The power of God to use unlikely and sometimes seemingly powerless people to exemplify His will should never be underestimated, including using the strength of women in contests of physical strength, wit, maneuverability, cunning and determination vis-a-vis more culturally and physically powerful men. We, meaning humans anywhere, being creatures of God, the Creator who can use any of us, from the most destitute and hounded to the most powerful and honored, male or female, young or old, frail or strong, for His means and His ends, and in the process award any one of us, if not many or some, with His badge of honor, when the time comes and the Lord Almighty so designates.
Sunday, March 2, 2025
The Lesson of Deborah and Jael
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Wind
Remembering the passage in the Bible, particularly in the Book of Mark, about the woman who touched the cloak of Jesus, and was healed from her serious illness as a result of this faith, there is a lot in today's 21st century world that we could learn from this woman. She showed us that faith can take us a long ways when we perceive ourselves to be in desperate times or situations, and that reaching out to Jesus in times of need or even in the moments when we take time out, or need to, to reflect on the Glory of God and praise Him for all His Greatness, will lead us to our greatest goals, to the most awesome of wonders, and enable us to overcome the most challenging of obstacles.
In essence, we would have the strength to push forward through the spirit of God, as those who wonder where this strength is coming from would be amazed that those who may seemingly have so little to offer, or come from the most bleakest of backgrounds, are suddenly pushing through the storms of life with amazing fortitude or winning contests thought unwinnable. The wind is at our backs if only we would strive to touch the Lord's cloak.
In essence, we would have the strength to push forward through the spirit of God, as those who wonder where this strength is coming from would be amazed that those who may seemingly have so little to offer, or come from the most bleakest of backgrounds, are suddenly pushing through the storms of life with amazing fortitude or winning contests thought unwinnable. The wind is at our backs if only we would strive to touch the Lord's cloak.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Vanishing Act
Much of today's entertainment is detrimental to
the young generation: the coarseness, foul language, degrading depictions and
words, the propensity for bullying and aggression, and the outright disrespect
for anybody perceived as lesser, inferior, or not belonging, though innocent as
a flower. This is what goes for much of youth entertainment, or entertainment
in general for that matter, and then we have the gall to wonder why civil
society is in a tailspin. Traditions have been lost. It used to be that
parents and adults wouldn't tolerate foul language from youngsters, tawdry
entertainment across the board would be banned for minors, and ethics and
morality played an integral part in our schools. Not anymore in this anything
goes/"whatever" society that has been fostered by negativism, cynicism and
apathy. Until we can return back to our best traditions, a general
coarseness and non-civility may well continue to be an albatross around our
nation.
Traditions and a sentimental possession: great memories, lost dreams, but they can rise, again.
Post-script: I recovered my great possession, today, March 19, 2015, which was written about more thoroughly in the pre-revision post!
[Originally published on Almanac as "Lost Traditions, Lost Possession" on March 17, 2015; revised on 3/19/15.]
Traditions and a sentimental possession: great memories, lost dreams, but they can rise, again.
Post-script: I recovered my great possession, today, March 19, 2015, which was written about more thoroughly in the pre-revision post!
[Originally published on Almanac as "Lost Traditions, Lost Possession" on March 17, 2015; revised on 3/19/15.]
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Reflections from a Half a Century Ago
From Leo's Maxim (Memoirs & Poems), originally published on November 16, 2013:
(The written statement by Ellen Greene, theologian, referred to in the paragraph above, is paraphrased.)
Sometime in 1964, I told Mom (Ellen Greene) that I wanted to be a politician. As an altar boy at that time, she had hoped that I would be a priest instead, nonetheless, about a week or two later, we went to Hudson's Department Store in Detroit where she bought a pictorial book about the Presidents of the United States of America, and she inscribed the words "To a future president, my son Mark."
(The written statement by Ellen Greene, theologian, referred to in the paragraph above, is paraphrased.)
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Stronger Than Mountains
The Bible says that faith is stronger than mountains, so we must keep faith no matter what, because sooner or later almost everybody faces some trial or stern test. Our closest friend or friends may desert us, we may come to devalue ourselves after some humiliating loss, or many losses, we may suffer physically or mentally, and even our belief in God may be tested sometimes, but despite all we must endure, as the Apostle Paul reminded us to do. In politics, it is faith that could lead activists and politicians to do what's right and moral even in the face of apathy or unpopularity. That's not the easy path, but we have to remember what are we in politics for: to improve society or for self-gain and glory? Or for all of those? We need not ask which is the better answer, because we know very well the answer that Jesus gave us.
[revised on 11/25/13]
[revised on 11/25/13]
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Culture Matters
"Hollywood's" slide to debauchery -- and we use the word "Hollywood" broadly, since a lot of this degeneration comes from outside of technical Hollywood -- has been long and profitable to the participants of some of the most disgusting and degenerate movies imaginable, as these movies (or CD videos, now) have infiltrated American culture for decades -- to our nation's regret. It's not just movies or videos, but other so-called entertainment as well, such as heinous language in music. As a result, morals have been undermined in our society, and moral decay and crime has skyrocketed. As long as the sleazy and seedy writers, directors and producers continue to get money from this decimation of the mind through the dissemination of the most outrageous sleaze, and as long as the American public enables them by paying for or seeing this stuff, the ongoing deterioration of our culture will continue unabated.
[revised on 7/30/2013]
Copyright 2009 - 2013, Party of Commons TM
[revised on 7/30/2013]
Copyright 2009 - 2013, Party of Commons TM
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Arrogance Vrs. the Golden Rule
So much of the self-serving and disreputable disdain in this country for the poor has to do with those who amazingly say to themselves that they, themselves, had no trouble getting a job, why does anybody else does? It's pure arrogance that only considers their own circumstances, but not that of their less fortunate citizens, and there are a host of reasons of why some may find themselves luckier than their fellow citizens in being able to obtain work that provides for a decent living, not all them because of their allegedly superior traits, such as a great work ethic. Remember, the Golden Rule.
Copyright 2009 - 2012, Party of Commons TM
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