A Stone's Throw | A Parable for the #Christian & #LGBT Communities

A Parable...(Fiction with a point)

Joseph Oilman was well known in the region of Dallas Texas, for being a spiritual man, and friend to all. He and his staff were around a table at a local Starbucks, discussing a new project to feed the homeless and provide them with job skills.

They were also planning a second project to refer those homeless to a partnering local health clinic, to provide treatment for people who's insurance did not cover the needed medications.

A large, angry, crowd of people walked in and interrupted him. They brought news papers before him, and laid them on the table. A shooting at an Orlando nightclub had resulted in about 50 gay men and women being murdered.

The crowd, mostly full of religious teachers and pastors, also brought forth a young gay man. They tossed him into a chair in front of Joseph, as though he were on trial.

The leader of the angry crowd, a pastor in Fort Worth, laid a bible on the table. It was crisp, new, no markings or notes. The edges glittered in golden sheen.

The pastor turned to Joseph, and said:

"Look here, the bible says that homosexuality is a sin, deserving of death. Does this man deserve to die or not?"

They had been trying to discredit Joseph Oilman for some time now, and they hoped this would be the day. His "Love Hard" campaign had made them look bad, and he would be put against the bible now. He'd have to choose. They had him this time.

Joseph, raised his eyebrow, looking slightly irritated at the interruption. He turned from the crowd, and slowly opened his back back. He fiddled around silently in the bag for about two minutes.

"Well?" the pastor said. "Are you going to answer us?"

Joseph pulled out his own bible. It was not new or shiny. It was well worn, broken on the edges. There were notes hand written across the pages, underlines, highlights, and markings of various kinds.

Turning to the same passage (Romans 1), Joseph tossed his own bible on the table, right on top of the other mans'. He pointed to the page, and read it upside down.

He replied:

"Well now... " Joseph paused for effect... "According to this list of things that deserve death, there is:

• depraved mind/depravity

• wickedness

• evil

• greed

• envy

• murder

• strife

• deceit

• malice

• gossips

• slanderers

• God-Haters

• Insolent

• arrogant

• boastful

• those who invent ways of doing evil

• people who disobey parents or leadership

• people of no understanding (ignorant people)

• unfaithful people

• people who don't walk in love

• people who don't show mercy

He took a moment to re-read the list to himself again, under his breath.

"Nope... I'm not seeing 'being gay' on this particular list... but I'm about 99% sure that you are personally violating three or more of these right now as we speak."

His staff got a kick out of that. Some laughed, some snorted.

"Tell you what... bring me a gun and we'll start with you first, since it says here that you need to die. Then we can take out anyone else who wants to use this list as the measuring stick? How does that sound?"

The pastor looked like someone had poured lemon straight in his mouth. He grabbed his bible, and turned away in a huff. Stomping out the door. About half the crowd left with him.

The remaining half stayed, and apologized to the young gay man for their harsh treatment of him.

Joseph Oilman addressed to the remaining crowd:

"Now... if the rest of you, and you young man, would like to hear about what the WHOLE bible says, in context, about how God feels about every human on earth... please turn with me (if you have a bible) to John 3:16..."

*** On a personal note:

When I heard (here) that a pastor in Fort Worth, Texas and another related Pastor in Sacramento, California actually said they supported the shooting of gays... my heart dropped.

To this pastor (and others like him):

You need to get saved... it's obvious you are not. You can't be, and speak like this. You are in Fort Worth, shut down your church. All of you need to get saved, then go to Gateway Church's Freedom Ministry.

To my gay friends out there: 

God does not hate you, some religious people do. There's a big difference. Religion hated Jesus too. He died for me, you, and everyone else on earth (even the religious people). He loves you passionately, more than any lover (male or female) you will ever know.

• God LIFE? Not sure? Click here to find out. 

********

By Darrell Wolfe | #BeStillBeLed

Story Teller | Creative | INFJ | Intellection | Learner | Ideation | Achiever | Input | Multipotentialite

New here?

• Start Here for more information.
• Ask me anything
• Got LIFE? Not sure, click HERE to find out.
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Vote @GovGaryJohnson for President in November 2016

Gary Johnson

#Libertarian For President

#LiveFree | #MakeAmericaSaneAgain

After much thought, review, and internal debate this past 12 months. I have taken a stand. I endorse Gary Johnson, Libertarian, for President of the United States of America. I will be voting Libertarian at every level (President, Senator, Mayor, School Board... etc) in November 2016.

I ask you to support a common sense approach, and to run from the Tyranny of Donald Trump AND Hillary Clinton (and their parties).

When men and women are free from government and corporate interference, they are the happiest and more prosperous people.

You and I may have honest intellectual disagreements on the moral quality of one choice or another, and we can debate and discuss those choices openly and freely in a free society.

However, as long as you are not harming my person or property, and I am not harming your person or property, we should not attempt to control each other through government force. We should each be free to walk away from that discussion without the government dictating which of us is right.

You check out more from him here:

GaryJohnson2016.com
Twitter: @GovGaryJohnson

Facebook: GovGaryJohnson

YouTube: GovernorGaryJohnson

Instagram: GovGaryJohnson

Darrell Wolfe

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The W Storyboard Structure | *Concept by MaryCarrollMoore.com

I'm pretty sure I've seen this, may have even written about it, but it was fresh to me today. It seemed to simplify the idea of Story Structure for me... after all I am a Pantser. 

I was going through material for authors, and I came across this awesome concept teaching by MaryCarrollMoore.com; called The W Storyboard Structure (here).

I made this infograph to help me understand it.

• 1st Trigger Event (>Enter The Problem)


• 1st Turning Point (>Problem Recovery)


• 2nd Trigger Event (>Problem Worsens)


• 2nd Turning Point (> Problem Resolution)


• Climax > Resolve

1st Trigger Event (>Enter The Problem)

Introduce your Characters normal life, and then interrupt that life with a chaotic event.



This event introduces a specific, problem. You can set up two problems, one minor and one major, but they need to be specific, felt from the start, and resolved at the end of the story.



This event forces your character to leave normal life. He/She cannot return to normal life until after the Resolve, if ever.



The resolution need not be what he/she wants. More on that later.



This event forces your character into reaction, a low point, and all hope will seam lost.



The following events are your character(s) reacting to the event(s) they encounter.

1st Turning Point (>Problem Recovery)

An event with conflict.



This is the lowest point so far. The reacting is complete, and there is nothing left to react to. No direction, no guidance. There is an action hole.



Enter: Hope.



Some new event/conflict introduces new insight, ideas, help/assistance... and a new direction/path is lit for your character.



The character is not trying to solve the problem, not yet. The character is trying to understand the problem better. All actions taken from this point to the next point are taking each next indicated step to understand the problem.

2nd Trigger Event (>Problem Worsens)

The character has been climbing into hope, trying to understand the problem. Hoping for an answer that will eventually lead to a solution.



Enter: Roadblocks



An event causes the character to loose that momentum, and slide back down a hill of defeats. They will keep loosing momentum until they fall to the very bottom of the hill.

2nd Turning Point (> Problem Resolution)

The Rock Bottom.



All hope of solving this problem is gone. All efforts that looked like they would help only made things worse.



At this point, the character is resigned to his/her fate.



Enter: Hope



Then something happens to make your character hope again. A new angle, new solution, new idea, new path, something he/she hadn't thought of yet.



It's not a solution to The Problem, not yet. But it's a solution to the current pit, and it gives the character a new path to follow, trail to hunt down.



This is your character's climb back up.

Climax > Resolve

Just before the end, there is a final conflict, the largest so far. This time the problem is faced head on, and it is resolved.



But, this problem may never be solved.



The resolution may be that your character needs to learn to adapt and live with this problem. (Permanent injury, loss of a job/wife/child, etc).



Or it may be that your character can return to his/her life, but there is a soul-wound left from these events.



The final scenes are a natural reaction to the events of the entire story, and they allow the character/reader to breath a sigh of relief... for now.

Post Credits Scene:

One final scene sets up a new issue, a new trigger event... and story two will be under a different set up covers.







Darrell

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The W Storyboard Structure | *Concept by MaryCarrollMoore.com

I'm pretty sure I've seen this, may have even written about it, but it was fresh to me today. It seemed to simplify the idea of Story Structure for me... after all I am a Pantser. 

I was going through material for authors, and I came across this awesome concept teaching by MaryCarrollMoore.com; called The W Storyboard Structure (here).

I made this infograph to help me understand it.

• 1st Trigger Event (>Enter The Problem)
• 1st Turning Point (>Problem Recovery)
• 2nd Trigger Event (>Problem Worsens)
• 2nd Turning Point (> Problem Resolution)
• Climax > Resolve

1st Trigger Event (>Enter The Problem)

Introduce your Characters normal life, and then interrupt that life with a chaotic event.

This event introduces a specific, problem. You can set up two problems, one minor and one major, but they need to be specific, felt from the start, and resolved at the end of the story.

This event forces your character to leave normal life. He/She cannot return to normal life until after the Resolve, if ever.

The resolution need not be what he/she wants. More on that later.

This event forces your character into reaction, a low point, and all hope will seam lost.

The following events are your character(s) reacting to the event(s) they encounter.

1st Turning Point (>Problem Recovery)

An event with conflict.

This is the lowest point so far. The reacting is complete, and there is nothing left to react to. No direction, no guidance. There is an action hole.

Enter: Hope.

Some new event/conflict introduces new insight, ideas, help/assistance... and a new direction/path is lit for your character.

The character is not trying to solve the problem, not yet. The character is trying to understand the problem better. All actions taken from this point to the next point are taking each next indicated step to understand the problem.

2nd Trigger Event (>Problem Worsens)

The character has been climbing into hope, trying to understand the problem. Hoping for an answer that will eventually lead to a solution.

Enter: Roadblocks

An event causes the character to loose that momentum, and slide back down a hill of defeats. They will keep loosing momentum until they fall to the very bottom of the hill.

2nd Turning Point (> Problem Resolution)

The Rock Bottom.

All hope of solving this problem is gone. All efforts that looked like they would help only made things worse.

At this point, the character is resigned to his/her fate.

Enter: Hope

Then something happens to make your character hope again. A new angle, new solution, new idea, new path, something he/she hadn't thought of yet.

It's not a solution to The Problem, not yet. But it's a solution to the current pit, and it gives the character a new path to follow, trail to hunt down.

This is your character's climb back up.

Climax > Resolve

Just before the end, there is a final conflict, the largest so far. This time the problem is faced head on, and it is resolved.

But, this problem may never be solved.

The resolution may be that your character needs to learn to adapt and live with this problem. (Permanent injury, loss of a job/wife/child, etc).

Or it may be that your character can return to his/her life, but there is a soul-wound left from these events.

The final scenes are a natural reaction to the events of the entire story, and they allow the character/reader to breath a sigh of relief... for now.

Post Credits Scene:

One final scene sets up a new issue, a new trigger event... and story two will be under a different set up covers.



Darrell

Read more →

I serve in my spirit... a relaxed and peaceful way to "Serve God" !

A Roman Story

Hi Daddy.... Good morning. 

Hey there Son. How are you this morning? 

Tired. I was thinking about my new friends back in Rome. The ones I met on my last trip to Italy. How do you think they're doing these days? I need to get down there, I really think we could help them. Maybe you and I could go and give them some gifts and treats? I know they were having a hard go of it, last time we talked. 

That sounds like a good idea. I'll check the schedule, and see when we can fit in a trip over there. OK?

That sounds great. 

Now I do have a few things I'd like to chat about before you head out today. 

Alright Daddy. What's on your heart?

You remember the other day when...

********

God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. Romans 1:9-10

Interlinear:

3000 [e]latreuō | λατρεύωShort Definition: I serve, worship3000 latreúō (from latris, "someone hired to accomplish a technical task because qualified") – properly, to render technical, acceptable service because specifically qualified (equipped).

4151 [e]pneumati | πνεύματίShort Definition: wind, breath, spirit4151 pneúma – properly, spirit (Spirit), wind, or breath. The most frequent meaning (translation) of 4151 (pneúma) in the NT is "spirit" ("Spirit"). Only the context however determines which sense(s) is meant. The Hebrew counterpart (rûach) has the same range of meaning as 4151 (pneúma), i.e. it likewise can refer to spirit/Spirit, wind, or breath.

I serve in my spirit  (What/Where/Why I do... )

When I say that I'm going to "serve the Lord"... many religious things immediately come to mind. 

• Preach/Teach/Pastor
• Worship Leader/ Play on Worship Team
• Usher, Greater, Checker
• Clean the church bathrooms
• Tithe/Give offerings
• Read my bible every morning, and beat myself up when I don't
• Pray (go through my checklist of wishes and people I wish for)

The fall was the result of Adam's action in taking the fruit of a single tree. 

The tree Knowledge. 

The Tree of Knowledge of Good was not the opposite of the Tree of the Knowledge of Evil...

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is a single tree, and that tree is the source of all human suffering.

• If you haven't read my definition of LIFE, see HERE for more on that.

There is a subtle lie built into all of these things listed above. These are Good Things, and you Know to do them. But they are physical actions that can all (even the form of prayer at the end) be taken by someone who has no LIFE, and no living relationship with LIFE Himself. 

If I have LIFE, I am connected to LIFE Himself. That connection is a spiritual connection.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” English Standard Version | John 4:24

We are Spirit, Soul, & Body. My SPIRIT is the real me.

So if I am to serve in spirit, I have to make, keep, and maintain a spiritual connection. 

So how did Paul serve "in" his spirit? ...how constantly I remember you in my prayers (How I do... Modus Operandi)

The NASB translates it this way:

For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, New American Standard Bible , Romans 1:9

• He just talked WITH God. 

I mean seriously... that's it. No to-do list. No nine things you must do to be super-spiritual. He talked with God. 

He did not just talk TO God, he talked with Him. 

He had dialogue. 

He had a relationship. 

Notice the conversational, almost nonchalant, phrasing: "I make mention of you..."

That could sound like: 

"Oh... by the way Jesus. I was thinking about the 1st Church of Rome just now. How are they? You know they serve you, but they have needs. Can we talk about them for a few moments?"

Frequent dialogue with the one who made you... that's all serving God means. 

That's way less pressure than a to-do list. 

********

By Darrell Wolfe | #BeStillBeLed

Story Teller | Creative | INFJ | Intellection | Learner | Ideation | Achiever | Input | Multipotentialite

New here?

• Start Here for more information.
• Ask me anything
• Got LIFE? Not sure, click HERE to find out.
• See DarrellWolfe.com for more of my sites.

Read more →

Righteousness vs Salvation | Being Right with God, and being Saved are not the same...

Righteousness vs Salvation

10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10 | King James Bible

A deeper look (here):

dikaiosynē | 1343 [e]δικαιοσύνῃ | righteousnessShort Definition: justice, justness, righteousness
My Definition: Be Right With God 

sōtērian | 4991 [e]σωτηρίαν | salvation
Short Definition: salvation, welfare, prosperity, deliverance, preservation, salvation, safety.
My Definition: Whole, Restored to Pre-Fall State

Right vs Saved

Being Right with God, and being Saved are two different but inter-dependent concepts.

• Right-ness is the legal/positional state of being.

• Saved is the outward manifestation(s) of that right state of being.

I am right with God by believing in and on the finished work of His Son, Jesus Christ. That is it. That is all there is to it. There is no work left. If I believe, I am made Right-With-God (righteous)

I experience the effects of that Rightness by opening my mouth, and speaking the things in my heart.

So once I believe that Jesus paid the forever price to my sin, I open my mouth and tell him. I am saved from sin.

Salvation's Manifestations

However, Salvation is more than just freedom from sin. It is healing, wholeness, provision, sound mind, a total restoration of the Pre-Fall State.

Why am I not experiencing that? Because we still live in the fallen world. The final and total restoration will come at the end of all things. But we can experience degrees of this state now, here, on this earth.

And the degrees will be dependent on our believing and saying.

Mind vs Heart

I cannot get there on my own. For all the good Christian Apologetics has done to strengthen believers, it cannot change the heart of an unbeliever.

It is possible that, through the course of tearing down mental walls, truth can reach the heart through this reasoned approach, but it cannot change the heart on its own.

So I can know (in my mind) that the bible says healing belongs to me as His child, but still struggle with my heart.

Because faith doesn't come by reading and passing a test.

Convinced

Once I believe at the heart level, I open my mouth and effortlessly say what is on my heart (Luke 6:45).

This is part of the reason more healings and miracles occur over-seas than in the USA. We are so full of "teaching", our mind is so full of theological positions (some God's some just Man's), that our heart is cut off from the process much of the time.

As we discussed the other day (here), Faith comes by hearing the voice of God.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.English Standard Version |Romans 10:17

So the trick is to convince the heart... that can only come from spending time with the One...

You cannot hear Him speak to your heart, if you are not listening...

Spend some time listening today.

#BeStillBeLed

********

By Darrell Wolfe | #BeStillBeLed

Story Teller | Creative | INFJ | Intellection | Learner | Ideation | Achiever | Input | Multipotentialite

New here?

• Start Here for more information.
• Ask me anything
• Got LIFE? Not sure, click HERE to find out.
• See DarrellWolfe.com for more of my sites.

Read more →

It's so easy to do things your own way...

... plotting, scheming, planning, working the plan, just trying to get this thing to work.

Submit to God’s righteousness

2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. | Romans 10 | English Standard Version

...being ignorant of the righteousness of God (God's ways of doing and being)...

Defined (here):

dikaiosynē | 1343 [e]
δικαιοσύνῃ | righteousness
Short Definition: justice, justness, righteousness
My Definition: Be Right With God

hypetagēsan | 5293 [e]
ὑπετάγησαν | they submitted
Short Definition: I place under, subject to
My Definition: Hand It Over

If I submit a report to my teacher/boss, I am handing it over to them. I may have a memory of it (a copy) but the report has been turned over. I'm not working on it still, I'm done with it.

If I submit a form online, it's gone. I can fill out a new one, but that form is handed over.

Seeking to establish your own will/plan does not leave room for God's. You can always bring Him your hurts, pains, problems, questions... He's happy to hear you.

However, what you cannot do is come to God with a list of demands (your will), ask Him to bless them (so-called prayer), and then leave to go about your day. This is not prayer, this is submitting your list.

Being right with God could also be understood to mean being in step with Him. In that sense, I cannot be right if I'm not listening. If I'm turning myself, my situation, my problem to Him, then I'm following not leading. 

So next time I pray, instead of bringing a list of demands, why don't I ask Him what He'd like to talk about today... and just Listen. 

Commercial Disclosures:

Warning: You may want to talk about your perceived problem, and he wants to talk about something seemingly unrelated. He may choose to deal with your problem without your help, while He has you dealing with something totally different. He may choose to fix the root cause of the problem, so that the problem stops recurring. He may want to fix your heart so that the "problem" stays, but your experience changes. Side effects may include peace, joy, reduced anxiety, surprising events, and adventures. Some people have found their desires changed, while the problem still persisted. Some people have found the problem went away, seemingly on its own. Your results may vary.

********

By Darrell Wolfe | #BeStillBeLed

Story Teller | Creative | INFJ | Intellection | Learner | Ideation | Achiever | Input | Multipotentialite

New here?

• Start Here for more information.
• Ask me anything
• Got LIFE? Not sure, click HERE to find out.
• See DarrellWolfe.com for more of my sites.

Read more →

It's so easy to do things your own way...

... plotting, scheming, planning, working the plan, just trying to get this thing to work.

Submit to God’s righteousness

2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. | Romans 10 | English Standard Version

...being ignorant of the righteousness of God (God's ways of doing and being)...

Defined (here):

dikaiosynē | 1343 [e]
δικαιοσύνῃ | righteousness
Short Definition: justice, justness, righteousness
My Definition: Be Right With God

hypetagēsan | 5293 [e]
ὑπετάγησαν | they submitted
Short Definition: I place under, subject to
My Definition: Hand It Over

If I submit a report to my teacher/boss, I am handing it over to them. I may have a memory of it (a copy) but the report has been turned over. I'm not working on it still, I'm done with it. 

If I submit a form online, it's gone. I can fill out a new one, but that form is handed over. 

Seeking to establish your own will/plan does not leave room for God's. You can always bring Him your hurts, pains, problems, questions... He's happy to hear you.

However, what you cannot do is come to God with a list of demands (your will), ask Him to bless them (so-called prayer), and then leave to go about your day. This is not prayer, this is submitting your list.

Being right with God could also be understood to mean being in step with Him. In that sense, I cannot be right if I'm not listening. If I'm turning myself, my situation, my problem to Him, then I'm following not leading. 

So next time I pray, instead of bringing a list of demands, why don't I ask Him what He'd like to talk about today... and just Listen. 

Darrell

Commercial Disclosures:

Warning: You may want to talk about your perceived problem, and he wants to talk about something seemingly unrelated. He may choose to deal with your problem without your help, while He has you dealing with something totally different. He may choose to fix the root cause of the problem, so that the problem stops recurring. He may want to fix your heart so that the "problem" stays, but your experience changes. Side effects may include peace, joy, reduced anxiety, surprising events, and adventures. Some people have found their desires changed, while the problem still persisted. Some people have found the problem went away, seemingly on its own. Your results may vary.

Read more →

Faith: You keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means...

Deciding you want something, then hunting for a few bible verses to go with it, is not #Faith. That's wishing hard. 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.English Standard Version |Romans 10:17

Faith doesn't come by reading.

Faith comes ONLY by hearing.

Knowing you have a need is not the start.

Don't say: "I need money. God I'm believing you for money... and here are three verse to back up my request."

That prayer seldom works.

Rather: "God I need money. You knew that already. Now. What do you want to talk about today?"

Then listen.

Even if He doesn't want to talk about your "money problem". Respond to whatever He says.

Faith begins where the will of God is known. Faith ONLY operates as a response to a Word you Heard. 

If you didn't hear a word, there is nothing to respond to, Faith doesn't exist yet.

#RUListening ?

Darrell

Read more →

Faith: You keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means...

Deciding you want something, then hunting for a few bible verses to go with it, is not #Faith. That's wishing hard. 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.English Standard Version |Romans 10:17

Faith doesn't come by reading.

Faith comes ONLY by hearing.

Knowing you have a need is not the start.

Don't say: "I need money. God I'm believing you for money... and here are three verse to back up my request."

That prayer seldom works.

Rather: "God I need money. You knew that already. Now. What do you want to talk about today?"

Then listen.

Even if He doesn't want to talk about your "money problem". Respond to whatever He says.

Faith begins where the will of God is known. Faith ONLY operates as a response to a Word you Heard. 

If you didn't hear a word, there is nothing to respond to, Faith doesn't exist yet.

#RUListening ?

********

By Darrell Wolfe | #BeStillBeLed

Story Teller | Creative | INFJ | Intellection | Learner | Ideation | Achiever | Input | Multipotentialite

New here?

• Start Here for more information.
• Ask me anything
• Got LIFE? Not sure, click HERE to find out.
• See DarrellWolfe.com for more of my sites.

Read more →

I want a Hippopotas for Christmas!!!! http://buff.ly/1PhijYQ #Pokemon #Fan

I want a Hippopotas for Christmas!!!!  #Pokemon #Fan

OK... so several years ago I decided that the song "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" was my favorite Christmas song.

Then, after learning about Hippos, I decided they were one of my favorite animals.

This morning, I found a Hippo Pokemon set to the Christmas song... and I just HAD to share!




Darrell

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Tonight I went to a class by @BobHamp, called Healing: Body, Soul, Spirit - Part 1.

Tonight I went to a class by @BobHamp, called Healing: Body, Soul, Spirit - Part 1. These are my notes:

LIFE Verse Update (See post here)


Think Differently LIVE Differently

Think Differently LEAD Differently

Think Differently LEARN Differently (not yet written)

CS Lewis was a great theologian because he did not have a religious studies background, but a literary and mythologies background. Stories allowed him to dive into Truth in a way that dry study never could.

He used the word Freedom Journey... I liked that. It's not a destination. Not only have I not arrived yet, but I will NEVER arrive. Something things will be catapulted upon leaving this earth, but even then, we will be on an eternity long journey to discover more about God and more about ourselves in God.


Sozo: Salvation, Deliverance, Healing

Study is not about gaining more knowledge, it's about "what do I DO differently?" 

You can see miracles and still struggle with it mentally. I do! How did he know?

While he was talking I had a strong sense of DejaVu. God deals with people in different ways, but for me; this has always been accompanied by a sense of prophetic timing. I've learned that when I have this feeling, I should pay extra special attention. 

Side Speculation: No science or scripture to back this up, but my personal opinion is that these feelings are the result of the spirit (which is timeless) catching up with the soul (mind, will, emotions) which is temporal (locked in space time). Your spirit may have been ready for (or even present in) this moment days or years in advance, and you are now just catching up in real time .

Chiropractors fix what hurts/what's wrong.
Physical Therapist teaches YOU how to make the adjustments yourself.

http://babylonbee.com/
http://www.theonion.com/
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Very few of our problems are knowledge problems. Most are soul/emotional problems. 


Discussed three categories/classes of healing:

1. Miraculous Healing
2. Root Cause Healing
3. Preventative Healing

• Miraculous Healing
• Some healing is instantaneous... but random. 
• Why can a prostitute get healed, go back to her job, come get healed again, and go back to her job... while a baby dies with no healing? 
• No explanation makes sense. Nothing can rationalize this, and any explanation is almost an insult to one or the other.
• Miraculous Healing is God's Grace. It's un-earned, so it can't be explained. 
• This idea: "Just get right and God will heal you" is wrong. It's un-earned, so stop telling God how good you've been. That does not affect your healing.

• Root Cause Healing
• The very thing that needs to adjust is the cause of the pain. 
• So often, we focus on the point of our pain "My hand is burning and blistering, make it stop!"
• But God refuses to talk to us about our hand in that moment. Instead, he wants to talk to us about letting go of the Boiling Pot of Water that is causing the burning (it's still in your hand, drop that now!). 
• God wants to get to the root issue, and not just the symptom. So often, the issue will either disappear, or won't be as troublesome if the root cause issue it fixed.
• Healthy is our natural state. We go to God asking Him to heal us. We are thinking "Take me from pain to healing." Meanwhile, God has the long view. "You were perfectly healthy in Eden, sickness came, I want to make all things new AGAIN, and restore you to the Health I created you for. 
• Many times even physical pains, can have emotional root causes.

•  Preventative Healing
• Sometimes we cause our own injuries. God will have us do the work of exercise and fitness training , so that we can prevent issues from coming up. 
• The more surrendered we are to God, the more these issues can be clear to us, and we can prevent the injury in the first place.

Mustard Seeds and Mustard Trees

Matthew 17:20
New International VersionHe replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Luke 17:6
New International VersionHe replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

Faith = Results

WE are not the source of faith.

The mustard tree is labeled Salvadora perisica in scientific communities. The plant is classified by horticulturalists as an evergreen shrub. The mustard tree reaches a height of 20 feet and can be as wide as it is tall with low branches being very close to the ground. The leaves are oval; starting out as dark green and progressing to a light green as the tree ages. The flower is green or yellow and is found in long tendrils. The fruit of the tree is purple with pink or purple seeds. Garden Guides 

More imgaes here

As A Mustard Seed... We (the Church) have focused on the size of the seed. But what if we shift that focus to AS. So often we Faith People get an idea of what we want, then go find 100 scriptures to back it up, then work it up and up in our talk convincing ourselves it will come to pass... and it doesn't. 

AS a mustard seed means:

Something pre-dates that seed. It's a tree. A mustard seed came from a tree. So you had to go get the seed from the tree first, before you could plant it. Then when you planted it, it became a living Mustard Tree. The seed produced after it's own kind. The Mustard Seed did not produce an orange cow. 

YOU are not the source of Faith. 

Faith is not intentions (what I want God to do for me right now).

Faith is getting quite before God, listening, HEARING what he wants to do in that moment, and responding to what you heard.

Trying to make up what you want, and "believe God for it" is like trying to plant a mustard seed and to get an orange cow. You can only plant what he gives you, and you can only respond (faith comes by hearing) to what you heard. 

This doesn't just mean the written word, although he'll use his written word. It means what is God speaking to you right now? Respond to that!

Trusting God

A man (Peter Lord) has his hand in his pocket, and asks for someone who doesn't know him. A lady stands up. 

He says: "Would you trade me what is in my pocket, for everything in your purse, right now?" 

She says: "No."

He says: "That's because she does not know me." Turns to a member of his staff, and says, "Would you give me everything in your wallet for what's in my pocket? "

The Staff: "Yes, and he does." 

He says: "Why is their response different? Because he knows me, and he knows I'll give him what's in my pocket AND give him his wallet back too."

That's trust... knowing HIM.

We must come to a point where we can HONESTLY say: 

"Though he slay me, yet I will trust in Him."

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New enhancement to my LIFE verses...

So for years know I've had certain bible verses that come up over and over and over again as it relates to my relationship with God and His calling on my life. 

I put these verses together into a paragraph to tell my spiritual journey (past, present, and future), both to myself and to others.

These have become my life verses, and guides. 

Here's what I already had:

I am called to lead the Distressed, In-Debt, and Discontent (1 Samuel 22:1-3), into the LIFE Jesus promised (John 10:10), by showing them how to meditate on the Word of God (Josh 1:8) and by telling stories inspired by it. Stories break down the barriers between heart and mind, helping both become stronger (2 Samuel 23:8 & 2 Cor 10:4). Stories can pull down strongholds that separate our heart from God's!

Straggler Verse:

There is one other verse that's come up over and over in my life. It's become a guide post for me personally, but I've never quite understood how it fit into my calling. 

It was as frequent as the others, but never quite fit with the others... until today.

It was the verse that helped me come to terms with the somewhat Gypsie nature of my life.

You see, I am frequently moving from job to job, church to church, city to city. I switched majors throughout college, and never graduated.

I was enjoying each transition and job, learning, growing. Then the time would come where that place I was in felt like it was an old shirt that didn't fit anymore. Something else would then beg my attention... and I'd move on. 

I felt like something must be wrong with me, so I had asked God if I was one of those "Church Hoppers" I hear pastors hating on. 

Then in 2009, God gave me Acts 17:26 to set my heart free:

26 He (GOD) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 

This verse set my heart free many times since then. 

I can go to a (church, job, city, friendship) with enthusiasm and vigor, stay and serve for whatever season I'm there (2 months, 5 years, whatever). When the season dries up, and a new season calls; that is normal, healthy, and wonderful for my life. God appointed each of these seasons, times AND places for me.

This gave me freedom to move more fluidly in his plan since 2009. 

Not only was I not moving because I was broken; rather, they were his design for me the whole time!

But I never saw how this fit with my "calling". 

Then I recently learned I'm a Multipotentialite, and it's normal for my tribe to move from thing to thing. In fact, that is part of our unique value contribution to the world around us. We can take a multi-discipline approach, and see things others cannot see with our diversified background.

Tonight I went to a class by @BobHamp, called Healing: Body, Soul, Spirit - Part 1. While he was talking I had a strong sense of DejaVu. God deals with people in different ways, but for me; this has always been accompanied by a sense of prophetic timing. I've learned that when I have this feeling, I should pay extra special attention. 

Side Speculation: No science or scripture to back this up, but my personal opinion is that these feelings are the result of the spirit (which is timeless) catching up with the soul (mind, will, emotions) which is temporal (locked in space time). Your spirit may have been ready for (or even present in) this moment days or years in advance, and you are now just catching up in real time .

Among the many things we talked about tonight (which I will journal privately about next) Bob Hamp mentioned this life verse of mine in Acts 17.

Then the Holy Spirit took me for a ride when he read past 17:26 to 17:27... I know... profound! 

27that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 

Mankind was made for relationship with God. Mankind lost that relationship in the Fall. Jesus restored access to that relationship. The Holy Spirit's job is to help us live out of that access.

Everything God does in our lives is to help us find him. Like any lover, he wants to be sought after, but he also wants to be caught/found. The entire reason and purpose of his plans in our lives come down to one thing only:

The central passion and purpose of the human condition, is to find God. @BobHamp, Paraphrase. Tweet This

Everything comes down to that. The verse goes on to say that we are his children, and we partake of his divine nature, and we have our being In Him.

28for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ 29“Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

New Life Verse

So my life verse is no longer just Acts 17:26, it now includes 27 as well.

We are all here on this earth at exactly the time and place we were meant to be for each season, and the purpose of our life is to seek, grope for, and find God (Acts 17:26-27); come with me and we'll do LIFE together!

Putting it all together:

I am called to lead the Distressed, In-Debt, and Discontent (1 Samuel 22:1-3), into the LIFE Jesus promised (John 10:10), by showing them how to meditate on the Word of God (Josh 1:8) and by telling stories inspired by it. Stories break down the barriers between heart and mind, helping both become stronger (2 Samuel 23:8 & 2 Cor 10:4). Stories can pull down strongholds that separate our heart from God's! We are all here on this earth at exactly the time and place we were meant to be for each season, and the purpose of our life is to seek, grope for, and find God (Acts 17:26-27); come with me and we'll do LIFE together!

• What are your life verse, and what do they mean to you? Comment on the site, or share on social.

********

By Darrell Wolfe | #BeStillBeLed

Story Teller | Creative | INFJ | Intellection | Learner | Ideation | Achiever | Input | Multipotentialite

New here?

• Start Here for more information.
• Ask me anything
• Got LIFE? Not sure, click HERE to find out.
• See DarrellWolfe.com for more of my sites.

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Other people's emotions...

Here's a weird one for you. I can be feeling generally good, with no particular sadness.


Someone else has an emotional upset (especially my wife or child), and I feel as through I've been hurled through a wall into depression. I could be feeling alight, then one of them gets sad or angry, and I suddenly want to throw myself into oncoming traffic.

I have to leave, in a hurry, and close myself up into a small space. My office usually, and shut it all out. The smaller the space the better. A closet, a corner, wrapped in a blanket, under the bed, somewhere confined and small.

Then... with some time... that wave of overwhelming emotion passes and I can re-enter the world.

This sounds an awful like like what people describe for kids on the Autism spectrum...

Maybe I have the slightest touch of Autism? 


Short Autism Screening Test

• Results of your Short Autism Screening Quiz \You scored a total of  24
• Based upon your responses to this autism screening measure, you have symptoms associated with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. People who've scored similarly to you on this screening measure will often meet the diagnostic criteria for autism or Asperger syndrome, a milder form of autism. 

Mind Checker

• Above average score, but below the threshold
• You scored slightly higher than average on this test, but are still below the threshold of 32 points that would likely indicate an autistic spectrum disorder. 
• Just because you have scored higher than average, it does not mean that you are likely to be autistic - many people who score highly have no problems functioning in their day-to-day lives. 
• This can be because of a good match with their chosen career (anecdotally, mathematicians and computer scientists score higher in this AQ test) 
• or because they have a supportive family/social network that prevents any secondary problems occurring. 
• If you feel that you are not able to function normally in day-to-day life, it may be worth talking to your GP about these test results.

• Autism can be mild, in which case the impact on daily life is minimal - or it can be so severe that sufferers struggle to function in their day-to-day lives, where the world seems a strange and scary place. There is currently no cure for ASD, but there are a range of treatments that can improve/manage the symptoms.

• Autistic Spectrum Disorders have a wide range of symptoms, grouped into three broad categories:

• Problems and difficulties with social interaction, such as a lack of understanding and awareness of other people's emotions/feelings.
• Difficulty with language and communication skills, such an inability to start conversations or take part in them properly (often resulting in interrupting others inappropriately).
• Unusual patterns of thought and physical behavior – such as making repetitive physical movements (e.g. hand tapping or twisting).

What Does Mild Autism Mean?

• Answer: Because autism is a "spectrum disorder," it is possible to have a very wide range of symptoms. At one point, there were five different autism spectrum diagnoses, and people whose autistic symptoms were less challenging were generally diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.  In 2013, however, the diagnostic criteria were changed. Rather than five separate autism spectrum diagnoses, there is now only one: Autism Spectrum Disorder.

• To make matters more difficult, a person with "mild autism" may have advanced communication skills and academic abilities, but have very delayed social skills, severe sensory issues, and/or extreme difficulties with organizational skills.

By Darrell

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An out of the box solution to save money for a trip!

One Yahoo Answers poster asked a question that really got me excited: (here)

Best way to save money for a trip?

Need to save $3000 for a trip in about 5 or 6 years. And we'd also like to buy a cheap R.V plus the $3000. I can't do like a fundraiser or anything because it's a personal trip, so...

Celestine Chua Journey that matters. 

My Answer(s):

Good question, and great forethought! Hope you don't mind, but this inspired me so much I'm going to write a post on it for one of my sites too.

Side Note: Buying an RV could be $10,000-60,000 or more. Just went RV shopping last month. I'd rent one for $3,000; OR, you could crowd fund that purchase too... the rest of what I'm going to say still applies.

I see this two ways.

1) You need $6,000 in 5 years (conservatively). 

5 Years is 60 months. So start putting aside into savings account $100 per month, and you'll have $6,000 in 5 years. Your bank will set it up to auto transfer, or you could do it manually.

That's without earning interest. You could also put that $100 into the savings until you hit $1,000. Every time you hit $1,000 put that into a CD (something's better than nothing with interest). Make sure that CD matures on or before you GO date. So the first $1,000 will be ten months from now. That CD will need to mature in 4.5 years. The second will need to mature in 3 years, etc. etc.

2) You actually CAN crowd fund this. 

There's a lot of ways, friends, family, church, donations... but here's another way.

2.a) Set up a free blog at Blogger.com. 

Make it all about this trip and/or travel in general. Put together a Start Here page describing the trip you want to go on, when, where, why, and tell us that this blog is your journal for planning the trip. Tell us if we help you take it, we can come along too (via pitctures, posts, even live events with Skype or Periscope).

You could set up a proper domain (MyTrip.Com) for $10-12 per year; or, just leave it with the default domain MyTrip.Blogspot.com. Either way.

• Domain.Com (Affiliate Link)
• Blogger with Customer Domain (Article)

2.b) Put together a guide for travelers. 

Call it "The Top 10 things you need to consider when traveling to..." Just use a Word Doc to put it together, make it pretty, and turn it into a PDF.

• Gumroad: (HERE)

Gumroard let's you choose a Name Your Price option: Use Gumroad to upload the PDF. Link the Gumroad set up to your blog. Then tell people they can help you take the trip by purchasing your guide for $1 or more.

When the time gets close, you can set up a GoFundMe page, and get the momentum going faster.

• Go Fund Me: (HERE)

2.c) In the 4.9 years leading up to your Go Date, write to us. 

Tell us about your trip. Why you want to go. What you hope to see. Read articles on other sites, research for your trip, and tell us what you learned getting ready for it. Remind us every so often you only have x days/months/years left to go.

It doesn't have to be daily. You could post weekly, monthly, as often as you research for your trip. It'll help you keep the vision alive, and help us be excited with you.

2.d) Get our email address, and remind us about the trip by posting new stuff every so often.

Use the Gadget's tool to make sure you add an Email follow option to the blog. That way we'll get an update every time you post.

You could probably set all of this up before you go to bed tonight, and start. 

If you do this, email Me@DarrellWolfe.com if you do this. I'll become your first follower, and maybe you'll be taking your trip before five years.


By Darrell

References:

• Blogger.Com

• Domain.Com (Affiliate Link)

• Go Fund Me: (HERE)

• Gumroad: (HERE)

• Savings and Interest: (HERE)

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