by kennieb

HELLO -My Introduction

I wrote one of these a short while ago, and it was also short, which is posted. What I want to say about me is mostly just answering those questions in the Module of Blogging for Beginners. I do keep a journal as well, but it is mostly for private things I don’t really care to share – my private thoughts.

I have been doing some sort of blogging for about two years now, not regularly and I think I need to be more regular (can a person be more regular or is that like being more perfect?) about my writing. One of the reasons is that it gives me something to do since I am retired. I am a Bishop in the Orthodox Catholic Church of the Philippines (if you have questions about that, send a message to me at FB messenger – Gregory Theologian). My ordination name is Gregory.

The people I’d most like to reach are those interested in Theology (no arguments please, just discuss to learn about others). Some of my other ideas are simple things I have learned about history, philosophy, or Theology. I have posted some Biblical quotes for (I hope) inspiration and guidance. I am not one to make judgements about others and what they believe (I guess I am sort of like an Anglican in that respect), but I am more than willing to share things about the Orthodox Church (most of the jurisdictions) and the Byzantine Catholics, where I learned many things about the Christian Church.

Hopefully there will be people who are interested in my opinions and thoughts and we will become friends albeit online mostly, but hopefully in person one day.

Thank you for reading.

by kennieb

WISDOM From Heaven James 3:17

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere’. (3:17)

James was one of those writers who wrote to the entire Christian Church – one of the “catholic” writers. His intent then was to teach what the Good News was about. That’s different from Paul, who wrote to specific churches. Paul was helping people to try to practise what the Good News taught.

by kennieb

PERFECTION: James 1:2-8

bible.com/1922/jas.1.4.rv1895

Again we read about being complete (perfect), but James writes more, giving an explanation of completeness: “and entire, lacking in nothing.” This is the same meaning Jesus in mind when he said, “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”; that is, be complete.

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials,  3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete (some translations have “perfect”), lacking nothing.
5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.  6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways. 

by kennieb

hinterland: Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day

Word of the Day – hinterland http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2016/10/13 at Dictionary.com

This is an interesting word in that it has sort of different meanings to each person. It brings up the memories of childhood; some pleasant and maybe some not so pleasant.

It reminds me of a word I used to hear very often – boondocks. There is even a song about the boondocks. Seems like that song was yesterday but it was many years ago. This word comes from the name of a town in the Philippines – Bontoc. There is more than one town in the Philippines with that name. Now how did Bontoc become boondocks?

The reason has to do with the US military in the Philippines. Bontoc is usually a small town in the province (the area most Filipinos associate with rural, agricultural places). When a person from the US would talk about something far away, he or she would refer to Bontoc. As in most languages, time got involved and the “mishearing” of the word made it boondocks and in the US it came to mean a place far away out in the hills or in a rural and agricultural area.

by kennieb

Today Is All

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:34 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.6.34.ESV

 

This has been one of the most difficult things for me to do – not to worry about the past or the future. The past is finished; the future isn’t here and none of us really knows what the future will be. So why worry?

I have started doing one thing which I got from a YouTube video and, I apologise, I do not remember what the title is. What I learned was that as my mind begins wandering in the past or wondering in the future, I say to myself, “Back to Now!” As was shown in the video, NOW is all we have. We don’t even have control of what was one second ago or what will be in one second in the future. That’s not to say that a person should not plan.

Making a plan is helpful to be able to meet the changes and challenges of what comes up – what happens. That’s the way to work in the NOW. But plans should be for projects, studies, or other activity, not for the whole day. Keeping God ever in our minds, ever knowing of God’s presence, will fill the time where there is no activity. In reality, God should be in our minds even during the activity. God is a great guide, especially when we get stuck in that project or study – that one class which is really bugging us.

Just think about those things. If I remember or find that title of the video, I’ll post it. I just need to write things in my journal more!

by kennieb

venial: Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day

Word of the Day – venial: able to be forgiven or pardoned; not seriously wrong, as a sin. http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2016/08/23 at Dictionary.com

This is one of those words people who are Catholics hear often when studying about sin and confession. The definition here is a little misleading, making one think that there might be a sin which cannot be forgiven. I don’t want to get into the theology of “the fatal sin”, so for the greatest part, we will just say that “all” sin can be forgiven.

by kennieb

Isaiah 26:3-5

bible.com/100/isa.26.3.nasb

I added 2 more verses because they add an interesting “twist” on what Isaiah wrote.  In the Orthodox Study Bible which I have through Kindle (both Orthodox Study Bible and Kindle protected names), I have learned that what Isaiah said in these verses is much what Mary says in the Magnificat (Lk 1:52).

This happens more than once – that is, a prophet writes something and there is a connection in the New or Christian Testament or part of the Bible.

I have learned, and I suppose it is nothing new to many, is that the two parts of the Bible are “connected”.  The Hebrew, or Old, Testament or Bible, tells us stories of how people were told how to act and what to do, but they never seemed to keep it going. And, how God, even with all the problems people caused, still kept giving them hope and moving along.  God continued to teach the people lessons. That would fix things for a while and then off they would go, doing their own thing. All of the prophets kept telling the people that they better start shaping up or there was going to be a big price to pay.

The people didn’t listen. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Only now, we haven’t had some other country to take over and take all the citizens captive and keep them locked up and decimate their city. I wonder if that would help?

Or, have we?  We see countries attacking each other or revolutions happening and many other countries helping one side or the other. The wars just continue and there will be no peace until people start listening or reading or both.  What can we do?

We need to find peace within ourselves and with others. People are always going to be different or think differently; that doesn’t make them bad.  People are evil when they begin forcing others to act the way they want them to act.  Trying to convince people is not evil. But, if they don’t listen, there is nothing a person can do but pray for them and wish them well. But, another thing we must do is make sure what we are advocating is going to help everyone. Seek advice; pray much; the Spirit will help.

Thank you for reading.  May you be blessed always.

by kennieb

2nd Corinthians 5:7

FAITH IS ALL WE NEED

Whenever I see one of the letters from Paul, I always sort of laugh when I see it was one to the Corinthians.

Paul seemed to be having trouble with that group of people all the time. I often thought that if he did write a third letter to them, he would probably tell them that they really try his patience.  But, we all probably would try his patience.

Some of the communities which Paul wrote to seemed to have no problems understanding what they are supposed to do and the way they should act. I am sure, though, Paul was familiar with the Prophets and all the problems they had, but they never stopped, even when they were put in jail, threatened with execution, and numerous other ways to punish them because the people, the king, or whomever, just did not like what a Prophet was telling them.

Paul was no stranger to many of these things. Not only did he have problems with communities he was evangelising, but also with all the officials in the communities. And, then, after all that, while he’s telling the Gentiles they don’t have to follow the LAW, the other Apostles are  disagreeing with him.  So, off to Jerusalem for a council and getting some decisions about preaching to the Gentiles and the LAW.

So, what has that got to do with the Bible quote for today. Paul finally had to tell people FAITH is what is important; not what a person sees and sometimes not what a person hears.  God sorts everything out and fixes everything. All of us just need Faith. (In one of that adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books by Universal – The Scarlet Claw – the priest in the story has one of the best lines: “Aw, what you need is more Faith and less imagination!”  Not only less imagination, but keep your own thoughts out of the way.)  Just pray for more Faith and trust that God will work everything out.  May not be the way we would do it, but then, we are not God’s counsellors.

Thanks for reading.

by kennieb

Closing My Facebook Account and My Political “Say”

I am about to close and delete my Facebook account. Why? I am tired of all the ads which keep showing up in my time-line to buy things I really don’t want or need and that people whom I have “friended” say little about themselves, not in an egotistical way, and what has been happening in their lives, but don’t hesitate to put a bunch of political stuff up.  Also, it is recommended in About.com.

I tired of politics a long time ago. I tired of the lying media several years ago – I know it’s called editing, but when a person says something in an interview and the statement is aired in such a way that it becomes something entirely opposite of what the person said, to me, that’s lying.

I am going to be political here, which I don’t relish: Since there has been so much posted in Facebook about how bad Socialism is, I would like to call attention to four countries which have Socialism and seem to be doing very well: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and, my favourite, Finland. Why is Finland my favourite? It is the ONLY country to pay the US the debt it owed due to the war and the US help to keep the Soviets out. And, Finland did that in less than the 20 years it was given to pay that debt. It’s A SOCIALIST country, folks. If that little country, with all the threats it received and all the problems It had with USSR, can be socialistic and, contrary to what Donald the Trump says, a very good friend to the US,  what is wrong with the United States of America that It can’t have some socialism?

If socialism is so bad, why haven’t those four countries dumped it? There are intelligent people there. Also, did you know that at least three of those countries ranked in the top ten as the happiest countries in the world?  Socialism must be terrible, it makes people happy.  We can’t have that. Might lower the prison population and put the US in the top ten best-educated (we now rank 51st) and happiest country in the world.  Heaven forbid!  Also, Canada ranked in the top ten happiest.

Yes, I am certain there are countries which are socialistic and which have failed, but I would bet none of them is in the ten happiest countries in the world. And that the governments didn’t live within their means (much like the US has been doing for the past 70 plus years, so we could wage wars and prop up dictators, which, by the way, has been done by BOTH major political parties ). Any political-economic system can fail, just as capitalism has in the past and, as far as I am concerned, is failing now. (Also, I exclude social systems as Communism, Naziism, and Facism as legitimate socialistic systems.) I have had my say and I doubt many will read this anyway, but, for those who do, if you want to make comments, please do.   In the meantime, I shall go back to listening to Ancient Faith Radio podcasts and Sacred Scripture reading, oh, and reading Bishop Barron’s (the new Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles) blogs, which I recommend.

by kennieb

My Eyes

CHRIST IS RISEN

 I just wanted to give an update about my two cataract surgeries.  If I did not have help from my sister and brother-in-law, I think I would just now be able to have the surgery for one eye.  As it is, the left eye was done in November, 2013, and the right eye was done in April, 2015.  Has been so strange when going out with no glasses, that I had a pair of sun glasses made – the shade is not strong, just enough to cut down the glare, which I am not used to yet.

The world does look so much better now; that is, the physical world.  I see beautiful greens, blues, reds, and oranges.  With some of the family I made a short trip to Dagupan (it’s on the Philippine Sea).  The Bougainvillaeas were blooming in a bright violet colour, no red or white, and trees were blooming in yellow and orange.  Just very wonderful to see so well.

I thank God that the surgeries went very well and that the surgeon was A#1, best in the country, and that my sister and brother-in-law have been so kind to me.  I am still recovering from the right eye surgery, which is coming along so well that the surgeon said I only needed to see her if I had problems.

DEO GRATIAS!!