Poems From A Spiritual Heart: The Long Road, An Easter Poem

Poems From A Spiritual Heart: The Long Road, An Easter Poem: From Denny:  An Easter poem about how sacrifice can deliver unexpected pleasant surprises.  With global protests against oppressive governments, like the Arab Spring in the Middle East, and against greedy Big Business like the Occupy Protests in the West, it is evident there is great need in the world.

When economic times and society get hard pressed what is the one thing you can do about all the wrong going on around you?  You can be a friend.  You can slow down, even come to a full stop on your own life, and look around to see what is happening in your vicinity.

To address the needs, think of offering some real friendship and mentor those around you.  You will be surprised how many people will tell you how glad they are you took time for them as they thought no one would ever notice how much they were struggling.  It could be at work, at church, your neighborhood, the local grocery store, anywhere.  Offering the fact that you care is often the most appreciated.

The Social Poets: Caustic Christians Promoting Hate Endorsed By GOP Candidates

Rick Santorum (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

The Social Poets: Caustic Christians Promoting Hate Endorsed By GOP Candidates: From Denny:  A Louisiana pastor, affiliated with the Rush Limbaugh Hate Merchant class, introduced Rick Santorum at his church when the Republican campaigned here in my town of Baton Rouge.

Of course, my fellow Democrats across the nation erupted in outrage.  I yawned at the fist-pounding rhetoric reminiscent of Nikita Khrushchev pounding his shoe against President Kennedy in the 1960's.  Apparently, shoe slapping is a popular anger release in many cultures.

Related articles

• Is Rush Limbaugh Rhetoric Reason for Violence Against Women In Military? (dennysglobalpolitics.blogspot.com)
• The Social Poets: Obama Speaks To Hate Merchants, Rush Limbaugh Insults To Women (beautifulillustratedquotations.blogspot.com)
• The Social Poets: Rush Limbaugh: Who Are Still Running Ads? 49 Companies Left (dennysglobalpolitics.blogspot.com)
• More Pastoral Misconduct: The Case of Dennis Terry (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)
• Santorum's Pastor Dennis Terry doesn't want you in his country (cafewitteveen.wordpress.com)
• Christian hate speech at Santorum event draws criticism (examiner.com)
• Groundhog Day Louisiana Style: New Orleans T-Boy, Baton Rouge Boudreaux (thesocialpoets.blogspot.com)
• Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: New Orleans Zulu King Cake (dennysguestbloggers.blogspot.com)
• The Social Poets: Obama Speaks To Hate Merchants, Rush Limbaugh Insults To Women (dennyspeoplewatching.blogspot.com)
• Rick Santorum Accepted Blessing From Dennis Terry (huffingtonpost.com)

Beautiful Illustrated Quotations: 15 Best Christmas Quotes: Just What Is It About Christmas Time?

Beautiful Illustrated Quotations: 15 Best Christmas Quotes: Just What Is It About Christmas Time?: From Denny: At this time of the year, in the early winter, there slowly descends and rests upon the land a sense of spiritual calm and Peace.

Be aware not to get too caught up in the shopping sales, rushing about to finish last minute gifts and holiday preparations to miss noticing the biggest Gift. Take the time to absorb this special energy sent from Heaven.

Related articles

• Poems From A Spiritual Heart: 20 Christmas Poems From Favorite Classic Poets (bestspiritualposts.blogspot.com)
• Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: Check Out Christmas Posts: Funny, Music, Cartoons, Quotes, Recipes, Poems, Stories (thehealingwaters.blogspot.com)

Music: Oh, Rejoice By Hillsong

From Denny:  While my husband was dashing into a convenience store to pick up a few items I was waiting in the car, seeking on the radio stations.  I landed on one talk show where a man was discussing the Christmas season shopping frenzy - and often violence - that breaks out when people fight for the best deals.

It's like the Christmas holiday season has been reduced down to this greedy fever pitch shopping season.  Big Business has clearly hijacked what should be a holy season.  The essayist continued saying how business changes their cashier greeting (Walmart) to try and sound like they are dispensing goodwill as if that will suddenly cement a good relationship with the customer, making up for the rest of the year.

Well, it should be a goodwill season.  During this time of year, he said, you often see strangers relax a little and make more of an effort.  But here's the real question, Did Jesus really come just to make our December's better or did He come to make our entire lives better?

Then the program featured this song and I smiled as my husband put the groceries in the car and we drove back home listening to the reason for the season.

Music Video: My Sweet Lord By Beatle George Harrison

Cover of George Harrison

From Denny:  George Harrison was an intensely private and spiritual person. Like all of us, there were those times when he took some odd turns in life that were not his best choices. Yet he remained a spiritual seeker.

Learning to operate in a powerful musical anointing is no easy feat, especially the one given to The Beatles. They were young men who had no clue as to what their long and lasting legacy would prove to be. They also had no clue as to what the Spirit of God was calling them.

Many like to criticize those among us who one day find themselves in the public eye as celebrities. Try growing up in that public eye of condemnation. Try experimenting musically and personally while trying to maintain success. It requires a tough balancing act, not an easy nor quick achievement.

Along the way, over many years, this man known as George Harrison wrote some deep and moving music as he related what he felt from his experiences on his spiritual journey.

Learning about your own personal spiritual energy, an anointing, is humbling at best. It's also a struggle to learn how to harmonize with it. Sometimes, the best we can hope for - until we learn and grow into our full spiritual discipline - are fleeting glimpses of the awesome.

Eventually, the awesome becomes every day living. Now that's Heaven on Earth! Definitely, a reason to say, "My Sweet Lord!"

Christian Rock Music: I Will Go by Starfield

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny:  This video has the inspiring lyrics posted so you can read along as the song plays. While this is primarily of interest to the Christian community it also universally speaks to the need to reach out to fellow humanity that is struggling to keep hope in the world. The focus of the real Jesus Christ is about developing the heart level, true spiritual compassion, which is a mighty force when people discover how to operate in it effectively and appropriately.

Thanks to the christian computer and media user blog from Christian Gittings for posting this gem!

How Psychic Are You? Fun Test and Spiritual Gifts

*** Have some fun taking a test to see how well you express spiritual abilities and learn about some of the Spirit gifts.




From Denny: While visiting one of my blogger friends, MysticDave @ SU, he had this fun little button to the side on one of his blogs, to take a psychic test. So, I thought, why not? Might be fun. Of course, it revealed I am far from perfect in the psychic arena. :)

I've always been of the belief that to develop we benefit by cultivating the Presence of Spirit, G-d, All That Is, Jesus Christ - give it the name which you best relate. Cultivating the Divine has marvelous effects like a sense of Peace for starters. It brings greater balance to our lives when life tests come our way. It is also realized that the more we cultivate the Divine within ourselves as well as higher than ourselves, we develop a greater sensitivity to and understanding of the spiritual realm. And that's what most people refer to as "being psychic."


- just click on this photo to take your own psychic test where it is at the bottom of the page.

Seriously though, when you set aside the ego need to be a super hero, what is to be considered is that the test asks questions people rarely think about all at once. They are the kind of questions most people ponder every now and then over the years unless you are a student of spirituality.

On the Scottish side of our family we call the talents the "Second Sight." Call it what you will, even the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit of which there are nine, it's interesting to consider. The Holy Spirit gifts involve "word of knowledge" which means a present tense awareness of a situation. Then there's the "word of wisdom" which directs one to knowledge of the future and how to handle complex longer term situations, common with those established in the offices of prophet and apostle. More world leaders could benefit from cultivating this gift.

The Spirit of God has been working with humanity since Time began, working toward developing spiritual awareness, balanced spiritual attitude and spiritual powers to use for common good. Every culture has their own mystical traditions that are similar to the following list of how Christianity understands spiritual gifts.





All Nine Gifts of The Holy Spirit

The Word of Knowledge - insight for solving a problem immediately, gaining access to universal knowledge you did not previously know.

The Word of Wisdom - about the future and strategy for solving complex situations.

The Gift of Prophecy - when Spirit gives you a direct message to be repeated word for word.

The Gift of Faith - a sudden infusion of faith and courage, knowing something will work out right if you act on it, beyond the normal hoping kind of faith.






The Gifts of Healings - manifesting a sudden ability to heal others, usually known as the tradition of "laying on of hands." Common in many religions and mystical traditions throughout history. Spirit will often create a particular specialty for a person to give out healings. Don't even get me started on the gift of compassion as it is powerful, sometimes working in a pairing with the healing gift for difficult illnesses like those near death or suffering from severe mental imbalances.

The Working of Miracles - A phenomena that transcends natural laws. A miracle is often where the normal operation of physical law as we know it is suspended to create a miracle.

The Discerning of Spirits - This can be insight into understanding who or what is operating behind the scenes as a manipulator to harm or help others. It can be insight into knowing about evil spirits, human spirits, angelic spirit or even Holy Spirit. Think of it as an intense awareness of all things spiritual and the ability to rightfully divide who is who and what is what accurately. It's a psychic ability to pierce past the outward physical manifestation of what most people only see and divine intent.

Different Kinds of Tongues (ability to speak spontaneously different languages than are native to you) - this occurs when a person is in deep distress, not knowing where to turn or how to pray. Your spirit will take over and cause you to pray out loud in a foreign language, of this earth or a heavenly one, to help you pray your intent accurately and with the power to accomplish the desired results.

The Interpretation of Tongues (Languages) - where there is an immediate awareness of what transpired and you known the translation of your own prayer or someone else's you heard praying in another language.


Of course, the whole purpose of these gifts is to introduce people to the power within them so they realize, and gain the perspective, of how much we are all spiritual beings living in a physical world.

In the end, while learning to flow with Spirit in such gifts, we learn the most valuable gift of all: how to Love with the power to transform lives, including our own!



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets
The Soul Calendar
Visual Insights
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations
Poems From A Spiritual Heart
The Healing Waters
Dennys Funny Quotes
Dennys Food and Recipes

What is the Interaction of Divinity and You?

Image by Lucas Janin via Flickr

From Denny: There is much ado on the spiritual front these days be it from the traditional mainstream Christianity to New Age exploration of less titled and neatly labeled areas of spirituality.

In the end, whether discussing God from a Personal Perspective of male or female gender like Father God and Mother Holy Spirit or illumination of the impersonal spiritual principles we come to the same questions as in this simple quote that packs quite a punch, demanding action from us.

Quote

"We are Divine enough to ask. Are we Divine enough to receive?" - Wayne Dyer


God, Wayne Dyer, Religion, Evangelism, Christianity, Opposing Views, Religion and Spirituality, New Age, quotes, God quotes, society and culture

What We Think, Know or Believe Equals What?

From Denny: Every now and then I run into a political article on the web that is, well, disturbing. Yesterday I was on my beloved HubPages where I have a lot of fun and have acquired a lot of contacts and friends. Then I ran across yet another "ditto" article (they call them hubs) about how liberals are evil. I tried to read it all to give the writer a fair hearing but, frankly, it was nothing but confused, irrational, illogical hate speech brain diarrhea.

The main focus of the argument was to promote themselves as real Christians because they have decided that anyone who is generous and kind is evil. The real definition of the word "liberal" means "to be generous toward others." Since when did the Jesus Christ acts of compassion, generosity toward others and kindness get thrown into the dungeon of the "evil" column?

Something is terribly "rotten in Denmark" and "wrong in River City." Something is rotten to the spiritual core in America when this kind of thing is so widely promoted as well as tolerated without so much as a comment as to why it is wrong. Hate speech like this is as destructive to the writers and speakers as it is to the society and country.

Of course, it also begs the proverb: "Not all the crazy people are locked up!" The problem is that with harsh, scorched Earth politics it lets loose the underbelly of humanity to do as it wills. What it wills is to destroy all around it rather than build up, connect and cultivate better relationships.

A destruction mentality is unbalanced and just plain creepy. What these people are really saying to us (read between the lines) is that they fear everyone and everything in life to the point of hysteria and extreme paranoia. Since these folks are unable at present to truly embrace the true Love message of Jesus, then I suggest their only alternative is a psychiatrist and meds. These people are seriously ill to scream hate at the top of their lungs like this because they are so very fearful. Jesus Christ told his followers, "Fear not; trust Me!"

This brings me to today's quote where we can spout off what we think, what we believe or even what we think we know, true or erroneous facts, but we will be found lacking if we do not choose to do well by others in our lives. There are some acts, like this irrational hate speech, that are better off left unsaid and not done. Everyone benefits in the end.

Quote

"What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do." — John Ruskin

Photo by snuzzy @ flickr


Jesus Christ, Christianity, liberals, hate speech, republicans, conservatives, bullies, insane, Christian, John Ruskin, Earth, Religion and Spirituality, Denmark, Jesus

How Does Unhappiness Happen? One Answer.

From Denny: Now here is something revolutionary for those who are just beginning the path of self-development. It really does explain the role of family and national culture and how it can affect our happiness quotient!



“There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them.” — Anthony de Mello

Wisdom From Anne Frank

Image via Wikipedia

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.” — Anne Frank

A Word to the Wise...

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: How many times have we heard the phrase "a word to the wise..." and then some proverb? Well, leave it to a comedian to corrupt such a serious saying - and using the truth to do it!

"A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice." - Bill Cosby, American comedian (Dr. William H. Cosby actually)