational to the person so performing that act.

So then, when it comes to people inexplicably performing irrational acts, we often need to examine what is so occurring in more detail, to understand their reasoning process, or lack, thereof – as opposed to simplistically believing that they are irrational.  To a very large extent, people are trying to make good decisions in their day-to-day activities, because they believe that by doing so, the results will be better for them, so whenever we see people making what appears to be a bad decision, it could well be that the information that they are dealing with, in conjunction with their life experiences or inexperience, is placing themselves into the position of which they appear to be irrational, but aren’t themselves aware of such.  This is why, whenever we see irrational behavior, we need to understand what is going on so that we can then correctly weigh in as to whether or not, it is as irrational as our first impression tells us.

What can a dead man take with them?

In answer to the above question, a dead man cannot take a single physical or material thing with them when they die, though they can, if so desired, have material objects buried with them.  Also, it has to be said, though a man who has departed this world can take nothing with them, they can leave behind material possessions, money, and things of that sort to friends and family, so it could be said that those who are the dearly departed, can leave behind something of tangible worth to others, but for a certainty, they can take nothing with them to that undiscovered country.

Indeed, while a dead man can take nothing physical with them, what they do so carry to the dimension beyond is their soul, and all those that have concentrated upon developing good character have thereby developed those good traits so needed to be of benefit to others, thus demonstrated through their fairness, their generosity, and their wisdom imparted to those with ears to listen and to learn, which means that these good people are the very same that have established those necessary valued spiritual qualities which will put them in good stead for what truly matters in the eternal realm.

In life, each of us is provided with the opportunity to utilize our time in just about any way that we best see fit, subject only to our responsibilities as well as our limitations in this world.  Those then, that spend inordinate amounts of time upon that which is all about keeping up with the Joneses, or things of that ilk, have made their decision that what matters most for them, is the material possessions and accouterments that seem to thus represent success on this material level.  So too, there are those others that have inordinate amounts of time on their hands, because they are not overly busy on much of anything, in which rather than trying to better themselves and thus turning their attention to that which will be of benefit to their spiritual development, find that their preference instead is to spend their time in idleness or the dissipation of their character.

For a certainty, each of us has been gifted with free will, of which it is up to us, what we will or will not do with this great gift.  Those who have taken the time to think as well as to concentrate their mind on the meaning of life, will recognize that it is folly to build our foundation upon anything that will not stand the test of time.  Instead, those of insight, recognize that what we are meant to concentrate our efforts upon is that which will bring us lasting satisfaction which can only come about from that which is eternal in nature and meritorious.  Indeed, our time in this world is limited, but our time in the world beyond is limitless.  Those then that prepare themselves well for that world beyond, are the very same that are fully awake and those that do not, are the walking dead.

Life is worth living when you live for something of meaning

For some of those who live in Western societies, who are themselves shelter and food secure, there may well come that time, when they begin to wonder whether or not life has any meaning.  For those who haven’t pondered this question and then have sincerely wished to find the answer to such, life is an exercise in futility when we don’t have something worth living for because those without meaning in their lives are the very same that typically find themselves living lives that have only a minimal amount of positive impact for themselves as well as for others.

Those then who don’t have a good purpose that brings meaning to their lives are going to be susceptible to sleepwalking in their lives because in lacking that purpose and therefore the incumbent drive that comes from having a purpose, they have a distinct tendency to just go through the motions. After all, whenever people have the basics that make life appear to be somewhat satisfactory, that may well be good enough to keep them somewhat content in where they are at, though, they could be so much more if they concentrated their talents upon something more meaningful.

So too, it isn’t going to be good enough to just sit back and complain about this or that, and to criticize what is happening around us, if at the same time, we aren’t willing to put forth the effort to be part of the solution, by our active participation to help correct that which needs to be corrected or needs to be changed.  Indeed, it’s easy to be the critic and it’s a heck of a lot harder to do something constructive to help make things better for society – for this fairly represents the dividing line between those who have something of purpose that makes their life meaningful as compared to all those who just want to talk or be idle, and thereby never to take part in purposeful action.

When it comes to our goals in life, the very first thing to note is that each of us needs to have goals in place to thus work towards.  Further to the point, we need these goals to be well thought out and consistent with what drives us to thereby study and work hard in order then to obtain these worthy objectives.  Those who have a prime objective in mind are the very same who are working towards something of merit to achieve, which thereby not only keeps them busy and occupied but provides them also with a purpose to go through what they have to go through to achieve that very thing.  On the other hand, those who lack a clearly defined goal are those who are going to just casually go with the flow, and when it comes time for them to swim against the current, they won’t be able to generate the energy to successfully do so, because life is meant to be lived for a purpose, and those that haven’t done much to develop that purpose or to even recognize such, aren’t the type to have the right stuff when called upon.

Practice what you preach

In consideration that there are over two billion Christians in this world, and of which there are hundreds of hundreds of millions more of untold people that believe in a Higher Power that we all must so answer to, one would think that those that are bold enough to take on the moniker of being known as being a member of the general Christian sect would therefore live their lives in such a way that people would credit them as being truly Christian in their attitude, in their behavior and in their corresponding acts, such as would fairly represent faithful people that lived lives consistent with loving their God with all their heart, and their neighbor as thyself.

Yet, how few seem in reality to practice what they so preach, for they seem to suffer from the very same faults and errors that so many of us who don’t wear that Christianity or their faith upon their sleeve duly suffer from, by being, for instance, petty, lying, selfish, as well as just not being a good neighbor.  Look, it has to be said, that those who claim to be faithful to their professed religion but can’t seem to make even a good faith effort to live up to its most important and valued tenets, that they then should be seen for what they are, which is a hypocrite.  

It is hard, after all, to respect someone who can’t seem to live their faith out in their persona so demonstrated by what they truly do or don’t do on a given day.  Those then who believe in that Higher Power but can’t seem to separate themselves from the madding crowd, are those who desire to take on the aura of their faith but are doing little or nothing to prove that to themselves or others.  It is this type of lackadaisical faith that makes societies so dysfunctional and unhealthy, because if those that claim that they are good and faithful servants to their religion, aren’t those very things, themselves, then society suffers from that lack of good character being actualized.

The true test of anyone that professes to be Christian is whether or not someone that intimately knows that person, actually describes that person first and foremost as being Christian -- in addition to then describing what it is about that person, that makes them stand out as being Christian.  Those who practice what they preach through their works though are going to pass that sort of test with flying colors, whereas those who profess to be something that they aren’t true to, won’t have any works that second that belief.

In life, each of us will be tested, and those who learn well the lessons that need to be learned, are going to prove the value of those lessons by living the sort of life that reflects that they represent good students for they have taken that knowledge and thus adeptly applied it to all aspects of their life.  Those then that truly believe in something of real substance, will logically act and thereby behave in a manner that reflects that sincere belief, and those that don’t, won’t.

Micah 6: 8

We read in the Holy Scripture “…O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6: 8)  In life, not all of us will be gifted with good parents, or a valued mentor, or even good friends that wish the best for us.  Rather, to a large extent we are going to have to find our way in this world, and thus make it our point, to be the best person that we can be, by obtaining wisdom through the proper usage of our mind and by the experiences we so encounter, day by day.

The advantage of utilizing the Good Book is that not only is there valued wisdom within the words so written, but that this wisdom, is the type of knowledge which is often universal in its application and is thus of true relevance in this day and age for us.  For instance, when we look at the passage of Micah 6: 8, we are given prudent instruction about what is good, of which the foundation of such is based upon being just and true one to another, in all that we say and do.  In life, there are going to be all sorts of experiences that aren’t fair to us or others, which, oftentimes we can’t control, but what we can control is our interactions with those others, which gives us a fair opportunity to be fair and just to those others, which is definitely in harmony with the attributes of God.

So too, when it comes to justice, we find that society has had a rather troubled history of exacting justice that is done without mercy, and without consideration of “walking a mile in the other person’s shoes,” and because we do not care to empathize with the other, it thus makes it easier to exact the type of justice which is lacking nuance, mercy, or fairness, often because we do not see ourselves in the other person, even though, each of us is made out of the same substance.  Those who practice mercy are those who care about the other because they recognize that each of us, no matter how lost, or even how great, has been created by the very same hand.

Lastly, we find that especially in Western societies, there is an emphasis on getting ahead of those others that we compete against, and thus of our earning the accouterments of success, so that we will be respected by others and thereby treated with what we feel that we deserve by having earned such by our accomplishments.  Perhaps this is fine, but recognize that none of us start our respective lives at the same starting point, and further that the credit that we so often desire to own as ours completely, probably has had some significant contributors along the way of our journey that helped us to become good and valued citizens, and we owe it to them, to be a bit less proud, and hence a lot more humble in the consideration of our success.

Indeed, there is plenty of life advice out there for just about everyone, and those who go to that fount of wisdom are those who thus place themselves in the best position to achieve that which is most lasting and good.

Own up to your mistakes in life

It has to be said that many a person is not too thrilled to own up to any of their mistakes, big or small because often they feel that this reflects poorly upon their abilities or skill levels, along with the salient fact that they don’t want to lose face in front of esteemed others.  Regrettably, so many people believe that they have to be perfect and flawless, which, none of us actually ever are.  Despite knowing this, there is still a distinct reluctance in many of us, to own up to our mistakes, because we don’t want to be considered to be a low performer or incompetent.

It is vital to own up to our mistakes in life, mainly because people of integrity, are the very same people that will admit to their faults and errors.  They admit to their mistakes, not because they desire to be perceived as mistake-prone people, but rather they do so because it is not only the right thing to do, but also it reflects that we aren’t always going to get things done correctly, but by owning up to such, they make it their point, that they will thus take responsibility and further to the point, will ultimately make good on it, rather than wasting their time hiding behind a façade, or trying to pass on that lie upon someone else.  In other words, they own up to what they need to own up to, and then they get moving on doing what they need to do to get back on track.

Anytime that we make an error, there is for some people a default mood, that they have developed, which is first to look around to see if anyone noticed, and if not, to try to discern as to whether or not this mistake could be pinned upon another or ignored.  This type of mindset is just a formula for trouble, for those who will not take responsibility for that which they are responsible for making an error upon, are the very same that will often take credit for something good that has occurred, that they were not a true contributor to.  Indeed, the inability to own up to one’s mistakes is a bad pathway that those who lack integrity are on, and which good people really shouldn’t desire to ever be on, especially if they consider themselves to be people of virtue and honesty.

Indeed, it’s not an easy thing to own up to a mistake, especially when that mistake is rather serious, for this thereby requires courage to do so, because a serious mistake, may well necessitate a serious consequence.  Still, the difference between those who are of good character, and those who claim to be of good character, is the difference between those who are willing to take the criticism and opprobrium so directed at them, as compared to those who will try to ameliorate any negative consequences, by not admitting to that which should be admitted to.  Remember this well, we will be judged, and those who make the prudent decision to face the music in the present, are going to be in the pole position to subsequently mature into adults of good character, and those who postpone such, are going to ultimately pay the penalty that they fairly owe along with its corresponding interest,

The integrity of a good leader

For a certainty, we are influenced by those that are the people that we look up to and admire, and so to the degree that these people are flawed, this thus can present a problem for us to overcome in our personality, for when we know that somebody that we value, does indeed suffer from having feet of clay, we are left with the choice of still maintaining our integrity, or making that fateful decision that what is good for the gander is good for the goose, as well.

It is indeed a dark and discouraging day when we discover that our parents whom we look up to and admire, are themselves, subject to various weaknesses and flaws.  When we thus learn this, it affects us in the sense that we no longer are capable of admiring them as absolute paragons of virtue, but rather we see them as fallible human beings, quite capable of error and mistakes.  While none of us are perfect, it is vital that those in positions of influence such as eminent politicians, teachers, and parents, present themselves to others as people of integrity, of which, they will at a minimum always own up to mistakes so made, and will also endeavor to do their best to correct that which needs to be corrected, in a timely fashion, rather than being people that are two-faced, or suffering from various other faults, such as selfishness, greed, and deceit, which they refuse to ameliorate.

It has to be said, that whenever we are interacting with other people of which we know for a certainty that the other person, suffers from the occasional flaw of, for instance, being vindictive, jealous-hearted, or petty, that we have to take what we so have observed into consideration, when we voluntarily provide our consent to that person to be, on some level, our companion, or our mentor.  This thus signifies that those who are above us in the sense of being our boss, or our political representative, in which they have clearly demonstrated to us a lack of honesty and integrity, then our most appropriate response to that, has got to be the recognition that a person who lacks self-control and the apparent unwillingness to correct such, is probably the type of person that we should not only be wary of but also should be someone that we not give our full support to, for they deserve it not.

Indeed, the mistake that societies tend to make is to not make good on their salient observations of those that are in positions of power and influence, in which, those that have such power, should be held accountable on not only a professional level but also on a personal level.  Indeed, a person who cannot keep their own house in order, seems unlikely to be the right person to keep society’s house in order, for those that cannot govern a little domain well and fairly, probably aren’t going to be the best choice to govern something of larger societal importance, either.