Mindfulness

Mindfulness. I've been thinking about it alot. I just finished Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I've thought about it much over the past few years and despite its loose association with Buddhism, I think it's a really good thing. It's all about being in the moment. This is good for me, a guy who is almost never mentally where he is physically.

I'm not (yet) going to make a case biblically or really discuss it much in this little post, I just wanted to fulfill my blog's title and keep up to date on "what's on my mind"!

If you're interested, here's a few articles. Now I know that there's the knee-jerk conservative reaction at the word 'zen', but here I think are a few more thoughtful ones:
Christian Psychologist's blog (1)
Christian Psychologist's blog (2)
Society for Christian Psychology

Deep acceptance

“In the cross God demonstrates the deepest law of acceptance. For to be convinced that I have been accepted, I must be convinced that I have been accepted at my worst. This is the greatest gift an intimate relationship can offer — to know that we have been accepted and forgiven in the full knowledge of who we are, an even greater knowledge than we have about ourselves. This is what the cross offers.”
— Rebecca Pippert

A new look?

Alright. I'm officially looking at updating the look of my blog. If you are one of those deranged souls that actually reads it... then heads up :)

On the Road, Sal and me

"I shambled after as usual as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people that interest me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing... but burn burn burn like roman candles across the night." - On the Road, Jack Kerouac

As the city sleeps

I walk as the city drifts off to sleep.
As the smoke rises gently and quietly from her buildings,
as the cars past the river glide slowly at a distance past hearing,
and the city says that she is all mine,
and that her quiet view is just for me.
And my mind doesn't always catch it,
but my soul does
and is grateful for the stillness she lends this noisy heart.

Relevant Self-Defense

Antony Flew quote

This quote is from a gentleman named Antony Flew. Flew, a philosopher, was the face of atheism for a majority of the 20th century. Of course, in the 2000's after much wrestling, he came out as a theist. He's got a book on it. I think my roommate has it.

"I now believe that the universe was brought into existence by an infinite Intelligence. I believe that this universe’s intricate laws manifest what scientists have called the Mind of God. I believe that life and reproduction originate in a divine Source. Why do I believe this, given that I expounded and defended atheism for more than a half century? The short answer is this: this is the world picture, as I see it, that has emerged from modern science."

Antony Flew