So much to delve into here. I'm saving this one for after Christmas. Just wanted to say thank you for all you have done this year. When I think back to the start of all this I realise how much you've grown both as a person and as a writer. I'm sure reading your work has pushed my IQ up a couple of points - you have taught me so much and I'm grateful to you for that. Merry Christmas and blessings to you and your family for the year ahead.
THIS commentary from you is something I was suppose to read today. It is a superb, rich, uplifting “word of advice” and wisdom.
I always say, I’m thankful to God even for my bad days. Thank you God my Father for another day in Your beautiful world. How often I catch myself ruminating on the negative and bad...then I see a flock of seagulls flying in perfect synchronicity. Or a flower just starting to bloom, as well as those flowers that have given their beauty already. So utterly beautiful...and it sets me straight, again.
This is a keeper for me. Thank you and may God bless you and guide you always. Amen!
More than the struggle between gratitude and resentment, Cain’s struggle was with good and evil (sin). Prior to the murder of his brother the Lord says to him, “And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door;” His parents before him succumbed to the serpent’s lies, after which the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil;”
Steve Barwick commented, “Be sure to note that the verse states “knowing good and evil.” It does not state “knowing good from evil.”
Adam and Eve already knew how to distinguish good from evil, because they knew in advance, before they had partaken of the tree “in the midst of the garden” that they weren’t supposed to do so.”
Has anything changed since then? Recently, Yuval Noah Harari was described as “full of clever lies and half-truths.” Harari mixes lies (evil) with half-truths (partial good.)
Great piece. A few thoughts as it hit me many different ways. I'm reading Atlas Shrugged and this just hitting so many of the same notes insofar as calling out where the underpinnings of ideology of the left isn't as righteous as it pretends. And how resentment plays itself out. How insecure-lesser men look to copy the signs of success of better men but can't get real satisfaction out of it. Its fun when two things you are reading intertwine and inform each other.
Now I still consider myself of the left so I don't entirely agree that all this applies to anybody who would like to see some adjustments made to lift the floor of society. But my eyes will be more open to where calls of justice drift over into calls of vengeance. Etc.
I read East of Eden by Steinbeck and it made me really understand Cain vs. Abel like I had never noticed before. It was funny to me that I needed to read a work of fiction to appreciate a passage from the bible correctly. But I did. When i read that book I had a co-worker that hated my guts and it helped me understand as to why.
When I got turned off of deconstruction was then I heard a guy on the radio rip apart Led Zeppelin by saying something like 'well all they did is take some blues riffs, played some chords, and then laid some decent vocals overtop. I don't see what they did as that great.'. And thinking...hey thats how music is made. How else would one go about it?
I feel I'll have to come back and re-read this from time to time as there is a lot to unpack out of this.
So much to delve into here. I'm saving this one for after Christmas. Just wanted to say thank you for all you have done this year. When I think back to the start of all this I realise how much you've grown both as a person and as a writer. I'm sure reading your work has pushed my IQ up a couple of points - you have taught me so much and I'm grateful to you for that. Merry Christmas and blessings to you and your family for the year ahead.
Thank you Teresa, that's really appreciated. Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you and your family.
THIS commentary from you is something I was suppose to read today. It is a superb, rich, uplifting “word of advice” and wisdom.
I always say, I’m thankful to God even for my bad days. Thank you God my Father for another day in Your beautiful world. How often I catch myself ruminating on the negative and bad...then I see a flock of seagulls flying in perfect synchronicity. Or a flower just starting to bloom, as well as those flowers that have given their beauty already. So utterly beautiful...and it sets me straight, again.
This is a keeper for me. Thank you and may God bless you and guide you always. Amen!
Thank you Renee. Merry Christmas and God bless.
More than the struggle between gratitude and resentment, Cain’s struggle was with good and evil (sin). Prior to the murder of his brother the Lord says to him, “And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door;” His parents before him succumbed to the serpent’s lies, after which the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil;”
Steve Barwick commented, “Be sure to note that the verse states “knowing good and evil.” It does not state “knowing good from evil.”
Adam and Eve already knew how to distinguish good from evil, because they knew in advance, before they had partaken of the tree “in the midst of the garden” that they weren’t supposed to do so.”
Has anything changed since then? Recently, Yuval Noah Harari was described as “full of clever lies and half-truths.” Harari mixes lies (evil) with half-truths (partial good.)
Merry Christmas and Thank you.
Great piece. A few thoughts as it hit me many different ways. I'm reading Atlas Shrugged and this just hitting so many of the same notes insofar as calling out where the underpinnings of ideology of the left isn't as righteous as it pretends. And how resentment plays itself out. How insecure-lesser men look to copy the signs of success of better men but can't get real satisfaction out of it. Its fun when two things you are reading intertwine and inform each other.
Now I still consider myself of the left so I don't entirely agree that all this applies to anybody who would like to see some adjustments made to lift the floor of society. But my eyes will be more open to where calls of justice drift over into calls of vengeance. Etc.
I read East of Eden by Steinbeck and it made me really understand Cain vs. Abel like I had never noticed before. It was funny to me that I needed to read a work of fiction to appreciate a passage from the bible correctly. But I did. When i read that book I had a co-worker that hated my guts and it helped me understand as to why.
When I got turned off of deconstruction was then I heard a guy on the radio rip apart Led Zeppelin by saying something like 'well all they did is take some blues riffs, played some chords, and then laid some decent vocals overtop. I don't see what they did as that great.'. And thinking...hey thats how music is made. How else would one go about it?
I feel I'll have to come back and re-read this from time to time as there is a lot to unpack out of this.
Thanks.
Love the comment Dennis, thank you. I think you'll enjoy the Peterson lecture on Cain & Abel. That story is truly the gift that keeps giving.
i'll queue it up