Kingfisher

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Posts posted by Kingfisher

  1. I don't see my ministry as a tribunal, so here are a few thoughts from my experience in dealing with those in crisis (or anywhere else, for that matter):

    • Meet people where they are, not where you think they should be.
    • Don't assume you know where they are, no matter how much you've been through yourself.
    • When acting as a spiritual guide, questions are usually more valuable than answers.
    • Make an effort to be empathetic (not necessarily sympathetic) rather than accusatory, regardless of personal beliefs.
    • Respect, compassion and love are all free, so be generous. Even to your enemy.
    • Humans are both mimics and rebels; it's more effective to lead by example than by command.
    • Only give advice when asked, and don't be afraid to say "I don't know."
    • Try to give them a way to save face. People won't walk any path if they don't believe they're worthy.
    • Never speak in absolutes.
    • Be a rock, not a hero.
  2. Denomination I am still not sure about.

    There's a scene in Dogma which expresses this concept nicely. I stumbled across it again this afternoon, and since I love me some good irony I'll quote the passage as if it were scriptural canon:

    Bethany: "So if we're wrong, then what's the right religion?"

    Serendipity: "When are you people going to learn? It's not about who's right or wrong. No denomination's nailed it yet, because they're all too self-righteous to realize that it doesn't matter what you have faith in, just that you have faith. Your hearts are in the right place, but your brains gotta wake up."

  3. Seems to me that this is an analysis which revolves around individuals from unique environments, regarding specific circumstances at particular times. Can we really use any determination regarding responsibility and consent in order to establish just laws that would apply to an entire population?

  4. 3. If we presume --as some, that there is no afterlife, then why are we (most) clinging to life? If we go with that theory is it not easier and better to end it sooner or later?
    This was one of the revelations I received from my NDE. If we knew with absolute certainty (I distinguish this concept from certainty in faith) the destiny that awaits us, who would stick around to work through the pain?
    Dying is just another step on a much greater journey. There's no need to rush; for everything there is a season.

    5. Why are we killing each other, the planet and all of creation deliberately?
    Because we still have to grow up. Individual purpose will vary, but that, I believe, is the fundamental purpose of life. I see the material world as a sandbox where we can explore and practice our creativity within limits so that we may learn from our mistakes. They say we are made in the image of God, and if we are created to be Creators we must first understand the great responsibilty which comes with such a gift.

  5. How old were you when you became responsible enough to make the important choices in your life?

    Around three, when I decided to stop pooping in my diaper and demanded big boy pants. I think I made the right call. It's a maturing process though, the priorities of life are constantly changing and I can't honestly claim to be responsible enough even now. It's one of the drawbacks of lacking omniscience.

  6. Heeeeyyyy...dat's my line!! :clown:

    It's an oldie, but a goodie. Someone else breaking the code is no skin off my nose, but I wouldn't want to be late for dinner... that might make me the rude one. Rev. Dr. Swamp, Brother Devon, the jocular Meister Mithrandir, and everyone else... I'll address you how you wish to be known, it's only polite. I too may offer suggestions from time to time, but who am I to think I have the authority to define you better than you? :)

  7. Dev, did you read the posts above? he never said he wanted both the "Dr" and the initials at the end. He just wanted one and MD said that some folks would take umbrage to the use of Rev Dr instead of Rev Insertnamehere, DD. I pointed out that least one prominent minister preferred Rev Dr Burntswamp's method over MD's. The reverend doctor even said he didn't want both...before you go refuting arguments, at least take time to know what the argument is. :P

    We can be pretty sure that no matter what position we take, someone is going to object to it. Just do what you think is right. ;)

  8. I do not know if I will continue to write meditations on the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

    I hope you will, I really only have a superficial understanding of Hinduism and I've found several of them resonating deeply. I don't expect absolute interpretations that define the one and only true path to enlightenment, but I really appreciate your insight. One of the reasons I enjoy this forum so much is the opportunity to be exposed to different teachings without being condemned for associating with the "wrong" God(s). :)

  9. While .co is technically Colombian, it is actually now a common domain for company to have a "shorter" domain name. Notable examples are twitter (t.co) and google (g.co).

    True, but subtle domain changes are also a common phishing tactic. I want to be clear that I'm not making any accusations, but considering a website that appears to be primarily designed around sales, an "About Us" section that represents them as (and provides contact links for) Modesto, and which provides absolutely no information about the charter group, it throws a flag.

    (The value of the house is irrelevant to any concerns, I just looked it up and shared the results to verify that it's a legitimate address and not a vacant lot. It's likely a dead end, further investigation of Hartley indicates it's the location of a legitimate (and evidently profitable) graphics/eCommerce design company and may well have nothing else to do with the church itself. So far I haven't been able to identify any other actual people even indirectly associated with this branch.)

    https://www.facebook...universalchurch

    Apparently they've been around a couple years, although their FB has the presiding minister listed as a company in O'Fallon, Illinois (with no further details.) It's a little hinky that I haven't been able to find any record of a "Universal Life Church 7" (or variations thereof) with either the BBB or D&B. If they're incorporated they're doing business under another name. You can call me a cynic as well but I'm wary of any church that disguises it's operations behind so many layers, especially if they only exist on "paper." That said, I reiterate that I have no interest in the business of either party apart from protecting the innocent from potential subterfuge. As long as it's not a scam and there are no legal violations or conflict with HQ I wish them nothing but success.

  10. Nice neighborhood. I'm not familiar with the ULC7 but I could go for a baptism in that pool. They don't seem to have a local presence, though internet business isn't unusual these days. Maybe it's that prosperity theology. Any connection, or lack thereof, with Modesto is really none of my business, but that Colombian domain is interesting...

    8141v.jpg8141b.jpg

    8141 Misty Oaks Blvd, Sarasota, FL

  11. I believe there are 2 distant pale turquoise suns in the sky, a rich royal purple and the air was filled with the haze of a pinkish purple fog.

    My father was regressed long ago, he told me he saw a red sky with two suns. Maybe the color variations are due to shifting environmental conditions or perhaps it was a different planet, but you're not the only one who saw a binary star system.

    For myself, I just remember a couple of war deaths. I've had other dreams of death (not really surprising, having experienced an NDE) but for some reason those two resonated differently. One was lying under a bush in the twilight and being discovered and shot by a patrol in black pajamas. The other was a bit more interesting... I was in a small concrete enclosure with walls about 4 feet high when a German officer (one of two) tossed in a grenade, threatening to shoot me if I tried to escape. I believe it was a psychological experiment. It's funny how the power of authority can be so strong that someone would choose a certain death delivered by an inanimate object rather than gamble on human behavior.

    I don't know if these visions were purely imagination or tapping into some sort of recorded memories, but that's my story. I reckon I'll have an answer soon enough. Either way, the lesson to me was the same: I've got to take control of my own destiny. I think I still have to practice that a bit...

  12. It isn't wishing for money. It is asking for it knowing that the check is in the mail. Of course, that is not literal, though, I imagine it could come by mail. The point is, that as Gods, we create our own reality and it might as well be one of wealth as of poverty. Must also keep in mind that, for instance, if you asked to become a rock guitarist and never bothered to practice and practice and practice playing the guitar or pursue what is needed to become one, you will never succeed no matter how much or how often you ask.

    Every time I need money, it is there. That does not mean that I can be foolish with my money and not manage it properly but it does mean that I don't have to worry about it like many do. I consider myself to be quite wealthy because of it. All I did was ask for it and I never looked back.

    I wasn't objecting to the "wish" for money in itself, I was contemplating this very point in relation to parsimonious nature of the universe. St. Thomas Aquinas held a very similar philosophy... that in order to actualize prayer we must conform to what is (he used the term "God's will") rather than only seeking what we would wish things to be. Mr. James just seemed to have a sort of "Rube Goldberg" approach. Pressing in the same direction, it is even more likely that the mailman would arrive with a check, and even more so if you buy a lottery ticket, and so forth. My position is that, in order to be more efficient, creating our expectations requires just as much effort as creating our doings, and "keep it simple" seems to be advice that is just as wise in the spiritual realm as it is in the physical. These aspects of life are not independent from one another. :)

    "Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,

    And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes

    The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,

    Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:

    He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:

    Environment is but his looking-glass." ~ James Allen, As a Man Thinketh