until it is healed

I'm not in a place of sorrow, and I don't exactly abhor people (I do struggle with trust issues), and yet I can relate to this quote, minus the last 2 words.

The sorrowful spirit finds relaxation in solitude. It abhors people, as a wounded deer deserts the herd and lives in a cave until it is healed or dead. ~ Kahlil Gibran

*I keep editing this post in an attempt to make my thoughts more clear!

“Throughout Western societies, and most especially in North America, there has occurred a fundamental shift in the understanding and practice of the Christian story. It is no longer about God and what God is about in the world; it is about how God serves and meets human needs and desires. It is about how the individual self can find its own purposes and fulfillment.

More specifically, our churches have become spiritual food courts for the personal, private, inner needs of expressive individuals. The result is a debased, compromised, derivative form of Christianity that is not the gospel of the Bible at all. The biblical narrative is about God’s mission in, through, and for the sake of the world and how God has called human beings to be part of God’s reaching out to that world for God’s purpose of saving it in love. The focus of attention should be what God wants to accomplish and how we can be part of God’s mission, not how God helps us accomplish our own agendas.”

Alan J. Roxburgh, "The Sky is Falling: Leaders Lost in Transition"

"I did not know I was on a search for passionate aliveness. I only knew I was lonely and lost and that something was drawing me deeper beneath the surface of my life in search of meaning. There is a hunger in people to go to those deep depths; to know that our lives are sacred; that our hearts are truly capable of love. It is a yearning to be all the we can be. A longing for what is real." ~ Anne Hillman, The Dancing Animal Woman

we are to be reflections to one another

“Serve others for they are reflections of the same Entity of which you are yourself another reflection. No one of you has any authenticity, except in reference to the Original. Feel always kinship with all creation.” ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba

more on authenticity

In my need to understand this "authenticity" thing, I may be in the beginnings of understanding what it is, at least in terms of how I see people using it. The quote below helps. If being authentic is being a true reflection of what's in your heart, then I can honestly say I know very few authentic people.

"Don't underestimate the value people place on authenticity. Politicians listen to the focus groups and say the things they think people want to hear. But after 30 years of reading consumers, I know that they can smell phonies."

Interview with Ogilvy and Mather CEO Shelly Lazarus: http://money.cnn.tv/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/09/17/100258877/index.htm)

Finally, the wisdom of a swami (what's a swami exactly??) rings true:

"Become a principled human being. Become an authentic human being. When you say that you are going to do something, do it. Don’t say you will do something and then not do it. That’s not what a principled human being is like. Thought, word and deed must come together. These are actually the holy trinity within the human being: thought, word and deed. When thought, word and deed are in alignment at a very high level, then you are living a principled life. You are living an authentic life."

Swami Sai Premananda, Principles of Higher Living: The Western Experience Upon the Shores of Eastern Wisdom

authenticity

au·then·tic

a: worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact b: conforming to an original so as to reproduce essential features c: made or done the same way as an original

Authenticity seems to have become a badge of honour, a character trait in and and of itself. Sometimes all authenticity means is genuineness. A genuinely loving person. A genuinely self-centered narcissistic asshole. See what I mean?

Authentic Christianity has become a catch-phrase. Google it and see. Authentic simply means "true". So an authentic Christian is a true Christian, the real thing.

I have an appreciation for authentic people because if you're a cynical and judgmental person and you don't hide it and you even go so far as to acknowledge those weaknesses, then I know what I'm dealing with and can relate to you keeping those character traits in mind so I'm less apt to become offended. A person doesn't have to be a follower of Christ to have this level of authenticity.

Authentic Christians on the other hand have been light to me in the darkness. They've spoken words of life when I was feeling death lurking all around me. They emulate the fruit of the Spirit. My appreciation for THIS kind of authenticity is beyond describing, mostly because it's rare and that makes it very precious and beautiful.

It's one thing to be real. It's another thing to be really loved.

me me me

I found some interesting quotes from a blogger on blogging and social networking. The comments she received show that many people were offended, which is understandable. Even so, one commenter calls the whole scene "ego masturbation".

I find her thoughts refreshing and honest, even though I enjoy my own random blogging. It can be very cathartic for example. Social networking sites on the other hand are a huge turn off for me, except of course my knitting one. Though I didn't used to, I now prefer having my personal life somewhat of a mystery, and I especially like being inaccessible to untrustworthy souls.

Here are my favourite quotes:

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all believe our lives are fascinating; that every website that’s captured our interest should hold equal appeal to those who know us; and that other people — whether we’ve met them in meat space or cyberspace — need to be informed of not only our latest thoughts as expressed in our blog entries, but even the minutia of our day as captured in 140 words or less on Twitter. And woe to our “friends” who don’t agree.

The web, which once existed as a place to which we turned primarily to acquire information about diverse topics, is now primarily a forum for us to put out information on the topic which fascinates us the most: ourselves.

Katherine Berry's entire article

it's just life

You know what would be a really really gross outcome of my post from yesterday? If people thought it was cool that this happens to me. It's not cool. It's not a reflection on me or my worthiness. That's laughable. It's a mystery. It's life. At the same time it's not unusual. I think it's just a matter of learning to pick up signals. Like if a person you know comes to mind out of nowhere. Or there's someone you just can't get out of your mind. Maybe you're being provoked to pray, even if it's as simple as hoping they are doing well and not a "formal" prayer. And the list of possibilities goes on.

I'm a lowly thing. I'm despised. I'm still chosen.

He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:28

learning to take a hint

Sunday morning I woke up from a truckload of dreams, with one in particular to ponder and pray over. It had to do with terrorists hijacking planes and Jon and I witnessing the scene and a whole lot more. I think it might have to do with Jon and I, Jon in particular, taking our roles more seriously in praying for the church body as a whole. It felt serious and seriously dangerous, and though I like living in the land of sunshine and lollypops, I think it's time to be more intentional and humble about what we've been made for. We're not here to live for ourselves only.

That dream aside, what occupies my mind just as much is this: that same morning as I was trying to gather energy to get up, in full awakeness but with eyes closed, I suddenly had a non-sleeping dream where I saw a girl I know walk by me. There were others around, but we made eye contact for a few moments. She looked weary and drawn, unhealthily skinny and burdened. I spent the morning praying for this person's emotional and spiritual nourishment. For robustness. For strength and vitality. A few hours later I saw this person walk into church, wearing the exact thing she wore in my dream. It took me a minute to clue into that little tidbit, the outfit factor. I figured this meant it was an immediate need, it had to do with right now.

It all makes me realize for the hundredth time just how much God so tenderly cares for us, that he would show someone else, maybe someone not even close to that person, that this person needs prayer. God knows I sincerely care for this person. He also knows this person's sorrows, their burdens, whether temporary, or long-term, and he wants her to be supported with prayer. He wants that for every single one of us.

How often do we miss the message, and leave someone without support? How often have I myself failed to take the hint?

welcome dear november

We ended the month of October partying with a bunch of people we didn't know, save for a lovely girl we bumped into who goes by the name of Hannah. She's a well loved girl at our church, though she'd moved away and is now back and stuck in the city without a car. It was a treat to see her, and we had a nice long chat. No guys from Jon's work showed up, but we got to enjoy seeing some very creative 20 to 30-something year-olds come in one by one, with some pretty smashing costumes. It's funny how costumes break down barriers because it gives you something to comment on. Even so, I swear Jon and I were the only married couple, and there might have been one other girl drinking wine. A sign of being older and having refined taste perhaps?

What is it with drunk people getting louder and louder and louder?! I know the answer, but still, it was deafening! We left around midnight even though the party was still in full gear. It was nice coming home to our quiet little house and our little family.

October is over. Welcome dear November.