A great source of recordings of Orthodox chants and hymns, as well as spiritual messages and teaching on Scripture and writings of church fathers.
http://ancientfaith.com/
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Turnaround
For a long time I was quite apathetic politically. To me, the government was going t do what the government was going to do, and none of that affected how I was going to live my life: following Christ.
But then several things changed. As I stated in an earlier blog, a few years ago I began praying that God would make me the best husband, father, brother, friend, etc. possible. I'm most certain He's been doing that (as much as I often tend to fight it). And then another thing happened....I met Haley. The more we get to know each other, the more we love each other, and the more real the possibility of getting married and having a family becomes. Suddenly I begin thinking: what kind of place do I want my family to live in?
And then the truth hits. I don't want a world in which the government is able to come into people's lives as it pleases. And when one gets right down to it...in the United States, the people are the government (for now). Which means I'm a part of it. I have a responsibility to do what I can to ensure that my voice and my participation in the political process reflects the basic tenets that the country was founded on; each person possesses the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Gone are the days of reactionism to conservative demagoguery and personality cults. I had friends who nearly worshipped Ann Coulter (a practice, which, believe it or not, happens among liberals as well); I had a roommate who praised Rush Limbaugh for telling guests on his show with whom he disagreed to "just shut up" (because that never happens on the liberal side [1]). It's time to look past the followers and see the principles for what they really are: advocating freedom from government control to all people of the country.
I guess this may mean more political blogs (once I become more caught up with "who's who" in the political realm). I'm not really "out of things to say" insofar as the spiritual realm goes. I greatly look forward to eventually obtaining The Philokalia, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, and other spiritual books. However, most of what I've learned lately hasn't been in the mind, but in the soul, as prayer makes the mind and flesh submissive to the soul, and the soul, in turn submissive to God. We'll see what develops as this process continues.
1. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/07/obama-tells-economic-critics-way/
But then several things changed. As I stated in an earlier blog, a few years ago I began praying that God would make me the best husband, father, brother, friend, etc. possible. I'm most certain He's been doing that (as much as I often tend to fight it). And then another thing happened....I met Haley. The more we get to know each other, the more we love each other, and the more real the possibility of getting married and having a family becomes. Suddenly I begin thinking: what kind of place do I want my family to live in?
And then the truth hits. I don't want a world in which the government is able to come into people's lives as it pleases. And when one gets right down to it...in the United States, the people are the government (for now). Which means I'm a part of it. I have a responsibility to do what I can to ensure that my voice and my participation in the political process reflects the basic tenets that the country was founded on; each person possesses the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Gone are the days of reactionism to conservative demagoguery and personality cults. I had friends who nearly worshipped Ann Coulter (a practice, which, believe it or not, happens among liberals as well); I had a roommate who praised Rush Limbaugh for telling guests on his show with whom he disagreed to "just shut up" (because that never happens on the liberal side [1]). It's time to look past the followers and see the principles for what they really are: advocating freedom from government control to all people of the country.
I guess this may mean more political blogs (once I become more caught up with "who's who" in the political realm). I'm not really "out of things to say" insofar as the spiritual realm goes. I greatly look forward to eventually obtaining The Philokalia, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, and other spiritual books. However, most of what I've learned lately hasn't been in the mind, but in the soul, as prayer makes the mind and flesh submissive to the soul, and the soul, in turn submissive to God. We'll see what develops as this process continues.
1. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/07/obama-tells-economic-critics-way/
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