"It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it."

Writer Regina Brett's life lessons are great little nuggets of wisdom.  There's something for everyone!  I'll be reflecting on this week's lesson:  "It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it."

Some may see this musing to be somewhat blasphemous.  But remember, you can love someone and still get angry with them at the same time.  Think back to when you were a child.  Sometimes, you wanted things that weren't good for you.  Did your parents agree to give into your demands, throwing caution to the wind and ignoring your safety or well-being?  Of course not!  Did you get angry with them, failing to see what their intentions were?  Heck, yes!

Our relationship with God is much the same way as the one with our parents.  It is His job to guide and protect us.  Sometimes, the things that He does are beyond our comprehension (and may well always be!), and getting angry about loss or pain is natural.  God knows and understands this.  Remember to make up with Him once your anger has subsided, though.





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Etiquette, Success, and Deutoronomy

The Bible is full life lessons.  Even if you aren't Christian, it is always a good idea to read it at least once in order to glean its lessons and to experience the richness of its literature.

One such important lesson is illustrated in the second chapter of Deuteronomy.  The wanderers consider waging war with various peoples as they encounter them in their travels, but instead they are advised by God to keep the peace.  Instead of pillaging, plundering, and helping themselves to the spoils which are not meant for them, God instructs them to pay for their food and water fairly, to behave graciously and not to harass or bother anyone across whom they come during this journey.


Not only is this prudent behavior in order to keep positive relationships with one's neighbors, but it is also important to remember that it's important to choose one's battles wisely.  If you are positive that you cannot win or make a positive impact in any way, then war is pointless as it wastes so many resources.


Deuteronomy 2

New International Version (NIV)
Wanderings in the Wilderness

2 Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea,[a] as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.

2 Then the Lord said to me, 3 “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. 4 Give the people these orders: ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. 6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.’”

7 The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

8 So we went on past our relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber, and traveled along the desert road of Moab.

9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.”

10 (The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. 11 Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites. 12 Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land the Lord gave them as their possession.)

13 And the Lord said, “Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.” So we crossed the valley.

14 Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.

16 Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, 17 the Lord said to me, 18 “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. 19 When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.”

Jesus and the Storm

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 

23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”  He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 

25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.  In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

This story in the bible (Like 8:22-25) shows that Jesus was so powerful, he was even able to tell a wicked sea storm to shut up and quit bothering his boat. Jesus had been out teaching that day, so he was likely very tired during the trip. When he woke up, everyone around him was going crazy with the chaos of the storm, but he simply told the storm to quit being a jerk, and the storm obeyed. Then it was smooth sailing all the way back home.

Even if people aren't Christian, there are things that anyone can learn from this story. Being calm and collected in any stressful situation, even when you think it's a hopeless one, is infinitely more useful than fluttering around crying. Also, when you need something to be done: firmly state what it is that you want, and go about doing it. Be driven. Take control of your fate. Granted, we don't all have control over a stormy sea in the literal sense -- but if you can show a sense of command in those small storms raging around you on a daily basis, you can succeed in conquering them!

The Act of Contrition

The Act of Contrition is a Catholic prayer that is used during confession.  It is basically a pledge between the confessor and God, where the person confessing expresses sorrow for his or her sins, and promises to behave better in the future.  There are some versions which are more popular than others, but there is no specific right or wrong version.  In fact, when I went to confession as a child, I was encouraged just to speak from my heart if I was unable to remember one of the versions I was taught.

Here is a popular version in the original Latin:

Deus meus, ex toto corde paenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum
eaque detestor, quia peccando,
non solum poenas a te iuste statutas promeritus sum,
sed praesertim quia offendi te,
summum bonum, ac dignum qui super omnia diligaris.
Ideo firmiter propono,
adiuvante gratia tua,
de cetero me non peccatorum peccandique occasiones proximas fugiturum.
Amen.

In English, this is basically translated as:

O my God, I repent of all my sins with all of my heart 
I detest them, because by sinning, 
Not only did I have gained just punishment from you, 
but most of all because they offend Thee, 
the highest good, who is deserving of all my love. 
I firmly resolve with Your help, 
to avoid the occasions of sin.
Amen. 

The Act of Contrition for children, which is the one I learned as I prepared for my First Holy Communion, is short and sweet: "O my God, I am sorry for all my sins because they displease you, who are all good and deserving of all my love. With your help I will sin no more. Amen."

My mother was taught this one when she was a child: "O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen."

You do not need to be Catholic, or indeed even Christian, to declare an act of contrition.  If you are Catholic, you can use the prayers above, or if not, just speak from your heart to the deity of your choice or to the universe itself.   This can be a wonderfully cleansing and uplifting practice to help switch you onto the right track, to avoid things that are unhealthy or negative for you, and to move on in a more positive direction.

Do Angels Really Exist?

Although many people believe in angels, there are plenty of others (myself included) who can't help but wonder if they truly exist.  Angels are messengers of God, whose purpose is to complete certain assignments.  Many people who believe in angels have experienced "divine intervention" at times in their lives when they needed help the most, which makes their faith a reality.

A true "angel" is thought to be a perfect creation of God, specifically crafted to feel the purest love and tender care toward all of God's creations.  Angels have innate senses of ethics and morals, and angels are inherently wise as well.  An angel has a natural understanding of God's will and how God's rules must be applied to other creatures, because this is the way s/he was created.

Angels and their stories are prevalent in many world religions.  When a spiritually devoted person prays, it is an angel's job to hear and carry out God's will in God's stead.  This can come in the form of physical assistance, but often it is in the form of emotional or intellectual inspiration for the devotee.  The person who is in need of help can feel the peace and healing in his or her heart, or will become inspired to find a way out of the problem s/he is contemplating.  Angels can help make those connections for people as well.

I, personally, feel that belief in angels can't possibly hurt, and it may even help.  I do believe that spirits exist in the physical realm.  And my experience with spirits has shown that most entities who have chosen to remain here on Earth are genuinely interested in helping people.  Perhaps these are what some people call "angels."  One thing is for certain, however; you will not be helped if you don't ask!

Modern Kabbalah Basics & the Tree of Life

The ancient school of thought that is known as Kabbalah has recently enjoyed some newfound popularity in the past few years; because of celebrities such as Madonna, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Lady Gaga wearing Kabbalah bracelets and speaking out about Kabbalah's positive aspects, this practice has become a subject of newfound public interest. Ancient Kabbalah has much in common with the modern version with which we're currently familiar, but the modern version has evolved into something somewhat different as well.

Kabbalah's history originates in early Jewish mysticism. It has grown and evolved into various different forms since its beginnings, including Christian Cabbalah, Islamic Kabbalah, Practical Kabbalah, as well as more secular versions that we often see today, such as Hermetic Qabbalah (spelled with a "Q" to differentiate it from the other versions, as opposed to those which are specifically associated with the Abrahamic religions). Many modern practitioners of Kabbalah are not affiliated with any specific spiritual doctrine, instead choosing to treat it as an independent school of mystic thought.

The origins of Kabbalah are said to have begun with Moses himself, as legends have told that he received Kabbalah teachings on Mount Sinai; the ten commandments were to be distributed freely and taught to everyone, yet the Kabbalistic teachings were reserved only for a chosen few, to be practiced with utter secrecy and shared with extreme discretion. Another legend involving the Kabbalistic origins says that these mystic teachings were with mankind from the very beginning of our existence, bestowed to Adam at the time of his banishment from the Garden of Eden.

Although there are many mystical and spiritual teachings within the Torah and other Judaic writings, the Kabbalah was considered to be the most important of these at the height of its prevalence. Kabbalistic tenets are viewed by many as highly spiritualized information that transcends the beliefs of most organized religions, and therefore is more spiritually flexible and can apply to people of various faiths. Because of this flexibility, Kabbalistic teachings have moved from being a strictly Judaic faith-based concept into a more secularized version of itself, to provide motivation, insight, and strength to people of all different spiritualities and cultures. The modern-day study of this ancient practice is associated with the "Perennial Philosophy," which is the concept that there are truths which overlap throughout all of the world's primary religions. The Kabbalah's tenets are utilized to help recognize and build upon the philosophies of various spiritual traditions, by eliminating all except the very basics of each teaching.

The mystical properties of Kabbalistic teachings are such that, instead of directing the practitioner to conduct of a strict set of rules and practices, it will instead guide each seeker on a path which is personal in nature, even while the practice is a communal and social one. The journey of Kabbalah is one of mystic philosophy, as opposed to one which is based on a strictly religious dogma.

The essence of the Kabbalah's teachings is condensed in a diagrammed classification system which is known as the Tree of Life. This image is comprised of ten spheres (called sephiroth), representing objective existence; these are connected by a total of twenty-two paths which represent the human condition. it has 10 spheres, or sephiroth, and 22 paths connecting them, which represent the human condition. The Tree of Life serves as an implement which can be used to study and compare religious thought as well; in fact, it was described as a "spiritual filing cabinet." by occultist Aleister Crowley.

 The Tree of Life can also be applied toward other practices, including rituals and meditation, as well as being used in the philosophical method which was its original intent. Each sephiroth and path can be associated with archangels, angels, spirits, and other symbols which represent the nature of these entities.

Additionally, much of the magical property of Kabbalistic practice can be explained through modern scientific thought. An ideal example of this would be the invocation, where a Kabbalistic practitioner will call upon a spiritual power within him- or herself. It can be thought of as a supernatural occurrence, however when one applies scientific knowledge to this practice, it can also be explained as a psychological phenomenon of one who is able to harness their own subconscious mental energies.

You don't need to be Jewish, or even religious at all, to appreciate the Kabbalah and to enjoy the ways that its mysteries can enhance your life.