tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104481852011-04-21T14:50:53.191-07:00General musings, thoughts, experiences on a variety, really any, topic you so choose....Hapnoreply@blogger.comBlogger51100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10448185.post-1156646425302398812006-08-26T18:49:00.000-07:002006-08-27T05:18:51.593-07:00<style type="text/css">div.button {width:145px; border: 1px #000 solid; background:url('http://www.dcroe.com/images/adbg.gif');}<br />div.button a {width:145px; display:block; text-align:center; font-weight:normal;} div.button a:link {text-decoration:none;} div.button a:active {text-decoration:none;} div.button a:hover {text-decoration:none;} div.button a:visited {text-decoration:none;}<br /><br /><img src="http://www.dcroe.com/images/2996mini.jpg" width=145 border=0><br />I Remember Patrick Sean Murphy<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dcroe.com/2996/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6673/808/320/2996-11.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Patrick Sean Murphy was killed at the World Trade Centers and lived in Millburn, N.J. (USA). He was vice president, Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc., He is survived by his wife Vera and two children Sean, and Maggie.<br /><br /><a href="http://memorial.mmc.com/pgBio.asp?ID=197"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6673/808/320/1967.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10448185-115664642530239881?l=sharedmusings.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Hapnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10448185.post-1114614402478153842005-04-27T08:05:00.000-07:002005-04-27T08:06:42.483-07:00Love<br /><br />According to a web search of the NIV bible at bible.gospel.com the word love is used or referenced over 500 times in both the Old and New Testaments, by contrast the word sin is referenced 437 times, wisdom 217 times, peace 275 times and Jesus 1280 times.<br /><br />2 Peter 5-7 – my favorite piece of scripture says – <br /><br />5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self control; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.<br /><br />It is not surprising to me that Love is His greatest command, (Romans 13:9) for without it, or no knowledge of it, we as humans, and spiritual beings would wander aimlessly…..now some of us, in fact, all of us, me included, at one time or another have wandered aimlessly and for most of us the wandering ceased when others lovingly “reeled” us in. – Fishers of Men…..<br /><br />Matthew 23:8 tell us,… for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. <br /><br />It is true that we are all connected, be it by six degree’s of separation, or relation or even blood, for most there is no dispute with this…….for all who are Christians…. we believe and have faith that our Father is Father to all of us and therefore we are one.<br /><br /> Whether Christian, Muslim, Catholic, Agnostic, Atheist or otherwise, we are one. Some will argue that different religions, different beliefs, or different practices couldn’t possibly mean we are one,… yet, if we believe that God has created every person in this room, every person in this city, every person in this nation and every person in nations far way, then regardless of belief, religion, or practice, we are all, in fact one.<br /><br />Ephesians 4:6 One God<br /><br />There is but one God and he exists within each of us…whether we are believer or not……He is there, and he has installed within each of us, believers and non-believers alike, a burning desire to interact, to share our thoughts and beliefs, to communicate with one another and to listen for acceptance, understanding and shared belief by others….. it is why we communicate, why we gather, why we celebrate, why we argue, why we follow and why we believe<br /><br />Most us know that Love is God’s greatest command and for most of us Love is the greatest thing in our lives…the feeling is unexplainable, the euphoria is unmatched and the knowledge of its existence is engrained within us all…We all look for it, enjoy it, miss it, have lost it and welcomed it back time and time again….. Most of us reserve love though, for those we love,….. those we know, those we feel comfortable “loving”…this is common sense, of course, as we all practice these reservations on a regular basis.<br /><br />Love thy neighbor<br /><br />God’s advice and command is to love thy neighbor, Leviticus 19:18 Romans 13: 9-10, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8, Matthew 22:36-40, we all know these verses and this greatest command, and equally do most of us fail to follow or practice it ALL THE TIME?....Even though God provides opportunities every single day to do so.<br /><br /> According to the Webster’s the definition of neighbor includes being immediately adjoining or relatively near another. ……. It is true that other then when we are alone, we are with someone who for that moment is our neighbor. Take a second and look around, in fact take a second and greet the neighbor next to you…….<br /><br /> God provides us endless opportunities to practice loving our neighbors, <br /><br />Practice and Belief<br /><br />Returning to 2 Peter -<br /><br />5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self control; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.<br /><br />Imagine if we gave effort and practiced, each of these behaviors – each one, builds upon the other and together build a solid foundation that provides us the opportunity to love perfectly and unconsciously – much like some of us can unconsciously play an instrument, swing a gold club, sell an idea – when practiced and applied we unconsciously deliver….<br /><br />We all know the saying that practice makes perfect and scripture Psalm 18:30, tells us - As for God, his way is perfect – His way is Love<br /><br />Imagine entering every situation, meeting, get-together, conversation, communication and any other opportunity between you and a neighbor(s), with love…Most of think this is not possible – even though He tells us all things are possible with God – Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27<br /><br />I suggest to you if we simply pause – for just a few seconds to reflect and then practice His Commands, His Advice, and His Hope for us, then you too will see that all things are possible. And that yes, in every situation we can love and be loving. <br /><br />If we just take a second to “think about what we’re thinking about” <br /><br />……. a nano-second of thought can surely change the world and can surely change your day, and the situations throughout your day ………<br /><br />I encourage each of you, as I encourage myself, to more often, make every effort to consider, practice and apply His Commands <br /><br />Job 37:14 says "Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonder <br /><br />Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. <br /><br />1 Peter 1:22 says - Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10448185-111461440247815384?l=sharedmusings.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Hapnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10448185.post-1114614208037541222005-04-27T08:02:00.000-07:002005-04-27T08:03:28.040-07:00frustrations<br /><br /><br />Christian Struggles<br /><br />So you’re a Christian and so am I. I’ll bet you, as a Christian, as well as non-Christians, struggle with a lot of the same things I do….for we are human as well. I thought the best way to tackle these struggles was to put them on paper, to laugh about them, think about them, reflect upon them and grow from them…….<br /><br />My day started today with high hopes and anxiety as I prepared to meet with a Pastor at a Church I was attending in order to rid myself of the feelings I had about him, particularly when I saw him on Sundays….these feelings themselves are a struggle and I’ll write more about them down the page….. a night of prayer, and now a morning of prayer, right up until the moment I walked in the Church door to meet this Pastor, led me to the realization that yes, all is in God’s hands and I thanked Him for getting me the door……<br /><br />Moments laser, I cursed Him, not really, but cursed non-the-less, as the door to the Pastors office was closed, locked and the room had no lights on…….I was floored, and angry, and nearly in tears, to think that a man of God would stand me up after agreeing and even suggesting to meet him at this time…….even more, because the reason I had, and still have, about this man of God were in part because of his failure to follow up, or follow through 5 months ago in nearly the same manner…..<br /><br />The failure of others to follow up or follow through is one of my greatest struggles….Hard as I try not to, I find myself having judgmental thoughts, thinking judgmental things and getting wrapped up in judgment…so much so that this judgment leads to similar thoughts, questions and reprisal of my self, in part for being judgmental, in part wondering what I could have done that would be a reason someone did not follow up or follow through…..a vicious circle that I seem to enjoy from time to time…..do you??<br /><br />In this instance, and perhaps all others, the struggle is frustration. Frustration with someone’s behavior, with no real sense of what to do about it..other than be frustrated even more…..<br /><br />My mother, even though she denies it, taught me many years ago that the best way to go through life was to not have any expectations….”If you don’t expect anything from anybody you won’t be disappointed” she said. I’ve shared this wisdom with dozens of people over the years – 15 or so, and even her and rec’d much the same reaction from all……”oh that’s just crazy,” I’d hear…….”you can’t really think me, or even you, could never have any expectations”……they were right, because try as I might, I find my frustration are usually quite high when my expectations are not met…..<br /><br />I struggle with getting on the highway and turning into Mario Andretti with my foot and maneuvers, and into Jack Nicholson in the Shining with my thoughts of other drivers…..my wife literally goes in sane when she’s in the car with me and often insists that she drive as we near metro areas on long jaunts……..I have matured enough, I think, to now begin the practice of praying for other drivers who pass me, cut me off, slow down or brake for no reason, don’t use their blinkers, etc., etc., and have found that without a doubt, doing this removes my frustration….you’d think I’d learn and apply this learned lesson more often….both on and off the road…..<br /><br />I struggle with watching the local & national news as broadcasters spew “news” at me as if I had the intelligence of an ant, and could never see, hear or realize that they perhaps were stretching the truth, just a bit. You ever notice that it seems that every story is presented with so much emotion that I wonder if broadcast training isn’t the same as theatre training……..I sometimes flip through all 4 local stations in the morning to see the differences in the forecast for the next few days and who will try and alarm me that the possibility exists for severe weather, high winds, hot or cold temps, rain, snow or otherwise….it is really quite comical and I guess a bit demented and waste of time…..ya think???<br /><br />You ever see and hear the disappointment when a broadcaster reports an accident, building collapse, bombing, or other event and they say…”no casualties have been reported….or better, “no causalities have been reported yet” as if perhaps they can find some joy reporting to us when there are? I think sportscasters are the only broadcasters who tell the truth, simply because they can’t dispute the double play, touchdown, half-court shot, etc., etc., that is being shown happening while they speak.<br /><br />Staying on the TV thang….do you ever imagine a group of executives at an ad agency and the corporate offices of the brand or company, sitting around a conference table and actually signing off on most of the ads we see every 10 minutes or so….It is mind boggling to me that these folks are spending and probably earning more than I, and actually looking at some of this crap and actually saying…”yeah, that’s good, and represents us quite well”……<br /><br />So I struggle with the crap on TV, but still watch it, because I guess not having it would be frustrating…..how else will I pass the time??? Do you???<br /><br />I struggle with my feelings,..i told ya we’d get to this……… more often then not, about myself….I am truly my own worst enemy…….these feelings are intense and sometimes mind numbing, but perhaps not as much as the feelings I may have for someone else, or someone else’s behavior…….I’ll repeat again that I know I shouldn’t judge, and realize often, the insanity of my feelings, yet I still wallow in them….sometimes for days…..even weeks. Feeling are a funny things……we all know and have feelings of joy, hope, love, fear, anger, sadness, etc., etc., and we all, regardless of what you might think, have to respond to them……Isn’t it funny to watch others respond, or react, to similar feelings and then judge them for it……...I wonder at times if I’m taking a cue from broadcasters and perhaps adding a bit too much drama to some of my feelings, just because………do you??<br /><br />I struggle with the passing of time……..can’t ever get it back, so what’s the big deal if I waste some of it……….I’ll refer to my enemy myself for the struggles that come with these observations……<br />Most of all, not really most, but I have to anchor an ending here…..I struggle with the knowledge that there are people out there every minute of every day hurting other people……in the few minutes you have spent reading this, someone has been killed, raped, robbed, hit, yelled at, etc. etc……..I wonder what the hell is going through the minds of people as they fire a gun at someone, as they rape a six year old, as they break into house, etc., etc. I wonder, if God made us all in His image, how anyone could have such anger and such thoughts that they’d behave so differently then the God I have been taught exists……..further frustration expands for me when I remind myself of the anger and thoughts that this same God apparently had, and perhaps still does, when reading of His wrath in His book. <br /><br />More than most of all, I struggle with the inability of people, me included, to pay simple respect, honor, love, warmth and care to others…. every day you see people simply walk through a door and not holding it open for another right behind them, you see co-workers writhering in pain because their co-worker messed up, you see husbands and wife driving in a car for hours with stern looks on their faces barely acknowledging one another and rarely saying a thing…..In order to respect, honor, love, warmth and care for someone we must apply the behavior of speaking the truth, speaking our feelings, clearing the air, digging down deep and resolving the frustrations we all have……<br /><br />Perhaps you share some of my frustrations as described above and for sure you have plenty of your own……I am glad for the opportunity to put mine here on paper, share them with you, and hopefully open some dialogue with each other to to laugh about them, think about them, reflect upon them and grow from them…….<br /><br />Let me know if you’d like more musings as I find some joy writing and sharing and welcome the invitation to do again.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10448185-111461420803754122?l=sharedmusings.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Hapnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10448185.post-1114613519810341052005-04-27T07:51:00.000-07:002005-04-27T08:08:31.190-07:00Picking up the pieces – <br /><br />Our lives, each of ours, are like jigsaw puzzles with bits and pieces scattered around and among us. Our lives are a completed picture that God has drawn and each of us every now & then place a scattered piece of our lives into our puzzles in order to see that picture clearer.<br /><br />Most of us do not know that we are involved in building a puzzle perhaps because most of us:<br /><br />throw the pieces of our puzzles around, <br />leave them just hanging around, <br />cover them up<br />can’t find the lost ones <br /><br />or<br /><br />don’t have, or take the time, to work them.<br /><br />Each of us has seen the end result, or the picture He has created and some of us keep that picture “together” for quite some time. Inevitably though, something happens where the puzzle gets moved, or bumped, or spilt on, or…….and the pieces get loose, stained and some fall out….often, the same ones…….when they do we sense the loss and more often then not just move on, until……<br /><br />We pray……….at this moment the specific things you are praying about are pieces of your puzzle that are “not in place,” Upon hearing your prayer the Lord makes them fit and if even for a moment the puzzle is complete…The moment is just that - a moment – and the length of time things remain complete is 100% dependent on our ability to keep it that way…….<br /><br />If most of us are not aware that we are building a puzzle, then most of us are unaware of our ability to keep it place…..<br /><br />Therefore, we are constantly rebuilding a puzzle that each time we pray is one step closer to be completed and often near or at completion. <br /><br />Given an opportunity from me, God graciously provides. <br /><br />I imagine God scooping up my scattered pieces and tossing them at my puzzle – me – with love and respect and patience and understanding and glory…. He basks in the Glory of His work and completed picture – me – and even then is encouraging me to get a better look at what He has done.<br /><br />The opportunity is completely in my hands and in my mind and when I pray – with my all my heart, all my soul and all my mind – I provide it.<br /><br />You might say that I am taking to much credit for myself and the abilities I possess to create, or provide, an opportunity to God, as I myself had the same thought as I wrote this……upon thought it occurred to me that ultimately any prayer or communication between God & I involves me and without me neither would occur………I do not recognize power or glory when recognizing this, rather motivation to continue my pursuit with Him.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10448185-111461351981034105?l=sharedmusings.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Hapnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10448185.post-1106873037527172752005-01-27T16:43:00.000-08:002005-01-27T16:43:57.526-08:00<a href="http://sharedmusings.blogspot.com/">Christian & non Christian Musings</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10448185-110687303752717275?l=sharedmusings.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Hapnoreply@blogger.com0