GreyWanderer

A Kaleidoscope of ...

Only one way to ring in the new year...with the IRON
CHEF!! Whose cuisine will reign supreme?! Whose dish will
usher in the new year?! ...and set the standard for all the
other chefs?! Chairman Kaga, with his overflowing robes of
white furs and glittering jewels, appears onstage riding
atop a white horse...the orchestra plays a brass piece
denoting royalty... What if...what if...the world was
really not obsessed with politics, or economics, or
religious views, but only on the chef who can create 3 to 5
new dishes within an hour using a surprise ingredient
revealed just minutes before start cooking time...?

Email: 12/11/02
(me)
...it is pathetically easy for me to fall into a hole where
God does not exist, and the world is a cold and uncaring
place...but....I just recently fell into the apathetic mood
you described not too long ago....to have God completely
responsible for every act of your life can lead to it, like
you said... and that's what I found peculiar, because it is
something that is encouraged in all the prayers and
expositions...to give yourself completely up to God is
encouraged, because you are showing your complete trust and
faith in His providence...your task is to follow His
commandments, believe in His providence, and that
everything happens for a reason, according to His plan for
you......the by-product of doing this is the realization
that YOU ARE NOT ALONE, He is with you, as a Father, as a
friend (Jesus), as an inspiration (the Holy Spirit). In
any given situation where you might suffer from some type
of anxiety, He is there with you, and you can draw strength
from Him, and let Him help you overcome your fear (or at
least be able to deal with it...)

"ineffective behavior pattern", and "be more effective in
life"....what do you mean by this? What part of life do
you want to be more "effective" in? If you want to follow
the "Way of the Cross", your purpose in life would be to
inspire others to adopt your way of life, that of kindness,
mercy, charity, and humility. Free man from original sin!
Jesus did it for us 2000 years ago, but it's us now in the
present who need to keep that message alive...and keep
reminding others of it... Here's a quote from a book by
the Pastoral Constitution 'Gaudium et Spes' of the Second
Vatican Council: "In truth, the imbalances existing in the
modern world are linked to a more profound imbalance found
in the heart of man. Many elements conflict with each other
in man's inner struggle. As a created being, he experiences
his limitations in thousands of ways yet he also perceives
himself to be boundless in his aspirations and destined to
a higher life. Enticed by many options, he is continually
forced to choose some and to renounce others. Furthermore,
since he is weak and sinful, he often does what he detests
and not what he desires. This causes him to suffer an inner
division, which is the source of so many and such grievous
disagreements in society. . . ."

My problem, however, comes in being a believing disciple
one day, and then just a curious scholar peering at it
intellectually on another day.....one comes from the heart
and soul, the other comes from purely the mind... When the
Greeks infused their own philosophy into Christianity, they
addressed their need for philosophical truth by saying that
Christ was the Way, that He was the Light, the Light of
Truth... So, basically, no matter where you are at, God
(Jesus) is with you--if you are reading math textbooks, or
doing some sort of scientific inquiry, to volunteering at
the local food drive or meals-on-wheels...whether from the
heart, the soul, or the mind, Christ (God, Jesus), is there
with you...whichever plane you wanted to be on.....

(reply, from my brother)
It's pretty easy for you to sit there in front of a
keyboard and press the keys to bang out an email response
to someone. You're well skilled with this behavioral set.
It doesn't bring up that much anxiety in you since you have
confidence. Could you give this same exposition to someone
over the phone, to a stranger face to face, or in front of
a large assembly of people? Not right away, it would bring
up too much stress, anxiety, and discomfort. I certainly
believe that you can, but it would take time, practice, and
training. That's where a good behavior therapist can help
out. Imagine if you worked on your public speaking
skills. You can be a great teacher. Teaching the word of
God to others. Wouldn't you find this 'useful and
effective behavior.' I know you're certainly well
intelligent enough and wise enough to know the material and
how to go about living by it. Other people could use
guidance, understanding, and support. That's where a good
teacher steps in. That could be you. You could be the
shepherd leading the flock, an instrument of God. You'd be
the penultimate example of the "Way of the Cross."
(End of email)

A Short Piece That I Had Intended to scribe today:
Ahhhhhhhh, nothing like the sweetness of torture from
a long and trying work day to make you appreciate the finer
points in life.....to put your immortal soul through the (w)
ringer, and have it bashed and bruised, tried and wrung,
stretched, warped, poked, crunched.....only then do you
appreciate the magic of religion, the magic of music, the
magic of overflowing emotion, the magic of silence, of
stillness... Only then do we seek the beauty of creation,
of sunlit beaches, of calm weather, of pleasant people...

...Huh? ...What?