According to Time Magazine, February 23, 2009 research has shown that:
- People who attend religious services have a lower risk of dying in one year than people who don’t attend. Those who never attend have twice the risk of dying over the next 8 years than those who attend once a week.
- People who believe in a loving God do better after a diagnosis of a serious illness than people who believe in a punitive god.
- Spiritually oriented people with HIV have better disease control than those not so inclined.
- People who pray and people who meditate share similar changes in their brain structure.
- Prayer may work like a placebo offering hope and optimism for the believer which may convert to cures. Self-fulfilling prophecy works in powerful and mysterious ways.
- In a study designed to see how regular church goers fare under economic stresses, they found benefits from the social support they received ( a reason we began free support groups)
- They also found that people who feel grateful for what is going right in their lives have a reduced incidence of depression.
I have told you that I would never blow smoke in your direction. I do not pray or attend services regularly. I do, however, remind myself of the Serenity Prayer at least three times a day.
God grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change; the courage to change what I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
It is the wisdom part that’s really hard. I pray you find that soon.
Bye for now,
Bill
www.williampenzer.com
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The" wisdom to know the difference" seems to be defined by you in the things that might go into our pride bank account and being the chief executive officer of ourselves. Better choices rather than non-productive and defeating ones can be the glue that hold the ties that bind. Our God is a loving one, having faith in ourselves and humanity navigates us through the difficult times, there is a question in the popular book "The Shack" where the primary character asks God why horrific, tragic events occur, which unfortunately they do. God's role in "The Shack" is to enlighten and give peace with unconditional love. "Why things that seem horrible happen is to bring you closer to Me" to provide trust, solace and love in these times".
ReplyDeleteConnecting with higher powers can raise our spirits and bring us peace.