Gord the links aren't working.

what do you think gord, do you think you have in abundance?, (im guessing your asking of material wealths), do you have a house, cottage, car? two cars? disposable clothing (or next to it)?  food in your fridge?  whatever plastica electronica to please your desires? if you want something, do you have no problem aquiring it?

are you ever hungry?

do you ever go without?

do you ever deny so you have abundance to give others?

do you know what 'scarce' means? what does'scarce' mean to you? does it mean repairing yoru car again and not getting that new one for another two years? does it mean having only 1 1/2 baths instead of 2 1/2?

It appears I posted on the wrong format (forgot to click into plain text editor).

Let's try again: That is the question with which I am starting my sermon thoughts this week. Those early thoughts can be found here.

Also I encourage folks to check out the Global Rich List. Are you, like me, part of the Global 1%???

Gord, I liked your musings.  I find at times that I do have to remind myself of how very rich I am - even compared to when I was a child.  Thinks I would have considered luxuries then, I now take for granted.  Indoor plumbing.  I don't mind spending a week at a rustic cottage in the summer - but I don't want to put on my parka and boots and go out in a blizzard to the 'bathroom' 30 feet from the backdoor.   Water - I sit in a tub surrounded by warm soft water, or stand in the shower and let it pour over me, and I thank God for water.  Most of the world doesn't have an abundance of clean water - many don't even have enough for drinking, let alone bathing.   Education.  Books.  Good nourishing fresh food!  

I am on the lower end when it comes to income in Canada.  I depend on the OAP and the supplement.   Yet I have comforts my parents wouldn't believe.  And people in many countries (and unfortunately many people in this country) go without. 

Thank you for reminding me of my abundance. 

I want piles of money. it's not so much to buy luxuries as it is not to think about money. I have no great desire to buy anything. I am, like all of us, way ahead of the rest of the world. (We all have computers, for openers.)

I'd like to have enough money so I could give piles of it away. That's not generosity because I want so much that I wouldn't even miss what I gave away. It would just clear my conscience.

I don't think I should be cited in your sermon as a role model.

$5000 - $7000 before rent a year?

thats the low end of  income in Canada

i find it interesting listening to rich people talk about  what they consider 'hardships' and 'low income'

if any wants to talk social justice issues in those areas let me know  your city, ill draw you a map to it., strangly,(loose exagerated hypothetical example thingy -->) i see so much talk of helping the poor, yet, i dont see anyone in their neighbourhoods....where is everyone? isnt anyone going to bring them food, now whould be the time, dont you know its hardest at he 'end of the month'....what are we waiting for? other people and their money? seriously, is it a business 'helping the poor' , how much actually trickles into their pockets? whatever that is stale and left over after the 'helpers' have paychecked and expanded their organization so much of  it away?

look at that place in vancouver...just the cit gave them $1000 per person, plus they spoke of a volunteer army and substantial donated funding as well.

what did the poor get , a indoor bench or bunk to sleep on and primarily whatever food is supplied by food bank so the food funding is also kept too, or the minimal is spent?

did they get funding for those 'non residents'  meals too on top?

do they give so little so they can be marked/tracked as service rendered and funds collected and they need to be back the next day.....get it ?

why not just give the two bars of soap and 4 rolls of toilet paper....imagine what they could do with so much charity thats been given to them , freely given to them by those entrusted to do so.

what happened when that place in vancouver  closed, why didnt they just take the $240000 a month plus all their other funding and rent them each a roof over their head and did follow up and outreach social working to provide them with ongoing finncial assistance throught he govt?

would that make sense?

maybe, some will argue some wouldnt keep the place anyway, im arguing some would have.

what likely happened is they closed down and sent everyone away and the Church kept whatever  surplus.

i think much charities is pretty much a profiteering businnes, wether that 'profit' is funded into their own salaries and expansions or not, i think when it comes to funding its sort of a 'pocket what we can; and hand out what is given to us free to give (sometimes, some like to keep the good cuts of meat for themselves?)

just think of a paycheck as a 'good cut of meat'.

do we say, yes, we should get to eat of what is being use to help the poor too, yes.. but did we consider we did already eat when you got issued a paycheck? is it hte best part of the meat and fine wool and we want , and a portion of theirs too on top?

how selfish can we be?

are we making merchandise of the poor?

GO GORDW! :3

here's to radical abundance!

here's to universe showering with blessings!

universe, playful trickster that Sie is, has hidden treasures around for us to find and utilize

here's to the many experiments that have run, are running, and will run, endless novelty, endless innovations and poo poo to the forces of greyface that say 'You have too much' (Marxists) & 'You don't have enough' (Free-market capitalists).

Even if he is related to an almost saint!

Hi GordW    Your Quote from your mutterings   ---Some days it is very hard to see the abundance. Sometimes our lives seem to be nothing but scarcity. Certainly the advertising industry would like us to believe that. "If you only have ______ you will be happy" they say. The ads we see every day continually tell us that we are lacking something.

This is the problem with Happiness ----Happyness depends on Comfort  ----you can have a house but no furniture ----so would you be happy living in an empty house --sitting and sleeping on the floor ---no TV to watch  --no computer ---etc--look at the movie stars ---rock bands etc ---they have lots of abundance but are they happy --joyful ---they have material but can't have a successful relationships --many end up in jail or they abuse their partners --many are hooked on drug and and alcohol ----so abundance is present but they are all messed up in their lives -

Your statement about the ads is right on in my books ----they play on our emotions and lure our wants and needs right to the stores to fill our lack --that they play on ---That is why we should rely on God's wants and needs for our life  not this worlds .

Jesus said I have come ----

If one is aware of universal oneness, then one is everything, and has everything.

Here's to universal abundance!

In one of the Grail legends, the Grail is supposed to bring forth universal abundance.

IT does!