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Post by hollygail on Sept 2, 2016 4:30:16 GMT
Welcome!!! You have entered a space where all people are invited to gather to discuss matters of Spirituality, in mutual respect and friendliness: "Considering...Spirituality." Here, the focus is on personal spirituality and not dogma. We welcome with open arms people from any, all, and no religious/faith backgrounds, and those who practice spirituality on their own, to join us for a discussion centered on a higher consciousness. Each day there will be a quote, question, or discussion prompt presented for all to ponder and respond to.
**In maintaining an atmosphere of comfort and trust, we do not allow proselytizing (the effort of trying to convert others) or the denigrating of the religions and viewpoints of others. We also avoid bringing up topics such as politics, hot button social issues, or anything that can be considered divisive**
As this is a WW board, we also discuss our personal wellness, including our weight management program. We share our struggles and our triumphs regarding such as well as discuss things like family, friends, jobs, hobbies, outside interests, etc... We strive to build each other up with loving support in a positive manner. Let us not ever tear one another down in any way, shape or form.
Regular thread starters for the time being are:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: Gary
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Holly
Yet if anyone is so inclined, please feel free to start a new thread by beginning with the title: "Considering....(topic -q/q)", post this introduction (by way of copy & paste) then follow that with a post putting forth a question and/or quote (with or without some explanation) for us to ponder today. The topic can be inspired by your personal faith, but please do remember that anyone from other spiritual paths should be able to answer it.
Shalom, Love & Light, Blessed Be, Namaste...
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Post by hollygail on Sept 2, 2016 4:31:26 GMT
This week, the selection from the Prophets that we read is from Isaiah 54:11–55:5, in which God promises to rebuild and restore Zion.
I mentioned last week (and the week before) that during the seven weeks after Tisha b’Av we read a series of selections from the book of Isaiah that focus on themes of consolation. These selections are meant to comfort a nation that has just mourned for the destruction of its most sacred space and the exile from its homeland.
Isaiah’s prophecy in this week’s selection focuses on how the downtrodden Israelites will once again rise to glory. Their buildings will be made of precious stones, their children will be raised in peace, and their cities will be safe. God reminds the people that no harm can come to them without God’s consent. If God decides that they will be strengthened and restored, this will happen. Isaiah promises that with God’s help, the people of Israel will be invincible.
In the second half of the selection, God continues in the same vein, but adds a stipulation: the people must turn to God in order to reap the rewards God promises. "Give heed to Me, and you shall eat choice food and enjoy the richest dishes" (55:2). God promises that just as God brought David up from his common roots, and made him royalty, so shall the people be lifted out of their destitute situation.
Q/q:
(1) Can we focus for a minute on the concept of the “downtrodden will once again rise to glory.” What does this mean in your life? Perhaps in your WLJ (or WMJ)? How can you help someone else who feels saddened by whatever to rise out of sadness? Has anyone helped you in a similar situation?
(2) What’s your modern interpretation of eating ”choice food” and enjoying “the richest dishes”? How can we interpret these so we don’t pack on the extra pounds we all joined WW to lose in the first place?
(3) If you’ve ever felt destitute (or something similar), how did you “lift” yourself out? Who and/or what helped?
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Post by glrogers67 on Sept 2, 2016 14:44:24 GMT
First, from an LDS perspective Zion has already been restored and is being rebuilt. The gathering of Israel has already begun and will continue. Historically, the gospel was taught first to the Jews (who rejected it) and then to the Gentiles. In the latter days the process is reversed. The gospel is being taught first to the Gentiles and eventually to the Jews. We do have some Jewish converts and we love the richness they bring to the faith. We believe that process will be greatly accelerated as Armageddon becomes more and more likely.
1) Historically, we see both the Jews and early Mormons as persecuted and downtrodden. We are now a worldwide church and the Jews have a nation and have in a sense risen to glory. How can we help others who are saddened? By teaching them the gospel. From a spiritual perspective that is exactly what happened with me. I was a card carrying member of the LDS church for years before my gf came along and showed me the spiritual perspective of things.
2) This is a hard one for me right now. I tend to use overeating as a comfort. Since the rift with my gf (which is considerably better, by the way - she called this morning but we were cut off because she is driving in an area without good reception) I have eaten a lot of ice cream, candy, and sodas which has to stop. I am still debating about going to Nutrasystem so I don't have to weigh and measure and figure out points all the time.
3) This was exactly the situation I was in when my gf wouldn't talk to me for over a month. I did turn to God in prayer and scripture study, and gradually things improved with my gf until we are now talking again.
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Post by hollygail on Sept 2, 2016 16:29:33 GMT
Just a quick post and run; we're packing the car for a weekend trip to my sister's in the LA area.
Gary, go to the WW website and find out about the Simply Filling Technique. (I think many references to it say only "Simply Filling.") You don't have to spend your life counting points for everything that goes into your mouth. There are foods which are no count foods, and I find I like them better than processed foods (they keep me satisfied longer than processed foods do). You don't get any daily allowance at all (although you get the same weeklies as anyone else). You count (against your weeklies) anything that's not on the "no count" list. I became Lifetime using Simply Filling and have maintained Lifetime at Goal for about 6 years using SF.
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Post by glrogers67 on Sept 2, 2016 18:22:45 GMT
Here is a story that came out today on LDS.org by Michelle Wilson that I think relates to this topic:
A few years ago, I came across one of the most striking personal examples of the power of attitude. At the time, I was looking down the barrel of turning 40. This re-sparked a desire to get back in shape so I began jogging a few times a week. Then, a month before my birthday, I gracefully jammed my pinky toe on my coffee table. Refusing to acknowledge a possible break I continued on with my daily life.
A few days after the coffee table attacked me, I went for a jog and felt a sharp pain in my foot. I suffered through a few more days of agonizing denial, then broke down and went in for a doctor’s visit, X-rays, and a CT scan. While there I found out I had a broken toe and a broken foot—double the fracture, double the fun. To help heal my broken bones, my podiatrist suggested I wear a medical boot to stabilize my foot.
The hard, plastic boot reached up to the middle of my calf and was uncomfortable, restrictive, and made me walk lopsided.
I didn’t like the boot. I blamed nearly all my troubles on it: my back hurt; my hips hurt; my knees hurt; I couldn’t work out, so I was gaining weight. I even blamed the bags under my eyes and my gray hairs on the boot. It was a curse and I was its victim.
I was supposed to wear the boot for a month, but with my bad attitude and rebellious choices, I wore the boot only half the time I was supposed to. At my next visit, my doctor told me I wasn’t healing well enough and I had to wear the boot full-time for at least another month.
One morning, while I was standing in the grocery store checkout line in pain and feeling sorry for myself, a lively older employee asked me about my boot. I grumpily told him I’d run into the coffee table. With a grin, he announced that was a lame story and I needed to get a better one to impress him. His response caught me off guard. I eyed him up and down to get an idea of what kind of guy would say that to a crippled woman.
That was when I noticed the metal claw where his right hand should have been.
I gestured toward it and asked what his story was. With an even bigger grin, he said, “October 18, 1968. Meat grinder.” He told me he’d been 18 working two jobs and going to school. He’d gotten tired and had slipped up, getting his glove caught in the large metal grinder.
He then told me it was the most amazing experience he had ever had.
“No way,” I replied. That couldn’t be true.
“It was!” he said. “I was in and out of the hospital and back to work in four days.”
He was all smiles as he explained that the timing couldn’t have been better; he’d been young and strong so his body had recovered quickly. “Isn’t that amazing?” he beamed.
Yes, it was. But what I thought was more amazing was this man’s attitude. He was genuinely happy. He couldn’t go home and take the claw off to put his hand back on—it was permanent. But because of his positive attitude, he was happier for it. I felt about an inch high. I tucked my boot behind my other leg.
He told me what a great conversation piece it had been over the years, how many great experiences he had had, and how many wonderful people he’d met because of it—people like me. Then he smiled again and told me to get a better story about my foot, wished me luck, and turned to help another customer.
As I left the store, my mind stayed on the one-handed man and our conversation. I had stood there, whining about a temporary boot that protected my foot while it healed, and he had happily waved his shiny hook—not even a prosthetic hand but a hook—like it was the best thing ever. And to him, it was, because he saw all the good that had come from it. His attitude left little room for self-pity and sadness. I knew then that I had to change my attitude.
And when I did, the boot began to look different to me. I began to see it as a way to help me heal, not hold me back.
As my attitude changed, I noticed another change: my level of gratitude. I was grateful for all the good that had come from the boot, including my bones healing and my conversation with the happy man. In one shopping trip, I went from being a miserable victim to a happy and grateful victor.
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