Being Happy

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By MaryJo – A Pilgrim Ponders

Being HappyAll of us want to be happy. What stops us from achieving lasting happiness? This article: Jesus and the Psychology of Happiness by Shayne Looper caught my attention as a topic that could mean a lot to many people. Do the teachings of Jesus help us to find happiness? I’ll share some of my experiences with those teachings from The Urantia Book, but first here are some nice snips from the article, which is well-worth the read:

“In recent years, research in the field of psychology increasingly has turned toward the light rather than away from the darkness; that is, has turned its attention to gaining happiness rather than to treating pathology. This is not just pop psychology going through a phase. A quick search of Google Scholar will confirm academia’s growing interest in positive psychology.

“John Ortberg points out that psychologists who focus their efforts on helping people achieve happiness will inevitably find themselves using values-laden language. They cannot help but enter the arena of ethics and morality, where the experts have not been scientists but philosophers and religious authorities. They frequently cite the Buddha, Aristotle, Confucius, and others.

“Although Jesus did not talk about happiness as such, he did talk about joy, which he saw as the result of the good life.

Living in the Kingdom

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By MaryJo – A Pilgrim Ponders

Living in the KingdomHere’s a wonderful article – the first in a series of blogs, called An Everyday Kind of Jesus By Alicia Purdy. I like her style! And I think you will, too, especially if you are a Bible-reading Christian. I am going to add a blog of my own below which is informed by The Urantia Book…but first, here’s a nice snip from Alicia’s blog:

“I’m going to start right up front by telling you that being a real person and being a Christian aren’t two conflicting states of being- at least not in my world. I hope you’ll join me here as I, a real human, navigate life in light of the grace of God. Whether or not you believe in Jesus, accept Jesus, like Jesus or think you’re Jesus, I am looking forward to sharing some thoughts, lessons learned, regrets (maybe), insights, challenges and other sundry real-person, life-actually wisdom that will hopefully inspire or at least entertain you.”

Click to read the article

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Kingdom living

It’s important for “everyday” kinds of people to speak up and speak out about how they navigate the troubled waters of modern life here on Urantia. It is good to share with others our practical ways of finding the Father’s will and living in the kingdom of heaven.

Where do you find Jesus?

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By MaryJo – A Pilgrim Ponders

Where do you find JesusWhere do YOU find Jesus? This article called: ‘The Church is a living sanctuary where we encounter Jesus’ – Archbishop By Monique Agius, asks the faithful to believe that they should encounter Jesus in the sanctuary of the Catholic Church. I was brought up to believe this in my Catholic schools, but things change – especially when we know better. My blog is below, but first, here’s a snip from the article:

“Archbishop Charles Scicluna reminded the faithful that the Church is a living sanctuary where one encounters Jesus and warned against turning the Church into a marble museum or a crystal or art museum. Mgr Scicluna was presiding over Mass at the Collegiate Parish Church of St Paul’s Shipwreck in Valletta on Sunday. Mgr Scicluna explained that the Church gives the faithful the opportunity to strengthen unity within the community. The Archbishop stated that Sunday Mass was the criteria to overcome injustice.

“The Archbishop reminded that the earliest reference to the “Lord’s Supper”, a rite traditionally identified with the Eucharist is found in the Letter to the Corinthians which was written before the Gospels. He then spoke of the need to be a witness of Christ in one’s daily life, saying that St Paul gave one hope.”