My hope for you

Poetry speaks to our minds and hearts and is meant to communicate more than the sum of its words. It is an apt expression of our walk with the Lord. I encourage you to forward this link to those you love. I pray this poetry leads you into reflection and prayer but I also want to start a conversation. You, too, have something to share with others-not only in person, but also here. Your experience is yours to give away to build up and learn from others in the Body of Christ. Share the word that you hear, the experiences you have lived. We are all part of the New Evangelization.If you also want to contact me by email, feel free: genefirn@yahoo.com

Table of contents: October 7, 2012

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The Downsizing

This is your Official Notice - 
Like it or not...Believe it or not.- 
and you probably would rather 
not think about it this way but 
here it is anyway....you will be 
Downsizing your Primary Residence -
whatever that might be right now -
and it'll go something like this...
house...apartment...room...bed...
and finally.....Coffin / Urn - and
Nope...you won't need all those 
expensive things you're so proud of...
cars...boats...vacation home...
fancy fashions...won't need those 
golf clubs...uh uha..no room for 
all those trophies you spent your
life striving after...maybe you'll be 
in a few fading pictures in someone's 
photo album whenever it's taken out 
of it's dusty closet space and get a 
few comments - hopefully pleasant 
ones -  but you won't notice anyway - 
you'll be in your tiny resting place...
oblivious....and Oh BTW....it could 
go from house to urn like...BOOM!! 
Yes it could..- not quite the Downsizing 
you had in mind eh? I'd say 99.9% of 
us don't think this way but nevertheless 
it actually is happening now   someplace
somehow with someone but then   we're 
ALL in one stage or another of Downsizing
to our Final Tiny Resting Place aren't we?...
Yep...Downsizing...So.. Question...You 
Ready for that? Because It's Coming...
maybe sooner than you think.....So...let's 
talk about 'Then what?" -  Realities that 
are Crucial to Address Now  - before it's 
too late - what's left of your physical body 
will be in your Final Tiny Resting Place 
BUT your Soul - that which makes you...
YOU...will - FOREVER - be either in 
the Bliss of Heaven or the Fires of Hell -
Everything in THIS life is temporary..
fleeting...passing...the NEXT Life is 
Eternal...and HOW you live in this life 
will determine WHERE you live in the 
next...Who decides that?...the Judge...
Jesus...the One Offered by the Father to 
take your sins upon Himself - Purely
out of His Personal Love for you and
pay their Just Punishment by His Death 
on the Cross  but then Rose to New Life 
and Offers that Eternal Gift to you if 
ONLY you Choose to Repent and Follow 
Him in THIS life...All the Injustices of 
this life will be Reconciled in the Next...
There will be Justice for ALL...But...
NOW is the time for Mercy / Forgiveness 
while you still have the Opportunity to 
Ask and Receive...so...Question....
ARE YOU READY TO BE JUDGED?
you can not believe any of this and 
go to hell first class...OR you can ..
Repent for your sins...Ask Forgiveness  - 
Give them to Jesus and end up in Heaven...
so What's it going to be?...so...while keeping 
Downsizing in mind and realizing that 
'not to choose is actually choosing'...Ask 
yourself...Am I ready to meet Him face 
to Face? Because then it will be either 
Heaven or Hell...it is THAT STARK...
Light or Darkness... Joy or Pain...Love 
or Hate...Jesus or Satan...Don't Wait to 
Decide because...it might be BOOM!....so
NOW IS THE TIME OF SALVATION... 

Reflection / Discussion:

- How does John 3: 16-18 relate to this poem?
- Describe what 'Downsizing' means in this poem?
- Describe your feelings after you've read this poem?
- What have you been striving after in life?
- Where does Jesus fit in?
- What stage are you in?
- Why is 'not choosing actually choosing'?
- What does it mean to Choose Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
- How should you nourish this Relationship each day?
- A Simple Prayer of Commitment: 'Lord Jesus, Thank you for the Gift of Salvation...I ask your 
  Forgiveness for all my sins and I ask you to be my Personal Lord and Savior. Help me to Follow
  you Faithfully by the Power of your Holy Spirit. I Love you and desire to be with you Forever'

 

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

The Demonic Sliding Scale Strategy

OK...let's review the Battle Plan for
all you who are being assigned  new 
targets after a well-deserved break... 
most of you were successful in guiding
your previous assignment to their fiery 
destination...others - a relatively small 
percentage - not so much but a valiant 
effort nonetheless....circumstances keep 
changing so we'll begin by reviewing 
some basic facts on the human's nature as 
well as our assessment of their present day 
Culture through which your targets must 
navigate and hopefully 'crash and burn' as 
the humans say...first of all...you'll recall 
the human's fallen nature with all those 
delicious characteristics at our disposal of 
which you must take full advantage if you 
are to succeed in your diabolical mission - 
officially termed "Concupiscence" which 
simply means a proclivity to sin from 
disordered emotions as well as a darkened 
intellect and hence easily deceived as well 
aa a weakened will prone to being manipulated 
by said feelings - a 'pre-packaged meal' that 
simply needs to be 'heated up' to consume 
especially if your target becomes a Dedicated 
Follower of the Enemy...the next aspect is their 
Culture / World which is created by the elite 
fallen humans who are - for the most part -
under our control and we can use to create toxic 
environments detrimental to the Enemy's goals - 
eg education...media...entertainment...politics...
where we can literally pressure / harass / inculcate / 
force our values on top of the Enemy's Values... so..
that leads us to today's topic what I call our 
'Sliding Scale Strategy' for waging  Spiritual War 
against the Created Humans of our - unfortunately- 
Superior Foe...ready? it goes like this...the farther 
the target is from the Enemy...the less we have to 
do to gain a dark victory...but on the other hand...
the closer they are to the Enemy the more intense 
and devious must be our efforts - simply meaning 
eg. if the target has virtually no interest in the Enemy
or is seeped in habitual sin - in other words 'enslaved' - 
your main concern is simply 'maintenance'- ie. keeping 
them preoccupied / obsessed with themselves and their 
proclivities - especially the 'deadly ones' - as well as 
taking precautions to keep the Enemy's devotees away 
from the target - here Culture has a vital role to play..
more about that in a bit...then there's the class of 
semi-devotees who are somewhat / now and then / 
very-distracted-by-the-World Church attendees 
who have nothing really life-changing going on - 
the Enemy calls them the 'lukewarm' - which BTW 
is a pretty good description - for these targets there's 
a little more work involved to continually make sure 
they don't go deeper into things like 'repentance' /
'commitment' / 'daily prayer life' / 'personal relationship'...
for them I'd say keep distracting and deceiving eg. 
getting them to call 'good evil and evil good' or what 
is 'true false and false true'....really,,, if you can't get 
them 'cold' then just keep them 'warm' and not get 'hot'....
so put a stop to anything the Enemy tries to do to get 
them to whole-heartedly follow Him like 'resurrecting' -
pardon the pun - no offense - past wounds / sinful habits 
etc as well as stirring-up their involvement in Cultural 
matters which I will elaborate in a minute....and lastly 
there's the 'Devoted Disciples'... ones who have resolutely 
taken up their Cross to Emulate the Enemy...now those 
you really have to harass everyday in everyway you 
can think of...whatever it takes to get them distracted 
and hunkered down in their 'family foxholes' - so use 
the Culture to go after them - and here I will elaborate - 
where wombs are dangerous...darkness masquerades 
as light...schools promote preposterous pronoun propaganda 
for kiddies desperate for affirmation...a Culture where
power controls speech / behavior...lovely innocence is
Groomed and sensuality is the epitome of happiness - 
and then...if we can Terrorize the Enemy's Leaders 
into betrayal by submission - sometimes by simply 
keeping silent - we win... for as you know fear is 
our go-to weapon so therefore seek to restrict their 
influence to their Church Buildings and out of the 
Culture...fear...fear...fear...- basically Persecution or 
as they now say 'Being Cancelled' that'll give us the 
cover we need....remember...you can lose a battle but 
wining the war is the key - that's your goal: Eternal Fire!...
and, lastly, a good rule of thumb is the 'more me than 
Thee' principle...get them to daily concentrate on their 
own needs / worldly goals like 'success'...'happiness'...
'fulfillment'...or just plain ol' problems...but whatever 
the case...always make it 'me...me...me... and not Thee...
Thee...Thee'...ie the Enemy....that's always a great 'open 
door' to go down the 'rabbit hole' of self and can lead to 
a plethora of  possibilities. - 'Temptations' as the Enemy 
calls them but 'Opportunities' for us - actually the same 
ones we use for the 'lukewarm' but with a lot more 'Intense 
Imagination'...remember though...you have their files to 
research their weaknesses and histories so...keep poking 
them and don't let up especially when they get discouraged
because then it's either...persevere or give up - and we 
know what WE want! then lastly - and this applies to 
everyone on the Scale - constantly make them believe 
that they 'have a lot of time left' so they're in no rush 
to change because then...Surprise!!...Time's up!! Got ya!!
so...there you have it...the 'Sliding Scale Strategy'...not 
perfect but it works...a lot...but again...be Careful...the 
Enemy is Infinitely Stronger / more Powerful /Smarter / 
and knows the humans better than we do and - most of all -.
Loves them - especially Communing with them daily - so 
therefore never gives up offering that 'Grace' stuff...but...
still...we've got a lot going for us...so...come up and receive 
your new assignments then...GO GET'M!!

Reflection / Discussion:
-Describe in your own words the 'Sliding Scale Strategy'.
-What is the 'Human Condition'?
-Where do you fit into the 'Sliding Scale'?
-How does one become a 'resolute' follower of Jesus?
-What are you doing to grow in your relationship to Jesus?
-How are you reaching out to others on the 'Sliding Scale'?
-What changes is the Spirit leading you to make in your Spiritual Life?



Monday, May 22, 2023

The Spiritual War

the stakes couldn't be higher for the 
Spiritual War in which we are 
automatically involved merely by 
our human existence...if you win...
it's heaven - but .if you lose...it's hell...
both are forever...no turning back no 
second chances...when you die - and 
you WILL die and BTW relatively soon..
'you do not know the day nor the hour'...
you will be Judged by Jesus on how you 
have chosen to live your life...it is as 
Sacred Scripture says in Sirach 15:15-17 
"If you choose, you can keep the 
commandments, and to act faithfully is 
a matter of your own choice. He has placed 
before you fire and water, stretch out your 
hand for whichever you choose. Before 
each person are life and death, and whichever 
one chooses will be given them." simply
speaking, how you choose to live NOW in 
this life is the Warfare you are involved in -.
but Satan - your Enemy - the liar / deceiver /
murderer- is as they say 'out to get you' and 
is working full-time to destroy your life and                      
drag you to hell...sound scary?...well...that's
because it is... so just to be clear...if you don't 
believe you are in a Spiritual War - you're losing - \'
no God?...losing...no devil?...losing...no heaven?
losing...no hell?...losing...everyone goes to 
heaven?...losing...you're a 'good person' / 'nice' but 
have your own 'truth'?...losing...no one's going 
to tell you what to do or not do... thankyou? 
losing big time....so...are you winning or losing?...
if you think you're wining however...a word of 
caution...do not be overconfident...your Enemy 
doesn't give up...you can still fall away...it's not 
'once saved always saved'...remember...it IS a War..
humanity was originally Created in Union with
the Father but was then deceived by the Evil One and 
Chose to seek their own way of life - not the Father's 
Way - to decide for themselves right and wrong / good 
and evil...and as a consequence of their Original Sin
humans were thence oriented to evil by having
disordered desires - everything centered around 
"me...me...me"...a darkened intellect subject to 
deceptions and a weakened will easily swayed  by 
those same fickle feelings all the while living in a 
rebellious world / culture hostile to the things of 
God and dominated by Satan's deceptions / values 
tempting clueless humans into destructive habits 
of deadly sins - pride...envy...lust...greed...anger...
gluttony...sloth - all leading into pits of darkness... 
seems pretty formidable doesn't it?...that's because 
it is...however....on the side of Light / Life is 
GRACE...Jesus is LORD / SAVIOR...it is Jesus 
vs Satan - BUT. they are not equal...Jesus is God,,,
Satan is a creature - more powerful than humans
but a creature nevertheless and Jesus  by His 
Death and Resurrection has already conquered 
sin / death / Satan and has provided The Way to 
your Victory - Eternal Life / Joy / Peace / Love - 
but ONLY by your choice can you share in it...
Now....If you think you haven't chosen yet you 
are losing because 'not to choose is actually a 
choice'...but then you can simply choose to start 
winning - Repent...turn away from your sin...and 
Believe -.Live - the Gospel...Choose to follow 
Jesus as your Lord and Savior...ask to be.be filled 
with the Power of His Holy Spirit to start living a 
dedicated life of prayer and making His Word 
part of your daily life...start 'putting to death the 
deeds of the flesh'...Love Jesus above all...Carry 
your Cross by laying down your life in service to 
others.. find supportive relationships with fellow 
believers....resist temptations and the lies of the Evil 
One...Be an Intentional Disciple...Remember...
Before you is fire and water...Light or Darkness...
Life or Death...Choose NOW - before it is too late...

Reflection / Discussion:
-What is the Spiritual War?
-Where in you personal life / culture do you see the Choice?
-Start making the necessary changes in your life to support your Choice.
-Is it being talked about? Why / not?
-Find the support you need from others who have chosen to 
 follows the Lord even if it means changing parishes.
-Be disciplined in a daily prayer time / Scripture reading and
 a healthy Sacramental Life.
-Sample Commitment Prayer: "Jesus, please forgive me for not choosing you, for all the sins I 
 have committed, I give my life to you. I Choose to follow you as My Lord and Savior. Pour
 out your Holy Spirit upon me to help me follow you faithfully day by day. Thank you for 
 your Love and Mercy. I Love you and give my whole life to you:. 
-
 





Monday, April 24, 2023

The Regrets Dialogue

 

Lord Jesus.....I can't seem to shake these regrets...
they keep bothering me...I feel so bad about them...
I try not to think about them but they just  keep popping
up sometimes out of the blue...I've asked you for 
forgiveness but I can't forgive myself?  Why am I so 
adamant @ beating myself up every time I think them? 
what's up with that?

YOU TELL ME...
.
Well,.. I think it's because I did all those things...or in this case, I DIDN'T do what 
I SHOULD HAVE done so I SHOULD be the one who pays the price.
and, even though I can think of reasons why I SHOULD forgive myself,
I can't because that'd be like giving myself a pass and minimizing the harm
I did even though I wasn't aware of it at the time...

GOT A LOT OF SHOULDS THERE....BUT I AGREE...
SOMBODY HAS TO PAY...

right....but it's not working...why is that?

YOU TELL ME

this is so frustrating...why don't you just change me and fix it all 
so I don't have to deal with this anymore?..

IT DOESNT WORK THAT WAY...I DIDN'T 
CREATE YOU FOR THINGS TO BE DONE LIKE THAT...I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH 

what do you mean?

LOVE DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY OTHERWISE IT'S NOT LOVE..
.
please explain...

I CREATED YOU WITH YOUR OWN "SPACE" IF YOU WILL, AND I 
RESPECT THAT...I DONT "INVADE" ANYONE'S SPACE...YOU ARE A FREE PERSON 
AND I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU SO I SIMPLY "OFFER" 
YOU ALTERNATIVES FOR YOU TO ACCEPT OR NOT..
.
even if what I choose is bad for me?

YES..
.
That doesn't seem fair...

WHATS NOT FAIR ABOUT IT?

well....I might be hurting myself and others...

AND? .

you know....why not just stop me?

I JUST TOLD YOU WHY..
.
but what about all the consequences of my sins?...
and not just for me but for those I sinned against?

I KNOW...BUT THERE'S EVEN MORE TO IT THAN YOU REALIZE..
.
hmmm...you know...something I have to say...you get a lot of blame for
all the bad stuff...I mean sins...that people do...like it's YOUR fault.
because YOU didn't stop them.....

I UNDERSAND...PEOPLE ARE FREE TO THINK WHAT THEY WANT...

so...why don't you just 'set the record straight'?

THEY WOULDN'T ACCEPT IT ANYWAY AND, BESIDES, 
LIFE DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY...REMEMBER...YOU'RE FREE...

why are you doing all this...I mean communicating like this...like you're right here????

BECAUSE I AM....I'M ALWAYS "RIGHT HERE" EVEN  IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO BE...
THAT'S HOW I CREATED THINGS...AND, BESIDES, THIS IS NOT JUST FOR YOU.  
WHO DOESN'T HAVE REGRETS?...THIS IS FOR THEM AS WELL....

so...why me?

WHY NOT YOU?

well....I'm not the "holiest" guy out there.
..
NO...BUT YOU'LL DO JUST  FINE...YOU'RE OPEN TO WORKING THROUGH 
ALL THIS AND YOU HAVE THE ISSUES I WANT TO ADDRESS SINCE EVERYBODY
HAS THEM.....

you mean "regrets and performance" issues?

YOU GOT IT

that's tiring to even think about especially when I feel like 
I don't know how to resolve it all...

I KNOW...
.
it's like it's never ending...like a gerbil wheel...it keeps turning and turning 
going nowhere but just creates more and more
frustration / anxiety./ pain.. and never "reaches its goal"

AND WHATS THAT?

hmmm...perfection??

YOU MEAN "YOUR" IDEA OF PERFECTION....

well...what "i" want...

HMMM...SEEMS I'VE HEARD THAT SOMEWHERE BEFORE...

so you mean we're back to the start of this dialogue?

YOU TELL ME...ITS YOUR ISSUE...I'M HERE TO HELP YOU 
REACH WHATS BEST FOR YOU AND NOT JUST WHAT YOU WANT....
THOSE AREN'T ALWAYS THE SAME THING..SOMETIMES.WHAT'S BEST 
FOR YOU AND THOSE AROUND YOU IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT...

this is kind of frustrating...more circles.....
.
WHY'S THAT?

why don't you just give me what I want?

I AM

not really...

WHY?

because it's not really giving me the results I want.
..
WHAT'S THAT?

ahh...satisfaction...justice...peace...

IT CAN'T..

meaning...?

YOUR OFFENCES...WHETHER THEY'RE COMMISSION  / OMISSION
ARE NOT JUST THIS / THAT INSTANCE HERE AND NOW...WITH FINITE EFFECTS...
THEY'RE MORE THAN THAT.
..
what do you mean?

YOU'RE NOT JUST OFFENDING THE ONE IN FRONT OF YOU...
YOU'RE OFFENDING ME AS WELL...
.
how's that?

YOU ARE PART OF MY CREATION...WITH MY ORDER OF REALITY....
I'VE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER
FOR YOU TO FLOURISH IN LOVE...ITS NOT 'YOUR' ORDER THOUGH 
THAT IS WHAT YOU'D LIKE IT TO BE...
YOU WANT TO BE IN CHARGE...THAT'S WHAT STARTED ALL 
THIS IN THE BEGINNING..
..
you mean Adam and Eve and the Fall?

YES....

that whole pride / rebellion thing?

YOU GOT IT

oh...you mean all this is rooted in my pride?

YOU TELL ME..

It feels like it...

HOW?

well...like I'm the one who says what is and is not...what should be or not...
I'm the one in charge who decides not YOU...who should pay and how...
how to fix things or if it should be fixed at all....it feels like it's almost uncontrollable...
like it has a mind of its own...almost more than I can handle...

ALMOST???

OK....good point...so....now what?

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

I want this to be done...over...now...

SO...WHY ISNT IT?

because I "can't do it"...it's too much though I keep trying and failing...
you know...Performance...

YOU MEAN THE FINITE TRYING TO FIX THE INFINITE???

yeah...I suppose...
.
LIKE "you're" GOD NOT ME??

I guess..

WELL...THATS IMPOSSIBLE BUT YOU KEEP TRYING...

soo...how does this change?...that is assuming that's what I want 
to have happen.....which seems to "go against the grain^

THATS BECAUSE IT DOES...IT'S  A  BATTLE ALL THE WAY....
WHO'S IN CHARGE??  AND YOU GET WHAT YOU CHOOSE...
IT'S CALLED FREEDOM..
.
I don't like all this...why can't it just be like I want it to be?

YES...I KNOW....BUT YOUR WAY NEVER WORKS WELL...
WAS NEVER MEANT TO...THOUGH YOU...MEANING HUMANITY...
KEEP TRYING...NOW...THERE IS ANOTHER WAY....BUT YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE IT...

what's that?

YOU KNOW..
.
surrender....right??

BUT NOT 'your' WAY OF SURRENDERING 

you mean I don't get to determine the whole thing from beginning to end???
I'm joking...but not really.
..
THE WORD ARROGANCE COMES TO MIND 

so...pride again...right??

SO...WHATS THE OPPOSITE OF pride?

humility...

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

just. that YOU are the LORD and not me...and sin--my choosing to offend YOU 
by choosing to do what I want and not what I know YOU want or not want- 
means that because YOU ARE.THE LORD....ETERNAL...INFINITE...PERFECT
and I am not any of that....that therefore the punishment is of the same NATURE 
which I can't ever sufficiently accomplish no matter how hard I try...that gerbil wheel thing.
..
SO NOW WHAT?

so...I can't resolve this on my own

NEVER COULD....BUT I HAVE A SOLUTION...

What's that? 

HOW ABOUT I PAY THE PRICE??

why would you do that? you didn't do any of the sinning...

YOU TELL ME..
.
Love?...

ITS WHO I AM...I'VE MADE A WAY FOR YOU...
I HAVE ALREADY 'CARRIED YOIUR SORROWS'...
BORE YOUR PAIN...BY MY STRIPES I HAVE 
HEALED YOU...

Isaiah 53,,,so how do I go from here - my pride -  to there...humility? 
from my way to YOUR WAY???

GRACE....JUST ASK...REMEMBER...
FREEDOM...WHEN YOU ASK ACCCORDING TO MY WILL...YOU RECEIVE....

how do I know what's according to YOUR WILL???

MY WORD AND MY SPIRIT SHOW YOU...SOMETIMES IT 
TAKES A WHILE BECAUSE I HAVE MORE IN MIND FOR YOU 
THAN JUST ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS BUT ITS A PROCESS...
YOU'RE ON A JOURNEY....YOU MADE A DECISION TO FOLLOW ME AND 
YOU AND I ARE ON THAT JOURNEY TOGETHER...TO BECOME ONE..
ETERNALLY...INFINITELY...PERFECTLY...HOLY AS I AM HOLY...
ONE STEP AT A TIME...BY GRACE .- NOT BY STRIVING ON YOUR OWN...
TO METE OUT YOUR PUNISHMENT YOUR OWN WAY.WHICH
ONLY ADDS TO YOUR BURDEN....

so...now what?

HOW ABOUT I MAKE IT SIMPLE FOR YOU?

that sounds really good...I like it...

YOU GIVE ME THE REGRETS...ALL THE EMONTIONS / PAIN / SORROW
CONNECTED WITH THEM...ALL THE SELF-INFLICTED
PUNISHMENT...BEATING YOURSELF UP. / SELF-
CONDEMNATION / HATRED / SHAME...AND ASK ME FOR THE 
GRACE YOU NEED TO DO THAT...

it's all GRACE isn't it?

YOU GOT IT...TO HAVE MERCY ON YOURSELF...

forgiving myself  in your Name...

AND BY GRACE TO LET GO OF YOUR CONTROL...ANGER...
ACCEPTING YOUR WEAKNESSES / ASKING ME TO 
CHANGE / HEAL YOU...

and of course THANKING YOU..

YOU WILL STILL REMEMBER THE REGRETS BUT 
THE PAIN WILL BE GONE...

Thank you again for this talk...you knew I needed it...
You always know and You're always ready and 
willing to give me the Grace...Thank You again...

BE AT PEACE...I AM ALWAYS WITH YOU...

Reflection / Discussion:

-How would you summarize how to handle regrets?
-Why is it so hard to forgive yourself?
-What regrets do you have?
-Make a list...topic by topic.
-Ask for the Grace to face and surrender all of it to the Lord
-One by one, In Jesus' Name...Repent / Forgive yourself...Give it all to Jesus...
-Ask for His Healing / Peace...Thanking Him for His Mercy...



Tuesday, March 28, 2023

The Transformation Prayer


                                                THE TRANSFOROMATION PRAYER

          
                Romans 12: 1-2  

         I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, 
         to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,
         which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be 
         transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what 
         is the will of God- what is good and acceptable and perfect.
 

                   Lord Jesus...Pour out your Holy Spirit upon me so that 
                   I may be Transformed by the Renewing of my Mind to..

                   Think + as You Think
                 
                   See + as You See

                   Hear + as You Hear

                   Speak + as You Speak

                   Love + as You Love

                   Surrender + as you Surrender

                   that we may be One...I in You...and...You in me...
                   Come Holy Spirit...Come...  Amen...May it be so...

       Reflection / Discussion:

      - Ask the Holy Spirit how does He wants to Renew your mind.
      - What does surrendering to Jesus mean to you? 
      - How can reading / praying with Scripture aid in this process.
      - Evaluate how you spend your time with media and ask Jesus about it.
      - Evaluate the world's outlook on issues vs how Jesus looks at them.
      -  How do your relationships help / hinder this Transformation?
      - Evaluate how you're doing at loving service to others.
      - Ask / Seek / Knock for what you need...Expect Answers...