1st Edition Newsletter- (August 23rd)

D’s Spiritual Guidance Newsletter- 1st Edition
-a weekly publication


Intro

To begin with, this is the very first of a series of newsletters I plan on making for the sole purpose of spiritual education (to the extent of my experience) and the aid of others. This is totally non-profit, and I expect no credit for this. As a call to spread the word, make a point to send this newsletter on to anyone interested if you found it worthwhile. I sincerely hope to continue this and hear some feedback in future editions of the newsletter. Thank you and God bless!

-D


Words of Wisdom

“Storms make trees take deeper roots.”
-Claude McDonald

“Approach every task as though it were the moment that will define you.”
-Jol Dantzig

“Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.”
-Dag Hammerskjold


Passage

Ecclesiastes 7:15: There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.


Sermon

For this first sermon, I begin with an Ecclesiastes verse above that has a simple meaning that’s changed over time to mean simply, the good die young. Now, if there’s anything basic morals will teach you, sometimes what’s easy is not always what’s right. In the same way, not all things good for you are inherently good for others. In the passage, it essentially says that a good man may die by his good acts, but an evil man may survive off of his evil acts. Following general logic, it would make sense to be a little evil and live longer, right? Wrong. It might make sense to NOT take risks or put your life on the line for someone else in logical terms, but people do it everyday. They sacrifice at their own expense, performing selfless acts with no personal gain. Where a truly just person sees an opportunity to help and does what they can to their entire means, a not-so-just person will ask “what’s in it for me?”. I know we’ve all been there- it’s good to have an exchange of things, you scratch my back, I scratch yours. But when it comes down to absolute need, how many of us are willing to endanger ourselves to aid someone else? Not many, unfortunately. Why? People are always too afraid of consequences, what they know will happen if they intervene. They shy away from the issue in favor of not getting involved. While sometimes, we may all need to “just walk away”, some things need a helping hand, a willing spirit and just a bit of generosity. As some have put it, a helping hand and a kind smile will go a lot farther than a harsh hand and a scowl. Think of it- “The good die young”- but what happens after that? Picture two separate scenarios- A young firefighter dies in the burning wreckage of an apartment complex while saving a family from certain death. In another case, a wealthy businessman makes a long life of gaining profits at other peoples’ expense- years later, he dies after putting many smaller business owners out of work and on the street, reaping all of the profits and keeping them to himself even to his death. In each situation, think of how people would consider each of them? Each of us, whether we know it or not, leaves behind a legacy (whether good or bad) once we’re gone. By what you do, you shape that legacy deed-by-deed. What will they say about you once you’re gone? The good die young sometimes, yes, but the wicked die many deaths, inside and out. If there’s nothing we’ve learned from the thought of afterlife, it’s that it is not what you take, but what you leave when you go. Take some time and ask yourself- if you died at the end of the day, what would people say about you? What would be their final memory of you? Who would you be immortalized as in their minds? That is up for all of us to decide. How we decide it all starts with just a single good deed and ends somewhere great, friends. Remember that always.

Amen.


Sidenotes

A simple prayer to try in times of need:

God in Heaven,
Be with me now and help get me through this,
Keep your presence with me,
And allow that all will be made well in the end.

Amen.

Prayers do not need to be elaborate or exactly alike every time. They are not linear. A prayer is simply speaking with God, whether in thought or actual speech. Saying a quick prayer like the one above every so often is not a bad thing to do. Often, when I say a prayer somewhat like the one above, or after I complete whatever it is I need help with, I look back, remember, and thank God for pulling me through. Again, prayer can be anything in regards to God- asking, thanking, looking for guidance and unexpected help in times of desperation- anything. They say the Lord works in mysterious ways. An unanswered prayer is sometimes one that needs no answer. This will become clearer to you as time goes on.


Subscribers List

-Purely for statistics. Don’t see your name here? Send an email to dspiritmail@yahoo..com with the subject “Subscriber” and your name. As soon as I receive it, you will be listed in the section below on the next newsletter.

-Melissanichole Hermes
-Holt Wheeler


Feedback

None yet. This is the first one after all. Send any comments, rants, raves, suggestions or any questions to dspiritmail@yahoo.com with the subject “Feedback” and I will post it below. I will also answer any spiritual-oriented questions you have in the newsletter if you include them in your email.


D's Spot On The Web:
http://spirituald.blogspot.com/