Rhetorical Sledge Hammers

Do you know anyone who has “tried every thing” but has failed to demonstrate much success in life? Some of the obvious “every things” are: “I’ve tried every diet but nothing works for me”, “I exercise but nothing seems to happen”, “I just don’t have the time to (fill in the blank)” all of which are nonsense since even though a diet’s food regimen may be unrealistic, every diet works if it is adhered to and I don’t care what the ads say, 20 minutes a day 3 times a week is not going to give you ripped abs and we always find the time for the things we really want to do. Picture a perpetual bricklayer toiling to build a wall and then tearing it down at the end of each day, working very hard but in the end accomplishing nothing. The previous examples may be troublesome but they only set the tone for the truly destructive. “I have read the Bible but how do I know who wrote it and besides it’s contradictory”, “I’ve prayed but nothing happens, so either God is punishing me, doesn‘t care or isn‘t there” are rhetorical death traps, entire crews of perpetual bricklayers at work.

 “Faith without work is dead.” By inviting God in and then slamming the door in His face, dialing His number and hanging up as soon as the connection is made, is it any wonder so many fail to demonstrate? Surrender the yeah buts, the you don’t understands, the shoulda, coulda, wouldas, the contempt prior to investigation and all the other bulwarks of self centered fear that justifies in our consciousness the use of the rhetorical sledgehammer to tear down our work. Pick up the bricklayers trowel and build a relationship with God and when you find the sledge hammer in your hand, drop it immediately and reaffirm God’s love and light by practicing the Presence of God where the fear is. Soon a wonderful spiritual structure will take shape to sustain you, the sledge hammer all but forgotten.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Recovery, Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, NA, Four Agreements, Chopra, Heroin, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

Our Duty

Our Duty

“If you have no time for prayer and meditation, you will have lots of time for sickness and trouble” Emmet Fox. Pretty much sums it up. Our duty, now that we have placed our feet on the path of Living on the Spiritual Basis is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us. We do this by wholeheartedly out picturing our belief in God’s perfect love and guidance in every area of our existence, holding to the bedrock truth that God will not, cannot, ask us to do anything beyond our present reach, to sacrifice our integrity, our spiritual growth or cause us pain and suffering of any kind. “We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous and free. We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn’t do it.”  So we hold to God‘s love, and though often trembling, stand; demonstrating the truth of being, fulfilling our duty, not perfect but free at last.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Recovery, Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, NA, Four Agreements, Chopra, Heroin, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

Die Hards And Sacred Cows

Die Hards And Sacred Cows

Sacred cows, pretty much everyone has some, the obvious ones being sports teams, political parties and religion. Ever try to talk to a Yankee fan about the Red Sox, a liberal about conservatives or a Lutheran about Catholics? Of course the reverse is true in all examples as well, little chance of concord being achieved in any case. A “die hard” fan or true believer is not interested in anything that does not agree with their “belief.” A while back there was a newspaper story of two baseball fans who crossed paths in a bar. Their “conversation” ending in a knifing and death, two lives forever changed over meaningless sacred cows. Is it any wonder that many wars have started over little more? Millions if not billions of lives, since man began keeping score, have been sacrificed at the alter of one sacred cow or another. Write this on your heart in bold letters: NO SACRED COWS. Clearly, there is nothing wrong with rooting for a team, holding political beliefs or belonging to a religion. The error comes when we let emotions over run our common sense, objectifying those we disagree with. To be clear: common sense, when one is Living on the Spiritual Basis, is the knowledge that the only sacred thing is our relationship with God. So root for your team, participate in the political process as much or as little as suits you and by all means practice your religion but never lose sight of the truly sacred: the love of “Our Father” for all His children, even if we believe they root for the wrong team. Oh, fight on USC.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Recovery, Addiction, Zen, Emmet Fox, Opioids, NA, Four Agreements, Chopra, Heroin, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

 

Hot And Thirsty