Resilience in being, and in relationship...

I found myself in our dining room talking with my wife last night, but according to my daughter, Milly, I was speaking to my wife in a patronizing way, & then speaking louder & faster... Milly beautifully said: "Dad, that sounds patronizing.... something's not right, ... you are speaking faster & louder... can you sense it?" I couldn't really, but I believe her. Still, by the end of the time, my wife felt very hurt & I felt a bit raw & numb. We prayed for help from God.
When I mentioned some of this to a friend in my LTG today, he said "Oh, I was reading this article on Collaboration .." & he read a bit out that mentioned that the major impediment to Collaboration & Resilience is Defensiveness, and that in order to get around that road-block it gave six simple points. One was that it was a good idea to Name your own Defensive Strategies and gave a non-exhaustive list including:

• Aggressiveness
• Speaking louder or faster
• Giving orders or making demands
• Belittling others
• Getting quiet, tuning out
• Feeling hot, embarrassment, can't think, mind goes blank
• Playing victim
• Blaming, judging

I could see this was so close to the wording Milly had used to describe me, that I knew I had to at least listen to what God might be wanting to say to me through this article. Ouch! But, thank you God. And, bring it on!

I cut and pasted it to make it more easily printable (but the initial link is there on the second line). I have read it all at least once. A lot of it resonates with what I've already learned and know to be true. Some of the wording mightn't quite work for you, try to get the big ideas.


...   ...   ,,,   ,,,   ...[[[]]]...   ,,,   ,,,   ...   ...

Oh God, help me please
to live out your life.
He did it with ease
amidst all the strife.

And I know I need
more of him in me.
His spirit the seed,
his life kills "sin-me".

Oh God I see now:
I give up my rights
and to you I bow,
instead of pick fights.

You own this old lump
of blood, flesh, and bone,
This soul which may slump,
this spirit has flown

God, from your own lips
when you breathed on dust.
These bodies are ships
that're sailing on trust,

or friendship which grows
as we become one
and labour with those
who're sent, like the son,

who co-laboured with,
followed his Father,
We're part of that myth-
-ic shrine or vineyard(-a).


I hope this doc helps any of you trying to work with others collaboratively: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z9BM7oPFMJK3pSkRHn7ywudiKSWHNPJmaSfX1WcGEXo/edit?usp=sharing

"Design Patterns"*

"Design patterns” in narrative are strewn

throughout the story of the Bible's grace;

hence “Jonah’s story” quite reflects, as moon

reflects the sunlight from another place,

or time, or ethnic group, it reappears

in other settings: God “relented and

did not bring on disaster threatened clear”(1).

at first to his folk, then another land.

Another one, from Moses story too,

is when (before God makes him Ruler/Judge)

a fight between two “brothers” had ensued:

the pow'rfull one asks, and he will not budge,

he asks of the young Moses, “Who made you

a ruler and a judge who's over us?(2)

And then another Joshua asks too

by using those “same” words re. two brothers.

For when you know the story's irony

you know the answer to the question well.

and Jesus/Joshua is over me,

with whiff of God's own Cosmic Leader's “smell”.

And later on when talking “leadership”

of God's own people, he makes sport 'o the

self-centred leaders who would take a sip

of God's good wine, but turn to water the

good celebration of a faithful wife

and husband who would be true to the end.

So when Yeshua's ‘sign’(3) starts married life

he's tuning to design patterns, my friend!

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* .https://youtu.be/VhmlJBUIoLk

(1)  ‘I have seen these people,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.’  But Moses sought the favour of the Lord his God. ‘ Lord ,’ he said, ‘why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, “It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth”? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance for ever.” ’ Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.  Exodus 32:9‭-‬14 NIVUK

At the end of the forty days and forty nights, the Lord gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant. Then the Lord told me, ‘Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt. They have turned away quickly from what I commanded them and have made an idol for themselves.’  And the Lord said to me, ‘I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed! Let me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.’ So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands. When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you. So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes.  Then once again I fell prostrate before the Lord for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the Lord ’s sight and so arousing his anger. I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord , for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the Lord listened to me. And the Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I prayed for Aaron too.  Deut. 9:11‭-‬20 NIVUK

“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.” Jonah 3:10

(2) "One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labour. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no-one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, ‘Why are you hitting your brother Hebrew?’ The man said, ‘Who appointed you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘What I did must have become known.’  When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. See Exodus 2:11‭-‬15 NIVUK

Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’  Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’  Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’  Luke 12:13‭-‬15 NIVUK

‘When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. He saw one of them being ill-treated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defence and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realise that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, “Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?”  ‘But the man who was ill-treating the other pushed Moses aside and said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. Acts 7:23‭-‬29 NIVUK

(3) https://appallinglife.blogspot.com/2018/09/good-wine-and-wa

The Wedding Feast Parable*

When Jesus noticed how the guests then chose

the places honoured in the eyes of men

around about, for they thought (I suppose)

that being human, their worth was more when

the others round about saw you  that way;

and since some ranking slippage still occurs,

if you can get them seeing you as say

two ranks above, then surely you're no worse.

But if instead our worth is worked out from

the love that we've received - and passed along;

the love we have from God becomes so prom-

i-nent, a debt of love is not so wrong!

Al-ter-nat-ive-ly, if we learn to love

then we won't ever be concerned about

what others think of us (no claim, or shove)!

we'll want to sit near needy folk, no doubt.

Then Jesus told this parable: ‘When you're

invited by someone to celebrate

a wedding with a banquet (which is more

than just a party), listen to me straight,

“So, do not sit down at the highest place

of honour. Why is that? Well just in case

there's someone with a more distinguished face

than yours, who's been invited and needs space.

The host who has invited both of you,

may come and say to you, “Please give up to

this person now, your seat.” then in disgrace

you then must start to take the lowest place.

But when you are invited, go and sit

down at the lowest place, so that when it

comes time why then your host may say to you,

“Friend, move up higher” - You’ll be honoured to.

And all who sit at table there with you,

will see it and they'll know your standing's true.

For who exalts themselves will humbled be,

and humbling yourself exalts, you see!’

---

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He also said - to who invited him:

‘When you are planning special  things for folks,

or dinner-parties, just upon a whim,

don’t just invite your colleagues (women/blokes),

or brothers, relatives, or even or friends,

or neighbours, rich in many things, in case

they may invite you in return, thus ends

the interaction. When you clear a space

& give a banquet, see that you invite

the poor, the crippled, lame, and too the blind.

And you will then be blessed instead, you'll find,

’cause they cannot repay you. Blows your mind(!)

-  but you cannot outgive this Universe

so you will be repaid at very “end”,

which is the start of real living, no curse

es, leaving womb-world you're welcomed by “friend”!

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* When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. 8 ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place”, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’

12 He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’ Luke 14:7–14

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mind-set and prayer

By constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life !! Ephesians 3:17 (PM Version)

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Oh God, may that be so for us today,
that your love might be what impells us and
is then expressed in all we do and say
so will we look into your eyes, and stand!

Gen is this 24 - part of the story Yeshua lived in, and continued...?

“O  Lord , God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”

The story unfolds. Later as Abraham's servant recounts his quest to the girl's family he recounts a previous interchange between him and his master:

“But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’ He responded, ‘The Lord , in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family...

Then the servant recounts to them the earlier incidents of the present day: 

“Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ So I drank, and then she watered the camels. “Then I asked, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. “Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord . I praised the Lord , the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s niece to be his son’s wife. So tell me—will you or won’t you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I’ll know what to do next.” 

Genesis 24:12‭-‬14‭, ‬39‭-‬40‭, ‬45‭-‬49 NLT http://bible.com/116/gen.24.12-49.NLT

“O  Lord , God of Abraham.
Please give me today success."
Unfailing love (of "I AM"),
will include his plan to bless.

YOU SEE that I'm standing here.
Farther, I make this request..
I will ask what seems quite clear...
please guide her with heart that's blessed.

Interesting to hear his words:
‘Please let me drink from your jug’.
Doesn't seem fully absurd
but it's fishing for no mug,

but for a person-of-peace
who is working to bring good.
I think Jesus knew of these;
his ambassadors so should

do as he did at a well,
persons-of-peace learn to trust,
and "the God who sees" will dwell
anywhere journeys take us.

And the servant's litmus test
of this God he's come to know
(through another who's been blessed),
is does UNFAILING LOVE show?

As the story unfolds then,
he recounts this interchange
from his master (who's a friend)
to himself, the words arrange:

"THE LORD , he's the one in who..
IN WHOSE PRESENCE I HAVE LIVED;
he'll send his angel with you
so your mission will succeed.”

Then to them all, this servant
recounts private incidents
with the present day's events,
to see where God's angel went,

thus; “Before I had finished,
while I'm praying in my heart,
this beauty undiminished
comes on in to play her part...

So I gave her all the gold..
Then I bowed low to The Boss,
for the half had not been told,
I did not feel at a loss,

and it was not too much to
say I worshipped and I praised
the God of Abraham, who
had helped me, and led me straight ...

in my mission. So tell me—
will you or won’t you join in
and show love unfailingly
and faithfulness unto him

who is my master? So you,
please do tell me “Yes” or “No”,
and then I’ll know what to do
next, wheth-er to stay or go.         

Friends meet, complete..

Oh God, please help the time spent there tonight,,
for Paul and Peter, and for Mary too.
Please make them all a blessing, not a  blight,
and help them clarify in love, issues.

Please by your Spirit, help each listen well,
and actively to hear and see what love
would do, when we can't always speak or tell
our heart's desire, we choose yours "from above".

On the 19th (for the 16th) Jan 2019

We'll Sophie Ellen's “28” just now,

that's “years upon this Earth” since she was born.

And what a time it's been(!) - her laugh somehow

has brought a human touch when life's forlorn.

This week she was just 27, till

the 16th day came in this month wherein

she turned four weeks of ye’rs. Now always will

be 't least one month of years that she's been

around and learning to be more than “looks”;

to be a re-al woman here with us.

And though sometimes she's 's loud as all the chooks

she often welcomes each “fresh day” with fuss

& celebration, like a rooster's crow;

she'll still admit her problems, and those round;

and get upset when all the things you know

don't match how things appear on the ground.

She still rings up to talk & help her think

again what's true about what's here below.

I think the bigger picture helps her “blink”

and take another view of “what's the go?”

And that in turn allows her to do that

for others, like the rest of us around,

and kindness and compassion “come to bat”,

and many folk here say that they “abound”.

She loves to help, and help folk reconcile,

and brings a sense of humour here as well.

Her father in the heavens, all the while,

is who she's made her “help”; and we can tell!

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How can it be that GOD is OUR helper?: https://appallinglife.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post.html

The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’  Gen. 2:18 NIVUK

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.  Psalm 54:4 NIVUK

When the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands?  Judges 10:12 NIVUK

‘Yet you have not called on me, Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, Israel.  Isaiah 43:22 NIVUK

People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me,’ declares the Lord .  Amos 4:8 NIVUK

The Lord said, “I was ready to answer my people's prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, ‘Here I am; I will help you.’  Isaiah 65:1 GNT

The Lord says, “Listen to me, you that want to be saved, you that come to me for help. Think of the rock from which you came, the quarry from which you were cut. ...  Wake up, Lord , and help us! Use your power and save us; use it as you did in ancient times. It was you that cut the sea monster Rahab to pieces. … The Lord says, “I am the one who strengthens you. Why should you fear mortals, who are no more enduring than grass?  … Have you forgotten the Lord who made you, who stretched out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations? Why should you live in constant fear of the fury of those who oppress you, of those who are ready to destroy you? Their fury can no longer touch you. Isaiah 51:1‭, ‬9‭-‬9‭, ‬12‭-‬13 GNT

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?  The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. Psalm 118:6‭-‬7 NIVUK

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’  So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’ Hebrews 13:5‭-‬6 NIVUK

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Squidgling..

Txt->PW: ...Thank God for a good birth and pray for recovery for (the mum).

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So thank you God for a good birth this day
of Little Girl's small sister, so we pray
while sitting at our neighbours' where we say
we're glad, please help the mum to heal away!

Headin' to a weddin'

Txt<-PW: Well, Katrina and I are  booked to go to our nephew's wedding on Canada...
Txts->PW: Sounds great. Your turn overseas.😊
:I hope it can be a special  holiday  for you both. I know (the family) will appreciate  you coming.
:Exciting!
:I’m glad you’ve booked! I hope it’s a great together.
:Yahoo! Sounds great

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Thanks. Us two, too. God help us use this time
to see what we can see of your good work,
and hear your word, and listen (as sublime),
& learn to do your will, instead of shirk!

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our response to unfailing love...

Forget the past and look forward to what is ahead. Philippians 3:13 (PM Version)

"Give thanks to The Lord Almighty, for The Lord is good and His faithful love endures forever" Jeremiah 33:11b (PM Version)

Forget the past 
and look forward 
to what will last
and keep coming..

so technically
from what we know,
can hear, and see,
without dumbing

everything down
to bite-sized bits,
you must not frown
to follow it...

Since this world's "change"
is a decay,
it may seem strange
for me to say:

To find what lasts
and grows more good
will take us past
this world of "should",

to Christ's own rule
that's now ahead,
that's when God's tool,
Earth's kingdom-ing,

is taken up
in God' own "Head"
all's shaken up,
finally humming!

... ,,, ... ,,, ...

But even now
God's Life is here.
Spirit somehow
in Him appeared,

and real good has
been created.
When our eyes, as
God's did, see it,

it's likely that
as Jesus did,
we'll give God thanks,
we'll flip our lid,

yes praise him too,
Lord Almighty,
his love endures
and he is free

to do as he
would like to do.
The Almighty
is good all through!

His faithful Love,
unfailingly,
came "weak as dove"
of peace you see.

But God has now
raised him up high!
To him we bow,
no more he'll die!

Amen!

Mark's account - up on a mount!

Text->PW: I'm enjoying some of Mark's account.

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Well, "I'm enjoying some of Mark's account*",
he says to me, with twinkle in his eyes.
I wonder what he likes? Is it the MOUNT
that Jesus went up to before those guys

were called by him to make the newest twelve;
beginning of the "offspring" of the brand
new Isra'el whose sons would good, and well,

vol-um-in-ous-ly fill, and rule, as planned

by God's own Word, at first back down the track,

but not as kings of this world do today,

as he would MOUNT his cross upon his back,

ascending any lonely MOUNT to pray.

Might be the MOUNT where he took his close three

to be alone with him, but then they met

with two who'd met the Most High already,

and subsequently led folk further yet.

Might be the MOUNT that he had ridden on

into Jeru-salem before he's dead.

The kind of transport then "unhidden from"

a tradesman's pregnant woman - so it's said.

Might be the MOUNT of Olives where he prayed

in garden - NOT to have what he desired

(like garden on a mountain in the shade

of tree where other "son of God" had sired

a “way of life” that led to sin and death);

instead he'd MOUNT a cross - for life and peace,

by loving not his life on Earth, each breath

he gave to save us from a “life” deceased.

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*  Mark's account of the Gospel (euangelion) about Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God.

But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own unbridled desires. Then our unbridled desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  James 1:14‭-‬15 GNTD

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We'd ding bells for this day...

Well Steve and Faith, you're starting up today

a full-on Two-man, that is to be born

when you two lose yourselves and give away

your own dreams, and learn not to be forlorn,

but start to see your bodies as a part

of this new being that gives rise to new

new human beings, which are works of art,

creative works of God, and both of you!