Discernment as a spiritual journey -- Pathfinder

Discernment
"Both the physical world and the spiritual world enter human experience only as they are thought by a person. "Discernment of thoughts" is the inner pathfinder for our spiritual journey and the final arbiter of every good act of the graced human will." Read More @ William Wilson's Spiritual Life Ministry and this web site are dedicated to helping people understand and practice these Four Essentials of Spiritual Practices.

Image courtesy: disruptive grace: Getting Naked – a spiritual journey… and ‘Blankets’


Readings:

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment Tim Challies  (2007). 

Chapter 1: A Call to Discernment; Chapter 2: The Challenge of Discernment; Chapter 3: Defining Discernment; Chapter 4: The Heart of Discernment; Chapter 5: Truth and Discernment; Chapter 6: The Will and Discernment; Chapter 7: The Gift of Discernment; Chapter 8: The Dangers of Discernment; Chapter 9: Developing Discernment; and Chapter 10: The Practice of Discernment

 Discerning Correction by John MacArthur

The Discerning Heart: Exploring the Christian Path by Wilkie Au and Noreen Cannon Au (2006)

The Role of Discernment in Spiritual Growth [Podcast]

The Way of Discernment: Spiritual Practices for Decision Making Elizabeth Liebert (2008)

Urgings of the Heart: A Spirituality of Integration Wilkie Au

Decision Making and Spiritual Discernment: The Sacred Art of Finding Your Way (Art of Spiritual Living) Nancy Bieber

By Way of the Heart: Toward a Holistic Christian Spirituality S.J. Wilkie Au

Spiritual Discernment and the Mind of Christ Francis Frangipane (2013)

Spiritual Discernment Watchman Nee

The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living Timothy M. Gallagher (2005)

Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path Mariana Caplan

The Inside Stay: Journey of a Former Jesuit Priest and Talk Show Host Towards Self-Discovery Neil McKenty

Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God Speaks Priscilla C. Shirer

Spirit that guides : discernment in the Bible and spirituality / guest editor, Pieter GR de Villiers. 9781939681171 (hardcover) 9781939681232 (trade paper) 

How Do You Pray?: Inspiring Responses from Religious Leaders, Spiritual Guides, Healers, Activists and Other Lovers of Humanity Celebrate the Spirit that Unites Us Celeste Yacoboni

Discernment of religious vocation : formation towards transformation / Charles Serrao. 8189144006

A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God: Sunday Scripture Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary by Rueben P. Job, Norman Shawchuck and John S. Mogabgab (Oct 2013) 9780835812269 

Art of Discernment: Making Good Decisions in Your World of Choices (Ignatian Impulse) Stefan Kiechle 

Finding and Following God's Will Jane A. G. Kise

What do you want? : understanding God's will : leader's guide / by Rick Bundschuh. 

0310258340 (pbk.)

Destination Unknown: A Guide to Discovering God's Will Gordon S. Jackson .

Discernment and Truth: The Spirituality and Theology of Knowledge Mark A. McIntosh.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR DISCERNMENT AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION

Imitating Jesus: An Inclusive Approach to New Testament Ethics Richard A. Burridge

Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words Brian D. McLaren

Standing in Faith, Believe and Create's Visual Inspiration for the day: Grace and Prayer

"Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live." ~ Jacqueline Winspear @ Believe and Create

On the same shelf:

• Grant me, O Master, by your grace, to follow all the good and pure, Tulsi Das  Hindu

Grant me, O Master, by your grace,
to follow all the good and pure,
to be content with simple things;
to speak no ill of others;
to have a mind at peace,
set free from care,
and not led astray from you,
by either happiness or woe,
to consider my neighbours not as means but ends,
to serve them stalwartly, in thought, word and deed;
not to utter a word of hatred or of shame;
to cast away all selfishness and pride.
Set my feet upon this path,
And keep me steadfast in it:
Thus only shall I please you and serve you well.

•  Show the utmost love to all people, Bahai World Faith

O ye beloved of the Lord!
In this Sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted.
Every aggressor deprives himself of God’s grace.
It is incumbent on everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world, be they friends or strangers.
So intense must be the spirit of love and loving-kindness, that the stranger may find himself a friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing between them.

• All praise is for God, the Lord of the World Muslim
In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. All praise is for God, the Lord of the World.
The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone we worship and You alone we call on for help.
Guide us to The Right Way.
The Way of those whom You have favoured; not of those who have earned Your wrath, or of those who have lost The Way. 

Make me strong in spirit, Pagan

Make me strong in spirit
Courageous in action
Gentle of heart
Let me act in wisdom
Conquer my fear and doubt
Discover my own hidden gifts
Meet others with compassion
Be a source of healing energies
And face each day with hope and joy
Abby Willowroot © 1998

Pathways to Kindness Audit

The bottomline here is 'When someone does you a big favor, don't pay it back. Pay It Forward.' wikiquote.org

Pay It Forward: A Novel  by Catherine Ryan Hyde` About the novel: "Catherine Ryan Hyde's Pay It Forward takes as its premise the bumper-sticker phrase "Think Globally, Act Locally" and builds a novel around it. The hero of her story is young Trevor McKinney, a 12-year-old whose imagination is sparked by an extra-credit assignment in Social Studies: "Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action." Trevor's idea is deceptively simple: do a good deed for three people, and in exchange, ask each of them to "pay it forward" to three more. "So nine people get helped. Then those people have to do twenty-seven.... Then it sort of spreads out." Trevor's early attempts to get his project off the ground seem to end in failure: a junkie he befriends ends up back in jail; an elderly woman whose garden he tends dies unexpectedly. But even after the boy has given up on his plan, his acts of kindness bear unexpected fruit, and soon an entire movement is underway and spreading across America."

Sources to find quotable quotes:
Christianity:

BIBLE VERSES ABOUT ACTS OF KINDNESS  -- includes Bible verses related to Acts of Kindness from the King James Version (KJV)

Hinduism:

• Compassion is kindness to all living beings especially when they are in distress. Non-covetousness is self satisfaction with what one has been allotted in life. Bhagavad-Gita: Chapter 16, Verse 1,2,3
• The epic is full of examples of compassion and kindness shown by Rama to the people who sought his help or simply surrendered to Him. [Valmiki’s Ramayana]

Islam:

• Quran Chapter : 107. Surah al-Ma'un (The Small Kindness).

• Hadith: "God did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He sent me to teach and make things easy." - Sahih Muslim, Hadith 707
• "Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith." (Muslim)
• "Whoever is kind, Allah will be kind to him; therefore be kind to man on the earth. He Who is in heaven will show mercy on you." [Abu Dawud: Tirmidhi] -- [source: Moral Virtues]

Judaism:

• The Price of Kindness by Rabbi Yisrael Rutman
• True Kindness - the Crux of Torah, By Nechoma Greisman

On the same shelf:

Small Acts of Kindness Work Wonders with Audit Clients   image courtesy: thatauditguy.com 

• Spiritual Assessment in Healthcare Practice  Wilfred McSherry 
• Someone a little nicer | An experiment in kindness
• A Spiritual Audit of Corporate America: A Hard Look at Spirituality, Religion, and Values in the Workplace  Ian Mitroff
• Punishment: The Supposed Justifications: A Critical Audit of Classical and Contemporary Attempts to Establish the Morality of Punishment  Ted Honderich
• Just Get On With It: A Caring, Compassionate Kick Up the Ass!  Ali Campbell
• Implosion: Can America Recover from Its Economic and Spiritual Challenges in Time?  Joel C. Rosenberg
• Conversations In Silence: A Diary of a Journey with a Spiritual Master  Narendra
• Examining Library Spaces through a “Kindness Audit” 

Have you ever considered doing a “kindness audit” at your library?

In the HyperlibMOOC class, Michael Stephens discusses the concept of a “kindness audit” – look at your library space and examine how kind it is for your patrons.


• Is the signage positive?
• Are your service desks welcoming?
• Can users find their way easily?
• What obstacles do your users encounter?

Introduction to Nonviolence and Drinking alcohol more than twice a week... spikes risk of stroke, plus weekly faithwise roundup

Introduction to Nonviolence:  Non-violent movements, under figures like Gandhi and the Dalai Lama, led to some of the great social changes of the 20th century, and some argue it offers solutions for this century's problems. This book explores non-violence from its roots in diverse religious and philosophical traditions to its role in bringing social and political change today. 

Introduction to Nonviolence  Ramin Jahanbegloo

Table of Contents:
1. Introducing Nonviolence
2. Non-Violence in Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism
3. Christianity and Nonviolence
4. Islam and Nonviolence
5. Philosophical Foundations of Nonviolence
6. Gandhi and Nonviolence
7. Pragmatic Nonviolence
8. Critiques of Nonviolence
9. Nonviolence in Twentieth Century
10. Nonviolence in Twenty-First Century
Conclusion: Democracy and Nonviolence

Review:

"Engaging in its depth and also its great width, this excellent text looks at the roots of potentially effective non-violence in a variety of religions and in a range of contemporary societies." - Rajmohan Gandhi, historian and former research professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

On the same shelf:

• Khushwant Singh (1915-2014) /  How To Live & Die | Khushwant Singh's The Man in the Bulb meditates on the dying of the light :  RIP Khushwant Singh: Reactions  -- This obituary was published 31 years, one month and 7 days prematurely: in the Sunday Observer dated February 13, 1983. / 
• Gandhi: Aux sources de la non-violence : Thoreau, Ruskin, Tolstoi (Le temps et les mots) (French Edition)  Ramin Jahanbegloo
• Democracy in Iran   Ramin Jahanbegloo
• Talking India: Ashis Nandy in Conversation with Ramin Jahanbegloo  Ashis Nandy
• Mid-air Holi lands SpiceJet pilots in trouble
• An illustrated guide to the Persian New Year -- NOROOZ
• Islam Awareness Week 2014 - 21st Anniversary Launch : Faith Unity Discipline
• Supreme Court Agrees to Weigh an Inmate’s Right to Grow a Beard for Religious Reasons, NYTimes
• Buddhist Student Wins Settlement With Louisiana School District That Called His Religion ‘Stupid’
• 5 Timeless Truths From The Serenity Prayer That Offer Wisdom In The Modern Age 
• A Muslim Perspective on the Serenity Prayer
• The Serenity Prayer | The Buddhist Centre
• Sikh children in US schools targets of hate : "More than half of Sikh students experience bullying in US" ... Go home terrorists... The Hindu
• Muslims booted from Empire State Building for praying: suit ... "A Muslim Long Island family on Tuesday slapped the owners of the Empire State Building with a scathing $5 million lawsuit claiming they were embarrassingly forced off the tourist hotspot’s…"
• Mormon church bans women from clergy and all male meeting :  "Mormon Women Seeking Ordination Will Be Barred From Church Meeting"
• Pastor has to pay up after joking offer to fund congregation’s tattoos 
• Anzu wyliei: 'Chicken from hell' dinosaur discovery BBC
• Drinking alcohol more than twice a week, in any amount, spikes risk of stroke threefold for men:   study : Everything in moderation? Not quite. Having alcoholic drinks more than twice a week may “greatly increase” the risk of stroke for men, new research from Finland suggests. National Post

Saudi Arabia bans 420 books from the Riyadh International Book Fair, 2014

By Mansour Al-Shehri   saudigazette.com.sa

... “Some books were banned for religious and moral reasons, and some for not conforming to public taste,” said Yousef Al-Yousef, director of the ministry’s publications administration, Monday.

“Twenty-five people representing a range of specialties took part in the identification and removal of books. Some publishers also left out some publications at their own discretion,” Al-Yousef said.

“All the participants in the event recognize that the censorship ceiling is particularly high,” he added. 

On the same shelf:

Book fair without distractions highlights need for libraries arabnews.com  

Saudi Arabia bans prominent Palestinian authors from Riyadh book fair

Saudi book fair bans 'blasphemous' Mahmoud Darwish works after protest Removal of books by revered Palestinian poet from Riyadh publishing event is condemned by PEN as censorship

Saudi Arabia bans Muslim Brotherhood books from fair

Saudi officials shut down display at book fair

Saudi confiscates Islamist publisher's books at fair

Saudi Arabia bans books at fair in a major crackdown    

Saudis ban books at fair in wide-ranging crackdown

Riyadh fair bans Oman writer's book

Saudi Arabia denies banning Oman mufti's book

Saudi Arabia bans 420 books at Riyadh International Book Fair in ...   

Riyadh Book Fair starts 11-day  ( Mar. 5-13, 2014.)

Saudi Arabia bans 50 baby names, those that ‘contradict culture and religion’

Saudi Arabia bans 50 baby names

List includes foreign names; those that ‘contradict culture and religion’   Gulf News -- Saudi Gazette [image courtesy: timesofindia.indiatimes.com ]

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry has banned 50 given names including “foreign” names, names related to royalty and those it considers to be blasphemous.

Saudis will no longer be able to give their children names such as Amir (prince), Linda or Abdul Nabi (Slave of the Prophet) after the civil affairs department at the ministry issued the list, according to Saudi news sites.

It justified the ban by saying that the names either contradicted the culture or religion of the kingdom, or were foreign, or “inappropriate”.

The names fit into at least three categories: those that offend perceived religious sensibilities, those that are affiliated to royalty and those that are of non-Arabic or non-Islamic origin.

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry has banned 50 given names including “foreign” names, names related to royalty and those it considers to be blasphemous.

Saudis will no longer be able to give their children names such as Amir (prince), Linda or Abdul Nabi (Slave of the Prophet) after the civil affairs department at the ministry issued the list, according to Saudi news sites.

It justified the ban by saying that the names either contradicted the culture or religion of the kingdom, or were foreign, or “inappropriate”.

The names fit into at least three categories: those that offend perceived religious sensibilities, those that are affiliated to royalty and those that are of non-Arabic or non-Islamic origin.

A number of other names appear that do not necessarily fit into any category and it is therefore unclear as to why they would have been banned. Names such as Abdul Naser and Binyamin are not found to be particularly offensive to Muslims. Binyamin is believed in Islam to be the son of Prophet Jacob (Yaqoub) (PBUH) and the full brother of Prophet Joseph (PBUH), but it also happens to be the name of the Israeli prime minister. Abdul Naser, similarly, is the name of the famous Arab nationalist ruler of Egypt, who was at odds with Saudi Arabia.

Names such as Abdul Nabi and Abdul Hussain, common among Shiites and some Sunni Arabs, are controversial because of the multiple ways in which they can be interpreted. Abdul in Arabic means “worshipper of” or “slave of”, while Nabi means “prophet” and Rasool means “messenger”. Those who oppose such names argue that Abdul means “worshipper of’ and is therefore forbidden as only God can be worshipped. Most Muslim names with Abdul carry one of God’s 99 Islamic names. Abdul Rahman, for example, comes from the name Al Rahman.

Another set of names that is banned includes those that have to do with royalty, especially titles such as Sumuw (highness), Malek (king) and Malika (Queen) and other royal terms such as Al Mamlaka (the kingdom).

Some of the names on the list are not uncommon among Arabs, including Malak (angel), Amir (prince), Abdul Naser and Jibreel (Gabriel).

Names banned in Saudi Arabia

Malaak (angel)
Abdul Aati
Abdul Naser
Abdul Musleh
Nabi (prophet)
Nabiyya (female prophet)
Amir (prince)
Sumuw (highness)
Al Mamlaka (the kingdom)
Malika (queen)
Mamlaka (kingdom)
Tabarak (blessed)
Nardeen
Maya
Linda
Randa
Basmala (utterance of the name of God)
Taline
Aram
Nareej
Rital
Alice
Sandy
Rama (Hindu god)
Maline
Elaine
Inar
Maliktina
Lareen
Kibrial
Lauren
Binyamin (Arabic for Benjamin)
Naris
Yara
Sitav
Loland
Tilaj
Barrah
Abdul Nabi
Abdul Rasool
Jibreel (angel Gabriel)
Abdul Mu’een
Abrar
Iman
Bayan
Baseel
Wireelam

On the same shelf:

• Saudi Arabia Bans Blasphemous and Inappropriate Baby Names Alice, Sandy and Elaine UK Business News | IBTimes UK

Digital tools as an aid in spiritual journey by STEVE BONESHO

Digital tools

Here are some popular social media and Internet-related tools for use to foster healthy personal growth as you walk your spiritual journey in the digital age:

Emailed Devotions: Many of the same publications that sat on bedside tables for past generations of spiritual journeyers are now delivered daily via free email subscription. New ones too!

Twitter: This is a wonderful tool for following the insights, struggles, and wisdom of fellow spiritual travelers. Authors, teachers, spiritual leaders all sharing thoughts in 140 characters or less - the Pope, ancient mystics, theologians, the hippest of the hip, the most learned of the learned, and those just starting their journey are all there for you.

Instagram: The relationship between beauty, art and spirituality has always been mysteriously connected. This photo-sharing network provides a place to share what is beautiful in your life and experience what others find sacred, awe inspiring and meaningful.

Pandora: Music and spirituality go hand in glove. This free service takes your preferences in music and then brings you down similar paths on a journey into new music that echoes of places you have already been.

Blogs: There is a whole community of people out there that are sharing their life stories and experiences in written and photographic form - explore and find them, or better yet, become one of them!

Prayer apps: There are hundreds of applications for your computer or smart phone from a variety of spiritual traditions that help you practice the discipline of daily prayer.

Generosity opportunities: It is true that spiritual growth is opened up more readily to us when we are generous with our time and money for the sake of other. Be it making loans via Kiva, crowd-funding a project via Kickstarter or volunteering time in service; all of it can happen via Internet relationships.

Facebook: It’s nothing more than a big living room with multiple conversations going on. Are you listening with a spiritual ear to the voice of those in the room like my grandma did around her coffee table? We, too, can write follow-up notes of encouragement and support like grandma did at the kitchen table via direct message or comment, and provide help to our fellow spiritual journeyers.

This information is being shared with due permission to post. Source: SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS: Virtual bookshelf can aid in spiritual journey, BY STEVE BONESHO

BUSINESS: The game changer in the global fight for religious freedom, plus weekly faithwise roundup

• BUSINESS: The game changer in the global fight for religious freedom

Weekly roundup:

Changing the World: Inspiring Award-Winning Documentaries 

Four  Myths About Prayer : Myth #1: God Is Up There, I'm Down Here; Myth #2: Pray More To Get A Response; Myth #3: Believe The Most, Get The Most; Myth #4: God Only Hears Christians

Everyday (or 365 Days) HolyBook Reading Charts [e.g., Quran Memorisation Charts; The Qur'an 365 Selections for Daily Reading; Bhagavad Gita: Daily Message; Daily Bible Reading Chart For One Year; Annual Torah Portion Reading Schedule] includes charts/schedule for a few major faiths (i.e., Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Bhai)

Dan Goleman: Author, 'Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence' writes about   What Mindfulness Is -- And Isn't

"Mindfulness" refers to that move where you notice your mind wandered. With mindfulness you monitor whatever goes on within the mind. "Meditation" means the whole class of ways to train attention, mindfulness among them. continue reading  What Mindfulness Is -- And Isn't

Religious liberty vs. civil rights: A balancing act 

Fifa lifts ban on head covers  BBC 

List Is Ending After Seven Years, Aamir Hussain

Canadian Muslims need new narrative Toronto Star 

Muslim Obligations in Promoting Justice in America | Gates of Vienna

How Stephen Harper divides and conquers our many minorities: Siddiqui, Toronto Star : Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is governing more for his Conservative party than for Canada.

Rape Culture and Spiritual Violence: Religion, Testimony and Visions of Healing (Religion and Violence) by Gina Messina-Dysert  ISBN: 1844657884;  Acumen Publishing (March 27, 2014)

Why Newsweek Will No Longer Publish A 'Top 50 Rabbis' List -- Newsweek's 'Top 50 Rabbis'

Listed criteria for the rabbis recognized included:

Are they innovative leaders—communally and/or spiritually?
Are they considered leaders in Judaism in general or their denominations in particular?
How large are their constituencies?
Have they made an impact on Judaism?
Have they made an impact beyond the Jewish community?
Are they known nationally/internationally?
Do they have political/social influence?
Do they have a media presence?