In relation to man you progress by your actions. In relation to God and yourself, you progress by your thoughts. 

-  Eolake Stobblehouse

The joy of beauty is the joy of life.

- Eolake Stobblehouse

God and hate?

"God Almighty hates a quitter."
 -- Gen. Samuel Fessenden, at the Republican National Convention, 1896.

It always amazes me to think of people who think they have an Almighty God who hates some people. That must be a truly, truly scary world to live in. 

Anyway, if he actually is almighty, why would he hate anybody or anything? Can't he afford better?


Update:
Steve F said...
Or that God would hate one of his/her creations?

Yes, a very good point. Seen that way, it's truly preposterous.

Don't do anything with doubt

If you choose to do anything, do it with 100% intention. 

You may have fear, but that doesn't matter. It is not the fear which hurts you or makes things go wrong, it is the doubt. It is the back-off from doing it fully.

People engaged in dangerous sports like jumping over canions on a motorcycle, or hacking a big brick in half with a bare hand, know this. They need to have 100% pure intention in the moment, otherwise it may go wrong.

Have you noticed that doctors and nurses who work with very sick and infectious people, almost never get sick themselves? It's the same thing, it's because they knew the danger, and they chose to go in anyway, they do it with purity.

The same thing applies to the spiritual path. Per definition it's the most difficult thing you can do, because you have to confront everything in the mind which makes anything else difficult. So if you do it half-heartedly, you double your troubles. Instead do it full speed ahead, focused only on the goal, Source.