I did not write yesterday, because I was at my Doc’s at nine (9) am and then off to get x-rays. I knew the cold weather was coming, so I planned to do this on Monday.

I was home again at about 10:40am, had a quick coffee, then lunch followed by a good snooze. Next was a trip to get milk, but I forgot about the coffee filters. Now I may run out before Thursday, when the weather is supposed to turn again. So, wish me luck:-!

The afternoon was spent on some tea, a bit of reading in ‘A casual Vacancy’ and even on some of office table cleaning. I can now see the top again, but much remains to be done. I did one bag of riddance worth!

Web work followed after dinner, converting my old audio files ( talks 1 thru 14) from MP3 to OGG-Vorbis. This needs to be done in order to be able to utilise HTML5 audio markup functions; I started with talk #1, ‘What did the Gnostics Know?’ This title plays on the meaning of the word ‘gnosis’, meaning ‘knowledge’.

I also copied last Sunday’s talk #27 audio file, ‘My Belief so far’ to my computer and posted it on my website. The MP3 would not display in MS- IE10, while the Gnostic mp3 files do play ok. So, there is some MS-glitch there, the FireFox browser worked ok as usual.

On this past Sunday I was treated to an increased turn out, which was eleven (11) strong. That is quite good these days, but I do my talks also to give myself focus in formulation my thoughts and readings, but I am always grateful of my 'hearers' presence.

My reading has become minimal and I do mostly writing now, formulating my own thoughts as clearly as possible. This centers on the conceptual frame work of ‘Existence Divine’ and what that implies to our globalising culture, ideologies, traditions and value systems.

Towards the end of my talk I emphasize the need for each given framework, to implement the teaching of tolerance towards the ‘other-believer’.

I took a short action break from the computer sitting and walking around a bit combined that with some cloth type dusting. It gives me light motion and activity, while still nursing my game leg.

Coming home from my Sunday presentation, Garda was so kind to drive me, I had a sense of being in tune with what I needed do and had also wanted to do, with this presentation. It was an unusual sense of harmony that I felt about having made this statement ‘My Belief so far’. I spoke from my experience and with conviction, this is what made the difference over the other talks, except for the ‘In Search of the Sacred’ (June 25 2006) presentation, which was also based on personal experience and conviction.

All the talks in between are explorations and expositions of the various beliefs that are part of humankind’s tradition. Last Sunday I made the claim that we need to add tolerance to each and every one of those traditions.
Tolerance towards the ‘alternative believer’, the heretic - as the word means - in other words. This is a tall order, but as worthwhile as it is necessary.

The last paragraph of the Diary section could be copied down into this Writings section, but I won’t! What I will do, is explain my plan for the next three talks this year - inshalah or deo volente or god willing - . The titles will all include the words ‘My Belief’ and have the following themes ‘explored’ for April, ‘defined’ or ‘mosaicked’ for July/August and ‘in place’ or ‘committed’ for October/ November.

Explorations, which includes discoveries, would address such concepts as re-incarnation, life’s purpose, consciousness, acquisition of heritage, human development, our place in existence, good and evil, ethics and others, without attempting to structure at this time, but rather draw a boundary of sorts as to the kind of concept that would be included. For example not be included would be: ‘how to be a successful hairdresser/ barber’.

The ‘mosaicking’ is aimed at showing some structure, progression and relatedness of these explored concepts. I am thinking of a ‘concept mosaic’, that would be a symbol of integration and revealing a sense of ordered development and coherence.

I am thinking here of the flow that the ‘Apostolic Confession’ has as a statement of belief, while Buddhism and Islam have some thing like that. In my own case I am still working on making up an illustration.

The uncommitted belief is not worth having

The third theme is that of a belief being held and acted on; defining the perspective on how to go forth in the world so to speak. What are you acting from and towards what aim? That is the question to be answered here. What am I committed to and how do I act in the world as I make my contributions?

What comes to mind here is a statement I put down earlier [5:50am] this morning: ‘The uncommitted belief is not worth having’. Some where, some time, I have to stop window shopping and make a purchase. Avoiding commitment is rooted in the avoidance of criticism about the made choice and the need having to defend it. Some time along the way the options have to be closed and a decision made.

However, making a commitment and defending your choice is fundamental to personal growth and development. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect, because forgiveness is available to each and everyone.
<9:22am and 10:00am edited~