Darkness & Light

 

The purpose of darkness is to cover up light. The purpose of light is to expose darkness. The two coexist cyclically in the physical (or visual) world, but beyond what we can see with our eyes, they are constantly at war.

Our consciences are the voices inside our heads that tell us right from wrong, and therefore, interpret what we cannot see.

Our minds are like light switches that are wired to our hearts – in order to turn light on within, we must freely choose to flip the switch.  We must learn to engage our hearts, so they can produce the energy required to power the light that brightens our minds.

However, because our consciences reside within our minds as part of our physical bodies, they are also part of the imperfect (or fallen) state of man. This means that over time, if light is not produced within our minds through observation & intentional self-study that is guided by the heart, then darkness will gain a foothold.  When darkness holds the majority within our hearts and minds, the amount of light inside becomes increasingly harder and harder to find…..

For more on Light, check this out!

Search for the beauty within, so that you may find the light that you so desperately desire!

God’s Love Fills the Earth

“The LORD loves what is righteous and just; his constant love fills the earth.”

–Psalm 33:5 (GNT)

In reference to, “his constant love fills the earth,” what exactly is God’s love?  The love that is known by most of us as human beings is not the love of which this verse is referring. This love is an effect of the presence of the Holy Spirit, God’s witness and protector of man. Without it, what would be here to convict us of guilt or show us the good in the world?

We can know the Holy Spirit is present, when we clearly see and participate in the spreading of God’s light. Ways of doing this could include empathizing and forgiving others, remaining objective in social interactions, observing our behavior in order to catch the wrong we are doing and turn it right, so that others might model their behavior after our own, resulting in the incremental “betterness” of ourselves and those surrounding us. These selfless acts, and ultimate spreading of light, can only be attained through the indwelling of a deep agape love in the very core of our beings; in our hearts (or souls).

Therefore, God’s “constant love fills the earth,” by the continued presence of light, hope, and goodness in the world.  His Witness teaches us to love, by compelling us to do what God loves – that “what is righteous and just,” so that God’s love will continue to spread throughout the world, and “fill the earth.”

“The LORD loves what is righteous and just, his constant love fills the earth.”

 

Related:

Who Is The Restrainer? -gracethrufaith

The Key To Happiness -mytwisteddream

——————————————————–

Daily Minutes

When beginning self-study, it can be extremely hard to get through the crucial first step, self observation.  It is our human nature to perform learned behaviors over and over, until what was once new, becomes routine.  For example, take your drive to work.  When you first started your job, you might have planned or experimented with different routes, in order to ensure timely arrival each day.  Once you found a route that suited this need, you probably have not deviated from it since.  Because your ride to work has become second nature, your trip might now include finishing your makeup on days you’re running late, or mentally combating rush hour traffic by way of an audio book escape!

You are able to do this, because after your mind performs the same learned behavior day after day, that behavior eventually becomes a habitual action, requiring no thought whatsoever.  Therefore, your mind is free to focus on other, “more pressing” issues.  Unfortunately, examples of this habitual action are found in many areas of our lives where it should not be – in our marriages, relationships with friends, and in going to church or related events.

Because we have trained ourselves into this mess, we must train ourselves out of it as well.  That is why self-observation is so important.  You must first be able to identify these habitual behaviors, or areas of your life that you’ve set on autopilot.  As a result, your mind will begin awakening to the fact that you do not control certain aspects of your behavior.  Once you’ve identified these “mind tricks,” you will begin to catch yourself prior to their execution, therefore improving your self-control and gaining true self-consciousness.

I hope this document helps you in the observation of your daily actions, so that you might begin to awaken your mind to the world around you.  You do not have to record every single day of your life, but when beginning self study, it is important to understand the areas of your life that need the most work.

Click Here for PDF Document:  DAILY MINUTES (PDF)

Pick something & find beauty in it!

A New ‘About Me’

When addressing God’s Church in Corinth with Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the Church there, Paul advises God’s holy people:

“₁₃ So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit. (alternate translation: ‘…or with words given by the Spirit.’)

“₁₄ Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God’s Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.

“₁₅ Whoever has the Spirit, however, is able to judge the value of everything, but no one is able to judge him.”

-1 Corinthians 2:13-15 (GNT)

Scripture taken from the Good News Translation – Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

I began this blog to promote my etsy shop, hoping that the more “linked in” I was, the more items I would sell. However, my etsy shop did not last long, and the direction my blog has taken since, is completely opposite of its intended purpose!

By continuing on, in this opposite direction, I hope to share the knowledge and peace I’ve acquired throughout my spiritual journey, over the past few years. I will try to recount the lessons I have learned in a way that appeals to everyone – meaning: you don’t have to be a Christian to follow my blog, although I will post Biblical topics from time to time.  My goal is for you as readers, to receive the information you find here, in an objective (“what-if”) manner.

I have learned, if you have the ability to proceed through life with an open mind – able to entertain certain ideas or beliefs, without necessarily accepting them in your heart to be true – you will slowly begin to see the world change right before your eyes.  By “verifying” your beliefs, you are sealing them tight as unbreakable truths within your being, and will grow stronger with each answered question, fitting them all together as pieces of the larger puzzle we call life.

I’m a huge verifier. I have always asked “why” about everything – school rules, government laws, religious beliefs, etc. This outlook on life allows me to entertain other people’s values and beliefs, and how they relate to mine, without accepting them as my own. As mentioned above, I’m slowly putting together the pieces of my puzzle (or my purpose in this world), and hope that by sharing this journey, you might also gain the ability to rethink the “facts” you currently accept as “truths.”