Originally Posted By cape cod joe footnote to journal and group thing- I've had offers from the kids' church to do that 40 day thing in a group but I just don't have time. My wife, as I type, is getting hundreds of pics (no exaggeration) off the floors spread all over our 5000 square foot house, that we haven't even unpacked yet and we moved a year and a half ago. NO time.
Originally Posted By avromark What is this book about? I'm guessing obessive purpose in life? I'll have to tone down whenever I find my lady. (Can't you tell i'm now thinking about marriage and a serious relationship?) I'd love to deal with 5000 sq. ft. and a triple car garage. My garage got full with a snowmobile, garbage cans and a small chest freezer. Naming rooms, So I guess my spare bedrooms can now be called Library A and Library B. Religious? I'm guessing it's Christian focused? I guess I better head to amazon and see.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Av--It's not about making money. It's about God having a plan for all of us and for us to realize this is a very ephemeral existence we have here and to get ready for eternity. That's just a simplistic synopsis. I have the 3 car garage but you know how to back the Sable out of it better than I do
Originally Posted By avromark When I was able to use my garage, I backed into, not out of it. I prefer to drive through a spot, or back-in (unless it's a busy parking lot then I go in forwards), I hate angle parking, no point, makes it harder, can only approach from one direction, it was made for idiots. I noted that when I went to Amazon, Southern Baptist minister, meant to be read over 40 days, many many references to 15 translations of the bible. I was raised Christian, attend church when i'm not working during mass/service.
Originally Posted By avromark At this point in time, no lucky lady, looking is not the same thing as having. When I do find her I know i'll have to give up some of my time consuming hobbies. I believe in equality (I want to raise my children, I don't mind housework), but I also believe in tradition (well at first at least I believe in opening doors, etc) It will probably evolve in time. I believe in separate housing until married. I want a church wedding, I hope to find my partner for life, a true love. I want to have children, and i'd like a stable homelife for them. But I also want to expose them to reality, be grateful for what they have. Although I don't believe in pre-marital sex, i'm also realistic and don't expect the same. But I do expect loyalty to each other while dating. I know i'm old fashioned in some things. Maybe i'm too fussy, to idealistic.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe You're awesom Av! tfp the finer points> you are ONE of the few people I've ever seen who backs in like I do. I've been doing it for decades, as I've taught my kids to get the work (hard things) done first, so when I come out of a place, it's so much EASIER to just pull out. You are smart AV!
Originally Posted By cape cod joe post 23 -back out was meant for normal people not weirdos like us who back in I TRY not to anger people TOO much with my myriad idiosyncracies.
Originally Posted By avromark The most popular driving school here (Young Drivers of Canada) teaches you to back-in. They also teach you to signal all the time not just when someone is behind you. They teach you to signal while in parking lots. Cadance, Threshold, ABS braking etc. You also have to take a winter portion if you didn't learn winter before graduating. My sister didn't want to go there because she wanted to learn how to drive "easier". She knows how to press the accelerator pedal, she doesn't know how to release it. She once ran my one car through a farmers field, that car "died" after which it got a new used engine, etc. It stayed put until my brothers friend wrecked a newer one. Since it was a right-off (and my brothers friend was in school for automotive mechanic at the time) my brother inherited a free donor car and labour to fix it. It's not the most reliable car, but it'll get him through college like it got me. Back on topic - I don't think i'll read this book though since I try to live a christian life as I know how. I think the best way to live a christian life is through practice. I admit I suffer from anger at times, frustration, road rage. But I feel bad afterwards. I once lost my temper when an old lady backed into me in a parking lot. I was drowsy from dental work though, so I can't say who was at fault. We all have our off days and I think God understands when we deviate off our normal morals as long as we reflect and try not to do it.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Why can't the 16 year old drivers to be in Mass take d lessons up there in Canada? NO ROAD RAGE!!!! YOU HEAR ME AV!??? NO RAGE !!!!!
Originally Posted By avromark Cuz we drive just as bad as you. There will always be that person who turns into you causing you to stop when their lane ends, there will always be weavers. Some days you have more pressure on you. My road rage is beeping of horn at those that do it. Normally I try not to beep, but somedays by the 7th "ricer" that's cutting me off in a block I get frustrated. Ford tried to bring Young Drivers to their dealers in the US, but with cutbacks that plan fell through.
Originally Posted By xrayvision I enjoyed the book and applied aspects of it to my daily living. I also recently read Joel Osteen and Robert Schueller's new books. All three are good reads.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe What book by Schueller? I try to catch hime whenever I can but are talking about the father or son? Don't forget Sunday at 8 and 8:30 Joel on U.S.A and Discover Networks.
Originally Posted By HRM >>What's the deal with chapter 8?<< I guest I was substituting the words "entertainment" for "Pleasure"... I don't know, it just seemed that humans were more of a plaything than something meaningful, something to be manipulated for "entertainment"...
Originally Posted By mele I didn't finish reading this book. I was a bit turned off when he discussed music. This was about 3 years ago so I can't quite remember what he said but he implied that feeling close to God through music wasn't very effective. (I'm not sure I'm wording that correctly.) I highly disagree. I'm not really one of those people who likes to be told how or what I should feel or to be told that the way I worship is wrong. My friend is a member and invited me to the meetings. Unfortunately the reading group I was studying are continually involved in local drama over gay rights. The pastor threatened a worldwide boycott of Microsoft if they backed a gay rights bill (which passed. Haha) Once they started talking about protesting and holding rallies, I quit going. I will never go to a church that spends it's time persecuting and/or feeling superior to others.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Yeah Mele--I'm weird, like Joel, and I think God is our biggest cheerleading, not chop buster. We all get that enough in the world here from people.
Originally Posted By DlandJB Well I am on day 35 of the Purpose Drive Life but I am not doing it one day at a time through the first time, I'm listening to the CD of the book to and from work. Otherwise, when I get into bed at night and get ready to have some reading time, I fall asleep. I can't read anything at night. The CD is a wonderful way to use that empty time. Once I've been through it all once this way, I will go back and read it one meditation at a time. I love the book. From some of the comments I'm reading here, I think that hearing it may be a better way to do it than reading it. For example, mele, the comment about music, had to do with Worship not just being about music and that music isn't always a channel to reaching God, but sometimes manipulates our feelings about ourselves rather than what God wants for us. It can make us concentrate more on ourselves. That doesn't mean that he is against music. On the contrary. The section about pleasure is lovely. Basically, he says that the bible says we were made for many purposes, and one of those purposes is for the pleasure of God, and that God enjoys it when we are happy and find pleasure in his creation. It is not a philosophy based on guilt and exclusive self-denial but that, while God wants us to do more than we are probably doing and it may involve some sacrifice or a change of how we are currently living, God isn't some grim joyless taskmaster. It is true that he uses a variety of interpretations of the text of the bible at different times. That isn't a problem for me, because I see the Bible as the inspired word of God and not necessarily literal. Some interpretations are more poetic than others but the points don't change. Recently we began attending church at Rick Warren's church, Saddleback. Now, some of you may remember that I was attending a Unitarian Universalist Church before this. There is almost nothing further from Baptist than UU, but there has been no shock to the system at Saddleback. This is not a stereotypical hard-line fundamentalist "take no prisoners" kind of place. It is warm and welcoming. It is very inclusive. In fact, I found a number of instances on the web where hard right SBaptists were warning that it is too inclusive. The people are terrific (and there are thousands of them -- there are more than 15,000 people that attend Saddleback on Saturday and Sunday -- there are several different musical genres that take place at the same time - from traditional gospel, to praise, to contemporary christian, country, heavy metal (yes indeed) and even Hawaiian music. The music is awesome. The church includes ministries for the poor and homeless, for AIDs care, for support of education and a wonderful addition recovery program that is recognized and replicated around the country. I'm tremendously impressed. Many other churches are using the Purpose Driven formula. The second book "The Purpose Driven Church" is used around the world. And even the lead pastor of my former UU church recently did a sermon about Rick Warren and the book and had very positive things to say about him and the book. Give it a chance. And if you are in the Orange County area, you might want to check out Saddleback in person.
Originally Posted By LuLu Very well said, JB! Thanks for your post. I attended a seminar at Saddleback a few years ago and it seems like an amazing place. Our senior pastor now formerly worked at Saddleback. My bible study group did the "40 days" study and I really enjoyed it. Our whole church was encouraged to do it, and they even gave out the books for free. I'd like to get back into the book too, more in-depth and as a refresher. I could even see discussing the chapters here on LP. Maybe one chapter per week, to give everyone plenty of time, and also make it easy to catch up if you go on vacation or something. Anyone think that would work?
