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Saturday, March 29, 2014

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
  • Wednesday, March 26, 2014

    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    www.BelieveAndCreate.com

    "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,
    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.
    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
  • Tuesday, March 25, 2014

    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:
    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:
    On the same shelf:

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

  • Thursday, March 20, 2014

    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:

    Sunday, March 16, 2014

    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.)
  • Friday, March 14, 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:

    Monday, March 03, 2014

    Digital tools as an aid in spiritual journey by STEVE BONESHO

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

    Sunday, March 02, 2014

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


    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?


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