Longevity

Thinking about what matters, one pauses to contemplate the soul and the eternal values – Pete’s quotes.

Organization

There is a book I saw, a children’s version perhaps, called The Seven Deadly Sins. The cover had a knight fighting off the snake, a picture of fighting off the primeval temptation that comes to everyone. There is also something called The Seven Heavenly Virtues which I thought is a great way to organize behaviour. -Pete’s Quotes

Time out

Sickness can be a time for reflection – Pete’s quotes

Break out

Breaking out of the musical diary rut…

The outlook is better

How does one respond to recent events such as the last three years? One mustn’t blame. It was his fault or someone’s fault. But if one survived and can see an opportunity in the mess, then one comes out with a better outlook and attitude than without. Adversity can make one see life anew. If one finds trouble, one adjusts their temperament to survive. One does not give up but can turn over with a view to stay alive and live. One can even think about how they relate to the Creator: what is my relationship with the Creator of the world like? How can I draw closer to God during adversity?

Genesis chapter one: God and creation

MEDITATION. I heard someone say where is God in today’s world which has gone to custard? If God was the creator, has he left us now? Is God an absent landlord?

Looking at how God created the world according to Genesis chapter one, shows God made an investment in creating the world like a caring father makes an investment in attending to his sons and daughters. Why would God change?

Humans and creatures exist side by side

MEDITATION. Genesis 1:20-31: God created the creatures of the sea and the earth, and then God created human beings in God’s likeness.

I look at this passage and see that God does not let the creatures roam and the human beings to exist by them uninvolved. I see that humans and creatures are always in relationship somehow. In this, God does not take for granted how we interact, be that creature to creature, human being to creature and human to human.

Another week of songs

August 21st—August 28^th, 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002, 2012. The session opened with Neil Diamond’s Heartlight which was a beautiful way to begin the session, but the next song on the album fell short in my estimation.

Life imitates art?

If an artist spends a lot of time alone, does the artist have time for people, or do artists obsess over art? And does the worth we want to convey in our art somehow diluted by our neglect of real life, people and life’s concerns? I would like to think not.

Paused

To do research.

For?

Whatever. Just like to research.

A particular interest of yours?

No, just research.

Any research in particular?

Um, yes.

What?

Annuals. Years in review.

You seem hesitant about telling me more.

What happened in 2020. I got to find out more.

Why?

We paused. I mean, there was more to it, wasn’t there?

I guess there was.

But what?

I don’t know. I wish I knew. Do you mean some sort of sign?

No. A brush with something.

I don’t try and find meaning in events. It’s too unknown.

But I do.

Why?

Because I just do. There must be more to this. The things we see.

The parameters.

That we put on life.

You want to see more.

Yes. I look for more.

What do you see now?

Tragedy. But I’ve never heard it said that way. It’s all been called death. Can anyone articulate why we can’t say it some other way? We’re too numb.

How would you say it?

I can’t. I just can’t. It’s like we can’t express the feelings behind compassion. We just say facts.

You feel deeply.

Yes, I do. I feel deeply.

The art in it all

The writer and the artist are names that can be used interchangeably, in terms of function– the purpose is to create, using kinds of media and materials–and in style–to ‘stylize’ and place, for an effect, which can include journalism, in terms of how elements of art are embedded in journalism, such as flow.

Moments that matter

It’s great to read an old article of mine. What somebody said in it are quite simply words of wisdom and even encourage me today. I think that anyone who enjoys reading, will find that the stories and articles that they look back on, can still resonate, years later. It’s like those pleasant surprises one finds in the attic and the basement; a long lost card or report that surprises one and causes a most pleasant feeling to come over you.

What happened to the second person in the godhead when Jesus (the Son of God) came to earth?

I have put on a song called “Endless” that was released in 1994 and is sung by a Christian musician named Eric Champion. The song is about God’s endless love. It got me thinking about the godhead.

As I listened, I may not know a lot about God’s love, but I got to thinking about the godhead, that I believe God is three persons in one, and are bound together by love. But I have a question.

Grist to the mill

I have seven devotional ideas to write into devotions, with probably more inspired by my readings each day. I don’t like to have devotional ideas on the back burner, because I like to have nothing devotional pending on any given day. Ideally, I like to write a devotion a day based on being inspired by my Bible reading that day! But I have seven devotions pending…Is there such a thing as being over-inspired? It’s nice to start on a blank page. With nothing to call a “workload” or “catch up”. But I’m not complaining about that. Grist to the mill!

These two verses make better sense with an explanation

I find it interesting that a verse on giving is juxtaposed with a verse on not judging others. I don’t know why this would be, but a Bible scholar may have more insight into why this is the way it is, as the two verses seem contradictory. Why these seemingly two unrelated verses together? There must be an explanation, so I put both verses together in context, to arrive at a meaning, which may or may not be the original meaning, but sounds nice all the same. And it makes sense to me, despite the two verses being out of joint on the surface of things.

Here are the two verses, from the gospel of Luke, chapter six, v. 37-38.

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (NIV)

Does it all make sense to you, in context? My guess is that it may mean this: Instead of judging others, give to others. Do quality giving, not quantity judgment. Give to those you’ve judged in some way.

Good proverbs for living

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
 when it is in your power to act.
 28
 Do not say to your neighbor,
 “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
 when you already have it with you.
 29
 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
 who lives trustfully near you.
 30
 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
 when they have done you no harm.
 31
 Do not envy the violent
 or choose any of their ways.
 32
 For the Lord detests the perverse
 but takes the upright into his confidence.
 33
 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
 but he blesses the home of the righteous.
 34
 He mocks proud mockers
 but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
 35
 The wise inherit honor,
 but fools get only shame

(Proverbs 3:27-35, New International Version)

Submit everything or only the best?

Rejection seldom takes a writer well, but taking it on the chin can be enlightening. Personally, I would like to see all of my articles etc. published. But this is unrealistic. One, my article may be inappropriate for the readers although on its own merits stands. Two, not everything of mine should be published. Why? Simply because some of my pieces may be better than the others. So, when something is rejected, it’s not as good as the other pieces.