A dime for my thoughts on books i've read

All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 133)

2008-02-27T04:39:00.000-08:00

Now there is no doubt that the prayer of quiet, that a certain formless recollection and loving feeding upon the sense and presence of God, of God, as here and now, is a most legitimate prayer.

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 132)

2008-02-22T04:25:00.000-08:00

The Prophet's words, "The man at prayer is in secret converse with his Lord," are only to be predicated of that inward knowledge which belongs solely to pure souls that are abstracted and free from events in time and directions in space: they contemplate God intellectually, and behold Him with spiritual not corporeal vision. It is thus evident that true prayer is spiritual contemplation, and that pure worship is spiritual Divine love.

By Avicenna

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 131)

2008-02-16T01:10:00.000-08:00

As down in the sunless retreats of the Ocean,
Sweet flowers are springing no mortal can see,
So, deep in my soul the still prayer of devotion
Unheard by the world, rises silent to Thee.

By Thomas Moore

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 130)

2008-02-14T05:26:00.001-08:00

I have quitted all forms of devotion and set prayers but those to which my state obliges me, and I make it my business only to persevere in His holy presence... an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with God.

By Nicholas Herman (Brother Lawrence)

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 129)

2008-02-06T04:08:00.001-08:00

He who has no prayer free from his thoughts has no weapon for battle. By prayer I mean the prayer which is constantly active in the innermost secret places of the soul.

By Hesychius of Jerusalem

Christians tend to forget to pray especially in times of happiness when one is engulfed in festive season enjoyment, holidaying, weddings and many many more.....I don't know about you, those will apply to me personally. I try to find some time to pray and i will continue to try in times of happiness, sadness, trials and temptations.

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 128)

2008-01-27T02:22:00.002-08:00

He who has no prayer free from his thoughts has no weapon for battle. By prayer I mean the prayer which is constantly active in the innermost secret places of the soul.

By Hesychius of Jerusalem

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 127)

2008-01-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

If we can speak to our Lord, let us speak to Him, praise Him, beseech Him, listen to Him; if we cannot, because we are hoarse, let us remain in His chamber, and pay Him reverence; He will observe us there, regard our patience, be pleased with our silence.

By St. Francis De Sales

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 126)

2008-01-20T00:39:00.000-08:00

We have never made a better prayer than when, after having made it, we do not know how it was made, since that is a sure sign that our soul was so attached to God as not to have had enough attention left to reflect upon itself.

By Pere Hayneuve

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Will you please ROAR louder!

2008-01-17T04:59:00.000-08:00

I have been roared at by Shelly . I'm supposed to be giving three writing tips but it seems that the very moment i try to concentrate to write, my hands just wouldn't barge. But since, its my best blogging buddy whom has tagged me in this game, i will still try to play along.

Writing Tips:
Tip 1 : Many years ago, i used to learn this other language - Japanese. At first, i was eager and glad that i picked up this language and i managed to go through the first level though...but here comes the problem, once one do not practise at all, that language will be forgotten and its just the case for me, i forgot on how to speak but still can remember some parts of the language only. Hence, practise, practise, practise....

Tip 2 : Along the way while learning the above new language, there were language obstacles that one will have to clear in order to advance further. Obstacles of shyness can hinder as if you don't speak out, you'll never learn to speak properly. Hence, there are obstacles that we need to clear if we were to sit down and write, obstacles like time, space, commitments can hinder us and prevent us from writing. Put your priorities right and you'll be on the right track again...

Tip 3 : When we are over-confident in ourselves and think that everything that we write or say is always correct or right. We should not be boastful but at times should admit the mistakes that we made along the way like if someone were to give you constructive critism, i think we should be humble and accept it.

Well, here is my 3 writing tips. But as i do not have alot of blogging friends, i will leave it to my readers to decide whether they would like to pick up this challenge.

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 125)

2008-01-17T04:33:00.000-08:00

When we dispute over dogmas we are divided. But when we take the religious life of prayer and contemplation, we are brought together. The deeper the prayers, the more is the individual lost in the apprehension of the Supreme.

By Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

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My first challenge

2008-01-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

I was both pleased at how i could try my skill in writing a very short story working from what my dear newly aquainted blogging friend - pinhole . This renewing of an old challenge is quite fun and i'm glad to be part of it. Hence, this is how i will start from the challenge in bold:

She couldn’t place the accent; it was thick, yet, undefined. Suddenly, from just hearing those voices again brings her back to their usual place where they will just sit and chat about whatever that comes into their minds. Naruto was a brilliant young fellow and has come to know Yuki through some odd circumstances. Naruto’s car couldn’t brake properly in time and somehow it hit someone crossing the street in the busy part of Shinjuku, Tokyo, where youngsters will hang around trying to find their identities with their so-called peers. Yuki was shopping happily after she got her first paycheck and was preparing to cross the zebra crossing when Naruto’s car came speeding towards her direction. By the time, Yuki was awake, she was injured so badly that she needs to sit on the wheel chair for some time to recover. Naruto had felt rather cross with himself and at the same time couldn’t forgive himself as well. He seems to be trapped in those feelings but it was Yuki that brought him out of those terrible thoughts that seems to embrace him whenever he thinks back about the incident that happened back then.

Naruto was a wonderful science student, graduated from a well-known university in Japan, but one fateful day everything seems to have worked wrongly for him. He was in a middle of an experiment when there was a sudden earthquake, it shattered everything that was inside the lab and Naruto was trapped inside the science lab. He was rescued thereafter but it changed his life every since that incident, he was able to read another human being’s mind. It all seemed pretty strange to him but he liked it in that he was able to read and act according to what the other human’s likes or dislikes. All the while, when Naruto was enjoying his new found powers, a dark sinister shadow lurks nearby watching, yearning to have this young fellow to be under his tutorage. Nowadays, Naruto has been having this nightmare that seems to haunt him forever. At times, he will wake up sweating profusely as if the dream was so real. This night, was no different from other nights, the same dream happened again, he was sweating again and was awaken from his dream. “Are you alright, N’to San?” asked poor Yuki whom was laying beside him on the bed. Yuki was really worried sick from the many nightmare episodes that Naruto was having lately, but whenever Yuki asks on details of his dream, he would change the subject or stare blankly into the ceiling. “I’m fine, Yuki”, answered Naruto, as he was able to sense the frightened Yuki and from reading her thoughts sounding out to him. “Its my work, I’ll be alright after my busy deadline is over”. But Yuki could feel that Naruto is undergoing some change in his sleeping patterns. While they were dating in their early days, he would sleep pretty early, but now he seems to be sleeping less than 8 hours than a normal human being needs. He would go to sleep at the strike of midnight and his nightmares will pursue him till he wakes up drenched in his sweat. Amazingly, he doesn’t look the least tired the next day and continues his life like nothing has happened the other night. One morning, Yuki was waking up from her bed and was heading straight to the toilet when she saw something that made her want to puke. Naruto was fishing the goldfish from the fish tank and eating them raw. Yuki rushed to the toilet and vomited into the white basin, suddenly she could feel her goose-bumps raising and Naruto was beside her by the basin. Somehow, Naruto with incredible speed was able to come to her side without her knowing it. Yuki screamed and fainted there on the spot. Yuki could feel herself being carried over to the bed and gently laid her onto the soft bed, her mind was quickly filling up with those happy days together with Naruto, how they will sit by one another and staring into those deep blue sky. All so sudden, she could feel someone calling out her name. “Yuki……Yuki…….”. She opened her eyes and images of Naruto hungrily eating up those poor goldfish makes her nausea again, she knows that she has to get out of this room but her legs and body just didn’t seem to obey her at this time and somehow that thick and yet undefined accent came ringing through the air towards its recipient – HER!!!

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 124)

2008-01-12T05:02:00.000-08:00

When one says to the great Thinker: "Here is one of thy thoughts: I am thinking it now," that is a prayer - a word to the big heart from one of its own little hearts.

By George Macdonald

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 123)

2008-01-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

Prayer enables us to disregard self, and it allows us to become disentangled from the trammels of egotism. In prayer as in nothing else we can find refuge from the degradation of self-love.

By William L. Sullivan

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All about Prayer - M for Meditation (Part 122)

2008-01-01T05:10:00.005-08:00

Prayer is a fundamental style of thinking, passionate and compassionate, responsible and thankful, that is deeply rooted in our humanity and that manifests itself not only among believers but also among serious minded people who do not profess any religious faith.

By John Robinson

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The Movie - National Treasure - The Book of Secrets

2007-12-27T04:05:00.000-08:00

This day, i had this mood for watching a movie and went to the local cinema. I was deciding on which movie to watch, its either the National Treasure, the book of secrets (with Nicolas Cage) or I am Legend (with Will Smith). Finally, i chose to watch the National Treasure, the book of secrets which is i guess on par with the earlier release of National Treasure. The cast is more or less the same with the exception of Ben's mum coming into the movie. Ben's mum is a teaching professor and is a expert in translating old Columbia times symbols. With the help of his whole family and Ridley Pool, they managed to discover the hidden Golden City.

At the end of the movie, both Ben and his wife was reconciled because of their differences which they have ironed out during their quest which applies the same to his divorced dad and mum. Ridley Poole got his red Ferrari back as a gift from the President of the White House. Ben Gates ancestry name was cleared of the bad publicity and was accorded as the founders of the new national treasure.

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All about Prayer - G for Grace (Part 121)

2007-12-25T18:47:00.000-08:00

I prayed to Earthmaker. And as I prayed I was aware of something above me, and there He was! That which is called the soul, that is it, that is what one calls Earthmaker.

By Winnebago Indian prayer

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All about Prayer - G for Grace (Part 120)

2007-12-23T02:15:00.001-08:00

Prayer is the constant feeling (the recognition) of our infirmity or spiritual poverty, the sanctification of the soul, the foretaste of future blessedness, the angelic bliss, the heavenly rain, refreshing, watering, and fertilizing the ground of the soul, the power and strength of the soul and body, the purifying and freshening of the mental air, the enlightenment of the countenance, the joy of the spirit, the golden link, uniting the creature of the Creator.

By John Sergieff of Cronstadt

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All about Prayer - G for Grace (Part 119)

2007-12-18T04:20:00.000-08:00

Do not our prayers for help mean : Help me to be better than I know myself to be...to do this thing that I am doing better than my own limited capacities would permit without help...to restrain my passions about the flare...to discipline me toward that wisdom which is more than knowledge. Help me to kindle and rekindle the divine spark of love...to find the fortitude by which I may endure this sorrow, frustration, injustice, or disappointment. God help me to know, love, and trust in God and to perform his particular will for me.

By Dorothy Thompson.

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All about Prayer - G for Grace (Part 118)

2007-12-15T04:46:00.000-08:00

In rational prayer the soul may be said to accomplish three things important to its welfare: it withdraws within itself and defines its good, it accommodates itself to destiny, and it grows the ideal which it conceives.

By George Santayana

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All about Prayer - G for Grace (Part 117)

2007-12-05T05:29:00.000-08:00

Be not forgetful of prayer. Every time you pray, if your prayer is sincere, there will be new feeling and new meaning in it, which will give you fresh courage, and you will understand that prayer is an education.

By Feodor Dostoevsky

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1Peter Chapter 1 - 2:3

2007-12-02T01:06:00.000-08:00

I was again asked to teach on the books of the bible and this time round, i was teaching 1Peter Chapter 1 - 2:3. It was the writings of Peter and its audiences was targetted at Christians suffering for the noble cause of being a true christian following Gods ways but troubles seems to be coming from all directions, their neighbours and government authorities. Peter wrote to these Christians to encourage them, explain to them why suffering occurs, and to remind them of their eternal reward at the end of this earthly life.

I started with the class doing a exercise of wrapping a cloth which is a towel around their waist, explaining to them that in Peter's time, somewhere in the Middle East area, typically the people will wear cloaks to work and hence, they will fold it to the waist area securely so that it doesn't fall off while working. Hence, Peter uses this example in verse 13 where one must gird up the loins of the mind, be sober, and rest our hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Be ever ready and be holy as He is holy, while we also ran through some old testament scriptures (Leviticus 20:7-8)to prove that He is holy and asks that his people to be holy too and who sanctifies (who sets you apart)you as well.

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All about Prayer - G for Grace (Part 116)

2007-11-29T04:14:00.000-08:00

The Lord is Here.

Let us in the stillness of our hearts, pray that we may have the consciousness of His presence and listen to His voice.

Let us in the stillness of our hearts, pray that God will reveal to us the things that hinder our peace.

Let us in the stillness of our hearts, pray that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit, and empowered to witness fearlessly against evil.

Let us in the stillness of our hearts, pray to be conscious of what is means when we say, "Thy Kingdom come."

By Michi Kawai

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All About Prayer - G for God's Will (Part 115)

2007-11-22T04:22:00.000-08:00

My spirit bare before Thee stands;
I bring no gift, I ask no sign,
I come to Thee with empty hands,
The surer to be filled with Thine.

By Dora Greenwell

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All About Prayer - G for God's Will (Part 114)

2007-11-17T00:37:00.000-08:00

He who prays must commit himself and his wants to the transforming power of God. He must seek what is genuinely the greatest good and not merely the specific things which will satisfy his present wants.

By Henry M. Wieman

Who doesn't want to satisfy his or her needs or wants? We are all human beings, we are not angels or perfect beings, we are born of flesh and blood, we want to satisfy our cravings for our needs and wants. I long to have the best this world can offer, look at the TV commercials, aren't they kept on advertising that the "The Sky is the limit"? Everyone is chasing their own dreams, the best of this world can offer. Are they wrong in doing so? I want the best that is for me and only for me, i want the best Handphone there is available, the best Car that is available, the best Housing that is available, the best girlfriend that is available, the best friends that is available and so many and the list goes on.....

Oh well, mankind can have no end in satisfying their desires, needs and wants. That was how i behaved in my old self, now with this new self, i try to live within my means, trying everyday to selflessly deny this self but trying to live a life worthy of the Lord's calling. God help me this pitiful soul to carry his cross daily and look to thee for strength and power.

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All About Prayer - G for God's Will (Part 113)

2007-11-11T04:55:00.000-08:00

Spread out your petition before God, and then say, "Thy will, not mine be done." The sweetest lesson I have learned in God's school is to let the Lord choose for me.

By Dwight L. Moody

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