Community Blessing of Animals set for Oct. 1
By The Helena IR - 09/29/06
The Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Helena will hold a Community Blessing of Animals on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 4 p.m.The service will be held at the future home of Church of the Nativity at the top of Lola Street, south of Highway 12 East. The public is welcome to bring pets of any size to the blessing.The Blessing of the Animals is being held in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, known as a loving friend of all God’s creatures and creation.A design phase for the new Church of the Nativity building and surrounding land has been completed and the fundraising for the building has begun. Church members say they hope to break ground during the summer of 2007. In the meantime, services are being held every Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at the Elks Club.
I find this article beyond comprehension.
I guess I really don't understand the concept of Blessings. I will need to do some research on this.
Sep 29, 2006
Sep 14, 2006
Christian politics/A Letter to the Editor
A Disclaimer
I post local letters to the editor I find interesting but do not necessarily support what they say.
From the Helena IR 9-14-06
Interesting that Ken Toole of the Human Rights Network and Jeff Lazloffy are arguing over who is picking and choosing scripture to support their own goals.In truth, both he and Ken Toole are cherry-picking from scripture. The difference is that the Human Rights Network is not looking at the whole Bible; they are looking at the words of Jesus himself. Jesus never said a thing about abortion or gay marriage, but he had much to say about poverty.And although Biblical men before and after him did speak to condemn homosexuality, I think we can all agree that the actual words of Jesus Christ have the most importance in the Christian faith. And on abortion, the Bible has this to say: “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows” — (footnote: or “has a miscarriage”). In ancient Israel, the fetus has rights only as it was “property” of its parents. And, while there are laws against nearly everything else, nowhere do the books of law even mention voluntary abortion.
Matthew Downhour1013 Broadway
I post local letters to the editor I find interesting but do not necessarily support what they say.
From the Helena IR 9-14-06
Interesting that Ken Toole of the Human Rights Network and Jeff Lazloffy are arguing over who is picking and choosing scripture to support their own goals.In truth, both he and Ken Toole are cherry-picking from scripture. The difference is that the Human Rights Network is not looking at the whole Bible; they are looking at the words of Jesus himself. Jesus never said a thing about abortion or gay marriage, but he had much to say about poverty.And although Biblical men before and after him did speak to condemn homosexuality, I think we can all agree that the actual words of Jesus Christ have the most importance in the Christian faith. And on abortion, the Bible has this to say: “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows” — (footnote: or “has a miscarriage”). In ancient Israel, the fetus has rights only as it was “property” of its parents. And, while there are laws against nearly everything else, nowhere do the books of law even mention voluntary abortion.
Matthew Downhour1013 Broadway
Sep 13, 2006
I knew there was a reason
In my last post, I went on and on about my mediation experience. Last night, again I was weepy and worked up with my son....etc.
Today, I googled weepiness and guess what! I am experiencing perimenopause. Now everything make sense.
Today, I googled weepiness and guess what! I am experiencing perimenopause. Now everything make sense.
Sep 11, 2006
My first attempt at meditation
I have a friend who uses Buddist meditation. So, when I saw an article in the Helena IR about a weekend meditation retreat I decided to sign up for it. It was quite an experience. It is hard to explain, but it did affect me more than I thought it would. Being a skeptic it was difficult to swallow some of the God talk. But, In my mind I replaced the word God with the words Human Spirit. I did read somewhere that the word spirit is another word for breath. So with meditation it fits very well.
I learned four different ways to breath while listening to the heart. The four ways are; Air, Water, Fire and Earth. It does take alot of practice to be able to hear/feel your heart beat within your chest. The seminar was about restoring optimisim. In order to do that you need to energize your heart through meditation. I did have some difficulties, but the stretching excercises coupled with the meditation does make one feel better. The positive physical aspects of this is immediate.
While I was sitting there listening to the Bair's, a very nice couple. Probably the most peaceful people I have ever met, I was struggling. I went home that evening still pretty skeptical but overall glad I did participate.
The next morning was even harder for me. Sunday morning, I woke up badly. I never was a morning person and some mornings it seems almost impossible to get out of bed. I felt terrible. I hate mornings. Anyway, my attitude was poor and I sat in my chair in misery. Susanna Bair then had us close our eyes, meditate while she made a series of 12 sounds. We were to rate each on how we reacted to the sounds. Overall I did not like them. They were strange. Sufi sounds I am sure. Anyway, it was sound number 8 I did not like at all. Afterwards we talked about the sounds and what they meant. I found out number 8 was "The Beloved" or in other words God. Wow I thought, I really do have negative feelings about God/Authority. All weekend I kept thinking to myself I needed to destroy God first before I could find my Human Spirit. I know, I know I can already feel my fellow skeptics recoil. I am not saying anything one way or another at this point, but I did experience something Sunday morning. After the sound torture, that is what it was for me, we took a 15 minute break. I went outside for a minute and suddenly choked up. I hate that. I don't know why and still don't. Just writing this down is bringing it all back. I then walked back into the building, went to the bathroom and to my horror there were tears. For no apparent reason even!
I composed myself, sat back down and suffered even a worse morning. Next we were asked to meditate with someone, then meditate about someone not there. It was absolutly awful. Tears streamed down my face the whole time. I could not help it!? Luckily for me I noticed I was not the only one. But I think I did have the strongest reaction, being new at this and all. I would not necessarily call it a religious experience. It may take me awhile to figure out what it was all about.
One of the Bair's comments really struck me, Do not ignore the pain, the discomfort.... it was good for me I think. I still do not regret putting myself through this uncomfortable situation. I have learned something, what that is? I will need to meditate on it I guess;)
After more thought, I have always been uncomfortable with strangers. I think I was feeling vulnerable and maybe that was why I was so distressed. Exposing myself so intimately was something I have never done before. It was very overwhelming. Lucky for me, people who attend such events are the best kind of people. They completely understood what was going on and did not judge or question my reaction. That in itself was a comfort.
I can go on and on about this, but unless you were there it is impossible to describe properly. I may write more about it for my own reasons. I treat my blog as a diary/sounding board only, never as an attempt to convince anyone of anything. Whether you agree or disagree with what you find here, its not the important thing.
Of course the longer I sit here this moring, more things keep popping up in my head. Again that is why I do this blog. This is almost mediative in its own way. Part of me admits to being indifferent, or I think I pretend? to be indifferent to people. It is a protective shield I have put up or have had forever. I always joke and tell people I have never developed any social skills. I have had very few real friends. I have a couple of co-workers I would call friends, but beyond that only ac·quain·tances. After years and years, I thought I was comfortable with being a so called lone wolf. Proud of it in fact. No messy relationships, told myself I have no time for friends, but every so often I get kinda bummed out I do not have any. That I am missing out somehow. I know I am, but now what. I can't change overnight. Do I really want to? I think I do, but I will take it very slowly. One day at a time. I have already noticed I am talking to people at work a little kinder. Not that I wasn't before, I have always been nice, just not sincere? I may or may not have found God(idealism) again, but at least I am more aware of others around me. That is what the Human Spirit is. Compassion. It is the only thing that makes us different from the animals. Only we can place ourselves in another's place. Only we know we are going to die. That is something is it not?
Seminar explores optimism in a pessimistic world
By ALANA LISTOE - IR Staff Writer- 09/11/06
“Ultimately, it is about changing the world and we think this is how you do it,” Puran Bair said Sunday at the close of a weekend seminar on restoring optimism.Puran and wife, Susanna Bair, of Tucson, Ariz., believe that being optimistic heals the heart and therefore can heal the Earth through the love of another. They delivered this message to a group of people who attended a three-day seminar over the weekend.Betsy Hart of Missoula believes that meditation focusing on heart rhythm lowered her blood pressure so much that she has been medication free for four years.Hart found the couple’s book, “Living from the Heart,” more than five years ago at a bookstore. The concepts made sense to her, she said, so she further investigated and took an online course from the couple’s spiritual school, Institute for Applied Meditation.The practices she learned since that time has given her a tremendous amount of body awareness and enabled to her to successfully manage her lupus, she said.“It has changed my system’s response to stress,” Hart said.
Optimism is the positive interpretation of one’s current experience and the confidence that she or he can have an influence on the future, according to information supplied at the seminar.The Bairs believes pessimism is dangerous because it leads to self-destructive behaviors, a sense of hopelessness and despair and generates damaging chemicals in the body.The work the couple promotes is heart meditation —a practice in which one becomes conscious of his or her heartbeat and breathing. This is accomplished by a shift in attention and breath rhythm to create a connection between the nervous, endocrine, respiratory and circulatory systems — literally uniting the heart, mind and body, according to their brochure.“The heart is a resource and treasure that has yet to be discovered,” Susanna Bair said. “We need to learn how to deal with pain instead of taking pain killers.”Puran said the heart in all people has been damaged and hurt, therefore creating “holes” where needed energy seeps out. It is through mediation and optimism that the heart can heal and begin to have a greater love for the world and its people, he said.“We want change with greater compassion for diversity,” Puran said.Attendees at the seminar learned that the power and capacity of the heart may be restored by concentration on the physical heart, rhythmic breathing, expanding the scope of attention, and honoring one’s past experiences.Susanna said this topic is particularly important today.“We find that America really needs to recover the optimism,” she said.Bob Blanchet of Wyoming says he started meditation classes with Dan McMannis (a student of the Bairs) a year ago with his wife mainly for personal growth.“I feel like the state of the world requires renewed optimism,” Blanchet said.“We make the assumption that optimism is a natural thing that gets eroded over time,” Puran said. “We see optimism as a result of a strong heart and pessimism as what happens when the heart becomes weak.”He added that people today “get crabby and are easily annoyed,” a direct result from a lack of energy in the heart.Ideally, he said, the heart should continuously give energy and love and continuously recharge itself too.Susanna Bair pointed out that 100 years ago today — Sept. 11, 1906 — marked the beginning of Gandhi’s non-violent path to peace in the world.The couple travels all over the country holding seminars, however this was their first time in Montana. Tonight, they’ll speak at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula from 7 to 9 p.m.
I learned four different ways to breath while listening to the heart. The four ways are; Air, Water, Fire and Earth. It does take alot of practice to be able to hear/feel your heart beat within your chest. The seminar was about restoring optimisim. In order to do that you need to energize your heart through meditation. I did have some difficulties, but the stretching excercises coupled with the meditation does make one feel better. The positive physical aspects of this is immediate.
While I was sitting there listening to the Bair's, a very nice couple. Probably the most peaceful people I have ever met, I was struggling. I went home that evening still pretty skeptical but overall glad I did participate.
The next morning was even harder for me. Sunday morning, I woke up badly. I never was a morning person and some mornings it seems almost impossible to get out of bed. I felt terrible. I hate mornings. Anyway, my attitude was poor and I sat in my chair in misery. Susanna Bair then had us close our eyes, meditate while she made a series of 12 sounds. We were to rate each on how we reacted to the sounds. Overall I did not like them. They were strange. Sufi sounds I am sure. Anyway, it was sound number 8 I did not like at all. Afterwards we talked about the sounds and what they meant. I found out number 8 was "The Beloved" or in other words God. Wow I thought, I really do have negative feelings about God/Authority. All weekend I kept thinking to myself I needed to destroy God first before I could find my Human Spirit. I know, I know I can already feel my fellow skeptics recoil. I am not saying anything one way or another at this point, but I did experience something Sunday morning. After the sound torture, that is what it was for me, we took a 15 minute break. I went outside for a minute and suddenly choked up. I hate that. I don't know why and still don't. Just writing this down is bringing it all back. I then walked back into the building, went to the bathroom and to my horror there were tears. For no apparent reason even!
I composed myself, sat back down and suffered even a worse morning. Next we were asked to meditate with someone, then meditate about someone not there. It was absolutly awful. Tears streamed down my face the whole time. I could not help it!? Luckily for me I noticed I was not the only one. But I think I did have the strongest reaction, being new at this and all. I would not necessarily call it a religious experience. It may take me awhile to figure out what it was all about.
One of the Bair's comments really struck me, Do not ignore the pain, the discomfort.... it was good for me I think. I still do not regret putting myself through this uncomfortable situation. I have learned something, what that is? I will need to meditate on it I guess;)
After more thought, I have always been uncomfortable with strangers. I think I was feeling vulnerable and maybe that was why I was so distressed. Exposing myself so intimately was something I have never done before. It was very overwhelming. Lucky for me, people who attend such events are the best kind of people. They completely understood what was going on and did not judge or question my reaction. That in itself was a comfort.
I can go on and on about this, but unless you were there it is impossible to describe properly. I may write more about it for my own reasons. I treat my blog as a diary/sounding board only, never as an attempt to convince anyone of anything. Whether you agree or disagree with what you find here, its not the important thing.
Of course the longer I sit here this moring, more things keep popping up in my head. Again that is why I do this blog. This is almost mediative in its own way. Part of me admits to being indifferent, or I think I pretend? to be indifferent to people. It is a protective shield I have put up or have had forever. I always joke and tell people I have never developed any social skills. I have had very few real friends. I have a couple of co-workers I would call friends, but beyond that only ac·quain·tances. After years and years, I thought I was comfortable with being a so called lone wolf. Proud of it in fact. No messy relationships, told myself I have no time for friends, but every so often I get kinda bummed out I do not have any. That I am missing out somehow. I know I am, but now what. I can't change overnight. Do I really want to? I think I do, but I will take it very slowly. One day at a time. I have already noticed I am talking to people at work a little kinder. Not that I wasn't before, I have always been nice, just not sincere? I may or may not have found God(idealism) again, but at least I am more aware of others around me. That is what the Human Spirit is. Compassion. It is the only thing that makes us different from the animals. Only we can place ourselves in another's place. Only we know we are going to die. That is something is it not?
Seminar explores optimism in a pessimistic world
By ALANA LISTOE - IR Staff Writer- 09/11/06
“Ultimately, it is about changing the world and we think this is how you do it,” Puran Bair said Sunday at the close of a weekend seminar on restoring optimism.Puran and wife, Susanna Bair, of Tucson, Ariz., believe that being optimistic heals the heart and therefore can heal the Earth through the love of another. They delivered this message to a group of people who attended a three-day seminar over the weekend.Betsy Hart of Missoula believes that meditation focusing on heart rhythm lowered her blood pressure so much that she has been medication free for four years.Hart found the couple’s book, “Living from the Heart,” more than five years ago at a bookstore. The concepts made sense to her, she said, so she further investigated and took an online course from the couple’s spiritual school, Institute for Applied Meditation.The practices she learned since that time has given her a tremendous amount of body awareness and enabled to her to successfully manage her lupus, she said.“It has changed my system’s response to stress,” Hart said.
Optimism is the positive interpretation of one’s current experience and the confidence that she or he can have an influence on the future, according to information supplied at the seminar.The Bairs believes pessimism is dangerous because it leads to self-destructive behaviors, a sense of hopelessness and despair and generates damaging chemicals in the body.The work the couple promotes is heart meditation —a practice in which one becomes conscious of his or her heartbeat and breathing. This is accomplished by a shift in attention and breath rhythm to create a connection between the nervous, endocrine, respiratory and circulatory systems — literally uniting the heart, mind and body, according to their brochure.“The heart is a resource and treasure that has yet to be discovered,” Susanna Bair said. “We need to learn how to deal with pain instead of taking pain killers.”Puran said the heart in all people has been damaged and hurt, therefore creating “holes” where needed energy seeps out. It is through mediation and optimism that the heart can heal and begin to have a greater love for the world and its people, he said.“We want change with greater compassion for diversity,” Puran said.Attendees at the seminar learned that the power and capacity of the heart may be restored by concentration on the physical heart, rhythmic breathing, expanding the scope of attention, and honoring one’s past experiences.Susanna said this topic is particularly important today.“We find that America really needs to recover the optimism,” she said.Bob Blanchet of Wyoming says he started meditation classes with Dan McMannis (a student of the Bairs) a year ago with his wife mainly for personal growth.“I feel like the state of the world requires renewed optimism,” Blanchet said.“We make the assumption that optimism is a natural thing that gets eroded over time,” Puran said. “We see optimism as a result of a strong heart and pessimism as what happens when the heart becomes weak.”He added that people today “get crabby and are easily annoyed,” a direct result from a lack of energy in the heart.Ideally, he said, the heart should continuously give energy and love and continuously recharge itself too.Susanna Bair pointed out that 100 years ago today — Sept. 11, 1906 — marked the beginning of Gandhi’s non-violent path to peace in the world.The couple travels all over the country holding seminars, however this was their first time in Montana. Tonight, they’ll speak at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula from 7 to 9 p.m.
Sep 6, 2006
"Why did God do this to me?" It was an accident
I find it interesting how some people who are in terrible accidents and survive either lose faith and some others thank God for it. I know of one or two who credit God and now try and tell everyone they know. Is it fate, is it luck, is it God? I don't like to think God has anything to do with it. That would mean our future is set in stone. God had already planned to have you killed or not? Why would God have 49 other people die and let one survive? Not only die, but die a horrible death. The blame goes to the airport authority, the one survivor was not necessarily a miracle, but lucky.
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (AP) -- The sole survivor of a plane crash that killed 49 people near Lexington last week asked family members from his hospital bed, "Why did God do this to me?" but he hasn't mentioned the crash, a close family friend said Wednesday.
James Polehinke, who was the flight's co-pilot, can move only his head, and tears often well up in his eyes, said Antonio Cruz, Polehinke's mother's boyfriend. He said the 44-year-old had only gained consciousness on Tuesday.
Polehinke hasn't mentioned the crash and doctors have encouraged family members not to ask him about it, Cruz told The Associated Press.
According to federal investigators, Polehinke was controlling Comair Flight 5191 when the regional jet took off from a too-short runway at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport, crashed and caught fire in a nearby field on August 27. He was pulled to safety from the broken cockpit, but everyone else aboard the plane died in the crash and fire.
Polehinke is now off a ventilator but could be hospitalized for several more weeks with facial and spine fractures, a broken leg, foot and hand, three broken ribs, a broken breastbone and a collapsed lung.
He has asked about various family members, Cruz said, and has questioned his relationship with God.
One of the first full sentences he said after regaining consciousness was, "Why did God do this to me?" Cruz said.
Cruz said Polehinke's mother, Honey Jackson, told him: "It was not God. It was just an accident."
Investigators are looking into airport construction and staffing at the control tower, among other things, as possible contributing factors to the August 27 crash. The lone tower operator had turned to do administrative work as the plane turned onto the wrong runway and tried to take off, officials said. According to FAA guidelines, two control tower operators should have been working at the time.
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (AP) -- The sole survivor of a plane crash that killed 49 people near Lexington last week asked family members from his hospital bed, "Why did God do this to me?" but he hasn't mentioned the crash, a close family friend said Wednesday.
James Polehinke, who was the flight's co-pilot, can move only his head, and tears often well up in his eyes, said Antonio Cruz, Polehinke's mother's boyfriend. He said the 44-year-old had only gained consciousness on Tuesday.
Polehinke hasn't mentioned the crash and doctors have encouraged family members not to ask him about it, Cruz told The Associated Press.
According to federal investigators, Polehinke was controlling Comair Flight 5191 when the regional jet took off from a too-short runway at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport, crashed and caught fire in a nearby field on August 27. He was pulled to safety from the broken cockpit, but everyone else aboard the plane died in the crash and fire.
Polehinke is now off a ventilator but could be hospitalized for several more weeks with facial and spine fractures, a broken leg, foot and hand, three broken ribs, a broken breastbone and a collapsed lung.
He has asked about various family members, Cruz said, and has questioned his relationship with God.
One of the first full sentences he said after regaining consciousness was, "Why did God do this to me?" Cruz said.
Cruz said Polehinke's mother, Honey Jackson, told him: "It was not God. It was just an accident."
Investigators are looking into airport construction and staffing at the control tower, among other things, as possible contributing factors to the August 27 crash. The lone tower operator had turned to do administrative work as the plane turned onto the wrong runway and tried to take off, officials said. According to FAA guidelines, two control tower operators should have been working at the time.
Sep 1, 2006
A Nasty Letter to the Editor by a Mr Dalton
I will have to write a letter to the editor in response to this awful person's tirade.
I have not written one in awhile since I have started to blog. But I can not let this one go without notice.
Profiling
Sorry, Kassie Kallin, didn’t mean to make you ill. Sounded pretty serious. If reading editorial opinions make you ill, I would stay away from the editorial section. I’m glad to see Homeland Security is finally starting to see things my way. They are following the lead of the Britains and beginning to profile. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it might be a duck. Quack, quack. When I say profiling I am referring to those individuals from past experiences of terrorist attacks that do fit a specific profile. Speaking of raising tensions, when was the last time you have seen any other religion on planet Earth besides Muslim extremists that call for the extermination of anyone that does not follow their beliefs? The Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Jews, Christianity in any form doesn’t do it. God had his only son die for our sins. The Muslim extremists that call for holy jihad wrap explosives around their sons and daughters and send them to Allah. I wonder which belief is correct?They wish to send you as a non-believer to meet Allah also. Not in the way you expect. Have a nice politically correct day.Harry Dalton15 Jefferson
I have not written one in awhile since I have started to blog. But I can not let this one go without notice.
Profiling
Sorry, Kassie Kallin, didn’t mean to make you ill. Sounded pretty serious. If reading editorial opinions make you ill, I would stay away from the editorial section. I’m glad to see Homeland Security is finally starting to see things my way. They are following the lead of the Britains and beginning to profile. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it might be a duck. Quack, quack. When I say profiling I am referring to those individuals from past experiences of terrorist attacks that do fit a specific profile. Speaking of raising tensions, when was the last time you have seen any other religion on planet Earth besides Muslim extremists that call for the extermination of anyone that does not follow their beliefs? The Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Jews, Christianity in any form doesn’t do it. God had his only son die for our sins. The Muslim extremists that call for holy jihad wrap explosives around their sons and daughters and send them to Allah. I wonder which belief is correct?They wish to send you as a non-believer to meet Allah also. Not in the way you expect. Have a nice politically correct day.Harry Dalton15 Jefferson
I hate politcal pandering
Bush compares Islamic radicals to Nazis and communists
Bush is an idiot and or he must think the people of Utah are idiots
Lets compare religious fanatics/Nazis/communists
religious fanatics kill their own people (Shites and Sunnis)
Niether Nazis nor communists sent suidcide bombers to America
The Islamic radicals are not necessarily nationalistic like the Nazis
Of course communists are athiestic the other two groups are not
But, when it comes to comparing Sunnis and Shites the one group believe the others are heretics if not athiests.
Here is the US,
Some may compare a Republican to a facist but not a Nazi. Some compare a Democrat to a communist instead of calling them a liberal.
Name calling is all it is. Instead of talking about or really trying to fix the problems, both sides point at each other for everything that is wrong with the world. Nothing changes, nothing gets done.
I hate politics, its a nasty business. But, I am realistic and know this is how humans behave and all we can do is try our best. It's not pretty, but at least US citizen's are not killing each other over which Church they belong to.
We do have one of the best political systems in the world. The Rule of Law (Secular)
Bush is an idiot and or he must think the people of Utah are idiots
Lets compare religious fanatics/Nazis/communists
religious fanatics kill their own people (Shites and Sunnis)
Niether Nazis nor communists sent suidcide bombers to America
The Islamic radicals are not necessarily nationalistic like the Nazis
Of course communists are athiestic the other two groups are not
But, when it comes to comparing Sunnis and Shites the one group believe the others are heretics if not athiests.
Here is the US,
Some may compare a Republican to a facist but not a Nazi. Some compare a Democrat to a communist instead of calling them a liberal.
Name calling is all it is. Instead of talking about or really trying to fix the problems, both sides point at each other for everything that is wrong with the world. Nothing changes, nothing gets done.
I hate politics, its a nasty business. But, I am realistic and know this is how humans behave and all we can do is try our best. It's not pretty, but at least US citizen's are not killing each other over which Church they belong to.
We do have one of the best political systems in the world. The Rule of Law (Secular)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
