Prayer may reshape your brain...hmmm

"The more you focus on something ? whether that's math or auto racing or football or God ? the more that becomes your reality, the more it becomes written into the neural connections of your brain," Newberg says.

This may sound obvious, but read the article for more.

Check out the rest of this article here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104310443&ft=1&f=1001

What Jesus Thought of Humanity

?In all Jesus? contacts with people never did He show a condescending attitude or think of man as ?mere man.? To him they all seemed savable. His deep respect for each person no matter who he might be, how evil he might be, what his response was to Jesus, did not show a hint of a ?superior complex.? The very anger He displayed toward some, the whip He wiled in the Temple, all said in effect, ?You are My equal. My anger shows My respect for you. Now, be the man you can be and ought to be.? He never forced himself on anyone. He did not call any man to Him under false pretenses?promising an easier yoke than would be the case. He called men to die with Him. He tried to push back all self-deception and faced men with what they were in themselves. He made people think for themselves?and think honestly. All this is Jesus? estimate of man.?

Mildred Bangs Wynkoop A Theology of Love 128.

listening...

it does the soul some good

Salvation: Deliverance, Restoration, Recovery

Wesley's definition of salvation: "not barely, according to the vulgar notion, deliverance from hell, or going to heaven; but a present deliverance from sin, a restoration of the soul to its primitive health, its original purity; a recovery of the divine nature; the renewal of our souls after the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness, in justice, mercy, and truth."

From his "A Farther Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion" Works 8:47

Go there

This is a blog post from a word document. I'm just trying it out.

Facial Reactions

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/26/bitter-disgust-brain.html

Here's an interesting study done that shows that people have the same physical reaction to morally and physically disgusting things.

What does it say that our faces react the same way?

Holy, Holy, Holy

It is "holy, holy, holy" that the angels shout -- not "loving, loving, loving."

Certainly he is loving, but it is a dangerous love. The kind that breaks the bow and shatters the spear. Yes, John said "God is love," but he is also perfect and just.

To stand in awe of him is to recognize his holiness in all its glory -- spiky, gentle, strong and sturdy.