What comes to mind when you think of mountains? Do you think of grandiosity, adventure, beauty, wonder, danger, or sanctuary? What does a mountain represent to you? Perhaps it represents resilience, stability and immovability, or a mammoth obstacle, a journey or challenge to overcome, or a dream to achieve?
(Reading time 10 min.)
Read moreImagine having to leave a concert at the intermission, or a sporting event at the midway point while your team is losing. Imagine watching Part 1 of a movie trilogy but not seeing Parts 2 and 3. What if Tolkien would have ended Lord of the Rings after the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring. The Fellowship is dispersed. Gandalf, their leader, has fallen. Things appear hopeless. How will Frodo and Sam carry on the quest to destroy the ring without the rest of the fellowship?
Similarly at the end of the Psalms Book III, we found the exiled Israelite nation in a state of hopelessness. Where will they turn now? How will they respond to their current situation?
(Reading time 11 mins.)
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What is something you would not recommend attempting before reading the accompanying instructions or directions? Assembling IKEA furniture? Learning a board game? Taking a new prescription? Operating heavy equipment? Knitting a sweater? Our cats are especially guilty of that last one.
Without following the directions, the process can be very frustrating and can lead to some interesting and unintended results.
(10 mins. reading time)
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Today, the pursuit of identity is a popular topic. People tend to identify with others who have shared interests, political ideologies, ethnicity, religion, age, location, etc. There is also a tendency to identify oneself and others based on individual appearance, self-expression, life experience, gender, etc. People have a deep need to be part of a group while at the same time expressing their own individuality.
(11 mins. reading time)
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Do you purchase products or services based on reviews? Have you ever decided to buy something based on an endorsement, only to eventually be disappointed by it? It could have been a movie trailer, a book review, or a single released ahead of the album.
(9 mins. reading time)
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We can learn a lot about a person’s character by how they handle disappointments and successes in life. Some people allow success to go to their head. Others use their success for the benefit of others. Likewise, there can be a contrasting response to disappointment. Some people become bitter and resentful. Others choose to learn and grow from these experiences. 1
(10 mins. reading time)
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Head and Heart Collide 