Peruvian Artist Shares Why Preservation of Culture and Rituals Sacred To His Art
December 6, 2007
My artistic endeavor have led me towards a personal sense of mission, because the visual arts are more than a passive representation of the life style and culture of the Incas, Aztecs, Mayas and Chinese of the Asian-pacific.
Through my work, I seek to preserve and stimulate an alternative vision to the modern industrialized twenty-first Century. Western culture has moved away from the serene life style that my ancestors lived. It is more important to recognize that we indigenous hold on to a distinct culture with other values other ways of seeking the world.
I am forty-nine years old and was born in the Peruvian altiplano of Puno. The traditional indigenous highlands of the Andean Mountain are portrayed in my art. My parents had been driven there from their home near the ancient Andean ruins of the Incas. This was the result of their families disapproved of their relationship. I returned my home village at the age of seven and since then I have committed my art to indigenous roots, my art expresses my indigenous roots and Asian influences.
Could Your Thoughts Sabotage Your Happiness? Take This Quiz And Find Out
December 6, 2007
Women are conditioned to be people pleasers. Women are taught to be "nice" even if that’s means comprising their happiness, and often times that is exactly what happens. We have a tendency to do, and say things just so the other person’s feelings don’t get hurt. How many times have you wanted to say something, but thought, you can’t say that, they might think you’re too harsh, or unpleasant. Times have changed, and now women are accepting their authenticity with grace and happiness. How did they do it? They changed their internal thoughts to reprogram their conditioning. Are you still playing "old tapes" that are in your head?
Take this quiz to find out if your thoughts are sabotaging your happiness.
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About The Author
Marla Sloane Ph.D. is a successful author and speaker. Her Daily Positive Affirmations subscribers have reached world-wide proportions, and her book, "The Masks We Wear and How to Live Without Them" is at the heart of her teleclasses; Live Your Best Life. Marla has also produced, Trilogy of Meditations, for your Mind, Body, and Spirit, which is distributed nationwide, and in Europe. You can visit her web site at: www.marlasloane.com.
Freedom of Religion
December 5, 2007
We were all taught in school that our forefathers left England to escape religious dictatorships. Okay, there was a lot more to it then that, but it was a big enough deal that they made sure it got honorable mention in our rulebook. They clearly made the point that we were to have freedom of religion here in America. They also used the word “God” in some of their formal paperwork and even on our money. I don’t want to argue politics here, but rather semantics. They didn’t say “freedom of Christianity,” they said “freedom of religion.” The boys who wrote up all of our formal paperwork were wordsmiths and they debated long and hard to find the perfect set of words to govern ourselves by. It wasn’t decided that we had the freedom to choose whichever form of Christianity that we liked, but whichever form of religion. Religion is in and of itself a much broader concept then Christianity. “God” can mean a lot more then just the Christian definition too.
Lets Restore the Word of Christ
December 4, 2007
“What? Trying to spread the gospel message without quoting from the New Testament? Impossible!” That may be your first reaction, but just think about it. Scholars tell us that the first New Testament book, either Galatians or First Thessalonians, was written in about 50 CE, nearly 20 years after that glorious Pentecost when Christ crucified was first proclaimed as the only possible remedy for sinners. The last New Testament books, probably the letters of John or Revelation, were likely written in the 90s, close to three generations after the Resurrection. The New Testament as a unit was probably unavailable until the mid-second century. And yet Christianity experienced some of its most dynamic growth during this period when its Bible consisted only of the Old Testament.
How did those earliest Christians do it? The Book of Acts is clear: The apostles said, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (4:20). It wasn’t long before they were told, “you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching” (5:28). The early Christians “preached the word wherever they went” (8:4). They “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 ASV). They were convinced that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).
The American Dream ? At What Cost?
December 3, 2007
When people are asked, "How many of you are content and happy with what you have?" the reply of an overwhelming majority of people is "Not me." And when they are asked what do they want most out of life, the typical reply is "I want to be happy," as if happy is some kind of a place, like Disneyland or Happy Land. But happiness is not a destination. It’s a process. In fact, happiness is not even so much a sentiment (contrary to popular culture reinforced by the media) but more of a state of being and an attitude if you will. It comes from feeling connected with everything and everyone. It is the level of our awareness that makes the difference between living "happily" or unhappily.
Living in an increasingly artificial world, it’s easy to forget our spiritual roots, and very hard not to live the illusion of life rather than life itself. When we live by the motto: "He with the most toys lives," rather than "He with the most joys lives," we invariably experience artificial joy that prevents us from living fully in the here and now while connecting with real people, real life and having real joy. Perhaps that’s because knowingly or unknowingly, many of us fell victim to the illusion of The American Dream and its promise for sweet success based on a materialistic values system.
How To Get Rich and Die Quick!
December 2, 2007
It is funny how web site promotion can suddently plunge you into literary exploits…
I am currently at work, my bosses left for the meeting so I can relax a little and perhaps even write a short article for this ezine.
It dawned on me that as close as we are in everyday life, we really are isolated from each other by mundane tasks and repetitive procedures we are bound to engage in. Although, why should we even care about these issues as we usually think about making money and living our lives?
Naturally, we are social being and cannot escape intangible social obligations and needs, yet we also guard our privacy with zeal. Now, as write these lines, another, more important imperative pushes me to change the subject completely and address some linguistic issues. As a writer, I am purposefully write a text, I am also a petential reader, but as I imagine myself reading this article, I am really at loss as far my environment and consequently attention span… Is modern literary approach with deconstructivist attitude more in tune with human capabilities that traditional writing? It is for you and me to decide…. I call you imaginary audience, and I can become the same when I run across this article by accident and do not recognize my own writing offhand…
Firstfruit from Death Guarantees the Coming Harvest
December 1, 2007
The farmer handed buckets to us, the blueberry pickers. "You’re kinda early," he said. "The main crop’s not ready yet, so you’re gonna have to be choosy. Pick only what is fully ripe. Leave the rest. The good part is, all of the biggest and best is still here."
He was right. It took a lot longer, but we got some of the best blueberries ever. The firstfruit is the best, but it signals a greater harvest to come.
To prove to some skeptics that the resurrection is not foolish, Paul ties our future rising to a sure event of the past: "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor. 15:20).
Nicodemus and Joseph mourn as they wash and then wrap the lifeless, pale body. Just hours ago he was warm, animated, and healthy. Now he is cold, still, and dead. So sad. Yet on the third day that corpse was transformed. It was not just restored to life, but taken beyond resuscitation to an imperishable, immortal, and glorified state. God’s harvest thus began with the Best of the best, raised from the dead.
Worship and Praise in Charismatic Churches
December 1, 2007
This article was in response to an email about someone being a little uneasy about the praise and worship in charismatic churches.
I received your email with the questions you sent. I’ll go ahead and answer them under the captions below. You said you are not comfortable with and are having a hard time adjusting to the more intense levels of praise and worship that you are seeing in the non-denominational charismatic churches - especially with you coming from a Catholic background.
I know quite a few ex-Catholics who now belong to charismatic non-denominational churches who had a hard time initially adjusting to the intensity levels on the way charismatics worship and praise. A lot of newcomers have a real hard time when they first walk into a Spirit-filled charismatic type church - it is a major shock to their spiritual senses. You are not alone in your feelings on this issue!
The first thing you need to realize is that you should never compare your level of spiritual development with anyone else’s. One of the things that I feel I have picked up from the Lord is that everyone is operating at different levels of spiritual development. And everyone advances, in their spiritual walk with the Lord, at different rates of speed. You should never compare where you are currently at with the Lord with anyone else - including all of the people you see at your church.
