Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Maximize Your Investment
* Scripture: Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." ( from Matthew 6: 19-20, NKJV)

The Greek work for god is 'theos,' from which we derive our word theology, meaning the study of religious faith, practice, and experience; especially the study of God and of God's relation to the world.
A 'theist' is someone who: believes in the existence of a god or gods; specifically belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of man and the world. Place the letter 'a' in front of 'theist' and we get atheist, which designates a person "without god."
And a lot of arguments!
It is not surprising that questions abound, including these topics that I found on an internet search:

* Top 10 Mysteries of the Mind
* Religion and Medicine Mix, Survey Indicates
* Medical 'Miracles' Not Supported by Evidence
* Prayer Does Not Help Heart Bypass Patients
* Churchgoers Live Longer

Recent advances in technology have enabled researchers to learn more about how the human brain functions. One report described the areas of the brain that are active during mystical or religious experiences. There is no single "God Spot" they say. Rather, the study found that "mystical experiences activate more than a dozen different areas of the brain at once. One of the regions, called the caudate nucleus, has been implicated in positive emotions such as happiness, romantic love and maternal love."
Note the interest in the relationship between medicine, health, and religious experience in the headlines above. The report of one study states:
"Religious attendance is not a mode of medical therapy," said study leader Daniel Hall, a resident in general surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "While this study was not intended for use in clinical decision making, these findings tell us that there is something to examine further."
Hall is also an Episcopal priest.
"The significance of this finding may prove to be controversial," he said. "But at the very least, it shows that further research into the associations between religion and health might have implications for medical practice."
In a telephone interview, Hall speculated that the social aspect of religion could play a role in the results: "There is something about being knit into the type of community that religious communities embody that has a way of mediating a positive health effect," he told Live Science (Ed. note: my internet source.). Perhaps, he said, being involved in a religion "can then decrease your level of stress in life or increase your ability to cope with stress."
Another possibility: "Being in a religious community helps you make meaning out of your life," Hall suggested.
The findings are detailed in the March-April issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.
We also hear and read about the plight of those who are homeless, adrift in the sea of humanity, lonely, depressed, and mostly abandoned by the communities around them. It is a cold, hard fact, however, that many who have homes and 'stuff' in abundance live in a poverty of meaningful relationships, an emptiness, the absence of "happiness, romantic love and maternal love" as noted above.
So - this week think about the religious community to which you belong. Can you place a value on it? In business terms, can you "maximize your investment?" Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.
Keep in mind, also, that the more heavenly treasure you share and give away the more you will benefit.
And you may just happen to fill a gaping void in the life of one who could use a little meaning in their life.
September 3, 2006

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Rich or Poor?
* Scripture: Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . Matthew 6:19-20a, NKJV.

Some of the most interesting words in the English language are spelled with only four letters. The words love and hate convey emotion. Rich and poor typically defines wealth or the absense thereof, but someone could also be in poor health, or rich in blessings.
What do you have? What do you need? If you could have anything you wish, what would you want? Now there are some four letter words to think about!
People who consider themselves to be rich in blessings are probably very much aware of what they have. Wealth and health are nice, but are they the ultimate blessings? Let's get down to the nitty-gritty about things we have, what we truly need, and stuff we want.
Consider the bottom line: Put to the test, what would you, what could you be willing to part with? I have read many commentaries about survivors of disasters stating that they have lost all wordly goods but rejoice that they still have their lives. Survivors count blessings!
Likewise, some who suffer a debilitating accident or illness live to the fullest of their ability. Some, but not all. Who among us are the survivors, and who will sink and go under? We truly do not know until put to the test.
Here are some tests you can try that may help you focus on what you have by giving up some physical attribute for a period of time.
Vision is a blessing, but not all are so endowed. Try doing familiar things with your eyes closed. Can you eat an entire meal, for example, without opening those eyes even once? Take a pair of old or cheap eyeglasses, and mark a black dot in the center of each lens to simulate macular degeneration. Some people have tunnel vision, so curl your fingers to your thumbs, and hold your hands in front of your face like a pair of binoculars. Caution: walking around during these simulations could be hazardous!
Walking. Oh, yes! Plan to spend some time in a wheelchair, using a walker or hobbling about on crutches.
Try doing the simplest of tasks - like buttoning a button or writing - without using your thumb, or while wearing mittens.
Get the picture? If you really, really had to, what could you part with and still be a blessing-counting survivor?
Do you count a loving relationship among your blessings? Someone with whom you can share your blessings, joys and sorrows? Unmeasurable riches!
Now think about the difference between things that you really, truly need, and stuff that you only wish you had!

Count your blessings,
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings,
See what God hath done. - Oatman
June 25, 2006