dallas willard
intro’d via this quote (from spirit of disciplines p 164) – willard heard law:
how rarely are we truly listened to and how deep is our need to be heard.. i wonder how much wrath in human life is a result of not being heard
resonating with the focus of listening to what’s on each heart first.. everyday.. ie: of tech as it could be.. listening to every voice every day via 2 convers as infra
a means to undo our hierarchical listening
_________
notes/quotes (from spirit of disciplines – 1991):
preface
iix
they point out that social and political revolutions have shown no tendency to transform the heart of darkness that lies deep in the breast of every human being. that is evidently true. and amid a flood of techniques for self fulfillment there is an epidemic of depression, suicide, personal emptiness, and escapism thru drugs and alcohol, cultic obsession, consumerism, and sex and violence – all combined w an inability to sustain deep and enduring personal relationships
maté basic needs – almaas holes law – et al – suicide, addiction,.. et al
but if the cure is spiritual, how does modern christianity fit into the answer. very poorly , it seems, for christian are among those caught up in the sorrowful epidemic just referred to
we have to see us not as christians and non christians.. but as every single person (nationality: human).. needing to be listening to.. needing space/time to listen to their own heart.. everyday.. first thing.. so ie: cure ios city.. modern christianity fits only because it involves people.. we don’t need any labels.. let’s just label daily curiosity.. and trust that
ix
what then is keeping christianity from being that guide to life which it alone can be?.. first, it must take the need form human transformation as seriously as do modern revolutionary movements
rev of every day life.. revolution: instigating utopia every day.. et al
second, it needs to clarify and exemplify realistic methods of human transformation.. it must show how the ordinary individuals who make up the human race today can become, thru the grace of christ, a love filled, effective and powerful community
2 convers as infra.. not part\ial.. for (blank)’s sake.. a nother way
what activities did jesus practice? ie: solitude, silence, .. prayer and sacrificial living, intense study and meditation upon god’s word and god’s ways. and service to others
yeah.. but i’d caution the whole language/legible ness as control – focus on what’s already written on each heart.. otherwise.. crazy hierarchy going on .. that false dominion in video below et al..
x
somehow we’ve gotten the idea that the essence of faith is entirely a mental and inward thing.. we have simply let our thinking fall into the grip of a false opposition of grace to ‘wrks’ that was caused by a mistaken association of works w ‘merit’
there is a deep longing among christian and no christian alike for the personal purity and power to live as our hearts tell us we should
yeah.. in all of us.. no need to label christian/non-christian.. we all need space/time to listen deeper.. that’s the cure
xi
so while i write to tech, to add to our knowledge, my ultimate aim is to change our practice radically..
begs we quite ie: writing, teaching,.. and start just being/becoming – graeber model law .. et al
as our meeting place, the disciplines are part of the good news of new life. we should practice them and then invite others to join us there
no need to invite/host.. just listen
xii
the greatest danger to eh christian church today is that of pitching its message too low..
perhaps rather.. thinking we have to pitch anything..
the spirit of the disciplines is nothing but the love of jesus
1 – the secret of the easy yoke
2
we hear them (words to live a better life) often quoted, because the idea they express is obviously one that attracts and delights, but there seems to be something about the way we approach them, something about what we think it means to walk w christ and obey him, that prevents most of us from entering into the reality which they express..
6
we intend what is right, be we avoid the life that would make it reality
7
these responses (turn other cheek et al), generally and rightly understood to be characteristic of christlikeness, were set forth by him as illustrative of what might be expected of a new kind of person – one who intelligently and steadfastly seeks, above all else to live w/in the rule of god.. instead.. jesus did invite people to follow him into that sort of life form which behavior.. such as loving one’s enemies will seem like the only sensible and happy thing to do..for a person living that live, the hard thing to do would be to hate the enemy.. et al
thurman interconnectedness law: when you understand interconnectedness it makes you more afraid of hating than of dying – Robert Thurman (@BobThurman)
9
this book is intended for those who would be a disciple of jesus in deed
hopefully meaning more .. beyond words ness.. than doing over being ness.. [In old age the emphasis shifts from doing to being, and our civilization, which is lost in doing, know nothing of being. It asks: being? What do you do with it? – Eckhart Tolle]
10
the secret describe in these pages has been place w/in our reach
yeah.. already on each heart.. that close to you
2 – making theology practical
18
as i now see it, and as we will discuss, te gospel preached and the instruction and ie given these faithful ones simply do not do justice to he nature of human personality, as embodied, incarnate
already in us.. fittingness..
19
in early 70s.. all of them (protestant churches) had in common a firmly entrenched tradition of scorn for ‘ascetic’ practices such as solitude, silence and fasting..
still ness.. silence.. art (by day/light) and sleep (by night/dark) as re\set.. to fittingness
3 – salvation is a life
31
spirituality in human beings is not an extra or ‘superior’ mode of existence.. it’s not a hidden stream of separate reality, a separate life running parallel to our bodily existence.. it is rather, a relationship of our embodied selves to god that has the natural and irrepressible effect of making us alive.. here and now in the material world.. when our presentation of the gospel fails to do justice to this basic truth.. christianity inevitably becomes alienated from our actual everyday existence.. thru what is in reality an astonishing lack of faith, the church removes itself from the substance of life.. and god is left w/o a dwelling place thru which he could effectively occupy the world un the manner he intends..
this disengagement from the concreted.. embodied existence of ordinary human beings explains why we so rarely find w/in christianity the tangible substance.. of life..
32
we’ve somehow encouraged a separation of our faith from everyday life..
salvation is not just forgiveness, but a new order of life.. we must do nothing less than engage in a radical rethinking of the christian conception of salvation…
33
is it possible that we’e been robed of the words’ true and coherent concepts” is it possible that, thru historical process and the drift of language use to reflect special theological interests, we’ve lost touch w the root meaning of concepts that would make grace and human personality fit like hand in glove .. i believe that is exactly what has happened
which begs we reset ourselves to listening to what is already in our hearts.. rather than the ongoing supposed to ness learned/taught/assumed in ie: written words; spoken words; et al
42
the human body was made to be the vehicle of human personality ruling the earth for god and thru his power.. withdrawn from that function by loss of its connection w god, the body is caught in the inevitable state of corruption in which we find it now..
need a global do-over
4 – ‘little less than a god’
45
who are we humans? why are we here?.. the inability to answer such question si sone of the most striking and troublesome quandaries of being a human.. questions like these do not seize us so long as we are immersed in the life of a strong family/tribe/nation or other social unit.. in such groups we feel sure of who we are and what we are to do.. at least we think we are sure.. but these ties can be broken by education, by social disruption, by emotional alienation, and a myriad of other reasons today..
supposed to’s.. of school/work et al.. making us like whales in sea world
some of us may find relief from the angst thru id ing w sports teams, rock stars, or social movements.. some may resort to the dogmatisms of politics, science, or religion..
marsh label law et al
slogans to inform others/ourselves that we are very sure, of who we are and what we are doing and how we feel about the whole ida of being on this planet.. but it’s all empty bravado, a nervous whistling in the dark of our ignorance and uncertainty about our real nature and our real task in life
45
questions are esp tough.. because we do in fact live in a world in ruins.. we do not exist now in the element for which we were designed..
sea world is not our natural place/space.. begs hari rat park law et al
so in light of that truth, it’s essentially impossible to determine our nature by observation alone.. because we are only seen in a perpetually unnatural posture.. (can’t learn) what we want most to know: what our own nature is, and what the possibilities of our life are..
spot on.. science of whales in sea world.. we have no idea.. data is all illegit
if we want to know what it is to save a human being, to redeem the human soul or personality, we cannot find a better way to begin that by asking: *what did god make when he made us, and how could creatures such as we be at risk and at **loss
*what he made – people he trusted to make their own choices.. to not be told/taught/trained what to do (otherwise we wouldn’t be in this mess.. no?)
**almaas holes law.. the essence of us.. currently missing
46
the distance between the aspiration and the physical realities of humanity.. is life as we know it
how to get us back/to eudaimoniative surplus.. perhaps by augmenting our interconnectedness
47
it is the nature of our conscious life that separates us from other creatures, putting an odd distance between our innermost being and the dust heap we also truly are
begs we get back/to fittingness
we are creatures give such diverse possibilities that they can actually lead us to heaven or to hell
which is evidence of his unconditional love/trust for us.. we are his children and he doesn’t want to lose a single one of us.. yet he made us able to go either way.. he let go of telling/assuming/mandating/coercing/training.. us .. how to live/be.. he gave us the option.. why can’t we do that for ourselves/others.. why can’t we trust that (that lack of trust is what’s keeping us from us.. keeping us bound up in supposed to’s)
51
(on man to rule over the animals.. yet thru communication not thru killing) perhaps our present tendency to have pets and zoos, to be fond of living creatures and domesticate them, and our amazing powers to train and control other creatures on the planet are but dim reflections of the divine intention for us
ugh.. i don’t think so.. i see domesticating and training and controlling.. as cancerous.. to all of us
for peace in the animal world, there would have to be complete harmony and understanding between people.. otherwise animals would be used to make war.. i believe that as things were intended, humanity would have ‘spoken’ to the animals.. directed their lives as needed, in coop w rest of humankind and w god, and that such direction would have been sometimes carried out thru natural law and sometimes thru acts of divine coop.. the world of peace and coop of which humanity now only fitfully dreams would have been a reality
indeed.. an undisturbed ecosystem.. ‘in undisturbed ecosystems ..the average individual, species, or population, left to its own devices, behaves in ways that serve and stabilize the whole..’ –Dana Meadows
and i believe we have the means to get it back.. by augmenting our interconnectedness
ie: 2 convers as infra via tech as it could be..
but we know that paradise was lost.. because it wasn’t governed by a humanity in loving and intelligent harmony w itself and god
52
(on god forming us of dust.. but then breathing life into us.. man became a living being).. the two sides of the great human contradiction, dust and divinity, then are set in place.. human creatures, like all living beings, have a life of their own.. but though that life is moral and short, it is still a life in which we alone among living beings can stand in opposition to god.. in order that we may also choose to stand w god.. if it were not for this ability, we could not fill our part in god’s plan, because we would just be puppets.. and no puppet could bear his likeness or be his child..
huge.. huge.. huge
if he trusted us with choice.. because he didn’t want puppets.. why do we think we can not trust us.. and why are we ok with puppet ness (ie: whales in sea world)
there’s got to be a nother way
53
herein lies the pivotal concept about our nature we need to understand when we begin talk of redemption.. let us try to make this point as clear as possible since everything turns upon it in practical theology
good to make it as clear as possible.. but also unnecessary if we truly free people first.. to listen to .. what’s already on each heart
in creating human beings in his likeness so that we could govern in his manner, god gave us a measure of independent power.. w/o such power, we absolutely could not resemble god in the close manner he intended.. the locus or depository of this necessary power is the human body.. this explains why we have a body at all. that body is our primary area of power, freedom, and therefore responsibility
hmm.. not really responsibility.. that compromises us back to supposed to ness.. rather.. it wakes us up to our fittingness.. which allows free\dom to truly dance.. ie: an undisturbed ecosystem.. ‘in undisturbed ecosystems ..the average individual, species, or population, left to its own devices, behaves in ways that serve and stabilize the whole..’ –Dana Meadows
from the strictly physical pov, we now know that bodily mass is in fact a storehouse of immense energy.. (e=mc^2 et al).. in us some small part of the potential power in our body stands at the disposal of our conscious thought, intention, and choice..
what the world needs most: the energy of 8b alive people
in essence, an individual’s character is nothing but the pattern of habitual ways in which that person comports his/her body – whether conforming to the conscious intentions of the individual or not
hmm.. not sure about habitual.. thinking more spontaneous (because ongoingly listening to our heart).. which gets us to our cure – fittingness
54
the death that befell adam and eve in the moment of their initial sin was also the death of this interactive relationship w good.. the loss of this central closeness as a constant factor in their experience..
holes.. making us whales in sea world.. ongoingly
we now have developed *robots that move about their work area until their batteries run low.. then they internally sense their need for more power and go plug themselves into an electrical outlet and recharge their batteries.. similarly .. so long as men/women remained in touch and harmony w god, they could tap the resources of god’s power to carry out the vast, impossible function assigned to them.. their dominion would be complete and effective w/in the range god intended because their power was used **in conjunction w god’s
**who again.. didn’t use dominion ness to give us an un-option-able faith.. et al.. he trusted/loved us that much
their rule was indeed their rule – their understanding/desire/choice – b tit was exercised by means of a power greater than their own bodies could muster, a power conveyed thru a personal relation w the creator of all things
55
but to understand how such power is possible for us w/in the limitations of our finite bodily being, we must look more deeply in to the nature of life.. and esp at its surprising abilities to transcend itself – to pursue its course by means of a substance that lies beyond it.. our life is of such a nature that it can draw upon the infinite resources of god
affluence w/o abundance et al
5 – the nature of life
56
luke 9:24-25 – what gain to have won world and lost very self
as is so often the case with the statements of jesus, they say nothing about what we ought to do. they simply state how things are.. anything with life in it can flourish only if it abandons itself to what lies beyond it, eventually to be lost as a separate being, though continuing to live on in relation to others.. life is inner power to reach and live ‘beyond’
no ought to’s
59
ruskin proceeds to contrast this ‘true’ life w the ‘false’ life that is possible, and too often reality, for human beings: a false life of custom and accident ‘in which we do what we have not purposed, and peak what we do not mean, and assent to what we do not understand; that life which is overlaid by the weight of things external to it, and i t moulded by them instead of assimilating them’..
wilde not us law et al
she told me that on the weekends she felt as if she had been ‘dug up’ from being ‘buried’ during the week. this graphically expressed the sense that her activities at work were not really hers, that she therefore was dead during that time, only to come to life on the weekends when her activities originated w/in herself
supposed to’s.. of school/work and our need to free all of us.. by listening first thing .. everyday.. to daily curiosity
60
it deniers the inner source, the originative power that is a human life.. and that is why doing so is regarded as dehumanizing..
some persons may indeed try to abdicate their life, disown their spontaneity, seek security by ‘conforming’ to what is outside of them. but they don’t actually escape life or their *responsibility for it.. they only succeeded in appearing ‘wooden’ unlively.. we may know what to expect from them, but we have as little delight in them as they do in themselves..
again .. not so much*responsibility.. as it deadens.. woodens.. et al
ever wonder why we love the frankness, the audacity o the little child.. it’s because a child presents life in an unblushing directness that permits no mistake about its originality
not yet scrambled ness
same for a puppy.. so utterly gratuitous that they could, we think only be evidences of an inward life completely unrestrained. and we love them for it
62
it is the amazing extent of our ability to utilize power outside ourselves (tech et al) that we must consider when we ask what the human being is. the limits of our power to transcend ourselves utilizing powers not located in us – including, of course, the spiritual – are yet to be fully known
mufleh humanity law: we have seen advances in every aspect of our lives except our humanity– Luma Mufleh
let’s try tech as it could be.. listening to every voice/heart.. first thing.. everyday
63
humans are not only wrong, they are also wrung, twisted out of proper shape and proportion
the evil we do in our present condition is a reflection of a weakness cause by spiritual starvation.. when jesus prayed ‘father forgive them for they know not what they do’ he was not just being generous .. he was expressing the facts of the case.. .. st augusitne – the deranged condition of humankind is not, at bottom, a positive fact, but a deprivation.. it is one that results in vast positive evils..
64
in this condition of fundamental lack and disconnection we are describe by st paul as being dead.. a condition that can be displace only when by a new relationship to god we become ‘alive unto him’..
the death of us ness
if the missing element in the present human order is that of the spirit, what then is spirit? very simply, spirit is unembodied personal power
missing pieces.. getting us back/to fittingness (alive w spirit)
67
spirituality is a matter of anther reality. it is absolutely indispensable to keep before us the fact that it si not a ‘commitment’ and it is not a ‘life style’ not a social/political stance.. the essence/aim of spirituality is not to correct social/political injustices.. that will be its effect – though never exactly in ways we imagine as we come to it w our preexisting political concerns.. that is not its us, and all thought of using it violates its nature..
those who worry that unless we act against authority structures our spirituality will accomplish nothing simply do not understand what spirituality is. on the other hand, the authorities will always find the spirituality of jesus and his followers impossible to deal with, for it stands beyond their manipulation and control
69
the bible also informs us that there are certain practices – solitude, prayer, fasting, celebration, and so forth – we can undertake in coop w grace, to raise the level of our lives to ward godliness..
70
but the one lesson we learn form all available sources is that there is *no ‘quick fix’ for the human condition. the approach to wholeness is for humankind a process of great length and difficulty that engages all our own powers to their fullest extent over a long course of experience.. but we **don’t like to hear this..
yeah.. i don’t buy *that anymore.. back to page 62: the limits of our power to transcend ourselves utilizing powers not located in us – including, of course, the spiritual – are yet to be fully known .. we have no idea.. what we’re capable of .. because we keep using tech for wrong things and keep forgetting that our data is from whales in sea world
and i’m thinking it’s more the people who’s (seeming) security/jobs depend on a long fix (aka: the need for training/books/coaching et al) that **don’t like to hear this (that we can indeed leap today)
72
all his (peter’s) most sincere and good intentions, even though specifically alerted by jesus’ prediction and warning of a few hours earlier, were not able to withstand the automatic tendencies ingrained in his flesh and activated by the circumstances..
begs again that we free people (everyone) first.. with a detox embed – and has to be everyone to hasten the detox
6 – spiritual life: the body’s fulfillment
78
we human beings must lead our live before god in an open, adventurous, and reflective manner.. only then shall we find wha tis actually possible for us as physical organisms..
83
my perceptual consciousness is always marked by the specific state of my body. it is the same for every human being – that’s part of our essence
embodiment et al
80
i esp hope that our discussions will have made it clear that we badly err in thinking of flesh as essentially degraded or bad or sinful; the biblical view of grace and human nature does not see it that way..
7 – st paul’s psychology of redemption – the ie
95
is there a life we can examine that would give us insight into the disciplined life?
i don’t know.. perhaps better question.. can we listen deep enough to our own hearts.. to let that be our life.. to trust that.. to trust that he made us to be enough.. otherwise.. we get all caught up in training/teaching/hierarchy/de-humanizing.. et al.. no?
(on following paul’s ie) but quite a bit of time has passed – and many abuses have occurred in the name of spiritual disciplines.. history has so conditioned us today.. that we don’t understand either paul’s practice or the teachings..
perhaps time/abuses et al before paul.. perhaps to get back to ie: the garden – aka: already on each heart ness
96
the apostle paul stands among those few gigantic figures who have shaped the history of the world and made the human mind and spirit what it is.. yet he is an enigma to anyone who sees him only from a modern perspective.. that is true even, or perhaps esp for those who look to him for guidance in their spiritual life
maybe looking to others for guidance in spiritual life is part of the problem.. it’s like ignoring what he has already written on each heart.. it’s like not trusting that intimate message.. that message that is most pure.. most unfiltered.. most direct.. that communication/message that he trusted.. (by giving us choice et al)
97
we are somehow blind to the info that should guide us.. this peculiar blindness causes us to reject from our live what jesus and paul actually did, what they chose to live thru or experience..
perhaps we’re blind to a more pure (less rna‘d) message
reject is not too strong a term.. but not quite accurate.. to reject.. must first consider/analyze it.. but the details of jesus/paul’s daily lives, as opposed to heir commands/instructions, we don’t even seem to consider, such details somehow are irrelevant to any actual *choices we have to make.. we say ‘what does the long period of fasting and solitude have to do w us’.. what happens then, is that all talk of following jesus – or of **paul’s ie of following him – is emptied of practical meaning it does not express an actual ***strategy of living our day to day existence but at most concerns only certain special moments or articles of faith.. this in turn makes it impossible for us to share their experiences and consistently carry thru w behavior like theirs..
yeah.. i think think we’re missing the boat with trying to 1\ focus on *choices we make.. and on 2\ following people.. and **people who are following people.. to make those choices
i think we were made to focus on curiosity over decision making.. beyond ***strategies to live our days – strategies for the day deaden/deafen us to that voice inside
that behavior rested, upon their experiences.. and the experiences resulted from how they arranged their lives.. since we do not share their behaviors, we are left w much talk about them and an occasional application of some of their language to our experiences.. the only way to overcome this *alienation from their sort of life is by entering into the actual practices of jesus and paul as something essential to our life in christ
see.. to me that is a red flag to a huge distrust in how god made us.. that we have to arrange our lives.. and share other people’s behaviors.. that sounds to robotic.. so unalive..
i think the bigger issue is *alienation from the life he entrusted/desires for each one of us.. i don’t think he desires that we ie: copy others’ sort of life.. that results in us spending our days looking to others (writing/teaching/arguing about others’ behaviors et al) rather than to what he has written/coded in each heart..
indy interview via jon
Architects often get lost in creating the image, not the conditions for human development. t
conditions that allow us to listen deeper than rna .. than dna.. making the genotype/phenotype gap et al.. irrelevant
spaces that focus on ie: curiosity over decision making
99
(right after talking about paul’s references to training for a race.. in order to win.. and on paul not having to tell people to fast, be alone, study.. but today we do because) an illusion created in part by our won conviction that our unrestrained natural impulse is in itself good thing and that we have an unquestionable right to fulfill our natural impulses so long as ‘no one gets hurt’.. but thoughtful and religiously devout people of the classical and hellenistic world, from the ganges to the tiber, *knew that the mind and body of the human being had to be rigorously disciplined to achieve a decent individual and social existence.. this si not something paul had to prove or explicitly state..
i don’t know.. dang.. *i think this is huge.. and hugely wrong.. i think we do need to listen to our gut.. over being rigorously disciplined by study et al.. i think the whole ‘if it feels good’ took the idea of listening to our gut in the wrong direction.. much like tragedy of the commons.. saying something (freedom) is bad.. when the evidence given is really illegit data.. from ie: whales in sea world
where have we gotten this idea about ‘doing what feels good’.. drug dependence and *addiction is epidemic because of he cultural imperative to ‘feel good’
dang.. that to me is reaffirming what i just said above.. that we are totally missing the boat with our mis diagnosis of ‘feel good’ ness.. calling it a sin rather than a more legit/direct message we should be listening to.. *addiction is epidemic because we quit listening to our gut/god
dang..
100
if this early, generally accepted assumption about the necessity for disciplining one’s desires and feelings needed any detailing for paul’s hearers.. it could have been amply provided by his own practice and that of other leaders in the young church.. wherever early christian looked they saw ie’s of the practice of solitude, fasting, prayer, private study, communal study, worship, and sacrificial service and giving.. to mention only some of the more obvious disciplines for spiritual life
yeah.. i don’t think disciplining one’s desires and feelings are what we’re supposed to do.. and esp not by copying others.. that just creates copies of people.. people doing things just because they think they’re supposed to
it’s so weird.. in my head.. you’re saying good things.. we need to hear.. but then twisting them up in the very things you’re saying twisted us up in the first place..
101
solitude is the most radical of the disciplines for life in the spirit.. in penal institutions, solitary confinement is used to break the strongest of wills. it is capable of this because it *excludes interactions w others upon which fallen human personality completely depends..
? see.. isn’t *that contradicting yourself..? saying we need to study/imitate others
the life alienated form god collapses when deprived of its support from the sin laden world. *but the life in tune w god is actually nurtured by time spent alone.. it is solitude and solitude alone that opens the possibility of a radical relationship to god that can withstand all external events up to and beyond death
see.. i think that is *all of us.. the problem isn’t if we’re sin laden or in tune.. the problem is that we’ve created environs where people aren’t free to be alone.. in stillness.. et al
loneliness et al
today sustained withdrawal from society into solitude seems to indicate weakness, suffering, flight, or failure rather than great strength, joy, and effectiveness..
1:08 – of let it snow – retreat is survival but you also miss the good.. your life is to be lived.. not put into a neat container to try and control.. it’s not possible.. when life offers you something special.. you take it
102
the emphasis upon self control, which is only attained by extensive disciplined experience, is a constant drumbeat in his (paul’s) life and writings
yeah.. i think we need to let go of that assumed hard won order/control.. and trust god more.. ie: that he made us in his image.. and so.. that we can trust our heartbeat.. our rhythm.. more than some disciplined control..
and that the energy from eudaimonia.. is the intensity of life he desires for us
104
his (paul’s) aim in living this way makes perfect sense once we see the parallelism between physical and spiritual training
yeah.. i’m thinking no train .. no seeking to ‘win’.. is a better way.. a more alive way.. a more spirit filled way.. et al
beat my body to be my slave.. duty to serve..
maybe we’re doing/being all that wrong
114
paul knew this.. his inspiration as a christian psychologist shines most brightly in ro 6-7.. there he deals with how our body and its members are to be transformed into servants of god thru the replacement of habits of sin by habits of righteousness
yeah.. habits..? i don’t know.. i’m thinking not
121
*experience teaches, to the contrary, that almost everything worth doing in human life is very difficult in tis early stages and the good we are aiming at is never available at first, to strengthen us when we seem to need it most..
i think that’s whales in sea world talking/teaches us..
we are not exempt from this rule when we enter the kingdom of grace.. so there’s nothing left to do but accept this psychological fact about human personality and realize that the rigorous form of life mandatory for excellence is the only way in which we can, as paul directs, ‘purge’ ourselves in to becoming a ‘vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work’ 2 tim 2:21. we must accept it and submit ourselves to it, knowing that the rigors of discipline certainly lead to the easy yoke and the full joy of christ
i think we’re missing something critical here.. making us robots .. rather than dancers.. alive people.. in love.. so that by the time we get to that ‘easy yoke and full joy’ we’re so practiced/polished at faking it.. we fool even ourselves..
124
‘holding a form of religion, but denying the power of it. avoid such people’ – 2 tim 3:5
i think that’s what we’re doing.. denying the power.. distrusting it.. so that we have to hold to the form of religion.. to convince ourselves.. falsely
he sees quite clearly that the modern ideal of human freedom and a free society can only find their realization i na proper treatment of the body, to which paul’s insights can show the way
i don’t think proper ness has a part in a spirit filled life
robinson clearly assume that the ‘faith and practice’ of his own denominational communion is adequate to bring about immersion into christ’ body, resulting in that freedom and power in christ that characterized paul himself.. *this is the usual assumption from denomination to denomination.. but the **infrequency of people like paul among out fellow church members should alert us that this hope is in vain.. ***much more is required.. and it is supplied by the ****appropriate program of spiritual disciplines such as paul himself practiced..
*isn’t that what you’re doing with all this ‘paul’ ness..?.. ie: assuming that ****appropriate program ness will get us to a spirit filled life..?
and isn’t there plenty of affirmation/evidence that that is not working.. by the **infrequency of alive people
yeah.. i’m thinking ***requirements are what’s messing with us.. supposed to’s.. killing us
127
this kind of govt by human force, he (paul) saw, could be replaced by a kingdom of truth and love conducted by those indwelt by christ..
that’s still a govt by human force (aka: structural violence et al) .. let go
8 – history and the meaning of the disciplines
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of course the condition of life in god that we seek is not to be thought of as a merely mechanical result. it is a widespread fallacy that careful and thorough prep precludes (prevents) freedom, spontaneity, and personal interaction.. in fact the very person best *prepared for any situation is the one who experiences the greatest freedom and spontaneity in it.. the spiritual life is a life of interaction w a personal god, and it is pure delusion to suppose that it can be carried on sloppily. the will to do his will can only be carried into reality as we take measure to be ready and able to meet and draw up on him in our actions
wow.. such a mix of alive wording with deadening assumptions
i think the best way to prep is to live (by listening to your god given heart.. first thing everyday).. not to prep.. the best way to be prepared for any situation.. is to not prepare for situations.. but rather.. to be alive in each moment.. paying attention to life.. not spending days in prep of something
in the simplest possible terms, the spiritual disciplines are a mater of taking appropriate measures.. to reject them wholesale is to insist that growth in the spirit is something that just happens all by itself
well.. not all by itself.. just not by prep/training.. rather by listening.. everyday.. to heart/him
it is hard to see how any serious disciple of christ could possibly believe that
wow.. how misleading.. exlusitory.. de humanizing.. distrusting.. of the very human beings god has made and trusted..
when a believe does reject them (solitude, fasting, service) he/she must then assume the responsibility of putting other effective activities in their place
wow.. what about letting go.. and just living by/with/in the spirit
it is such ‘automatic’ or unthinking readiness that jesus points us to when he tells us that in our good deeds we are not to let our left hand know what right hand is doing
whoa
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until we have taken the steps to achieve such unconscious readiness, we cannot honestly intend to carry out the good deed..
spirit filled life.. is so not about good deeds..
dang..
perhaps it is at this point that we can appropriately speak of forgiveness of sins. forgiveness comes to those w a new life in them
that’s not unconditional love.. that’s not god.. that’s not ‘natural’ us
it is however fitting with the life of ‘good deeds’ you’ve been describing as a given
yeah.. i think all this studying/rationalizing/strategizing/explaining/preaching.. is what god was worried about in the garden.. the knowledge ness.. keeps us from listening to our hearts.. our direct line to him
9 – some main disciplines for the spiritual life
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disciplines of abstinence: solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy (not letting others know the good you do), sacrifice
disciplines of engagement: study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, submission
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solitude will also pain and threaten our family and friends. jessamyn west comments: ‘is is not easy to be solitary unless you are born ruthless. every solitary repudiates someone’.. others need us to keep their lives in place, and when we retreat, they then have to deal w their souls.. true.. they need god more than they need us, but they may not understand this..
this is why it’s so important that we free everyone first.. with a detox embed (so no one is depending on anyone for that daily convo) .. otherwise we get to 1\ the unethical ness of costello law and 2\ the non sync ness of it not being everyone in the dance
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silence goes beyond solitude, and w/o it solitude has little effect.. henri nouwen observes that ‘silence is the way to make solitude a reality’.. silence and solitude do go hand in hand.. usually..
silence.. be {alone}.. still
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how rarely are we ever truly listened to and how deep is our need to be heard.. i wonder how much wrath in human life is a result of not being heard..
deep deep need.. imagining tech as it could be.. listening to every voice .. every day.. augmenting/detoxing us in our silence/solitude..
in witnessing, the role of talking is frequently overemphasized… silence and esp true listening are often the strongest testimony of our faith.. a major problem for christian evangelism is not getting people to talk , but to silence those who thru their continuous chatter reveal a loveless heart devoid of confidence in god.. as miguel de unamuno says, ‘we need to pay less attention to what people are trying to tell us, and more to what they tell us w/o trying’
beyond words ness.. rumi words law.. et al
why do we insist on talking as much as we do? we run off at the mouth because we are inwardly uneasy about what others think of us..
maté trump law et al
eberhard arnold observes: ‘people who love one another can be silent together’ but when we’re w those we feel less than secure with, we use words to ‘adjust’ our appearance and elicit their approval.. otherwise, we fear our virtues might not receive adequate appreciation and our shortcomings might not be properly ‘understood’..
nothing to prove.. shaw communication law.. et al
in not speaking, we resign how we appear (dare we say how we are) to god. and that is hard.. why should we worry about others opinions of us when god is for us.. but we do..
esse quam videri ness
how few of us live w quiet, inner confidence, and yet how many of us desire it.. but such inward quiet is a great grace we can receive as we practice not talking.. and when we have it, we may be able to help others who need it..
quiet in a room et al
talk\ing ness
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(under fasting) thomas a kempis remarks: ‘whosoever knows best how to suffer will keep the greatest peace’.. persons well used to fasting as a systematic practice will have a clear and constant sense of their resources in god.. and that will help them endure deprivations of all kinds..
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poverty – the rejection of all possessions
poverty.. possessions/property ness
187
the unity of the body rightly functioning is thru guaranteed by the people reciprocating in needs and ministries. there are not ‘oughts’ or ‘shoulds’ or ‘won’t you pleases’ about this.. it is just a matter of how things actually work in the new life
yeah.. ie: and undisturbed ecosystem.. ‘in undisturbed ecosystems ..the average individual, species, or population, left to its own devices, behaves in ways that serve and stabilize the whole..’ –Dana Meadows
but i wouldn’t use the word reciprocating (rewarding kind actions)
10 – is poverty spiritual
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possessions and money cause uneasiness today in the minds of many sincere christians.. they are trouble by the idea that the very possession of surplus goods or money is evil. how, they wonder, can it be right for them to have more than they need when so many do not have the necessities..
194
the idealization of poverty is one of the most dangerous illusions of christians in the contemporary world.. stewardship – which requires possessions and includes giving – is the true spiritual discipline in relation to wealth
whoa
property.. giving.. testart storage law.. et al.. am thinking that money (any form of measuring/accounting) is cancerous to human being
to possess riches is to have a right to say how they will or will not be used.. to use riches, on the other hand, is to cause them to be consumed or to be transferred to others in exchange for something we desire.. .. to trust in riches, on the other hand, is to count upon them to obtain or secure what we treasure most..
ugh.. rights.. et al
no one needs to (or should be) in charge of who gets what.. what we need is a means to for 8b people to listen to their gut first.. everyday.. so that we quit storing up things we don’t need/want
graeber rethink law: people don’t want to rethink everything especially people who have made so many sacrifices in the name of false understanding – David Graeber
let go
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no one can give what they do not possess. if giving is good having is also good – providing one’s spiritual balance is retained. if giving much is good, having much is also good. if giving more is good, having more is also good
ugh.. we don’t need giving ness.. that’s too hierarchical.. exclusionary.. what we need is equity.. everyone getting a go everyday.. which has nothing to do with money (any form of measuring/accounting)
202
our possessions vastly extend the range over which god rules thru our faith
wow
203
possession and right rule over material wealth is a spiritual service of the highest order. and our response must be to develop a ministry that prepares people for that service ..(earlier – 202): charity, social welfare.. cannot even begin to fulfill our responsibilities of children of light to a needy world.. they concern too small a portion of the goods of life.. specifically, they cannot take the place of adequately prepared, godly men and women who will assume the responsibility under god and by his power of owning and directing the world’s wealth and goods.. such mean and women are the only ones who can effectively lead humankind to fulfill its ancient charge of supervision over the earth
dang man..
in fact, the destitution of real poverty would make most of the activities associated with the work of the christian life and ministry impossible..
perhaps that would be a good thing
not against letting go of poverty as a high road.. just against money (any form of measuring/accounting) as it causes us to not be us.. aka: cancerous
205
jesus’ teaching does not lay out safe generalization by which we can engineer a happy life. instead, it is designed to startle us out of our prejudices and direct us into a new way of thinking and acting..
indeed.. everyday.. let go
215
possessions, then, are an extension of the body /self.. for thru them our will and character extend their range.. just as they do thru our tongue, arms, legs.. our possessions increase the range w/in which we can reign in life by jesus and see spiritual power defeat the deadly reign of sin..
dang
as the tendency to sin in the body is not its natural or necessary conditions, so it is w wealth.. wealth is but a part of created reality.. pronounced by god as good..
what ..?
but like the body before redemption the wealth of this fallen world usually tends toward evil. this ‘normal’ tendency can and must be removed thru possession and purification by us, its owners, who live to see it submitted to god.. we must recognize nothing but radical faithlessness and irresponsibility in the pious sounding talk about the holiness of poverty and the evil – or holiness – of riches as such.. riches are not holy,, riches are not evil. they are creations we are to use for god
they are (if talking about money (any form of measuring/accounting) man-made cancers that are keeping us from us
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attitude is all.. when we prosper, we need guidance and grace more than ever
we’re missing the boat of fittingness.. this is such a distraction
217
john wesley’s famous formula – ‘get all you can; save all you can; give all you can’.. must be supplemented: get all you can; save all you can; freely use all you can w/in a properly discipline spiritual life; and control all you can for the good of humankind and god’s glory..
oh my.. control.. is killing us.. and why we haven’t yet gotten to global equity.. aka: back/to an undisturbed ecosystem.. ‘in undisturbed ecosystems ..the average individual, species, or population, left to its own devices, behaves in ways that serve and stabilize the whole..’ –Dana Meadows
218
finally and very importantly for the life of disciplined grace, such nonpossession is not a condition well suited to making provision for others who are destitute. in fact, to make it the esp holy calling is to destroy all possibility of christ’s people guiding the world for the best of all people, which *requires that the godly substantially own and otherwise control the wealth of the earth
dang.. *so pious.. so un christ like.. that’s not how he created the world to be.. he created each one in his likeness.. not some to rule/control others..
11 – the disciplines and the power structures of this world
221
more often than not, faith has failed, sadly enough, to transform the human character of the masses, because it is usually unaccompanied by discipleship and by and overall discipline of life such as christ himself practiced..
rather.. because we’ve lost our shells.. from focusing on discipline ness (the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience) – aka: supposed to’s.. of school/work.. we can no longer hear our gut is what is keeping us from transformation back/to us
222
nothing is really practical in relation to human aspirations for the world if it does not proceed form deep insight into the realities of the human heart and does not call into question the fundamental forces that move human life and history.. and that lack of insight is starkly and constantly revealed by our tendency to as ‘why’ when faced bey the evils people do
why – be cause we’re whales in sea world.. and we keep not calling that into question.. along with all the structural violence et al.. it entails.. perpetuates..
223
why do we ask why.. what is it about our lives that always leaves us astonished and wondering at the evils people/we do.. there is something very deep here to be explored.. for it is closely tied to our *cowlike confidence in banal decency and to our corresponding failure to take appropriately strong measures against evil as it rests in our own personalities and in our world
224
the persistence of evil rests upon the general drift of human life in which we all share. it rides upon a motion so vast, so pervasive and ponderous that, like the motion of the planet earth, it is almost impossible to detect
supposed to’s.. of school/work
225
we delude ourselves about the sustaining conditions of people’s evil deeds because we wish to continue living as we now lie and continue being the kinds of people we are.. we do not want to change.. we do not want our world to be really different.. we just want to escape the consequences of its being what it truly is and of our being who we truly are
i don’t believe.. that.. i believe every soul is craving that difference.. we’re just 1\ too afraid to leap and/because we 2\ can’t really leap with out everyone
226
human wrath is an explosive, unrestrained impulse to hurt/harm. and it is a *fact of life..
rather *responses from whales in sea world
not natural
fear and wrath mingle to form the automatic, overt response of the *’normal, decent human being’ to any person or event that threatens his/her security, status, or satisfaction..
rather.. of the *whales in sea world .. to a truly free human being.. security, status and satisfaction are irrelevant
the level of this deadly ‘readiness’ to do evil in all of its forms is variable from individual to individual, but it is very high in *almost everyone.. it is no mere abstract possibility but a **genuine tendency, constantly at work
rather.. very high in *whales in sea world .. so **non-legit
227
only the common grace of god toward us and the presence in the world of the hs and the *institutionalized church prevent our daily lives,.. from being unbearably worse..
actually.. the institution ness has perpetuated it.. what we need is to reconnect to our interconnectedness.. ie: thurman interconnectedness law: when you understand interconnectedness it makes you more afraid of hating than of dying – Robert Thurman (@BobThurman)
we then must change from within. and that is what most of us truly want .. the repentance in which we pine for our life and world to really be different, the authentic metanoia which christ opens us to *in his gospel.. mark 1: 15; 6:12
rather .. *already on each heart.. we just need time/space to listen deeper
228
holiness is fundamentally, otherness or separateness from the *ordinary realm of human existence in which we believe we know what we are doing and what is going on .. it is the idea of ‘something else’
*aka: whales in sea world
we do need to focus on something else.. ie: gershenfeld something else law .. . for (blank)’s sake
and he (isaiah) burned to be ‘other’.. people who have undergone such *repentance can readily understand the readiness of evil in us all..
*awakening.. from the returning of their shells.. et al
today.. we can get everyone to that point (that burning to be other).. in sync (has to be everyone in sync to work) because we have the means to awaken/return-shells/detox ourselves back to our natural state (of ‘burning to be other’ et al) .. in an instant by augmenting interconnectedness via tech as it could be..
232
how can individual human being se brought to a place where the social structures on many levels.. no longer expect them to do things that are wrong? individual change is the answer, even though many believe strongly the answer lies in social change
238
often, those who work in this way like to think of themselves as ‘radicals’.. they fail to go to the root of social order and disorder, though. the only true ‘radical’ is the one who proposed a diff character and life for human beings
roots of healing .. a nother way
often we are told that the rule of god will be fulfilled in a great act o f violence.. i believe, to the contrary, that the coming rule of god is to be a govt by grace and truth ..it will not be by force, but by the power of truth presented in overwhelming love.. our inability to conceive of it other than by force merely testifies to our obsession w human means for controlling other people
indeed.. let go
239
there is a model for this social organization – the system of judges. moses was advised by his wise father in law to ‘select out of all the people able men who fear god, .. ‘.. to ‘judge’ the people as need required..
let go ‘our obsession w human means for controlling other people’
there’s a nother way.. (not to mention .. that way never worked)
241
for our world today we need not think in terms of the exact numbers and the exact hierarchical arrangement laid down by moses.. the essential point, however, must not be missed. things will go right in human life and society only to the extent that a sufficient number of qualified people are adequately distributed and positioned to see to it that they go right..
whoa.. has to be all of us.. or it’s not unconditional love et al..
thinking in terms of ‘sufficient number of qualified people’ .. so cancerous.. let go
243
christ’s way not yet tried
indeed.. not yet tried.. a nother way
the personnel for such an undertaking has been lacking..
yeah.. (pretty sure he’s referring to those qualified few).. because.. we’ve haven’t yet trusted everyone.. and the personnel has to be everyone.. or the dance will never dance
christianity has not only be ‘found difficult and left untried’ it has rarely been closely enough approached by people even to be found difficult
perhaps.. mostly.. because we keep trying to manage it.. to let some oversee others..
the gospel of the kingdom will never make sense except as it is incarnated – we say ‘fleshed out’ – in ordinary human beings in all ordinary conditions of human life.. but will make sense when.. janitors, storekeepers, carpenters, secretaries, businessmen, an uni profs, bankers and govt officials brim w the degree of holiness and power formerly thought appropriate only to apostles and martyrs..
yeah.. all of us.. in sync.. sans all those labels..
245
this is why the responsibility for the condition of the world in years or centuries to come rests upon the leaders/teachers of the christian church. they alone have at their disposal the means to bring the world effectively under the rule of gold..
wow.. so off.. let go
247
the vision of the prophet jeremiah was that the law of god will become the natural habit patterns of god’s people, written in their hearts, so that one person among them will not need to be taught by another to know the lord – jer 33:33-34
yeah that.. totally that.. no train..
already on each heart
huge
248
the prophet sees the general out line of future facts, not the details. but there always are details, of course. what we are suggesting is that the details of christ’ coming reign consist in the reorganization of society on the model of the ‘judges’
wow.. that’s not adding details.. that’s totally changing the complexion/focus.. that’s changing from trusting everyone (what’s already in each heart).. to .. believing you’re ok.. but others aren’t.. so some few are needed for controlling the untrustable others
wow.. the very next paragraph.. transitioned by ‘the prophet sees the general out line of future facts, not the details. but there always are details, of course’
epilogue
252
this will come down to.. what you do not do.. to how you will manage to step out of the everlasting busyness that curses our lives..
_________
16 min interview – sept 2016
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMocEmIv7xo]
if you want to change.. you have to be specific.. there’s almost nothing that can’t be changed.. esp in the area of grace.. if you just be specific and learn as you go
we have cultivated an understanding of the devotional life .. which leaves life out of it.. so we have a devotional life.. but we don’t have a life of devotion.. it puts us in touch with reality.. putting it into practice.. learning how to put into practice
3 min – spiritual growth doesn’t respond well to guild.. period.. what we have learned to do is try to motivate people.. by guilt.. but guilt is not constructive.. because it is always something that has a negative impact.. so what they come out knowing is.. i ought to do this/that.. but it doesn’t help them find out how
or even that they really should.. ie: supposed to’s.. of school/work et al
a major part of that is finding out why it’s a good thing to do these things.. ie: to share w friends/neighbors; witnessing; giving; .. all out of love..
giving ness.. ugh
5 min – purpose of church – to form a community of love where all bad habits are broken .. so we can trust love.. to make/grow disciples.. this is where the good teaching needs to come in
teaching.. i don’t know.. more like spaces to listen
6 min – repentance is the proclamation for a different world..
see your life as a ministry.. come to know more and more about abandonment to god
free\dom ness
8 min – redemption means to buy us back.. restoring us to god’s intention for us in creation.. live as people created of good
undisturbed ecosystem.. ‘in undisturbed ecosystems ..the average individual, species, or population, left to its own devices, behaves in ways that serve and stabilize the whole..’ –Dana Meadows
redemption takes place by god coming to us through history
? how about thru our heart.. already on each heart.. again.. the need to be quiet enough to hear/see/be that..
10 min – the fall of man is not the beginning of history – have to start w creation if going to make sense of redemption – in our image..
11 min – we are called to be responsible to the earth under god
12 min – it was mistrust of god that got us into trouble..
13 min – horrible things around the world are because of individuals.. hoping to get what they want
aye.. rather.. whales in sea world hoping to get what they want.. because the human beings have holes.. have lost their shells
dominion is built into the human being.. ok if under god.. when not under god.. unsolvable problem..
eternity is not something that starts after you die.. if death of christ were only thing involved in atonement.. could have been taken care of in garden of eden.. but.. in fullness of god’s plan
to me.. that’s him loving us enough to want us to have choice.. not forced/voluntary-compliance.
__________
Dallas Willard spent his life making eternal living concrete for his friends. He encouraged us to use our own lives to demonstrate Jesus’s message. We must be transformed people living out a life reflective of Jesus himself, a life of love, humility, and gentleness. He leaves behind a legacy as friend, philosopher and reformer of the church.
Dallas Albert Willard (September 4, 1935 – May 8, 2013) was an American philosopher also known for his writings on Christian spiritual formation. Much of his work in philosophy was related to phenomenology, particularly the work of Edmund Husserl, many of whose writings he translated into English for the first time. He was longtime Professor of Philosophy at The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, teaching at the school from 1965 until his death in 2013 and serving as the department chair from 1982 to 1985
[..]
His publications in philosophy are concerned primarily with epistemology, the philosophy of mind and of logic, and with the philosophy of Edmund Husserl, the founder of phenomenology. He translated many of Husserl’s early writings from German into English, and is widely regarded as an international authority on the philosopher’s works, which span from the topics of time-consciousness to intentionality and intuition in Cartesian thought.
[..]
Willard believed passivity to be a widespread problem in the Church (loosely summed up in his phrase “Grace is not opposed to effort {which is action}, but to earning {which is attitude}”).
earn a living ness et al.. vs .. fittingness et al
He emphasized the importance of deliberately choosing to be a disciple of Jesus Christ (someone being with Jesus, learning to be like him). An important outgrowth of the choice to be identified as a disciple of Jesus is the desire to learn about activities that aid spiritual transformation into the likeness of Christ.
In this regard, being an apprentice of Jesus (someone being with Jesus, learning to be like him), involves learning about activities that might help one grow in the fruit of the spirit, namely love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Such activities might include spiritual exercises practiced throughout the ages such as prayer, fellowship, service, study, simplicity, chastity, solitude, and fasting. Willard explains the crucial role of engaging in spiritual exercises in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives—a book that was written after In Search of Guidance: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God.
Willard has a recommended reading page on his website listing specific titles by Thomas a Kempis, William Law, Frank Laubach, William Wilberforce, Richard Baxter, Charles Finney, Jan Johnson, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jeremy Taylor, Richard Foster, E. Stanley Jones, William Penn, Brother Lawrence, Francis de Sales, James Gilchrist Lawson, and others.
He was influenced by many, including Jacques Maritain, Aquinas, Augustine, P.T. Forsyth, John Calvin and John Wesley, William Law, Andrew Murray, Richard Baxter, Teresa of Avila, Francis de Sales, Brother Lawrence, and the Rule of St. Benedict.
He served on the boards of the C.S. Lewis Foundation and of Biola University. He also served on the board of the Templeton foundation, and on multiple evaluation committees for the Western Association of Schools and colleges.
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soul keeping by john ortberg dedicated to dallas:
23
‘the most important thing in your life is not what you do’ it’s who you become.. you are an unceasing spiritual being w an eternal destiny in god’s great universe.. that’s the most important thing for you to know about you.. .. you think you have to be someplace else or accomplish something more to find peace. but it’s right here.. god has yet to bless anyone except where they actually are.. your soul is not just something that lives on after your body dies.. it’s the most important thing about you.. it’ is your life’.. dallas
also from soul keeping?.. i must have missed it?
dallas: ‘the reason our souls hunger so is that the life we could be living so far exceeds our strongest dreams.. ‘
s: we are too easily pleased
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be you. 