Tag: Christianity

Concepts of Grace

Posted on by Karac Avalron

If we look at the Christian interpretation of what grace is we get a better glimpse into its overall meaning and understanding to many.

Grace /ɡrās/

noun

verb

  • 1.do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one’s presence:”she bowed out from the sport she has graced for two decades”synonymsdignify, distinguish, add distinction to, add dignity to, honor, … more

So grace in biblical parlance is the forgiveness and rebirth given to believers by god. How this has evolved in our culture is to extend grace to those who might otherwise be in a lesser position then you. This can be giving alms to the poor, this can be helping the elderly, this can be teaching the young.

How to move mountains
Faith can inspire peace.

It is important not to confuse Grace with Mercy. Mercy is the act of extending forgiveness to those who, for the most part is within your power to harm. A classic example Is not delivering a finishing blow to a defeated opponent.

For many pagans our allowance for grace falls under our concepts of fate. Meaning, fate places me in a position the grant enact grace. Fate is a series of choices set before you with outcomes derived from the choices made.

Regardless of where you fall on the spiritual spectrum, we are at a point in western society where we have reached, I hope, the peak of our discord. We have been unkind to one another for decades now, if not centuries. Now is the time to enact some grace, if you can. Yes that means your interactions online as well.

Take the time to really examine how you are interacting with people, what you say, even online can have a profound effect on others you don’t know and will never meet.

Are you choosing grace over negativity?  

Thank you for coming by and supporting my blog I really appreciate it. Want to see another post like this one? Click here.

Beyond the Trees

Wisdom from the past: Proverbs 18:2

Posted on by Karac Avalron

From time to time I pull out a quote from history and use it to address a current issue. Today we are looking to our Christian friends for wisdom out of the book of proverbs.

The Selfishness of the Unfriendly
-He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.-

What can we glean from this? As we travel further and further into an increased technological world, in the midst of a pandemic, some of us with anxiety, isolation is a distinct possibility for many. When we become isolated we begin to think singularly more so then normal. It is a natural state to think of your wellbeing, to think about yourself first. Choosing to isolate yourself leads to the pursuit of thought that focuses exclusively on self.

We decrease our empathy of others when we isolate. We change our thought patterns and judgements to reflect what we need, rather than attempt to understand why others don’t feel the same way we do. It’s okay to think of yourself first, it’s okay to assume your feelings and opinions are correct. The trap we need to avoid as we isolate more and more is to place judgements on others who do not feel as we do.

Regardless of what faith you are, isolation isn’t the answer.

Just because someone feel differently then you or has a different opinion does mean they are a bad person. It doesn’t mean you can’t get along with them, live together in peace. Don’t isolate yourself unnecessarily, and don’t cast judgements on others from your isolation. Do your best to engage with the abilities and skills you have.

Thank you for coming by and supporting my blog. Let me know you were here! Leave a comment or a like I really appreciate it! Want to see more posts like this? Click here.

Requested blog post: How can Christianity help me with Anxiety?

Posted on by Karac Avalron

This is not a sponsored blog; I am not being paid to do this. A reader whom I don’t know if they are subscribed or not asked me to give my thoughts on how, and why Christianity can help with Anxiety. I explained to them I was not a Christian and thus my opinion would not be based on credible experience. I don’t dislike Christians; I simply don’t believe in the notion that Christ was divine. We got past that large obstacle and the request stood, so here is the post.

I could scour the internet for witty quotes or sermons given by devout Christians but whenever I need an answer about Christianity or need to understand how things are rationalized in that faith, I find myself looking at the book of psalms.

Psalm 43.1

Vindicate me, my God,
    and plead my cause
    against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me from those who are
    deceitful and wicked.

Faith is a strength, not a weakness

Faith in the Christian god is a great gateway to self-improvement. We have to acknowledge faith first, the concept of life, your life, being in the hands of a supreme being must be comforting. That doesn’t mean it is without trepidation. The same god gave you these emotions which, to many Christians is part of the larger test of life. In the end it’s been my humble experience that Christianity and its doctrine has an answer for everything that could possibly be troubling you.

As with Psalm 43.1 above, god understands there are those who are deceitful and wicked he has heard the prayers. The word “those” is the pivotal point of the psalm here as one normally assumes that it pertains to people or peoples but the breadth of faith allows us to extrapolate this to anything. The brick that is off color on your wall at work that sets off your anxiety might fall into this category.

God knows this, he understands you and it’s okay. It’s okay to be anxious, it is okay to feel abnormal, it is okay to not understand emotional responses you have that others don’t over similar events. God understands, and he understands you. To the person who asked me to write this thank you. For you specifically, the answers are in the scripture and your devotion to prayer and your quest to extract from said scripture as much comfort as you can. It’s all there for you, this is your faith, your god, these words are written for you to help you.

Me? You don’t need to worry about me, I appreciate your offers of prayers thank you. Serve your god and his will. Take care of yourself and yours and place yourself in a better position to help others as a result. In times of weakness or anxiety? Go back to the scripture, the book of psalms has so many answers for you, you will be fine.

Thank you for coming by and supporting my blog I really appreciate it. Want to see another post like this one? Click here.

Time – The most valuable commodity in the world

Posted on by Karac Avalron

It doesn’t care if you are rich or poor. It doesn’t care about your sexual preferences or your race. It doesn’t care where you were born, how much money you make or what kind of car you drive. Time is the most potent force in the world. Why? Because its universal it applies to everyone and when your time is up, that’s it there are no sequels. It’s one of the only things in the world that makes us all equal in some way. So how you spend your time is critical to your spiritual, financial and overall health. If you are spending your time on things you really enjoy, you are one of the richest people in the world.

 Time, Friend or Foe? – Poem by Ric Velle

Times gives life meaning and sustenance, so we’re all
somewhat on common ground, so life doesn’t confound.
Time doesn’t stay the same, nor does the world.
Time goes slow and sometimes fast, and with hope, we shall last.
Time can be lost, and it can cost.
Time can be harnessed, and it can slip through the hand like granules of sand.
Time is a friend or foe, this I know.
Time is a second, a minute, or an hour, it may devour.
Time controls and consoles.
Time, at times, is the aggressor and the lesser, a comforter.
Time heals and steals. Time brings hope and sometimes despair.
Time can repair, and it can be unfair.
Time is eternity, together, with Christ,
the King of Kings, we shall be.

The poem above does have a Christian reference at the end but it shouldn’t register as a religious piece. It should serve more as a reminder of the value of time. “Time is friend or foe, this I know” the poet proclaims. What will it be for you? How much time will you spend today doing something you don’t want to do? Don’t make your time your foe, make an effort to determine what you enjoy most in life. It can be anything, and be honest. Like fixing cars? Cool. Like gardening? Maybe you are a gamer… Whatever it is make time your friend and spend time doing the things you enjoy doing.

Want to see another post like this one? Click here.

Beyond the Trees

Wisdom from the past: Proverbs 18:2

Posted on by Karac Avalron

From time to time I pull out a quote from history and use it to address a current issue. Today we are looking to our Christian friends for wisdom out of the book of proverbs.

The Selfishness of the Unfriendly
-He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.-

What can we glean from this? As we travel further and further into an increased technological world, in the midst of a pandemic, some of us with anxiety, isolation is a distinct possibility for many. When we become isolated we begin to think singularly more so then normal. It is a natural state to think of your wellbeing, to think about yourself first. Choosing to isolate yourself leads to the pursuit of thought that focuses exclusively on self.

We decrease our empathy of others when we isolate. We change our thought patterns and judgements to reflect what we need, rather than attempt to understand why others don’t feel the same way we do. It’s okay to think of yourself first, it’s okay to assume your feelings and opinions are correct. The trap we need to avoid as we isolate more and more is to place judgements on others who do not feel as we do.

Regardless of what faith you are, isolation isn’t the answer.

Just because someone feel differently then you or has a different opinion does mean they are a bad person. It doesn’t mean you can’t get along with them, live together in peace. Don’t isolate yourself unnecessarily, and don’t cast judgements on others from your isolation. Do your best to engage with the abilities and skills you have.

Thank you for coming by and supporting my blog. Let me know you were here! Leave a comment or a like I really appreciate it! Want to see more posts like this? Click here.

Religion/Faith helps your anxiety

Posted on by Karac Avalron

If you are a regular reader of my blog you know I am not very religious. Monotheism is a relatively new notion in the human experience, one god who over sees everything. I believe that spirituality is derived from communion with god, or gods, or the spirit of god, or gods through faith. I don’t know if there is one god or a hundred. When I look at the billions of stars in the sky and wonder about other worlds and species I wonder if it’s the same god there etc.

A little bit of a tangent there so back to the topic. Regardless of your religion or faith most people who practice an organized religion have a remarkable resource to help with anxiety. I found a good article here. This article is specific to Christianity but the sentiment is really applicable to most monotheistic/temple oriented religions.

Faith is a pathway to hope

From the article:  “It’s giving people a sign of hope, not just through our words, but the church has an opportunity to give people a sign of hope by how we live,” she said. Jamie Aten, director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, told Religion News Service that congregations now are helping people deal with a wide range of mental health challenges. And the challenges that existed before the coronavirus haven’t just gone away, according to Aten.”

This really is a universal truth. Meaning first, the mental health challenges people had BEFORE covid still exist. Second, a group support network is a valuable, to be cherished resource to help you through hard times. It is perhaps the greatest benefit of organized religion, to have a group of likeminded people supporting one another. I know all religions have their own social dynamics, I know it’s not perfect. That said it’s more than a lot of us do have. You can be extremely spiritual and still be alone.

Faith is powerful, it helps in so many areas of life it’s hard to measure. It doesn’t really matter what faith you practice either. In my experience most of the major faiths we have today have similar doctrines which espouse helping others. You should use this resource if you belong to a church, a mosque, a temple. Given the breadth of mental health issues in our society the chances are that someone in your place of worship has similar experiences or is going through what you are right now.

Count your blessing and take advantage of this resource. As a wise Christian woman once told me “god is watching”. If that’s true, he (or she) is probably waiting for you to accept the gift of others generosity. Will you take it?

Interested in more posts like this one? Check out my post here.

Concepts of Grace

Posted on by Karac Avalron

If we look at the Christian interpretation of what grace is we get a better glimpse into its overall meaning and understanding to many.

Grace /ɡrās/

noun

verb

  • 1.do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one’s presence:”she bowed out from the sport she has graced for two decades”synonymsdignify, distinguish, add distinction to, add dignity to, honor, … more

So grace in biblical parlance is the forgiveness and rebirth given to believers by god. How this has evolved in our culture is to extend grace to those who might otherwise be in a lesser position then you. This can be giving alms to the poor, this can be helping the elderly, this can be teaching the young.

It is important not to confuse Grace with Mercy. Mercy is the act of extending forgiveness to those who, for the most part is within your power to harm. A classic example Is not delivering a finishing blow to a defeated opponent.

For many pagans our allowance for grace falls under our concepts of fate. Meaning, fate places me in a position the grant enact grace. Fate is a series of choices set before you with outcomes derived from the choices made.

Regardless of where you fall on the spiritual spectrum, we are at a point in western society where we have reached, I hope, the peak of our discord. We have been unkind to one another for decades now, if not centuries. Now is the time to enact some grace, if you can. Yes that means your interactions online as well.

Take the time to really examine how you are interacting with people, what you say, even online can have a profound effect on others you don’t know and will never meet.

Are you choosing grace over negativity?  

Beyond the Trees

Ancient Wisdom – Proverbs 21:5

Posted on by Karac Avalron

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

There are so many pearls of wisdom in the ancient texts. One of the most talked about ancient works is the Christian Bible. This isn’t a religion thread, I don’t personally care what faith you peruse etc. That said what can we glean from this ancient wisdom?

When you plan, are disciplined and diligent in the plans execution you will profit, when you rush things it leads to failure (or poverty). In the large events of your life,  if you can  set aside some time to plan the likelihood of success is greater.

The book of proverbs was essentially the accumulation of wisdom from the Hebrew world. Many of the sayings were attributed to Solomon. We really can’t know for certain who said what when, none of us were there. That said, this very simple proverb is common sense for many. For those of us with anxiety not so much.

There is one critical tool I use to evoke this proverb, and no I am not a Christian. I have a personal note book. I’ve had many of them in my life, the latest one I got for $1.99 at Walmart. I take notes, I write out lists of things I have to do, I plan, via the notes for large events in my life. Including:

  • Travel
  • Work
  • Birthdays
  • Things I need to do
  • Financial planning

There is more, but the point here is many of the tools we can use to improve our lives while living with anxiety have existed for thousands of years. There are pearls of wisdom spread out in many ancient texts. Sometimes its nice to go back to the classics to help up with the present.

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