Life

The new concept I am thinking deeply these days is "life". The examination of what makes life different from consciousness. What is life and when is life considered life? Is life definable by having the biochemistry of a cell or an organism/plant work together and make it functionally meaningful. Or, is it the realization of the fact that life means when you can do things be it just to live or do something tangible. Where does life exist. Is it just a term to define what lives or is it more. Still thinking.......

Opposite of Faith is not Unbelief

Recently I happen to listen to a catholic priest, a Jesuit from Rome's inner circles I guess, talk about faith on a early Sunday morning radio interview. Kind of liked his novel thought about faith. He said that the opposite of faith is not unbelief but proof. Yeah, it made me think awhile and if you think deeply, it does make sense. How many times our faith is based on 'He said, She said', etc., rather than our own experience. Given, many of us apparently don't get those experiences. But what I think the problem perhaps is is, it is not that we don't experience it, it is our inability to perceive and articulate it.

So....how do we perceive it?
Keep searching for the cues and you will find it come to you BIG and CLEAR.

How do we articulate it?
Just use plain language but use words that try to reflect the exact perception than making it up. Its far more believable and sustainable if its from your heart and believe me other people can easily find it out.

God and Investments

Do you think these 2 are connected? God and Investments! Well, read on.....

Look at the close similarities between them:
Most people don't know about either, in a deep way.
Many self help books and gurus are available.
Still no one or no book agrees to any one unitary success formula.
We fall in traps when we set out our journeys lead by gurus and we get stung taking steps forward but invariably we feel we did not move up much.
But out of serendipity good things happen about which you don't have any clue.
We attribute our understanding based on the successes we experience.
After this successful experience you think you have got this figured.
Then you start to be the preacher/advisor.
Yet, no one is able to mimic your success anywhere close to yours.
Before they demand explanation from you again, you are gone....
The cycle continues.

But the bottom line is this: The more you learn about either one, the more you realize your ignorance.

I waited a day...it was February already

Yesterday I wanted to update my blog, but did not. A new month did not wait for me just because I had excuses for not updating. Several events have happened in the last month or two about which I like to share a thing or more. Life became overwhelming during many occasions. One thing I noticed was that again time did not wait but it did cure some of its effects. Time is precious, so its prudent we keep a careful eye on it because we are accountable.

Leaky Water Bucket

Every one may know well that we are asked by God to give praise and glory to Him every time we receive blessings. Its not that God gets a kick out of ego rattling when we do that. He does not certainly get any mightier or bigger because of our actions of praise to Him. In other words, He is not asking us to take our small buckets up the mountain with water (praise and glory) to fill His trough. If you really think about it, actually its we who need His water (power) to fill our leaky buckets on a continuous basis.

One Bright Late Summer morning in September

Setting: A Nice late summer Sunday morning in Dublin, Ohio! September 13th! Temperature about 60 degrees Farenheit, Clear sky.
Event: Inaugural service for Vineyard Sawmill Campus (in other words this campus is right across our home)
New experience: Personally this is very unique to me. Normally people search for a church they can go to. But the church we go to, came to our doorstep today. I just feel in my heart that God has something that he wants to open in our lives here. Little over 3 years ago when we bought this house we never knew that we will be going to this church called Vineyard on a regular basis. But we did eventually. We never knew they will open a campus elsewhere. But they did. We never knew that it will be in our neck of the woods. But it was right across our home. Can this be just another case of weird coincidence. I am forced to think otherwise because there is something visceral or rather supernatural about this chain of events.
Lesson: Open your heart and He will change your lives.
More on this ..... later!

Lessons about life

Sometimes we go through times that are too busy or you feel very low or gullible of guilt of something or just plain lazy. I think its simply normal to experience all of the above and more!! But I found, the way to come around these is by surrounding yourself with things that bring sanity. Examples of 'things of sanity' are reading inspiring words(books), listening to comforting and uplifting music, just a walk by yourself to a place you have never gone before, etc. etc.

All the time, upbeat or down, we unknowingly keep pursuing something!! We all know that success is mostly measured not by the means but by the ends. But whether the intended ends were achieved or not, it is less critical when you consider the important lessons you learn along the way. One should never ever forget the lessons. Its a nice idea to maintain a journal and reviewing it.