Dolittle: She was taken out of ICU and off the ventilator on Saturday. Now she has another problem with internal bleeding. They have done nuclear tests to find out what the problem is. So far, no results.

CONTAINING THE DISCOURSE OF THE SOUL WITH THE BODY AND SELF-LOVE; AND ALSO OF THE SPIRIT WITH HUMANITY
CHAPTER I
The soul and the body propose to travel in company, and to take self-love for a third party.

I saw, said the saint, a Soul and a Body conversing with one another; and first, the Soul said: My Body, God has created me to love, and to enjoy myself; I wish, therefore, to go where I can best accomplish this design, and to have you accompany me in a friendly way, since it will be to your advantage also. We will go through the world; if I find anything which pleases me, I will enjoy it; you can do the same when you find anything which pleases you; and let him do better that can.
The Body answered: Though I may be obliged to do whatever pleases you, yet I see that you cannot accomplish all that you wish without me. Therefore, if we are to set forth together let us come to a perfect understanding before we start, in order that we may not fall out by the way. For my own part, I agree to your proposal, but let each of us be satisfied with the success of the other when he meets with anything that pleases him, for such forbearance, will keep us in peace. I advise this beforehand, because I do not wish that you should deceive me, and say whenever I find something that I like: "I do not wish you to linger here, for I am going elsewhere to attend to my own concerns," and thus I might find myself obliged to abandon my own plans in order to follow yours. In that case, I assure you I should die, and our design would be frustrated. To prevent this, I think it would be well to take with us a third companion, some just person who has no share in our partnership, and to whom all our differences could be referred.
Soul. I am well-pleased with this proposal; but who shall this third person be?
Body. Let it be Self-Love, who lives with us both; he will see that I have what belongs to me, and I shall enjoy with him. He will do the same for you, and thus, both will be satisfied, each in his own way.
Soul. What shall we do if we find food equally gratifying to both?
Body. Let him eat who may. If there is enough for both there will be no disagreement. If there is not enough, Self-Love will give to each his share. But since our tastes are so different, it will be most extraordinary if we should find food equally pleasing to both, unless one or the other should change; which is contrary to the nature of things.
Soul. By nature I am more powerful than you, and therefore I have no fear of your converting me to your tastes.
Body. But this is my home, where I have so many delightful things to enjoy, that although you may be more powerful than I, you could not possibly awaken in me the desire to be converted to yours. But I, being, as I have said, at home, might more easily convert you to my tastes, doing it from love and from a wish to please you, for you are seeking things which you neither see, taste, nor understand,--nor do you even know where your home is.
Soul. Let us try the experiment; but, in the first place, we must make some agreement by which we may secure harmony. Let us take alternate weeks. When it is my turn you must do whatever is pleasing to me; and, in like manner, when yours comes, I will do whatever you wish, always excepting, so long as I live, whatever would offend our Creator. If I die, that is, if you induce me to offend him, I shall then be your servant to do your bidding, for in that case I shall be wholly converted to your wishes, and shall take pleasure in whatever pleases you. Being thus united, no one but God can ever interrupt our union,for it will always be protected by free-will; and both in this world and the next we shall receive together the reward of all the good and evil that we do. A like fate will be yours, if I succeed in conquering you.
But here comes Self-Love. You have heard the whole. Will you be our third party, our judge, and the companion of our journey?
Self-Love. I consent, and shall find it greatly to my advantage. I shall give each of you what belongs to him, for this will not injure me; and thus I shall live on equal terms with both. But if either of you should wrong me, and deprive me of my support, I shall immediately have recourse to the other, for on no account would I be deprived of my own subsistence.
Body. I am not one who would ever abandon you.
Soul. Nor would I ever do so, especially as we all agree and understand that, above all things, we are to avoid offending God. Therefore, if either of us sins, the others will check the offender. Now, in God's name, let us go, and I, being the most worthy, will take the first week.
Body. I am contented; guide me, and do with me whatever reason directs. Self-Love and I yield to you.

The Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa
Typed by: Kathy Sewell ksewell@gate.net
August 28, 1997
This book is in the public domain.
http://www.ccel.org/c/catherine_g/life/life.htm

Dear global friends,

how are you all doing? Trust that the Lord is working in your lives immensely - the only possible way in which He reveals Himself to you and your loved ones.. I pray He blesses all of you abundantly!!

As I write this letter, my heart grieves.. it grieves for my church. There is spirit of a discord in our body of believers with regards to staff and budget issues. Without going into too much detail, I ask you humbly to pray for my church this week as we are between two meetings.. this week is announced as a prayer week for final votes to be done on these issues this coming Sunday.

Please pray for UNITY within the body. Please pray for repentence that every single part of the body should ask before our Lord Jesus Christ, before the meeting starts. Please pray we become clean and with a pure heart before the Lord and into this meeting... and please pray over this meeting, that we know that its Our Father that is in charge of this Church and every desicion taken... please pray that this crisis we are currently in will lead each part of the body more and more into His Presence, more and more growing into the wisdom, the knowledge who the Father is and what He has done for us.. I pray this crisis will be a challenge for all of us to put God first and let Him rule in our Church!! Let Him rule in our Church!! Please pray with us, that our body will be one in HIM and that our eyes and our hearts will tell about His Love, that our heart are full of fire about God, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit!! And please pray that Our Church will grow into that fire, that it will be purified into this fire of Faith, so that we will become a living testimony, that our body will be like Christ, that we will reach out and grow in number, all to glorify His Holy Name!! I pray that in Jesus' Holy Name - AMEN

Tomorrownight we will have a prayer meeting in our Church.. I pray many will come and pray with us and hope you will pray with us continually.. Bless your hearts!

In HIM, Radiant

GrannyPatty:My prayers go with DUCKYME. Keep us posted on her GrannyPatty!

Please pray for DUCKYME who is in intensive care after having heart surgery today. She has been a good friend to me here at BK.

Bebs: i'm so sorry it's never easy losing a friend.

my pet rat-squeak died on the 13th april 2005 and i cry wen i fink abouut him.

Pbarb2: Thanks for the update Barb. My prayers go with the family during such sad times.

Pbarb2: I'm sorry to hear that

Hello All,
     Wanted to first thank all of you for all of the well wishes and Prayers.
It has ment so much to us in such a sarrowful time. No words can describe the ourpouring of support and love we have felt from each of you.
     On thursday May 19th we went into Healthpark hospitol to deliver our baby. I had started to go into preterm labor on Monday the 16th. The doctor gave me medacine to help the labor go quicker.  We started that at 8:30 am and by 5:30 pm. I was ready to deliver. At 5:53pm We delivered our precious baby boy.   Although the prediction was that when he was born he would not live but a few minutes after birth His little heart kept beating for an hour and ten minutes. We were truely blessed to have even this little time with him. Our Family and a few close friends were present and blessed with our  little boy.
     We named him Joseph Lee Horner and he weighed only 14 oz and was 10 1/2 inches in length. Although very tiny he was perfect. He looked just like his big brother John when he was a baby. He was so happy to have a little brother.
     A memorial service will be planned for sometime in June. I will keep you informed. Again thank you for all of your prayers and support. God bless and know we are truely thankful.
With love always, Cherie, Charlie, and John

Pbarb2: thank you.he's doing a little better now. We were very worried there fer a bit. God Bless you all fer yer prayers and support.

:)
----horse

Horseman: Very sorry to hear about your son. I pray that he gets to be feeling well soon. It is so bad to have an earache. God Bless
BARB

This girl Cherie is my daughters best friend. They have known each other since 1989 when we moved to Florida.They worked and lived in an apartment together until they met the ones..they wanted to spend their lives with.. I cried when I saw this. Please keep Cherie and family in your prayers and thoughts. I was the first outside visitor to hold John after he was born. That was 11 years ago.
The other family I don't know.. but this family is about an hour from where we live. Thank you all for reading this and your thoughts and prayers.
God BLess
BARB
From Misty..
Great friend of ours, too .. 
Many of you know already, my "adopted" daughter Cherie is pregnant, expecting in September. Everyone has been excited and thrilled, and planning Baby Showers, buying little baby things, don't all those things girlfriends and grandparents love to do.
 
About a week ago Cherie's OB Doctor classified her as High Risk. This was due to not enough fluid inside the birth sack. A second ultrasound was done, and yesterday she was sent to Health Park Hospital for an ultrasound that could give a better result than the previous ones done.
 
The results are devastating. Her baby, though fully developed in every other sense, has only a heart. No kidneys, no bladder, no liver. As the doctor described it, a baby can live without these organs, as long as there is a heart. Tuesday she will go back to her OB Doctor, who will, I suppose, schedule termination of her pregnancy.
 
Cherie asked the doctor what she had done, what caused this to happen. His response was "You got pregnant. None of this could have been prevented, there was nothing you could have done to cause this". Small consolation for her at this time.
 
Having a miscarriage for a woman is difficult enough. Consider what Cherie is going through. Her baby is alive, it is moving around inside her, kicking as 6 month old fetuses will do. What was joy has turned to instant emotional pain with each gentle nudge and kick. She and her Husband Charlie, must be going through lots of pain right now. They were both so excited about this new baby, as was their son Johnathon who is 11.
 
Cherie asked me to tell Johnathon what was happening, which I did. He had gone to the previous ultrasounds, and was very determined he was going to be the best big brother ever. Our relationship has been very close, especially since my other darling grandchild is 3000 miles away. John took the news in his typical stoic manner, when it comes to serious stuff, though he was upset.
 
Please offer up your prayers for Cherie, Charlie and Johnathon to get through this in the best way possible.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Second Prayer Request~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Many people don't realize we still have folks living in below standard conditions, resulting from Hurricane Charley and the other three that hit us less than a year ago. My dearest friend Delana's daughter is one of those people.
 
Amy is a wonderful, hard working, single parent with a teenager and a second-grader to support. Her mobile home was hit pretty badly, and no, she couldn't afford insurance. At this time, 9 months later, her teen is having to sleep in the living room as the roof over his bedroom is so badly damaged rain comes in, and the roof is in danger of caving in. Estimates to repair the roof have been received - The first was for $18,000 - the second for less, but not much less. Amy doesn't have this kind of money, and the cost is so blown out of proportion it is ridiculous. There are also a very limited number of contractors to approach. 
 
Believe me, she would have moved to another home if she could. There aren't any available. Those that are available are so expensive, as prices here have skyrocketed, it makes it impossible for her. All she wants is her roof replaced, fixed would work too I suppose.
 
FEMA has been no help whatsoever. Within less than a mile of Amy there are mobile homes, owned by FEMA setting empty. But, they won't let her move her family out of the mold and mildew into one of them. Both sons having been suffering from breathing problems ever since the first mold started, which was within days of the first storm.
 
Earlier this week Good Morning America came to interview people in SW Florida, seeing what preparations they are making for this next Hurricane season, and talking to folks who still have had no relief. Amy is one of the ones they spoke to and filmed. In fact, while at her home it began to rain. They could see the rain leaking through the roof into the child's bedroom.
 
We don't know if this lack of interest on the part of FEMA will help them, but I am asking, on behalf of the family, you send up prayers for them.
 
Watch Good Morning America, Monday morning (May 16) to see the full story.
 
Thanks for listening, and God Bless You for the prayers.
 
Misty
Misty is a great friend ..and sort of adopted Cherie as her own...as well as our family did. Her mother lived 1,000's miles away and had problems. Her dad lived here but not around for her.
God Bless
BARB

Radiant Aunt: Seann. Thanks Radiant;) I preciate it.

Horseman: Will keep him in my prayers! Whats his name, Horse?

My son is sick with fevers and ear aches....please pray that he gets well soon.

Thanx,

---Horse

You are in my thoughts and prayers..yesterday, today and tomorrow.

God bless the pope
We pray for the pope

Horseman: Thank you! Apology.. I wish I would forget nobody, so please add groups of people who you think of with regards to being victims of the Hitler regime..

Radiant Aunt: don't forget:
communists,catholics...trade unionists...jehova witnesses....

for all the soldiers who gave their lifes to FREE Europe from the occupation of the Germans during the Second World War..

also for ALL the undergroup warriors who gave their lives to save the lives of those who fought or those who were to be captured..

also for ALL the victims of the Hitler regime: Jews, Gipsies, homo sexuals, mental handicapted people..

Today May 5th, The Netherlands celebrates their 60 Years of Liberation after World War II!!

Praise the Lord for us living in Freedom thanks to these warriors..

Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed.

As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!"

"Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her."

http://www.rider.edu/~suler/zenstory/zenstory.html

http://www.ccel.org/index/classics.html
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/
http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm

Happy Easter - Hristos Voskrese !
It's the Day of the Lamb - Best wishes to you and your families. ~*~ .

Jules: great site Jules, thanx:)

http://www.religion-online.org/


It's a Christian site.

One day Chuang Tzu and a friend were walking by a river. "Look at the fish swimming about," said Chuang Tzu, "They are really enjoying themselves."
"You are not a fish," replied the friend, "So you can't truly know that they are enjoying themselves."

"You are not me," said Chuang Tzu. "So how do you know that I do not know that the fish are enjoying themselves?"




(A western version of this story describes two philosophers on a walk while discussing phenomenology. One of them kicks a dog and says, "See! This dog is experiencing pain".... etc.)

Just learned yesterday and some of you the day before, that the Docs informed her, that is benign!! Remember the surgery she had beginning of this year... she has been in agony for a while now.. Imagine how much JOY this gives her and Happiness :-) Good4Her!

I put up a surprise party for her at Gods Place! Please join in, enjoy the cakes and the champaign and drop her a line :-)

Thank you
~*Josetta*~

Horseman: thank you, that is very interesting! :-)

for those who want ta learn more, like why the bread is dipped twice, or about pesach...

I recommend: www.torah.org

Radiant Aunt:
;)anytime Radiant.anytime.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall
--Confucius

Ecclesiastes 7 (New International Version)
20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.

God to enfold me,
God to surround me,
God in my speaking,
God in my thinking.

God in my sleeping,
God in my waking,
God in my watching,
God in my hoping.

God in my life,
God in my lips,
God in my soul,
God in my heart.

God in my sufficing,
God in my slumber,
God in mine ever-living soul,
God in mine eternity.

ancient celtic oral traditions - carmina gadelica

Horseman: Thank you so much for sharing this!!! Bless your heart

terms: Hagada=Passover night liturgy
Kashrus=dietary laws
Tahars=laws of family purity
Jews remember in the Divrei Negidim (in the book of Exodus part)
3-fold subjugation of Israel by Egypt
1.they were in Exile (strangers in a strange land)
2.They were enslaved in exile
3.They were tortured physically and mentally
as 4 signifies completion they remember the four expressions of freedom...this fullness that is the final stage of development and made them a nation with a purpose
4 expressions of freedom (exodus 6:6-7)
God says
1. I shall take you out from your burdens of egypt
2.I shall rescue you
3.I shall redeem you
4.I shall take you to me.

In this God tells them that he will take them to him as a nation. It is at this point in time that GOd makes the Jews his chosen people.

Because of the disgrace and disrespect that Cham (Ham) showed Noach (Noah) he was cursed. His decendants the slaves of his brothers. In egypt the Jews were in effect the slaves of slaves. How much lower is there?
And God raised them up. God took them and made them his chosen people.
It is this journey, from slave to freedom and God that passover celebrates.
MAtzo represents the bread they ate as slaves and their hasty departure from egypt
Maror...the bitter herbs...to remember the bitterness of being slaves
They dip the bread twice and
recline when eating because reclining is the act of a noble man. There is the cup for Eiljah in memory that he will return.
there are 4 questions asked. THe first is:
Why is this night different from all {other} nights?
4 cups represent the 4 expressions God uttered upon freeing his people from egypt.

Also remember that it was during the sabbath that Christ was sacrificed. THere were 2 sabbaths that week. The yearly Sabbath of Passover and the weekly sabaath on saturday.

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord. Hallelu Yah

Today at the Women Aglow meeting one of our sisters shared with us ,that today The Passover will be celebrated in Jerusalem, Israel. Its the day before the Jewish Pesach. The women are cleaning their houses and preparing for the Celebration. This cleaning proces has been done ages and ages.. continuously. Its an action to move out all the dirt and dust out of their houses.. a parallel to what happened at Easter: Jesus' Death moved out all the sin of our lives. The PassOver in Egypt was a forshadowing of what Jesus came to earth for: his suffering and cruxifiction and death. Jesus was the Passover Lamb. It also symbolises to get the Egypt out of our lives. The gentile believers will be together with the Jewish believers and when they get together we will be in His Presence: He will be our Hiding place!!

You are my hiding place,
You always fill my heart
with songs of deliverance
whenever I am afraid. I will trust in You!

I will trust in You!
Let the weak say I am strong
in the strength of my God.

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

2 Corinthians 12:10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then i am strong.

Shalom!!

O Krishna, it is right that the world delights
and rejoices in your praise,
that all the saints and sages bow down to you
and all evil flees before you to the far corners of the universe.

How could they not worship you, O Lord?
You are the eternal spirit,
who existed before Brahma the creator
and who will never cease to be,
the Lord of the gods,
you are the abode of the universe.
Changeless, you are what is and what is not,
and beyond the duality of existence and nonexistence.

You are the first among gods,
the timeless spirit, the resting place of all beings.
You are the knower and the thing which is known.
You are the final home;
within your infinite form you pervade the cosmos.

You are Vayu, god of wind;
Yama, god of death;
Agni, god of fire;
Varuna, god of water.
You are the moon and the creator Prajapati,
and the great-grandfather of all creatures.
I bow before you and salute you again and again.

You are behind me and in front of me;
I bow to you on every side.
Your power is immeasurable.
You pervade everything;
you are everything.

the bhagavad gita - 11:36-40 - arjuna

It is said that when Buddha was first Enlightened he was asked,
"Are you a God?"
"No," he replied.
"Are you a saint?"
"No."
"Then what are you?"

And he answered, "I am awake."

A master of the tea ceremony in old Japan once accidentally slighted a soldier. He quickly apologized, but the rather impetuous soldier demanded that the matter be settled in a sword duel. The tea master, who had no experience with swords, asked the advice of a fellow Zen master who did possess such skill. As he was served by his friend, the Zen swordsman could not help but notice how the tea master performed his art with perfect concentration and tranquility. "Tomorrow," the Zen swordsman said, "when you duel the soldier, hold your weapon above your head, as if ready to strike, and face him with the same concentration and tranquility with which you perform the tea ceremony." The next day, at the appointed time and place for the duel, the tea master followed this advice. The soldier, readying himself to strike, stared for a long time into the fully attentive but calm face of the tea master. Finally, the soldier lowered his sword, apologized for his arrogance, and left without a blow being struck.

Faith and love which are gifts of the Holy Spirit are such great
and powerful means that a person who has them can easily, and with
joy and consolation, go the way Jesus Christ went. Besides this,
the Holy Spirit gives man the power to resist the delusions of the
world so that although he makes use of earthly good, yet he uses
them as a temporary visitor, without attaching his heart to them.
But a man who has not got the Holy Spirit, despite all his
learning and prudence, is always more or less a slave and
worshipper of the world.

St. Innocent of Irkutsk, Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of
Heaven.

This is the mark of Christianity--however much a man toils, and
however many righteousnesses he performs, to feel that he has done
nothing, and in fasting to say, "This is not fasting," and in
praying, "This is not prayer," and in perseverance at prayer, "I
have shown no perseverance; I am only just beginning to practice
and to take pains"; and even if he is righteous before God, he
should say, "I am not righteous, not I; I do not take pains, but
only make a beginning every day."

St. Macarius the Great

The Lord's Day is a mystery of the knowledge of the truth that is
not received by flesh and blood, and it transcends speculations.
In this age there is no eighth day, nor is there a true Sabbath.
For he who said that `God rested on the seventh day,' signified
the rest [of our nature] from the course of this life, since the
grave is also of a bodily nature and belongs to this world. Six
days are accomplished in the husbandry of life by means of keeping
the commandments; the seventh is spent entirely in the grave; and
the eighth is the departure from it.

St. Isaac of Syria, The Ascetical Homilies.I

Horseman: hi hossieman good to see you.
indeed niemoeller's reflection is kinda
revelation in my antifascist bible ... ... ~*~

danoschek: I always loved that quote:)

Mark 10 (New International Version)

13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Let nothing upset you,
let nothing startle you.
All things pass;
God does not change.
Patience wins
all it seeks.
Whoever has God
lacks nothing:
God alone is enough.

-St Teresa Avila

Radiant Aunt: Great devotional Radiant. Says it all. Thanks for posting. ;)

Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

NKJV