Wisdom From Thomas A'Kempis

On Peace and Spiritual Progress


We could enjoy much peace if we did not busy ourselves with what other people say and do, for this is no concern of ours. How can anyone remain long at peace who meddles in other people's affairs; who seeks occasion to gad about, and who makes little or no attempt at recollection? Blessed are the single-hearted (Matt. 5:8) for they shall enjoy much peace (Psalm 37:2).

How were some of the Saints so perfect and contemplative? It is because they strove with all their might to mortify in themselves all wordly desires, and could thus cling to God in their inmost heart, and offer themselves freely and wholly to Him. But we are held too firmly by our passions, and are too much concerned with the passing affairs of the world. We seldom completely master a single fault, and have little zealfor our daily progress; therefore we remain spiritually cold ortepid.

If only we were completely dead to self, and free from inner conflict, we could savour spiritual things, and win experience of heavenly contemplation. But the greatest, and indeed the whole obstacle to our advance is that we are not free from passions and lusts, nor do we strive to follow the perfect way of the Saints. But when we encounter even a little trouble, we are quickly discouraged, and turn to human comfort.

If we strove to stand firm in the struggle like men of valour, we should not fail to experience the help of our Lord from heaven. For He is ever ready to help all who fight, trusting His grace; He also affords us occasions to fight that we may conquer. If we rely only on the outward observances of religion, our devotion will rapidly wane. But let us lay the axe to the root (Matt 3:10), that, being cleansed from our passions, we may possess our souls in peace.

If each year we would root out one fault, we should soon become perfect. But, alas, the opposite is often the case, that we were better and purer in the beginning of our conversion than after many years of our profession. Our zeal and virtue would grow daily; but it is now held to be a fine thing if a man retains even a little of his first fervour. If only we would do a little violence to ourselves at first, we would later be able to do everything easily and gladly.

It is hard to give up old habits, and harder still to conquer our own wills. But if you cannot overcome in small and easy things, how will you succeed in greater? Resist your evil inclinations in the beginning, and break off evil habits, lest they gradually involve you in greater difficulties. Oh, if you could only know how great a peace for yourself and how great a joy for your fellows your good endeavour would win, you would have greater care for your spiritual progress.

A Day Out of School

 Today I took the day off from school and traveled with my family + third cousin + third cousin's friend to the beach where we successfully brought up the value of Connecticut Tourism by a landmark worth seeing. Introducing.........The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

  Before you is our landscape with the three primary laborers. Josh Lagan who offered substantial support to the operation was injured and could not be present for the final picture.

We arrived at 10:00 AM and the promised 80 degrees and sunny weather was tardy. 

Despite the foreboding weather and serious lack of beach going beverages we managed to break ground with enthusiasm. 

Shortly after we broke ground our reinforcements arrived with speakers an Ipod and the previously mentioned beverages.

Slowly, after hours of careful planning by our programmers.... 

...expert moderating skilzs.

....first rate photographers.....
  

....artistic designers.....

....focus....

....and a sacrifice....

We managed to sculpt the base elements of beach into a piece of art. Following are just some pictures of the finished work after roughly 7 hours of work using 6 shovels, 2 buckets, washed up lumber and several thousand pounds of sand

From the front. 

.

View of the back. 

Small Temple to Ishtar 

The Entryway 

Combined these two pictures make up the entire working force of the castle. And now I'm done. I hope you all enjoyed our sculpture. I'm sure by now that some singularly unappreciative thugs have bulldozed our hard work into nothingness. May they have received many bruised bones in the process. "Curse their foul feet"

What is Christian Life?

I apologize for I am only reposting something which I posted on facebook. I don't have much time to come up with separate writings for both.



If I had to simplify the Christian life into a single phrase it would be this, “seek the Lord in humility” All the problems of poor upbringing, confusing religious experience, lack of spiritual discipline, denominational differences and secular academic training fall away when a person is willing to take this simple phrase and apply it to every level of their existence. Every level meaning relationally, educationally, mentally, physically and spiritually. Seeking the Lord in humility is an active process without a very clear methodology or means of doing it. This only means that God works differently in different people so seeking God is something one must do alone which can not be planned out for you by another. General guidelines are pray like your life depends on it, because it does. Read the bible like you need to memorize it because we should. Study other people who have sought the Lord in Humility and apply what they did which is helpful to you. Above all experiment. Obviously you don't do something that offends God but most everything is fair game. Maybe seeking the Lord will mean learning martial arts, maybe it will mean living on blow pops and gumballs for a week maybe it will mean beating yourself and only eating once every other day.  Regardless of how you do it, seeking God out of humility will produce all things pertaining to life and godliness, aka...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control. (disclaimer some people are more disposed to certain virtues then others)
    
"To seek", is to actively engage in a search for something which one does not yet have. "The Lord", is God who created the world, who died for our sins, is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Humility is the necessary character trait which distinguishes the Christian from the scientist or academic student who simply knows about God. People learn about God as an area of study to satisfy their intellectual craving. Some desire relationship and comfort so they seek a God who promises them such things, or they simple want to go to “heaven” and pursue God to that end.. Humility though sets apart the Christian from the world of academia and the world of self love for it is the eternally growing realization of the utter inadequacy for a human to do or attain anything which has any ultimate significance or worth in a world that matters. Solomon tells us, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. “ Left to itself such humility would undoubtedly kill a human or at least reduce him to some sub human creature who’s heart still beats but within whom dwells no good thing. However their is no way around this truth. No matter how you section it or define it your life has no significance.  The greatest men of history are but straws in the cosmic bonfire.
                                                                                                                  
*sidenote* I believe this truth, the truth that the human life devoid of “the Lord” is completely vain, can explain why most people act the way they do. Many people consciously or in their hearts no that they their lives are but ashes and dust so they strive to give themselves meaning through any means possible, all of which are false and lead to self destruction. Some find it in self appreciation and the creation of a false self image others in the affections of other people creating those obnoxious talkers who can’t stop talking for five minutes without having their feelings hurts. We all have this need to have meaning but none of have it which is why people must be doing something, or they must ignore reality to find peace in such things like nihilism and Buddhism.

Assuming them that what I have written is true, that human existance is just a drawn out process of decay, I will explain where hope is to be found. Hope, meaning, purpose, “life” and the word of God are in Jesus Christ the Lord. We must seek the Lord for in Him is the way, the truth, and the life. Picture Jesus as the trade route through which we gain access to the things unknown or unattainable on earth. Because Christ is human we can know Him, because Christ is God He can know us for we can't know ourselves apart from Christ. The eternity of Christ gives our actions, for good or ill, significance forever. The true substance of Christ, meaning the complete lack of falsity gives our life meaning and substance. The wisdom of Christ gives us truth. Of primary importance the mercy of Christ which gives us access. So we pray, "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner"

So then let us seek the Lord with humility. For apart from seeking their is no finding, only wandering lost in a world of shadow. Apart from the Lord their is no reality, though we might seek life, He is the substance which can be trusted to stand firm when all else passes like smoke through our desperately needy hands. Apart from humility there is no realization of our true need. Humility is the first step, the narrow gate on the road to godliness which like air must be breathed deeply and continually for “life” to be sustained. So what is human existence with Christ and without Christ? If one does not seek the Lord in humility, life will be a weary experience in which the best one can do is eat drink and make merry for death comes like a whirlwind turning all one's efforts to dust. If a life is spent seeking the Lord in humility, I don't know what will happen, it will be a life with no falsity and full of value, full of all things proper to God in who's image we were created.