Quote for today

 

"Faith based on certainty isn't faith at all"

........ “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
 Matt 8:20

Men and Intimacy!!

From a blog by one of my favourite Christian teachers - Fr Richard Ruhr

I think that many of us men, celibate men even more, are very afraid of intimacy. I would define intimacy as the ability to mutually share one’s needs, one’s wounds, or one’s weaknesses with another person. The sharing of our inner or interior world (“intimus” in Latin) is always a risk, usually a fear of rejection, and thus many of us never go there. It might change our self image. But I am going to make a rather absolute statement: people who risk intimacy are invariably happier and much more real people. They feel like they have lots of “handles” that allow others to hold on to them, and that allow them to hold onto themselves! People who avoid intimacy are always, and I mean always, imprisoned in a small and circular world. One good thing about celibacy is that it can tell us that an awful lot of sex is not intimacy at all. The good thing about sexuality is that it creates an obvious and ideal container for true intimacy, at least now and then. I really wonder how one would know how to be iintimate with God, if you have never practiced risky self disclosure with at least one other human being (Is this the real meaning of “nakedness”?). I sincerely doubt the possibility. Both healthy celibacy and sexual encounter demand deep and true intimacy, and both can be the most effective avoidance of it. (Written after almost 50 years in a celibate community of men, and after lots of counseling in a “strangely” sexualized world.)

link to the original http://richardrohr.wordpress.com/

Clergymen clash at birthplace of Jesus

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Crazy Stuff!!!!

from a Yahoo 7 News story! - http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/12466942/clergymen-clash-at-birthplace-of-jesus/

The annual cleaning of one of Christianity's holiest churches has deteriorated into a brawl between rival clergy, as dozens of monks feuding over sacred space at the Church of the Nativity battled each other with brooms until police intervened.

The ancient church, built over the traditional site of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem, is shared by three Christian denominations - Roman Catholics, Armenians and Greek Orthodox.

Wednesday's fight erupted between Greek and Armenian clergy, with both sides accusing each other of encroaching on parts of the church to which they lay claim.

The monks were tidying up the church ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations in early January, following celebrations by Western Christians on December 25. The fight erupted between monks along the border of their respective areas. Some shouted and hurled brooms.

Palestinian security forces rushed in to break up the melee, and no serious injuries were reported.

A fragile status quo governs relations among the denominations at the ancient church, and to repair or clean a part of the structure is to own it, according to accepted practice. That means that letting other sects clean part of the church could allow one to gain ground at another's expense. Similar fights have taken place during the same late-December cleaning effort in the past.

Armenian and Greek Orthodox clergymen scuffle inside the Church of Nativity. Photo: AAP

Tensions between rival clergy at the church have been a fact of life there for centuries and have often been caught up in international politics.

In the 1800s, friction between the denominations at the church - each backed by foreign powers - became so fraught that Russian Czar Nicholas I deployed troops along the Danube to threaten a Turkish sultan who had been favouring the Catholics over the Orthodox.

Those disagreements threaten the integrity of the church itself, which was originally built 1500 years ago and parts of which have fallen into disrepair. Although the roof has needed urgent work for decades, and leaking rainwater has ruined much of the priceless artwork inside, a renovation has been delayed all these years by disagreements among the denominations over who would pay.

Only recently, the Palestinian Authority brokered an agreement to move ahead with replacing the roof, and officials hope work will begin in 2012.

Suffering

The effect of

suffering, upon us,

depends on what we

love

                                             Thomas Merton

*****

Picture Perfect - Caption It!!!

Caption This!!!!!!

Vegetarianism is harmless enough,
though it is apt to fill a man with wind and make him do the weirdest things!!

*******

For the rules of the competition 

http://fotofriday.multiply.com/

To enter the competition
http://fotofriday.multiply.com/journal/item/487/Picture_Perfect_Caption_it

Backyard Photography - Dogfight at the OK Corral!

Family Feud - Magpie Style
..... and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle The Magpies said.
                                                                from the poem by - Denis Glover





It all started with these two young fledglings in dispute over who know's what. One attacked the other then an airborne war errupted.

This photo is compiled from three photos.

Magpies hang out in large family groups so I am guessing the two young ones came from separate families as almost the instant they started to fight, the battle erupted in the skies above. There were about 15 magpies involved in the fighting - doing battle in the back yard and surrounding neighbour's gardens. I do not know if any of you have seen Magpies work together in their air battles with hawks, or other birds, but they are incredibly co-ordinated tactically, and move at frightening speeds - just like the old fashioned WW2 air dogfights and lethal , I can tell you!! It might have been a game to teach the young ones the art of aerial warfare but, whatever it was, it lasted a good 5 minutes and thrilling to watch. I did manage to get a few blurry photos from the many, many I took or thought I was taking of them fighting with no time to set my camera's settings, nor focus.  I could not even sight them in my viewfinder - it was just shooting from the hip as they swooped about the sky. It was so beautiful to watch and, had I thought of it, it might have been better if I had changed to movie settings to capture their amazing agility in the air and tactics in their art of warfare. I must add though that 'no bird was harmed or injured in the making of this post'!!

The funniest part of the whole event was one of the young bird which flew up on the roof of the veranda above me, freaking and attempting to hide to keep away from the dangers of the battle raging around him. He was so focused in looking out for his safety that he did not even notice that I was just three feet away taking photos. I could feel his trepidation and see the fear in his eyes as he nervously searched the skies for danger. I hope these few photos have captured his body language.

Can you see the fear in his eyes???

***

Thank you for reading!
Denis Glover's poem, The Magpies, is one every New Zealander studies at school and one I am sure every New Zealander Loves
'link'

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deal of the day

http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/dealoftheday/20111212/index.html?utm_content=cleaunz%40yahoo.com.au&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=click%20here&utm_campaign=Deal%20of%20the%20Day%3A%20Free%20Priority%20Shipping!content
Great deal with free priority delivery Canon lens

Picture Perfect - Macro

Clover Flower Macros

Two photos of Clover taken recently.

For the rules of the competition 

http://fotofriday.multiply.com/

To enter the competition
http://fotofriday.multiply.com/journal/item/486/Pic_Perf_Macro_Theme

Photo and quote for today

THE GALAH

Rose-breasted Cockatoo

"Lots of people talk to animals.... Not very many listen, though.... That's the problem."

                                                                                                                                                          Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

When you look at the photo what is the Galah saying to you??





 

Picture Perfect - Silhouette

Silhouette

Warming up by the river

For this week I have had to search my photo folders for this theme. Time is always an issue for me on weekends - most weeks am itching to enter a photo for the themes but can't.This week I have some time so here is my Silhouette from my collection. It's taken in our winter - a group of backpackers in conversation, warming up in the warm, early morning winter's sun.

Some more Silhouettes

Early morning surf

Silhouetted Dolphins

Morning surfers

For the rules of the competition 

http://fotofriday.multiply.com/

To enter the competition
http://fotofriday.multiply.com/journal/item/485/PPF_Silhouette_