Battling Hemisphere's: Which Will You Choose?

There is a blog I check out a little too infrequently, but was glad I did today.  There is a fascinating entry on the brain and prayer/mediation and how it changes our brain. Encountering the Spirit

She has an entry about a book called, "Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform." The book talks about Attention Deficit Traits that we have in society today as a result of our hyperkinetic environment.  The frontal lobes of our brains are overloaded today with our fast paced world.  Our brains don't have the chance to slow down.

In reading her comments it also reminded me of life in Amstrongism.  We were/are constantly being bombarded with messages of unworthiness.  We are deemed to be creatures of of sin that are lower than the worms in the earth.  We have this picture presented to us of a pissed off angry old man sitting somewhere in heaven with his thumb ready to squash us for the latest infraction. Overwhelming lists of do's and don'ts are/were screamed at us continually.  We could and never will measure up.  Just look at a COG 'Passover' service.  It is a service designed to make you feel like dirt and contemptible in God's sight.  It is not an uplifting, powerful, glorious celbration of freedom that communion is designed to be.

Check out this amazing woman's story about the battling hemisphere's of her brain and how she actually felt them shut down during a stroke.

I want to leave you with this video, "Jill Bolte Taylor's Stroke of Insight". Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions -- motion, speech, self-awareness -- shut down one by one.

It's truly an astonishing story, at the end of which she says, with audible emotion and passion in her voice,

"Who are we? We are the life-force power of the universe, with manual dexterity and two cognitive minds. We have the power to choose, moment by moment, who and how we want to be in the world."

"Right here, right now, I can choose to step into the consciousness of my right hemisphere, where I am - we are - the life-force power of the universe. . . at one with all that is. Or, I can choose to step into the consciousness of my left hemisphere, where I become a single individual - separate from the flow, separate from you."

"These are the 'we' inside of me. Which would you choose? Which do you choose? And when?"

"I believe that the more time we spend choosing to run the deep inner peace circuitry of our right hemisphere, the more peace we will project into the world, and the more peaceful our planet will be."

Is this not the point of prayer? What is the point of religion and the spirituality that arises from a disciplined life of individual prayer if not increased compassion and deep inner peace which will positively impact and ultimately transform the world for the better with things like justice and mercy, reconciliation and walking humbly with God and each other?

Poor Lil' Joel Meeker Get's Raked Over The Coals For Deception

Lil' Joel has been called on the  carpet for his recent letter where he gave his reasons for leaving UCG.  It looks like Lil' Joel was not as forthright in his letter as he claimed:

Joel was fired not for “being open with members of the French association, and warning them...of remaining with UCG” (the latter of which is problematic enough), but over evidence that he was actively attempting to break the French association away from UCGIA. I had at first heard this from only one person on the Council but was able to hear further testimony on the matter at the UCG ministerial conference. At the suggestion of other Council and administration members, I spoke to people who were directly involved with the situation in France, who gave me a detailed account of recent events. In early December 2010, Joel was still a UCGIA employee and president of EDU-France (i.e., the UCG in France). I was told that at this time he met with with French association members and verbally proposed an amendment to the Rules of Association of EDU-France to remove the requirement that its president be a minister in good standing of UCGIA. This, he is reported to have told them, was to allow him to remain their pastor even if he was no longer employed by UCGIA. The retired elder in France then sent an email to Joel stating that such action would in effect be hijacking EDU-France and that he would have to ask UCGIA president Denny Luker for help in the matter—which he eventually did on December 21. (Such action would have left those in France who wanted to remain with UCGIA cut off without an official organization there, as it’s a hard and lengthy process to incorporate as a religious organization in France due to strict laws against foreign “sects.”) Denny then contacted Joel about the matter, but, as Denny stated to me, Joel said the French elder “misunderstood.” This was apparently subterfuge, because at this time or immediately afterward, again while still a UCGIA employee, Joel wrote a letter to French association members on December 23 seeking a vote to dissolve the French association! He stated that the French work should not go independent, so he would suggest alternate affiliation. Thus, Joel was clearly working against UCGIA while a UCGIA employee. He even stated within the letter that when this action became known he would likely be fired. And he was—after this letter was translated and sent to the UCG administration and to Larry Darden, the church's attorney. I spoke with Larry, and he verified this as well. And by email Larry confirmed to me: “Joel sent the letter to UCG members in France (and other francophone countries served by France) while he was still employed by UCGIA (he was discharged and credentials revoked AFTER the COE saw his letter of December 23). The letter was a ‘smoking gun’ with respect to his intention to leave UCG and try to engineer taking the assets of EDU-France with him using an ‘Extraordinary’ meeting of member[s] of that entity.” I have a copy of the Dec. 23 letter in French and the translation into English and am able to provide these as evidence of what took place. Again, in light of this letter, it is utterly stunning that Joel would merely say he was fired for being open with the French association and giving them a warning. He obviously did a lot more than that.

Read more of the letter here: Lil'Joel

Tools For Modern Day Apostles Volume II

These items are vital tools for Ambassadors of World Peace!

You too can talk to Mrs. Sadat about a world that is ready to be spanked!

Well, I guess that one came true........

Regency Silver Bowl  1818

Paul Storr

$15,000 - 25,000

Sold for $27,600.00

Regency Silver Soup Tureen, cover and liner

Paul Storr, 1814

$30,000-50,000

Sold for $28,750.00

 

Regency Silver-Gilt Wine Coolers

Paul Storr, 1813

$60,000-90,000

Sold for $107,000

George III Silver Tureen and Cover and Stand

Paul Storr, 1809

$40,000-60,000

Sold for $51,750.00

Regency Silver-gilt Centerpice

Paul Storr, 1818

$30,000-50,000

Three Bacchic Nymphs

Sold for $48,300.00

Twelve Regency Silver-Gilt Dinner Plates

Paul Storr, 1815

$30,000-50,000

Not listed as sold

Regency Silver Gilt Salver

Paul Storr, 1815

$2,000-3,000

Sold for $1,950.00

Duke of Norfolk's Coronation Cup

Paul Storr, 1831

$20,000-30,000

Sold for $18,400.00

Regency Silver-gilt Serving Tongs Made For The Prince Regent

Paul Storr, 1811

$6,000-8,000

Sold for $10,350.00

George III Silver Gilt Centerpiece

1803

$15,000-25,000

Sold for $40,250.00

George III Silver-gilt Centerpice

Paul Storr, 1808

$20,000-30,000

Sold for $52,900.00

George III Silver Wine Collers

Paul Storr 1798

$25,000-35,000

Sold for $48,300.00

George III Silver Epergne

1770

$8,000-12,000

Sold for $12,650.00

Charles II Silver Caudle Cup

1667

$3,000-5,000

Sold for $3,680.00

Six Queen Anne Silver Fluted Dishes

1713

$30,000-50,000

Sold for $74,000