Treasures to be Thankful for

Treasures to be Thankful for

Treasures to be Thankful for
A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake.
They didn’t look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

The Secret of Happiness

The Secret of HappinessThe Secret of Happiness: A Story to be Told

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for 40 days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.

The Given Light: The story of a man looking for a holy flame

The Given Light: The story of a man looking for a holy flameThe Given Light: The story of a man looking for a holy flame

Once upon a time a man had heard, that in a foreign place, far away, there was a holy flame burning. So, he got up and left his home to find the holy flame and bring some of its light back home to his house. He thought: ‘When I have this light, then I will have happiness and life and all the people I love will have it too.’

Conquering The World; Short stories that Inspires

 

Conquering The World; Short stories that InspiresConquering the World; Short stories that Inspires is about an inspirational and motivation story to ponder on. These stories would teach us that human an achieve anything with the right kinds of mind read on

Everyone has a dream. Some people dream of becoming rich and famous, while others dream of making a difference in the world. But few people actually set out to achieve their dreams.

That’s why the story of one man who set out to conquer the world is so inspiring. This man’s name was Alexander the Great, and he was one of the greatest military leaders of all time.

Alexander was born in 356 BC in Macedonia, a country in northern Greece. When he was just 16 years old, he became the king of Macedonia. He then set out to conquer the world.

In just 12 years, he conquered most of the known world. He defeated the armies of Persia, Egypt, and India. He even crossed into Europe, where he defeated the armies of Greece and Italy.

In the end, Alexander’s empire extended from Greece all the way to India. He was just 32 years old when he died, but he had accomplished more in his short life than most people could ever hope to achieve in a lifetime.

Alexander’s story is an inspiration to us all. It shows us that anything is possible if we set our minds to it. So, dream big and never give up on your dreams.

There also once lived a powerful king who undertook an expedition to conquer foreign lands. His wise counselor asked him, “Great king, to what purpose do you set out on this endeavor?” “To become master of Asia”, the king replied. “And then what?” asked the counselor. “I shall invade Arabia”, said the king. “And after that?” “I shall conquer Europe and Africa; and finally, when the whole world is under me, I shall rest and live at ease.” To this the wise counselor retorted, “But what keeps you from resting and living at ease here and now, if that is all you want? You could settle down this very day without the trouble and risks.

Conquering The World; Short stories that Inspires is a story that would surely motivate us to keep our mind right.

Growing Good Corn: The Interconnectedness of life

Growing Good Corn: The Interconnectedness of lifeThe Interconnectedness of life a story generosity 

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.
 
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.
“How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked.
 
“Why sir,” said the farmer, “didn’t you know that? replied the farmer. The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”
 
He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor’s corn also improves.
 
So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
 
The lesson for this post Growing Good Corn: The Interconnectedness of life is this if we are to grow good ‘corn’, we must help our neighbors grow good ‘corn’. 
Life is all about: The Interconnectedness of life

The Wise Woman’s Stone

The Wise Woman’s StoneThe Wise Woman’s Stone

The story of a The Wise Woman’s Stone is about a wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

Wooden Bowls

Wooden BowlsWooden Bowls: The Story of the ill-Treated Oldman

A frail old man lived with his son, his daughter-in-law, and his four-year-old grandson. His eyes were blurry, his hands trembled, and his step faltered. With his trebling hands his family made him to eat with wooden bowls

The family would eat together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon, drooping to the floor. When he grasped his glass of milk, it often spilled clumsily at the tablecloth.

A Glass of Milk Calories

A Glass of MilkA Glass of Milk Calories

One day, a poor boy, who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry, so she brought him a glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you? “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”

Reinvention: The rewards of trying again

First-time wonders deserve our awe and
applause. But almost every good thing in life — from careers to ideas,
products to poetry — is more reinvention than invention.
reinvention center
Who doesn’t love an invention? Think of
the light bulb, which had never shined in all of history until 
Thomas Edison switched it on on Dec. 31, 1879. Think of lasers, helicopters, microchips, elegant equations like E = mc², and even modest wonders like batteries, Velcro, and air conditioning. We honor inventors, enrich them, ask them about the meaning of life.

Jonathan Fields: 4 Steps To Making Better Decisions EVERY Time

Jonathan Fields: 4 Steps To Making Better Decisions EVERY TimeJonathan Fields: 4 Steps To Making Better Decisions EVERY Time

Every moment of every day, we’re bombarded by a freight train of opportunities, people, ideas, invitations, ads, conversations, and asks screaming at us. With everyone, we’ve got to make a decision. Yes, no, maybe, kinda, later, now, bigger, smaller, hotter, colder, cuter, higher paying, less traveling? Taxi, subway, bus, walk, or ride? Single-origin, high-altitude organic coffee with lovingly handpicked virgin hemp milk, half-caf macchiato with 2 percent, or slam a double expresso? By the time we hit breakfast, we’re beyond overwhelmed!

Five Reasons the Catholic Church is the True Church

Five Reasons the Catholic Church is the True Church

Five Reasons the Catholic Church is the True Church

There are many reasons the Roman Catholic Church is the true Church of Jesus Christ, however, some of these reasons are necessary for discussions with those outside the Catholic Church. Jesus prayed for unity of believers and unity begins with understanding. The understanding of the Church’s beliefs is essential in working toward that unity. Here are some key reasons to keep in mind when speaking to non-Catholics:

1.) Authority – Jesus gave specific instructions regarding dealing with members of the Church who were in sin. Matthew 18:15-18 says “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” What Evangelical/Protestant Church has the authority to remove someone completely from the church? None. If an individual is removed from a ‘congregation’ then he/she can go down the street and join another ‘congregation’ of the same denomination. The congregations are individualized and have no authority outside their own denomination. That is not true with the Catholic Church. If removed from the Catholic Church, one cannot go to another city and join another Catholic Parish.

2.) History – The Roman Catholic Church is the oldest and original Christian Church, therefore, the beliefs and teachings of the Church were directly passed onto the leaders of the Catholic Church by the apostles. The Catholic Church began with the teachings of Jesus Christ, around 1 Century AD in the province of Judea of the Roman Empire. The Catholic Church is the continuation of the early Christian community established by Jesus and no modern Christian Church can make that claim. By the end of the 2 century, bishops began congregating in regional synods and to correct doctrinal and policy issues and by the time the 3 century came around, the Bishop of Rome (Pope) served as the decisive authority, kind of like a court of appeals, for problems and issues the bishops could not resolve. This is identical to the Bible’s teaching. In Exodus 18 we see where the children of Israel brought their disputes to Moses and Moses settled those disputes. However, it also shows where leaders appointed by Moses also worked to settle disputes.
The Catholic Church remained the only Christian Church until the East-West Schism of 1054, which caused medieval Christianity to split and become two separate branches. The greatest division, however, came during the Reformation from 1517-1648, led by Martin Luther. The East-West (Great) Schism was caused by Patriarch Michael I. According to Titus 3:9-11, the divisions led by Patriarch Michael I and Martin Luther were sin. “Avoid foolish arguments, genealogies, rivalries, and quarrels about the law, for they are useless and futile. After a first and second warning, break off contact with a heretic, realizing that such a person is perverted and sinful and stands self-condemned..”

3.) The Catholic Church gave Christians the Bible – The first official list of books contained is what is the Bible was done at the Council of Hippo in 393 and then again in Carthage in 397 and 419. However, the Council of Trent in 1556 was the first time the Church infallibly defined these books as ‘inspired’ because it was questioned by Reformers. We have to admit, the apostles did not walk around with nice leather bound Bibles in their hand. There are many parts of the Bible that are oral tradition which was written down because when early believers attended the Synagogue or church, the scripture was read. They did not have their own copy with their name engraved on the front. Oral tradition was the norm of practice long before writing and reading was a part of life. The Jews followed the Old Testament before Jesus was born and Jesus is pictured in Scripture reading from the Old Testament in the Synagogue. There were multiple writings from this time but it was only after the list of books determined to be the ‘inspired Word of God’ by the Catholic Church first with the Council of Hippo in 393 that the world had what is called “The Bible”. The Bible remained the original 73 books determined by the Catholic Church until the Reformation, when Martin Luther threw out 7 books of the Old Testament that disagreed with his personal view of theology…the same Old Testament adhered to by the Jews. He threw these 6 books out in the 16 Century. Luther also attempted to throw out New Testament books James, Hebrews, Jude and Revelation. In referring to James, he said he wanted to ‘throw Jimmy into the fire’ and the book of James was ‘an epistle of straw’ with no usefulness. After Pope Damasus I approved the 27 New Testament Books however in 382 AD, Luther agreed with the Pope and accepted the New Testament books but denied the Old Testament books …which remained out of his Bible. Non-Catholics will accept the Biblical books which are contained in the Protestant Bible but do not acknowledge they are accepting and trusting the authority of the Catholic Church because the Catholic Church was the one who proclaimed the entire list, as a whole, as ‘inspired’. The letters within the Bible are not the only letters and materials written by the Apostles so, as a result, those contained within the Bible had to be declared ‘inspired’ and it was the Catholic Church which did that duty.

4.) The Sacraments are Biblical – The Apostles were given the power to ‘forgive sins’ in John 20:23, Peter taught in I Peter 3:21 that ‘baptism now saves you’, ‘anointing the sick with oil was shown in James 5:14-15, laying on of hands in Acts 8:17 and 2 Timothy 1:6, marriage in the Lord in I Corinthians 7:39 and Jesus stated numerous times that the disciples should participate in the breaking of bread (Eucharist) by stating ‘he who eats my flesh has eternal life’.

5.) Sola Scriptura is not supported in the Bible – It is difficult to make a claim such as Sola Scriptura (The Bible Alone) when, in its very essence, the claim must be written within the Bible in order to be Biblical. The concept of “Bible Alone” says it is not truth if it is not contained in the Bible, therefore removing ‘tradition’, but the Bible refutes that principle. Jeremiah 25:3 says the “Word of the Lord” is “spoken”, not just written. Paul told us to hold to our traditions, which are taught by word and mouth or by letter, according to 2 Thess 2:15. The Bible also portrays where a Council was held to settle doctrinal disputes in Acts 15. (Who else has a Council to settle doctrine disputes and holds the authority to do such other than the Catholic Church?) The Bible also warns about ‘twisted’ interpretations of Scripture in 2 Peter 3:16 and I Timothy 3:15 says THE CHURCH is the pillar and the bulwark of the truth. The Catholic Church has one teaching…one unified teaching…as opposed to the now 43,000 evangelical (Protestant) groups currently established, with 2.3 added each day. Their views on everything from the Trinity, homosexuality, abortion, and salvation all contradict each other. Truth cannot be false at the same time and Truth cannot contradict each other.

Five Reasons the Catholic Church is the True Church. BY AMELIA MONROE CARLSON
Photo Credit: Flickr / Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston

Related Reading:  WHY I AM ENTERING THE MONASTERY IN 2021 By Miss Getchen Erlichman – Life Altitude (livealtitude.com)

Pope to Consecrated: Do not Be Gossip Terrorists

Pope to Consecrated: Do not Be Gossip TerroristsPope to Consecrated: Do not Be Gossip Terrorists

Pope Francis admitted today that the lack of vocations in some parts of the Church can cause him to feel tempted to lack hope, but he says that it is a call to pray more fervently, as Anna prayed for the gift of a son, and was given Samuel.
The Pope spoke of this today — and also of the sin of gossip — when he received in audience consecrated men and women celebrating their jubilee at the end of the Year of Consecrated Life.
Tomorrow, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the World Day of Consecrated Life, marks the end of the special jubilee year.
The Pope left aside his prepared text and instead spoke to the consecrated off-the-cuff.