Please Sneeze This Away : Thursday Writing Essentials (The road not taken)

The path through the prose may be a bit scrambled, or am I? The truths bubble to the surface. We all could have made other choices, and we can obsess over the "what if" conjectures. But who's to say that alternative choices would have been "better", whatever that means.

I've always felt such comparatives tend to be negative. Thank you. I will be deleting this post. Gather had not let me post, then this happens. TY.

What am I missing from your comment, Bill. I see no reason to delete this.

I have two of basically the same post. I'll just let it go.

William, it's 4 am here in OZ. Woke up at 2 am and couldn't go back to sleep. I didn't mean to visit gather, only to check my e-mails. But here I am, and greatly enjoyed your musings on the prompt.
I don't believe in 'Free Will', only in the choices I'm allowed to make by the sovereign hand of God, who loves me and knows what's best for me. I'm responsible for my choices and I must bear the consequences. I thank God for his 'Free Grace' to lead me in the way he has chosen for me before the beginning of time. No chances, no fate, no mistakes.
I watched the movie 'The Butterfly Effect 1', and every IF in this young man's life took him deeper into misery!

You have taken sides on the debate between Calvin & Knox I believe. I respect you belief.
Thank you. I will be deleting this post. Gather had not let me post, then this happens. TY.

William, I don't know why you'd want to delete. You've posted food for thought and friends have responded!

My personal faith is based on years of reading, studying and experiencing life. I'm NOT a Calvinist, William, I'm a follower of Jesus :)

I just feel we are all influenced by our culture on how we think, belief and react. I am a follower of the truth, but in a very skeptical manner. I am Christian, but culturally a Buddhist.

I had absolutely no Church background even though I was confirmed as every teenager would be once 16 years of age. I never remembered my Confirmation classes after that. Then I heard my girlfriend talk about people reading the Bible and praying. I bought a Bible, and one night walking home I looked up at the sky and said "If you really exist God, you would have to make yourself known to me in a personal way". One year later in Sydney, Australia, I came across a Billy Graham Crusade, did not understand the preaching but was moved by the singing of thousands of people. On the way out I book in German, and halfway through I understood that I had lived my life thus far without reference to God who loves me, died for my sins, and rose to gift me with eternal life. I was in tears as the Holy Spirit prompted me to commit my life to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I opened my Bible the next morning, was unforgettably joyful and amazed at all I now read, understand and believed. I joined an Anglican Church just around the corner from my flat, and have never looked back. Yes, I have suffered a number of sorrows, but have never been overlooked by God, receiving grace after grace to overcome. My hope in one day seeing Jesus face to face in heaven where he has prepared a place for me has never wavered.

I too am a peace-seeker, William. But Buddhism as a belief gives me no hope for eternal life, no matter how hard I work at it. Jesus said on the cross "It is finished". I am saved for all time, because he has done for me and you what no one else can do...redeem me and reconcile me to my heavenly Father.
Of course, you know all this! I'm merely sharing my personal faith with you, William :)

I respectfully disagree with you in your statement about Buddhism. I am a Born Again Christian, but I'm also considered a heretic by many. I grew up in a very strict Fundamental Baptist church. We were so fundamental we had Mennonite members. I was given a full scholarship to study at a Baptist Seminary. Let's just say my investigative studies and other factors made me question the Dogma of my church. My faith is still strong, but many of my views about Christianity make a lot of people angry, so I keep a low profile unless someone decides to question my viewpoints. I do respect your beliefs. I have read and studied the scriptures of all Major and many minor religions. They all seem to have a similar message of loving God by loving people. It's really very simple and Christ taught this.

William, Jesus teaches very clearly and dogmatically that 'HE is the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through HIM.' (John 14:6). That claim cost him his life, but believers know that he was cursed for our sins, he who knew no sin. Jesus alone fulfilled every prophesy about the coming of the Messiah to redeem ALL peoples and to reconcile them to the Father, from whom we are cut off from birth. We need to repent and believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. No other faith will clothe us with the righteousness that is acceptable to God. (John 3:16). No matter how much we love GOD, unless we love the Son of God we remain in our sins. Not Buddha, Mohammed nor any other religious leader is able to save us from the righteous judgment of God.
Of course, there are many false teachers in the so-called Church of God, as well. Legalism is cursed by God, because God is a God of GRACE. Fundamentalism is devoid of Grace, William. There's no harm in studying other religions as long as we adhere to the finished work of God's Plan of Salvation...the death and resurrection of Christ, God in the flesh on earth, the promised Messiah from the beginning of time. (Genesis 3)

Thank you for your courteous response, William. You are a gentleman!!

I have read the Bible cover to cover (did so with the Schofield edition). I believe and have faith, but my concepts of the scriptures is that there are many expressions of God. I do not believe in faith exclusivetivity. Nice comment.

So many things to chose from that it is hard, but somehow you land up just where you should be, wishing you had done something else, seems a waste, but people do that.
Great writing William, love the humor. Goodnight, love,Elsie

I've always felt such comparatives tend to be negative. Thank you. I will be deleting this post. Gather had not let me post, then this happens. TY.

I always think of the Zen saying, 'Every problem has a life of its own,' when dealing with day to day problems in life. Sweet dreams.

Before you delete...
I don't visit as often, lately but had to notice the string of metaphors and platitudes and sayings that we utter when we need to illuminate. I liked this very much William. Not so long ago, I challenged myself to follow a complete conversation without using "sayings". What I mean by that is that I wanted to discipline my mind to stretch beyond just the easy way of saying something. It startled me how quickly the sayings were ready to fly out and how very hard it was to rethink/reform/be more original. I realized that I am not that original. It was OK.
Well, before you delete I wanted to "muck-in".
Blessings William. So good to read your post.

I listen: I have two of basically the same post. I'll just let it go. I guess my basic thought like yours. I would say John Dewey greatly influenced me. I gathered from him in a nutshell that 'all experience is reinventing that known in a similar or totally different way and all shades in-between.' I believe his ontology concepts helped to greatly improve our public schools in the 40's & early 50's, but then he was forgotten and education continues its downward spiral. Thank you.