How did I make good decisions?What does God really want from me?Does God care about every little choice I make?The big question behind all of these question, of course , is this :What ‘s God ‘s will for my life?We decided to explore the sometime confusing issue of God’s will with four spiritual leaders from Christian college campuses.
Do my decisions really matter to God?
God cares about what ‘ s going on in our hearts.In any decisions we have the opportunity to choose who we will worship .Will we worship God or will we worship ourselves ?God desires to be the highest priority in every part of our lives.
In some areas of life it’s clear that there are right decisions and wrong decisions – like the choice of whether to cheat in a exam.In other areas , we need to make choices between two good things – like making a decision between two great colleges. It’s quite possible God would be present in and honoured by either decision.Other times the choice may have to do with a grey area – something that’s not necessarily right or wrong.These are opportunities to practice wisdom.For example, spending a lot of time talking on the phone or texting friends may be a good thing.But if it can be harder for us to be aware of God’s presence.Being wise might mean turning the phone off from time to time to quiet your heart so you can be more attentive to the presence of God in everyday life.
Sometimes when we make decisions, it can seem like we’re trying to work God into our life story.But really, we are part of God’s story and God is delighted by our desire to live with that focus in mind. - Dr.Jamie Noling Associate Campus Pastor at Azusa Pacific University ( Califonia)
How do I discover God’s will?
First , you have to make sure you’re seeking to obey what God has already revealed in Scriptures.This includes things like obeying your parents.That ‘s a clear instruction from God.It doesn’t really work to ignore God’s revealed will but yet expect God to answer specific question like where you should go to college.
As you study God’s Word and spend time in prayer , your relationship with God grows and you begin to understand God’s character. You will then be in the right place to hear God’s instruction for other areas of your life. In addition to Bible study and prayer , be willing to seek godly counsel from a mentor , pastor , or your parents.
If we’re serious about following God’s will , we have to recognize that it’s not about getting what we want, but doing what God asks.We must trust that he is faithful and good, and that his will is what’s best for us. – Dr.Jeff Gangel, Director of Spiritual Formation at Toccoa Falls College ( Georgia).
Will God ask me to do stuff I don’t want to do?
God may call us to do things that don’t feel natural to us at first.But as we listen and respond to the call of God, we get connected to our deepest desires.After all, the things God calls us to do are things that he created us to do.
Many of us have habits that we find comfortable or that we enjoy . In the long run, though, those things may not meet our deeper spiritual needs.For example, we may have a habit of seeking acceptance by conforming , following the crowd.This is easy and can make us feel like we are accepted, but actually this habit can prevent us from being who we really are meant to be.It’s scary to take the risk of letting your true self be known, but God calls us to do that.
This process makes me think of a cross – country runner.Getting to the point where it’s enjoyable to run requires the runner to work and do things that may not be easy.But when the runner is in great shape, it is a true joy to run. Likewise , once we start down the path of doing the work God calls us to do, we find great joy doing it.- Dr Greg Carmer , Dean of Chapel at Gordon College ( Massachusetts)
What if I miss God’s will?
Making a poor decision doesn’t mean we’re forever out of God’s will .That’s part of the beauty of scripture .It has story after story of people who make bad decisions, but God still uses them mightily .Just look at Abraham and David.They both did some things that were clearly wrong, but God worked through them to accomplish great things. God can use all of our decisions , whether they’re right , wrong , or neutral.
Also , we need to remember God is our Father, God is not here to condemn us, but to help us become more like Christ.If we are focused on Jesus , and on holiness, some of those other things will fall into place .God is not a cosmic trickster who only gives us one shot to get things right. – Dr.Shawn Holtgren, Dean of Leadership and Spiritual Development at Bethel College ( Indiana).
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
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CHURCH ENCOURAGED TO USE DIGITAL MEDIA, TEACH ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
VATICAN : As the Catholic Church works to become more present in the new digital media, it must also help teach people to be ethical communicators, said Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state.
Formation is crucial, he said , especially now that the world of communication is crossing new “ frontiers that are in need of serious ethical grounding”.
The cardinal’s remarks came on march 13 at the end of fife – day meeting in Rome to discuss how the church should respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by modern media.
The seminar was sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and drew bishops from 82 countries.
One aim of the gathering was to set the groundwork for a possible document by the council that would update its 1992 pastoral instruction, Aetatis Novae ( At the Dawn of a New Era).
In his talk, cardinal Bertone said that the world has recently experienced enormous revolutions in communication technology that have “ radically transformed , if not overturned,” the media and communications landscape .
Any kind of new document or instruction “ would be of little service without the constant contribution of educating pastoral workers – priests, religious, laypeople- who are personally involved in the field of media,” he said.
The head of the pontifical council, Archbishop Claudio Celli, said in opening remarks that it would be impractical for the Vatican to make its Web presence interactive because of the flood of questions and comments that would come in. he said such interactivity would be more easily done on a local level.
Archbishop George H.Niederauer of San Francisco , chairman of the US bishops’ communications committee and a participant at the Vatican seminar said that overhauling and revamping diocesan Websites is an important investment.
Making them easy to navigate , informative, up – to- date and rich in offering and links is “ going to pay big dividends for dioceses and archdioceses across the country , “ he said.
He said dioceses have to “ make easily available to their people the faith – taught , presented, illustrated , expressed and witnessed – in ways that are very appealing not just to people who would reach for traditional newspaper, but to Catholics who have perhaps been away from the church awhile, young Catholics seeking an expression of the faith that does speak to them and broken them” and others.
Fr Lawrence Andrew SJ, who represented the Malaysia – Singapore – Brunei conference said that the media culture is all pervasive and it is not ad added component of our modern day living .it is the Church ‘s duty to meet the many who have been caught up in this web of self sufficiency by limiting themselves to what they choose to see, hear and interact. hence we must help people to transcend themselves and be connected with others beyond their needs, and connect them to the presence of God in media.
he echoed Cardinal bertone who said at the seminar that communication is central to all of us because God who loves us communication is central to all of us because God who loves us communicates with us every day. The church receiving its mandate from Christ therefore must energetically communicate with the world , or it ceases to exist.
But while the Church learns to encounter, engage with and evangelize today’s “ electronic public square , “ he said it must never stop doing what it has been doing for millennia because no matter how sophisticated new technology gets, “ you can’t receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ over the Internet.”
The liturgy and Eucharistic celebration are the summit and fountain of Christian life, he said , which means everything the Church does must in turn flow from it.
“ So the centre of faith is not going to be the Internet, “ he said.
“ But the Internet is going to be wonderful vehicle for people to climb that summit – to the experience of the Eucharist, of Church and faith – and it’s going to be a place that can help that flowing forth as well, “ he said.
Also present at this conference was Augustine Lourdusamy , who is President of SIGNIS World. - CNS
Formation is crucial, he said , especially now that the world of communication is crossing new “ frontiers that are in need of serious ethical grounding”.
The cardinal’s remarks came on march 13 at the end of fife – day meeting in Rome to discuss how the church should respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by modern media.
The seminar was sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and drew bishops from 82 countries.
One aim of the gathering was to set the groundwork for a possible document by the council that would update its 1992 pastoral instruction, Aetatis Novae ( At the Dawn of a New Era).
In his talk, cardinal Bertone said that the world has recently experienced enormous revolutions in communication technology that have “ radically transformed , if not overturned,” the media and communications landscape .
Any kind of new document or instruction “ would be of little service without the constant contribution of educating pastoral workers – priests, religious, laypeople- who are personally involved in the field of media,” he said.
The head of the pontifical council, Archbishop Claudio Celli, said in opening remarks that it would be impractical for the Vatican to make its Web presence interactive because of the flood of questions and comments that would come in. he said such interactivity would be more easily done on a local level.
Archbishop George H.Niederauer of San Francisco , chairman of the US bishops’ communications committee and a participant at the Vatican seminar said that overhauling and revamping diocesan Websites is an important investment.
Making them easy to navigate , informative, up – to- date and rich in offering and links is “ going to pay big dividends for dioceses and archdioceses across the country , “ he said.
He said dioceses have to “ make easily available to their people the faith – taught , presented, illustrated , expressed and witnessed – in ways that are very appealing not just to people who would reach for traditional newspaper, but to Catholics who have perhaps been away from the church awhile, young Catholics seeking an expression of the faith that does speak to them and broken them” and others.
Fr Lawrence Andrew SJ, who represented the Malaysia – Singapore – Brunei conference said that the media culture is all pervasive and it is not ad added component of our modern day living .it is the Church ‘s duty to meet the many who have been caught up in this web of self sufficiency by limiting themselves to what they choose to see, hear and interact. hence we must help people to transcend themselves and be connected with others beyond their needs, and connect them to the presence of God in media.
he echoed Cardinal bertone who said at the seminar that communication is central to all of us because God who loves us communication is central to all of us because God who loves us communicates with us every day. The church receiving its mandate from Christ therefore must energetically communicate with the world , or it ceases to exist.
But while the Church learns to encounter, engage with and evangelize today’s “ electronic public square , “ he said it must never stop doing what it has been doing for millennia because no matter how sophisticated new technology gets, “ you can’t receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ over the Internet.”
The liturgy and Eucharistic celebration are the summit and fountain of Christian life, he said , which means everything the Church does must in turn flow from it.
“ So the centre of faith is not going to be the Internet, “ he said.
“ But the Internet is going to be wonderful vehicle for people to climb that summit – to the experience of the Eucharist, of Church and faith – and it’s going to be a place that can help that flowing forth as well, “ he said.
Also present at this conference was Augustine Lourdusamy , who is President of SIGNIS World. - CNS
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Drawing for "Mother Mary and Infant Jesus" part 1 - starting
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Sketch first so you will know which part should be shading when you are using the charcoal stick.
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