Hi gentlemen

Good to hear your thoughts. I certainly want "oldies" in the UC; how does decision making based on discernment work if we don't have the widest possible base of experience?

The story about this fellow is great and certainly doesn't just pertain to the rich. I remember when I first read the New Testament how surprised I was when I realized how pertinent it is to our "modern lives" -- same ___, different times. All those goals that man set for himself I equate to worshipping false idols; if I worship consumer products, or approval of others, if I worship "perfection" I will not be worshipping what I think God wants me to worship: love, peace and justice.

As you say, I am finding faith to be an exciting, never ending place in which to grow!

Hi Mike !

Interesting profile! You and I are the oldies on here....LOL. I was making a joke earlier saying the UCC doesn't want us. They're recruiting age 30 -45. I wonder if they will still take our money or turn us down....I'm just joking.

Your topic is one that I've often wanted to discuss in a different light. You mean it as proving that having riches doesn't guarantee good health or happiness. That's true.

We may have a majority of well to do people on this forum; I don't know. I'm middle class. What I wanted to mention is that middle class and poor people are very often sneering at the rich and putting them down. You know you hear: 'If I had his money....snicker,snicker,snicker'......It offends me when people have this kind of attitude. God loves the rich, the middle class, the poor and the poorest of the poor.

I don't believe you meant it in this way. You sound like a real good jolly old Joe! I saw an opportunity to speak up and took it. That's all.

P.S. The same goes for the way we speak about politicians. All our talk about being loving people and we could care less how we speak about political people. leaders etc. running them right into the ground as if they weren't even human. I've heard lots of deeply spiritual people spewing out hatred at George Bush.

Just my itty bitty input.....

Love, Light, and Peace

poor guy

Sorry, I just noticed a typo in my original post: He just spent $ (Can) 1,300,000 on his stress therapy. Not that stressed after all!

My kids are going to have to choose between higher education and proper nutrition......

Russian criminals anyone?

Yeah Stardust... I just thought is was seriously sad... a case of somehow managing to follow all the wrong dreams.
I was raised to go value freedom and adventure and following interests not opportunities; so often it seems to me, goal-setters achieve their goals but arrive at them having been changed by the getting there.... and no longer wanting what they've just gained. They then either go for MORE of it (whatever it is), or change direction again.
This is where faith is so rewarding: it goes on and on and you kind of grow into it; it's a vast, exciting, unknown - a mystery that becomes a tremendous adventure if you can hack the territory. I think fundmentalism requires a sadly disabling mixture of fear and trepidation.
One absolutely invaluable thing my mother taught me was that boredom was a complete no-no... I had to clean the toiletr if I mentioned the word (and only landed in that situation two or thgree times). It IS possible to take an inetrest in almost anything, and life is so very rich I've never felt a need to be materially rich (which is why I've never bothered buying a lottery ticket: a whole lot of money would ruin my lifestyle). like you, I've fallen into middle classdom but I've always tried to push the boundaries of that: it can be a severely limiting place to be. The odd sort of travel my work requires helps, accepting hospitality from people far pooer than me in very different cultures.
This guy just seems to have dug himself into a very deep hole where he probably doesn't have a lot of friends: if he needs all that counselling, any friends he does have must be a pretty sorry lot.
And I do feel sorry for him. And I don't know what an appropriate response might be.