Romans 12:2

We are apt to forget that a person is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation, that person is also committed to Jesus Christ’s view of God, of the world, of sin and of the devil. This means that each person must recognize the responsibility to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind. . . ."

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (September 9th)

Altruism & Natural Selection

Altruism is the one characteristic of human behavior that destroys a key element of Darwin’s theory of evolution: that is, natural selection. According to natural selection, we would allow a disaster to weed out the unfit, the weak, and the poor—anyone who could not contribute to society. But Americans, because of our Christian heritage—a heritage that remains strong no matter how secular the nation becomes—do not behave this way. We carry our wounded off the field of battle. We risk our lives to rescue strangers. We offer food and shelter to the stranger’s child—even to prisoners. And when we do, Darwin is disproved.

Chuck Colson in the aftermath of Katrina

I accept mystery and paradox

"I accept mystery and paradox. When you've been around as long as I have, you have to. Like the Chinese philosopher riding backwards on a donkey, we live life forward, but only understand it backward."

Vernon Grounds

a new type of preacher by A.W. Tozer

If Christianity is to receive rejuvenation it must be by other means than any now being used. If the church in the second half of this century is to recover from the injuries she suffered in the first half, there must appear a new type of preacher. The proper, ruler-of-the-synagogue type will never do. Neither will the priestly type of man who carries out his duties, takes his pay and asks no questions, nor the smooth-talking pastoral type who knows how to make the Christian religion acceptable to everyone. All these have been tried and found wanting. Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God and has heard a voice from the Throne. When he comes (and I pray God there will not be one but many) he will stand in flat contradiction to everything our smirking, smooth civilization holds dear. He will contradict, denounce and protest in the name of God and will earn the hatred and opposition of a large segment of Christendom.

A.W. Tozer

“ I must be honest.”

“ I must be honest.” “I must be true to myself.”
These words are almost always a preamble to a
speech of abandonment or betrayal.

“I want to let you know how I’ve been feeling.”
But God is Love. To be what we were created to
be, we don’t always have to give an update on
our negative emotions.

The reason it isn’t helpful to go around talking
about our healings, visions, and other spiritual
fireworks is that such conversations tend to be
separating and unloving. The little mind gets
involved, we start feeling special, and the other
person thinks he wasn’t invited to God’s party.

It should be obvious that the evidence of love,
unity, and wholeness in our lives will begin to

disappear whenever we choose to be special and separate.

Hugh Prather in Notes on Love and Courage

the doctrine of mental reservation

The Catholic Church teaches it is a sin to lie,

but the doctrine of mental reservation allows for circumstances

when it may be better to avoid the truth to serve a higher purpose.

'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
Live the life you have imagined.'

Henry David Thoreau

The Singapore Shirt tree is blooming in San Diego this spring!

2 Peter 1:18 & 19 (ESV)

we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

"One New Man"

by T. Austin-Sparks

The Revelation of Christ

Today the need is not primarily for the recovery of doctrine and truth. There may be a need in a large area for the restoration of fundamental truth and doctrine to its right place, but when you have it, when you have exact doctrine, you have no assurance of having life. It is possible to be exact and correct in your doctrine and to be perfectly dead. Whatever may be the need of the recovery of lost truth, the need over all, greater than all, is the recovery of spiritual revelation as to the Lord Jesus, to see Him anew.

First published in "A Witness and A Testimony" magazine, March-April 1946, Vol 24-2

In Every City

A house of retreats in every city!

How we should like to make that watchword echo and sing in the ears of every active Catholic man and woman un­til the very iteration of it set them all to working to bring this most desirable thing to pass. Provide for the growth and spread of retreats for lay men and women and then the building up of that body of zealous lay apostles which the age calls for and the Church longs for will be assured. No other means is so effective in counteracting world­liness, deepening the supernatural spirit, and stirring up unselfish zeal as those re­treats in which one goes altogether apart from the world for three days of prayer and thought, self-examination and sturdy reso­lution, and having broken with life and the world for a time, comes back strengthened and resolved to amend the one and to over­come the other. In no other way can the regular, certain, and constant facilities for making retreats be assured to our laity than by the establishment of special houses like those in Europe, where accommodations are always ready and where everyone knows that for the asking one may get the chance to make a retreat.

Your Own Heart (Some Helps to Understand It)
by Fr. Edward F. Garesche, S.J.
1920 Benziger Brothers