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JUNE 99 UPDATES
My webmaster and I decided this would be the easiest way for you to surf my page if you are a repeat visitor. My website is so overwhelming that we found it easier to bunch all "NEW" information by month. This will give you easier access to updated material when you visit EACH INDIVIDUAL FOLDER. From the homepage BIO,GOD, EXODUS, AND SURVIVAL BIBLE FOLDERS. Just bookmark the HOMEPAGE and visit it at the top of the month. Look for the MONTHLY UPDATE FOLDERS IN EACH CATEGORY. Later at the end of the year we will put the information Iin a archive section to start the new year by category in it's proper place. Until then, sit back and read stories, comments, spiritual advice, new links, and certain topics were we will lead you to the proper folder. GOD BLESS, THOM
WORKOUT
SPIRITUAL UPDATES back to top GARDEN RECIPE Plant three rows of peas:
Plant four rows of squash:
Plant four rows of lettuce:
No garden without turnips:
We must have thyme:
Water freely with patience and cultivate with love.
A Letter I got from a dear friend on certain issues: back to top I'm not too proud to share good words when I hear them from another's mouth. Listen to these thoughts and perhaps you will appreciate them as much as I do ......... Technology vs. The Human Touch: Yes, technology is a wonderful thing, but I believe we have made FAR too much of technology and are forgetting the importance of those wonderful qualities that make so beautifully human. At a record pace we seem to be forgetting about qualities like: kindness, love, caring, compassion, and character. While the high tech world tells you to surf the net, I would ask that you go out of your way to help a friend. While the high tech world tells you to log on and download, I would tell you to never forget to pick up the phone and call someone who really just needs to hear the beauty of your voice. And while the hi tech world tells you to send a fax, I would ask you, beg you, to look me in the eye, give me a smile, a warm hug, or just shake me hand. On Wounds & Wisdom: Turn your wounds into wisdom. We are ALL wounded from time to time in our lives. Many people will refer to such wounds as failures or shortcomings ......... But I have found that wounds are just God's way of saying: "Excuse me, you are moving in the WRONG direction."
THOM'S MANTRA or Don't Interrupt Others or Finish Their Sentences back to top It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized how often I interrupted others and/or finished their sentences. Shortly thereafter, I also realized how destructive this habit was, not only to the respect and love I received from others but also for the tremendous amount of energy it takes to try to be in two heads at once! Think about it for a moment. When you hurry someone along, interrupt someone, or finish his or her sentence, you have to keep track of the person you are interrupting as well. This tendency (which by the way is extremely common in busy people), encourages both parties to speed up their speech and their thinking. This, in turn, makes both people nervous, irritable, and annoyed. It's downright exhausting. It's also the cause of many arguments, because if there's one thing almost everyone resents, it's someone who doesn't listen to what they are saying. (Being a good listener in itself is a dying art form and is something that could fill many chapters alone. Practice being a REALLY excellent listener. It will reap MAJOR rewards!) And let's face it, can you really listen to what someone is saying when you are speaking for that person? Once you begin noticing yourself interrupting others, you'll see that this insidious tendency is nothing more than an innocent habit that has become invisible to you. This is good news because it means that all you really have to do is begin catching yourself when you forget. Remind yourself (before a conversation begins, if possible) to be patient and wait. Tell yourself to allow the other person to finish speaking before you take your turn. You'll notice, right away, how much the interactions with the people in your life will improve as a direct result of this simple action. The people you communicate with will feel much more relaxed around you when they feel heard and listened to. You'll also notice how much more relaxed you'll feel when you stop interrupting others. Your heart and pulse rates will slow down, and you'll begin to enjoy your conversations rather than rush through them. This is an easy way to become a more relaxed, loving person. GOD BLESS ~ Chuck
Letter from a dear friend in Spain, a Catholic Priest back to top Dear Thom: The word and concept of kindness is tranaslated into Bible as tenderness and mercy. The aramean word (the original concept) is RAHAMIM. This is a very important word, femenin, with a very important meaning. Literally it means maternal love and tenderness. God always appears to those who he have chosen and this one who have answered to his call. Abraham sees YAHVEH (Genesis 18,1-33; John 8,56). Every one who has an special vocation from Yahveh has a direct experience of Him. Moses sees YAHVEH after the conversion of the People rescued from Egypt. Then Gods reveals who is him. This is the second time YAHVEH reveals who is him: first at Horeb mountain (Exodus 3,25) where He reveals Moses His Name; The second one is just in Exodus 34,6-9. This text is absolutely important for a comprehension of the Divine Nature. The same God claims His own definition of Himself. Be attentive, we are on Ex.34,6: "Then Yahweh passed before him and called out, Yahweh, Yahweh, GOD OF TENDERNESS (rahamim) AND COMPASSION, SLOW TO ANGER, RICH IN FAITHFUL LOVE AND CONSTANCY" God defines Himself as TENDERNESS (rahamim = maternal love). God is and has a motherly love which loves always and in fidelity. This is the mystery of Who is Him and He claims and vindicates to be identified as TENDERNESS. The relationship of God with human person is based on TENDERNESS. You can see more in this sense in: Psalm 86,5.15: "Lord you are kind and forgiving, rich in faithful love for all who can upon you." "But yopu, Lord, God of tenderness and mercy, slow to anger, rich in faithful love and loyalty, turn to me and pity me". You can ask: who is this one who God calls upon Him? The answer is this: every one of us, men and women, chosen by the Lord to live a history of salvation, a history of love. (Ps 88 and 139). You can see it on Psalm 103. Psalm 103,2.4: "Bless Yahweh, my soul, never forget all his acts of kindness" " he redems your life from the abyss, crowns you with faithful love and tenderness". The human person is called to discover God and to meet Him, because hi Loves us. This is the content of Convenant, the project of God. He loves because he is love and his love is on tederness as you can see by the signs and acts of kindness He made with you. Psalm 111,4 confirms our discover: "He gives us a memorial of his great deeds; Yahweh is mercy and ternderness" and Psalm 145,8-9 insists: "Yahweh is tenderness and pity, slow to anger, full of faithful love. Yahweh is generous to all, his tenderness embraces all his creatures". Please, Thom, read all the Psalm 145. The prophet Hosea speaks about how God acts with kindness and tenderness as some one who loves very much his lover, as a father-mother who has tenderness for his/her childs. See it on Hosea 11,1-11. Also in Hosea 14,2-9. Now we may go to Luke 10,25-37. Go there! Probably you know this text as "the Parable of the good Samaritan". The correct title should be: the Parable of the neigbour. Who is my neigbour? That is the question asked for the lawyer to Jesus. The context of this text is the great commandament, it means the project of God: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and your neighbour as yourself". Take care, because perhaps you know the classical interpretation of this text of Luke as if the neigbour was the man who fell into the hands of bandits. No. Jesus says that neigbour is this one who showed pity towards the wounded man. But, who is the neigbour?. If you are in attention you can see Jesus is my neighbour, GOD is my neighbour because I am (you, everyone of us) the wounded man who needs become loved and needs the pity of some one who could help me. God loves us as he loves himself. His love is revealed in Jesus. Gods come to me and is moved to campassion and acts with tenderness with me. So, thanks to the tenderness and kindness of the Lord I may recuperate my dignity and restore my human condition. God is tenderness. He is my neighbour. Matthew 25, 31-46 says God tenderness arrived into solidarity with those who are in troubles and who are wounded. So, if God loves us and the relationship with him is a relationship of tenderness and the sign of this tenderness is kindness, is logic Jesus comand us only a thing, according to John 13,34: "Love one another; you must love one another jus as I have loved you". And even better in John 15,12-17. Now we can go to 2 Corinthians 2,1-11 or Galatians 6,1-10 or Ephesians 2,4-6 and 4,17-32 or Titus 3,4-7 or 1 Peter 1,3 or 1John (all of it)... speaks abaout our new condition of children of God, tahnks to Jesus, and how we are invited to love as God loves and to life in a kindness life and in an tenderness atmosphere, because the God of Our Lord Jesus-christ is jus tenderness and we are made (Genesis 1,26) in His own image, in the likeness of Himself. I am very glad to share with you this reflections. I love to think of God mystery and I want to live as He waits from me. Also I love to speak about him, because I love Him. Kindness and tenderness is an essential part of Christian life, I see. What do yo think about? I hope you understand my so bad English, I hope to use corectly the concepts. Dear Thom I hope you can arrive to discover the great iportance of this subject. GOD IS TENDERNESS. Kindness is the sign of it, so when we act in kindness we are acting as God acts with us. That is our vocation, and our dignity: to be as God is = to love as God loves. GOD BLESS YOU, MY FRIEND
A POEM FOR EVERYONE: back to top
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