I was reminded of this word earlier today that a friend and I coined back in 2008…
heritickle adv. pronounced: hair-i-tick-al meaning: 1. an idea that goes against traditional doctrine or beliefs but sounds so good to the ears and soul. example: “Brian preached a heritickle sermon yesterday morning.” 2. a doctrinal idea or theology that makes you laugh out loud.
May often be confused with heretical, heretic or heresy.
What have you heard or read recently that was heritickle?
In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity – HW Longfellow
Last week I asked…
What is really required of “our faith?”
What are the NO COMPROMISE requirements of your faith?
And I received several good responses.
But as I’m reading and thinking and chewing I keep coming back to the question they asked Jesus.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
The wanted the insight, the inside scoop. They wanted a check list of things to follow and do to be sure they spent eternity on streets of gold instead of the fires of Gehenna.
And some days I wish Jesus had said, “You need to do this, this, this and this. And then if you can do all that, do this, this, this and that.”
Because check lists are easy. We can have a goal and a target. And they make things like knowing who’s-in and who’s-out a lot easier.
But instead of a checklist, Jesus responds, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
And so I’m left wondering… What if really is that simple?
Isn’t it amazing how complicated we can make things?
We’re always trying to find an easy solution to things and yet in the end we end up filling things with junk and clutter we don’t need and doing more damage than good
Diet fads, home exercise equipment, the latest electronic gadget that puts us further in debt.
Yet, things were pretty simple in the beginning.
Continue reading Declutter your soul
As part of our foster care certification process, we’ve been asked to read three books and write book reports on them. I know! Book reports?!
It’s not really that bad. They basically want to find out what we’ve learned from said books. As simple as it may be, or as complex as it may be.
In the book I’m trying to finish up now, “Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew,” the author shares some of the special needs adopted children may have.
As I read this list, I thought — how true to life this is for everyone else as well.
Imagine if we each understood and realized these needs as our needs as well.
What would that do to your psyche?
How would it change you today if you realized that your life narrative began before you were born and that your life is not a mistake?
What would that do to your spirit and soul to realize that YOU have intrinsic, immutable value as a human being?
I hope it excites you like it excites me!
And then take it one step further….
How would it change your attitude today if you believed that about everyone else around you?