Ramblings Of Faith

This is a book of Christian poetry, quotes, and comments reflecting this authors own journey of faith. It is my hope that each reader will find in these humble words something of use for their personal journey. Even if that is simply comfort in the fact that they are not alone in their constant questions or occasional struggles.

At times, our chaotic world reveals hints of the utter brokenness in which we live, like a peek behind the veneer. Neighbors taking advantage of others, unjust verdicts, and unfair beginnings. As people of faith in a powerful God, we want to lift our faces to heaven to cry out or bury our face in our hands to whisper prayers. Either way we utter things like “God, please help,” “God, what are you doing?” “God, those people are terrible!” And we aren’t alone in those words we lift to heaven. In fact, our frustrating and exhausting experience with chaos, injustice, and corruption is much like that of the distressed prophet Habakkuk in the Old Testament. He said those very things. When we’re looking for answers or just additional words for our prayers, his book is for us. His story is a prayer session—a surprisingly relevant one—open for eavesdroppers. We follow his journey of wrestling with evil, and we hear from God how to live. Habakkuk doesn’t see “living by faith” as a cliché to be written on a pillow or bumper sticker, but a way to survive. As you join Taylor Turkington (Bible teacher and former Director of TGC Women’s Training Network) through the timeless story of Habakkuk, you will look at the situation of your own heart and world, and here you will find some of the most powerful chapters of the Bible that both confront and console you. You will learn that the only way to not just survive, but find lasting hope is through gritty, trembling, wrestling faith in the God who works in our chaotic world.

The nature of Ramblings of the Brethren allows men to join in on good wholesome discussions and feel apart of the actual fellowship. Week by week different perspectives are shared on any given topic, creating an atmosphere of not only encouragement but diverse learning as well. At the close of each week there is a "Brethren's Challenge" intended to encourage us to apply that week's discussion to everyday life. Sometimes we need an outlet through which we can express what's happening in our lives, or share what we've learned through our own personal walk with Jesus. Ramblings of the Brethren provides that outlet.

The hard work required to make God real, how it changes the people who do it, and why it helps explain the enduring power of faith How do gods and spirits come to feel vividly real to people—as if they were standing right next to them? Humans tend to see supernatural agents everywhere, as the cognitive science of religion has shown. But it isn’t easy to maintain a sense that there are invisible spirits who care about you. In How God Becomes Real, acclaimed anthropologist and scholar of religion T. M. Luhrmann argues that people must work incredibly hard to make gods real and that this effort—by changing the people who do it and giving them the benefits they seek from invisible others—helps to explain the enduring power of faith. Drawing on ethnographic studies of evangelical Christians, pagans, magicians, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann notes that none of these people behave as if gods and spirits are simply there. Rather, these worshippers make strenuous efforts to create a world in which invisible others matter and can become intensely present and real. The faithful accomplish this through detailed stories, absorption, the cultivation of inner senses, belief in a porous mind, strong sensory experiences, prayer, and other practices. Along the way, Luhrmann shows why faith is harder than belief, why prayer is a metacognitive activity like therapy, why becoming religious is like getting engrossed in a book, and much more. A fascinating account of why religious practices are more powerful than religious beliefs, How God Becomes Real suggests that faith is resilient not because it provides intuitions about gods and spirits—but because it changes the faithful in profound ways.

This is the autobiography of the author of the series, "The Life and Ramblings of Ron" which was born out of a God fearing perspective and a constant hope for a better future even for this earthly life. I humbly invite you to read the whole series, especially if you are wondering if God still loves mankind now that we are killing each other off in such horrific ways even in His Name. Hopefully, the series will illustrate, "Cheer up, things could be better." This title contains my life story with some of it's warts, but mostly of God's blessings to me for trying to do the "right thing". I'm a Solomon wanna be, content like Mary to sit at Jesus' feet. I hope that my life journey can be of help to you in your journey. May you find God with you, too, may He shine His face upon you and give you peace. Life is wondrously amazing. Sometimes it is set up so that a person has to let go and let God. When he or she can do that life is awesome. Imagining this reality reminded me that sometimes the foothills of our day to day lives obscure the mountains of blessings God's hand brings into the lives of His children. I still need to pause every once in awhile to appreciate the amazing gifts God has showered upon my life and the lives of the people He has so graciously brought into my life. In this spirit of deep gratitude, I eagerly share this autobiography with my children and the world. It is my sincere hope that the hand of God will reach into all our lives in such a way that real peace and joy can return to a world so eager to destroy itself in the name of just cause or moral imparitive. Where is the world headed? When life gives you lemons make lemonade. I used to kid, "What about limes and grapefruit?" Guilty that I hadn't made something worthwhile out of the difficulties that came my way, I finally realized I should stop beating myself up with these supposed failures on my part. I did make lemonade, so to speak; I learned, I persevered, I hung in there, and I did the best I could by the grace of God to whom be all praise and Glory. Amen. I really think the true events of my life can help others in their journey through difficult times. I can only hope that some one will discover the worth of an average persons insights to living the abundant life. With hope that a wider audience can benefit from this book, I will be glad that my faith, hope, and love can be shared to help renew a world that desperately needs the object of my faith, hope, and love; namely, the Triune God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I sincerely pray that many will be led to the One that gives life and sustains it. I of course believe in Jesus as my personal Savior, but I can see how a witness to living a life of faith can transfer to others living by their own faith systems. All of us can and will benefit from living by a generic motto, "Cheer up things could be better." I modify it a little bit because I know God is at work making it better. I have said for years, "There is always hope." Looking back at my life I can see the hand of God in it. I always need to remember that every day; especially, when my life doesn't unfold the way I expect it to. Life is so different for each of us; it can be so unfair. Life is such a precious gift so much more enjoyable in connection with others and the One who gave us that gift. As an ambassador for Christ I hope to connect with other lives in such a way that they too can know real joy and the peace that goes beyond all comprehension. My only claim to fame is that I am a forgiven and forgiving sinner who wants to be there for other sinners to share a message of hope that can lift us all up. If that can happen through this book to God be all praise and glory. Amen.

In 2011 Dave Hopwood began spilling his thoughts and shaking the world. Not many people noticed. But now's the chance to catch up. An indeterminate number of his writings have been crowbarred into this book. Short, sharp and sometimes skewed, these ramblings may also make you smile and feel a little more hopeful. You may never be quite the same again. On the other hand you might. But without reading this you'll never know...

GOD is defined and in so far as possible has described creation, communications between GOD and mankind, life, reincarnation, cosmology, commandments, prayers, virtues and sins, morals, and how many other facets of GOD are treated. Closure is reached, the possible results for the future are predicted and a religion, church and world government is proposed to promote and bring about the best possible results.