Here I am, for Lent I gave up some of my time to focus on blogging about Lent...and then for two weeks I don't post a single blog.
There is only one correct way to fail... and that is by realizing the failure and taking corrective action... so here I am again.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
How To Explain The Holy Trinity
My favorite way to explain The Holy Trinity to folks is as follows...
The Trinity is like a game of 'Dungeons and Dragons.'
In the place of The Father you have the Game Master... an actual person who exists outside the game world.
For the Son, you have the Game Master's avatar...his player character...who he is in the game world.
The Holy Spirit, is the rules of the game as applied by the Game Master... because the 'rules' are the Game Masters 'Will.'
All three of those represent the same person.
Simple.
The Trinity is like a game of 'Dungeons and Dragons.'
In the place of The Father you have the Game Master... an actual person who exists outside the game world.
For the Son, you have the Game Master's avatar...his player character...who he is in the game world.
The Holy Spirit, is the rules of the game as applied by the Game Master... because the 'rules' are the Game Masters 'Will.'
All three of those represent the same person.
Simple.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Giving Up Giving up
When we really put our minds to something we can usually accomplish it in the long run... the problem is that we will usually turn our mind to giving up on a challenge we are facing. How we deal with a challenge depends on what it is and understanding our motivations is key to being able to maintain them.
Being motivated is a tricky business. Those of us who served in the military may remember 'motivational runs' which were usually the last thing we wanted to do. One of the keys of being motivated is experiencing success... but it's not really the 'win' that motivates you... it the meaning of the victory. Once we see that it is the meaning of the victory that affects it's motivational value we can assess whether our pregress is satisfactory.
Being satisfied with our progress is extremely important with program we might use to accomplish our goals. Particularly with a 'baby step' type process it's very easy to get unmotivated by the apparent lack of valuable progress. So it is imperative that any such program have a method to include valued benchmarks.
Alternativly there is the apprioach of setting a large goal which if the task is time consiming may seem daunting. However large goals are very satisfying to accomplish. I personally like to set extremely grand goals that are safe to fail. Usually they do fail, but being able to apply what I learned to new projects constantly improves my abilities.
Going until you hit a brick wall is an extremely useful ability because so often a lot of what we want, even on 'this side of the wall' may rest very close to it. So having the confidence to 'get in over your head' sometimes can lead to your success 'right before you do.'
Being motivated is a tricky business. Those of us who served in the military may remember 'motivational runs' which were usually the last thing we wanted to do. One of the keys of being motivated is experiencing success... but it's not really the 'win' that motivates you... it the meaning of the victory. Once we see that it is the meaning of the victory that affects it's motivational value we can assess whether our pregress is satisfactory.
Being satisfied with our progress is extremely important with program we might use to accomplish our goals. Particularly with a 'baby step' type process it's very easy to get unmotivated by the apparent lack of valuable progress. So it is imperative that any such program have a method to include valued benchmarks.
Alternativly there is the apprioach of setting a large goal which if the task is time consiming may seem daunting. However large goals are very satisfying to accomplish. I personally like to set extremely grand goals that are safe to fail. Usually they do fail, but being able to apply what I learned to new projects constantly improves my abilities.
Going until you hit a brick wall is an extremely useful ability because so often a lot of what we want, even on 'this side of the wall' may rest very close to it. So having the confidence to 'get in over your head' sometimes can lead to your success 'right before you do.'
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Porn Addiction
Giving up porn for Lent probably 'should' be the most common vice to give up in the world. So lets take a look at methods to break this addiction.
Remove your access to porn.
some people have had luck with filters to block pornographic sites. However, filters can be disabled, especially if the addict is the one installing them.
When it comes to porn, the threat of shame is a very useful tool in many cases and that is what is used by many of the techniques. Simply move the computer out of the office, or set it in a way so the screen is viewable from the door. Kids should never have private access to a computer. Also, accountability filters will email another person when you access blocked sites. The problem with using shame, however, is what happens if the addict gets caught? The embarrassment can be devastating.
Remove time for porn.
This is probably the most difficult but most productive method of attempting to break the addiction. Even though internet porn is very easy to access, it can still take time to find the material you are looking for...so make yourself busy. Get movies from the library go for long walks or a long run...do anything that's going to occupy yourself for at least an hour or two. Sleeping is an option!
Remove desire for porn.
The psychological affects of sexual addiction can be fairly profound. Not only can it effect how you feel about yourself at affects how you interact with others. So what are the interactions that you are missing? Or how have your interactions been corrupted? A therapist is probably someone you'll need to talk to, but closely examining yourself and how you want to change will help the process.
Remove your access to porn.
some people have had luck with filters to block pornographic sites. However, filters can be disabled, especially if the addict is the one installing them.
When it comes to porn, the threat of shame is a very useful tool in many cases and that is what is used by many of the techniques. Simply move the computer out of the office, or set it in a way so the screen is viewable from the door. Kids should never have private access to a computer. Also, accountability filters will email another person when you access blocked sites. The problem with using shame, however, is what happens if the addict gets caught? The embarrassment can be devastating.
Remove time for porn.
This is probably the most difficult but most productive method of attempting to break the addiction. Even though internet porn is very easy to access, it can still take time to find the material you are looking for...so make yourself busy. Get movies from the library go for long walks or a long run...do anything that's going to occupy yourself for at least an hour or two. Sleeping is an option!
Remove desire for porn.
The psychological affects of sexual addiction can be fairly profound. Not only can it effect how you feel about yourself at affects how you interact with others. So what are the interactions that you are missing? Or how have your interactions been corrupted? A therapist is probably someone you'll need to talk to, but closely examining yourself and how you want to change will help the process.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Adding a Virtue
Adding a virtue for Lent is a noble task. Some might argue that adding a virtue despite maintaining a number of vices is futile work because the vices still hold you away from God. I think that that is a selfish view, however, and think that any good we can add to the world is worth while for the benefit of others.
Let's look at a couple of the main 'Christian Virtues.'
Faith is our acceptance of God's Will and our trust in salvation.
Hope is found in our salvation. We should never have a reason to despair because if we also have faith we will trust in our final victory and eternity with God.
Charity and Love is the loving kindness we need to show others. We can trust in our salvation, but others don't have that feeling of hope.
Let's look at a couple of the main 'Christian Virtues.'
Faith is our acceptance of God's Will and our trust in salvation.
Hope is found in our salvation. We should never have a reason to despair because if we also have faith we will trust in our final victory and eternity with God.
Charity and Love is the loving kindness we need to show others. We can trust in our salvation, but others don't have that feeling of hope.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Lent Doesn't Count On Sunday
Sunday is a feast day. A lot of us use the weekend to catch up around the house. So for Lent, lets remember that we're supposed to relax and enjoy some time off. Read, watch a movie, do something outside, go to lunch with parents...anything that we want to do, just take the time to enjoy your time.
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