More Fun Discussion

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------ On 5/1/05, Jeff wrote ------

 

Well I always thought Rich was a little odd...

 

Rich: Odd - deviating from what is ordinary, usual, or expected.

Thank you. So breaking out those heavy pots and pans and other

cooking equipment and setting fire to something or boiling it or

microwaving it is not odd? I think that's odd.

 

Page 383 The normal urges of animal beings and the natural appetites

and impulses of the physical nature are not in conflict with even the

highest spiritual attainment except in the minds of ignorant,

mistaught, or unfortunately overconscientious persons.

 

Normal to me is not doing these things. What's normal in this world

today may not be looked upon as what's normal tomorrow.

 

Page 1537 About one third who heard him believed the message even

though they could not fully comprehend it; about one third prepared

in their hearts to reject such a purely spiritual concept of the

expected kingdom, while the remaining one third could not grasp his

teaching, many truly believing that he " was beside himself. "

 

If the ruler of a universe was thought to be nuts or odd, I may as

well expect that I can be thought of in the same way.

 

Page 1102 Jesus was consistently cheerful, notwithstanding he

sometimes drank deeply of the cup of human sorrow. He fearlessly

faced the realities of existence, yet was he filled with enthusiasm

for the gospel of the kingdom. But he controlled his enthusiasm; it

never controlled him. He was unreservedly dedicated to " the Father's

business. " This divine enthusiasm led his unspiritual brethren to

think he was beside himself, but the onlooking universe appraised him

as the model of sanity and the pattern of supreme mortal devotion to

the Page 1103 high standards of spiritual living. And his controlled

enthusiasm was contagious; his associates were constrained to share

his divine optimism.

 

I practice a controlled enthusiasm about what I know is right. It's

easy to take your time with something and not be pushy or rushed if

you know you're right. I find a few allies along my way and I'll

find more as time passes. To be filled with enthusiasm for the

gospel of the kingdom and unreservedly dedicated to the Father's

business is what I am trying to do.

 

Page 1721 6. JESUS' FAMILY ARRIVES

It was about eight o'clock on this Sunday morning when five members

of Jesus' earth family arrived on the scene in response to the urgent

summons of Jude's sister-in-law. Of all his family in the flesh, only

one, Ruth, believed wholeheartedly and continuously in the divinity

of his mission on earth. Jude and James, and even Joseph, still

retained much of their faith in Jesus, but they had permitted pride

to interfere with their better judgment and real spiritual

inclinations. Mary was likewise torn between love and fear, between

mother love and family pride. Though she was harassed by doubts, she

could never quite forget the visit of Gabriel ere Jesus was born. The

Pharisees had been laboring to persuade Mary that Jesus was beside

himself, demented. They urged her to go with her sons and seek to

dissuade him from further efforts at public teaching. They assured

Mary that soon Jesus' health would break, and that only dishonor and

disgrace could come upon the entire family as a result of allowing

him to go on. And so, when the word came from Jude's sister-in-law,

all five of them started at once for Zebedee's house, having been

together at Mary's home, where they had met with the Pharisees the

evening before. <b>They had talked with the Jerusalem leaders long

into the night, and all were more or less convinced that Jesus was

acting strangely, that he had acted strangely for some time.</b>

While Ruth could not explain all of his conduct, she insisted that he

had always treated his family fairly and refused to agree to the

program of trying to dissuade him from further work.

 

On the way to Zebedee's house they talked these things over and

agreed among themselves to try to persuade Jesus to come home with

them, for, said Mary: " I know I could influence my son if he would

only come home and listen to me. " James and Jude had heard rumors

concerning the plans to arrest Jesus and take him to Jerusalem for

trial. They also feared for their own safety. As long as Jesus was a

popular figure in the public eye, his family allowed matters to drift

along, but now that the people of Capernaum and the leaders at

Jerusalem had suddenly turned against him, they began keenly to feel

the pressure of the supposed disgrace of their embarrassing position.

 

They had expected to meet Jesus, take him aside, and urge him to go

home with them. They had thought to assure him that they would forget

his neglect of them--they would forgive and forget--if he would only

give up the foolishness of trying to preach a new religion which

could bring only trouble to himself and dishonor upon his family. To

all of this Ruth would say only: " I will tell my brother that I think

he is a man of God, and that I hope he would be willing to die before

he would allow these wicked Pharisees to stop his preaching. " Joseph

promised to keep Ruth quiet while the others labored with Jesus.

 

If Jesus' own family thought he was nuts, then I can live with being

thought odd. I guess that's how humans think, that's the way it is.

I would think any rational person could see the odd, bizarre behavior

that goes into cooking and killing animals. But that's not how

people of this day and generation think, and that's just the way it

is. All the <b>work</b> that goes into cooking is just another way

people distract themselves from the truth. ACIM is important to

understand from a mental viewpoint in this regard. It's not hard to

see what things in the world are egoic with a little effort.

 

Jeff: I

used to eat raw food. Looked like a cancer patient on chemo for six

months.

 

Rich: This diet's not for everyone, some people can't handle it

mentally and they may develop serious physical illnesses from eating

the way man should eat, a raw, vegan diet. That's why you have to

put the total package together, the mental, the physical, the doing

God's will. That's why I talk about you create your own reality from

the nature of your own beliefs. You have to know that thought is

energy, that it's real. If you're not ready for it mentally, a raw

food diet could truly be dangerous for someone from a health

standpoint.

 

Jeff: Spent an inordinate amount of time on the

Living and Natural Foods website. Learned a lot about nutrition.

Healthy experience in more ways than one. My diet these days isn't a

whole lot different nutritional wise, but it is cooked (bring to boil

and simmer). My teeth can't take it anymore

and I'm always in a perpetual hurry so chewing each bite until

liquified is too time consuming. I eat the same thing everyday. I

agree with Rich. I got better things to do. Even if it's nothing!

 

Rich: My time is most expanded by a simple, raw, vegan diet, that's

how I maximize my service time. It's as good as we can do with the

food issue and that's what God expects, that we do as good as we can

do. Some choices are better than other choices and as concerns the

food issue, a raw, vegan diet is best.

 

Jeff: Breakfast: egg, pear, apple, yellow squash, salt, sugar,

cinimon,

flax seed meal and oatmeal

 

Dinner: egg, tomato, red potato, radish, red bell pepper, brocoli,

cucumber, green onion, sardines in oil, flax seed meal, salt, lemon

pepper, non salt seasoning (Dash) and oatmeal.

 

I don't drink milk. I am 6'3 " and weight 190lbs. I walk my dog 3-4

miles a

day.

 

Rich: Imho, no one needs to be 190 lbs.

 

Jeff: I take MSM (powder) in mega doses. The dog gets it as well.

She's 15+ (105+ human years).

 

Rich: Again from a time and health standpoint, I think God has it

set up that I can get all the nutrition I need from eating the food

rather than using supplements of any kind.