Luke,
Chapter 1, verse 50:
50
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear
him.
Christ is drawing near with his birth in ten
days. We are to rejoice just as Mary did
in her Canticle of Praise when she entered the house of Zechariah.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my
spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s
lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The
Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His
mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his
arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers
from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled
with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped
Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise
to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
I
would like to focus on the words from “age to age”. In physics, spacetime (also
space–time, space time or space–time continuum) is any mathematical model that
combines space and time into a single interwoven continuum.[1] As I understand it what has been done in the past
and in the future continues forever rippling through time and space from “age
to age”. If this is the case let us follow Mary’s example and develop in
ourselves Holy fear through her virtues of: humility, generosity, chastity,
patience, self-control and of course love.
Gandhi: Model of Respect[2]
Gandhi
could not harm a soul, but his heart would not yield to power, and would
triumph over the empire that opposed him. It would have been hard to see any
greatness in him as a boy or even later as an English-educated lawyer,
practicing a profession without the necessary skills to impress anyone as an
advocate or, for that matter, to make any impression at all. His first appearance
in court was a disaster. His shyness was so extreme that he couldn’t open his
mouth to argue his case. Yet he would find his voice, a voice like no other, a
voice so compelling—not for its resonance or eloquence, but for the decent
convictions it expressed—that he would become one of the most important
figures of the twentieth century, and an inspiration to countless crusades for
justice on all the continents of the earth. Gandhi’s character showed a sense
of honor: respect for all human life, which began with self-respect. At his
first appearance in a court, dressed in an English suit but now wearing an
Indian turban rather than a top hat, Gandhi was instructed to remove his
headgear, for Indians were forbidden to wear turbans in court. Gandhi refused
and angrily left the court, feeling humiliated. Gandhi afterward wrote to a
newspaper, defending his right to dress in the custom of his countrymen. “The
question was very much discussed in the papers,” he recalled, “which described
me as an ‘unwelcome visitor.’ ” The shy, awkward Gandhi had begun to find his
voice, and his calling: a lifelong campaign for justice based, as all true
justice must be, on respect for the natural rights and dignity of all
human beings.
20 Inspiring Quotes from Mahatma
Gandhi[3]
Mahatma Gandhi’s gentle approach to
life is testament to the fact that strength does not equal physical capacity.
In the western world, we are often taught that to be strong, we must be ferocious and vehemently go
after what we want in life. Mahatma Gandhi showed that this approach is flawed.
His life story has proven that it’s possible to remain gentle in spirit, yet
simultaneously command a huge amount of strength and respect. In a world in
which authority is valued over authentic leadership, I believe we have a lot to
learn from the man who fought for a nation with his mind alone.
Gandhi’s philosophy was not purely
based on theory; instead he lived by rules of pragmatism. He practiced what he
preached every day of his life.
1. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as
if you were to live forever.”
2. “A
man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.”
3. “Be
the change that you want to see in the world.”
4. “The
weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.”
5. “I
will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”
6. “Strength
does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
7. “An
ounce of patience is worth more than a ton of preaching.”
8. “Change
yourself – you are in control.”
9. “See
the good in people and help them.”
10. “Without
action, you aren’t going anywhere.”
11. “Take
care of this moment.”
12. “Be
congruent, be authentic, be your true self.”
13. “Continue
to grow and evolve.”
14. “A
no uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ uttered merely to
please, or worse, to avoid trouble.”
15. “Glory
lies in the attempt to reach one’s goal and not in reaching it.”
16. "An
eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.”
17. “Happiness
is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
18. “A
coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”
19. “Nobody
can hurt me without my permission.”
20. “In
a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
Fitness
Friday-Hunting Workout
Recognizing that God the Father created man on Friday the 6th day
I propose in this blog to have an entry that shares on how to recreate and
renew yourself in strength; mind, soul and heart.
Elk hunting[4] (or indeed any rough-country hunt
where drastic elevation changes are a routine part of the hunt) requires a
different kind of planning and conditioning than your usual whitetail hunt. The
most common problem out-of-state hunters experience is not being in good enough
physical condition to handle constant up-and-down foot travel at high elevation
- especially when carrying a pack. The result is a physically exhausted hunter
who is unable to perform. Hours and days of precious hunting time are wasted
due to need for rest and recovery. Here’s a twelve-week plan that will prep you
for the high country. There are two main components to physical prep for
rough-country hunting: cardiovascular and muscular. Plan on exercising thirty
to forty-five minutes per weekday, alternating between cardio and muscular
workouts. Be sure to stretch and warm up gradually before workouts and cool off
gradually afterwards.
Week
One: Start out easy on
yourself to lower risk of hurting joints or tendons.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Go for a brisk 45-minute walk, preferably including up and down terrain.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Spend 30 minutes climbing up and down the local bleacher stairs (or a nice steep hill). Take regular short rests.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Go for a brisk 45-minute walk, preferably including up and down terrain.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Spend 30 minutes climbing up and down the local bleacher stairs (or a nice steep hill). Take regular short rests.
Week
Two: Step it up a little.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Add short stints of jogging to your walk.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: same 30-minute routine, just cut down on rest time.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: same 30-minute routine, just cut down on rest time.
Week
Three: Start getting
focused.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Begin pushing yourself, walking less and jogging more.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Same 30-minute routine, add three squats and three lunges (don’t use weights) alternately during short rest periods.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Same 30-minute routine, add three squats and three lunges (don’t use weights) alternately during short rest periods.
Week
Four: You should be
feeling much stronger by now, and hurting less. Remain careful to avoid injury.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Try to jog the majority of your 45 minutes.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Try to spend the entire 30 minutes climbing your stairs or hillside, alternating between five squats and five lunges every few minutes. Only rest at the ten and twenty minute marks.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Try to jog the majority of your 45 minutes.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Try to spend the entire 30 minutes climbing your stairs or hillside, alternating between five squats and five lunges every few minutes. Only rest at the ten and twenty minute marks.
Week
Five: By now you should be
enjoying your workouts.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Warm up, then alternate two minute sprints with walking to catch your breath. 45 minutes.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Wear a pack with 20 pounds of weight in it during your routine. Rest when needed.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Warm up, then alternate two minute sprints with walking to catch your breath. 45 minutes.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Wear a pack with 20 pounds of weight in it during your routine. Rest when needed.
Week
Six: You should be
feeling like a bonafide athlete.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Back to jogging, but pick up the pace a bit.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Try to get through your routine – hiking with pack and five crunches/lunges every five minutes – without stopping to rest.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Back to jogging, but pick up the pace a bit.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Try to get through your routine – hiking with pack and five crunches/lunges every five minutes – without stopping to rest.
Week
Seven: Halfway there!
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Back to sprinting/walking. Push yourself.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Add five pounds to your pack (total 25), same routine.
Mon/Wed/Fri cardio: Back to sprinting/walking. Push yourself.
Tues/Thurs/Sat muscular: Add five pounds to your pack (total 25), same routine.
During this Advent season let us take up the nature of God by
reflecting on these traits that make us a model for our children and our
sisters and brothers in Christ. Today reflect on:
Faith vs. Presumption
Visualizing what God intends to do in a given situation and acting in harmony with it (Hebrews 11:1)
166 Faith is a personal act - the
free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself.
But faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can
live alone. You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself
life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to
others. Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others
about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers.
I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith
I help support others in the faith.
2733 Another
temptation, to which presumption opens the gate, is acedia.
The spiritual writers understand by this a form of depression due to lax
ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart. "The
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." The greater the height,
the harder the fall. Painful as discouragement is, it is the reverse of
presumption. The humble are not surprised by their distress; it leads them to
trust more, to hold fast in constancy.
Daily Devotions
·
Please pray for me and this ministry. Please assist this ministry and purchase my newest book-Be Not Afraid-Courage for the Modern World-Winter 2018
[2]McCain, John; Salter, Mark. Character
Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult
Should Remember
[4]https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/game-changers/your-12-week-plan-get-shape-elk-hunting-season
[5]http://graceonlinelibrary.org/home-family/christian-parenting/49-godly-character-qualities/
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