Ree, :)
You are the third person to call me by my extended name in the past 24 
hours... I think I must be in trouble or something. Over your heads? Nah, 
being short
has nothing to do with understanding :) *running for the door* Sorry if I 
babbled on that one...  yet again :).

B

Scuttlebutt of Milwaukee has it that you wrote...

>Bradley,
>
>You are waaaaaayyyyyy over our heads, but we got a great bit of 
>information out of this. Thank you for writing it and sending it to us!
>
>Mari says she got what she needed.
>
>
>LOVE AND BLESSINGS TO YOU AND BRENDA,
>
>Reeva Parry and Mari, the Purple One.
>
>
>Legend has it that on Sunday 10/14/2007 10:53 AM, B Dunse said:
>
>>When reading scripture I often times will find myself scouring through 
>>the passage bit by bit, word by word, through the Strong's Greek/Hebrew 
>>Dictionary. You can find some real gems of enlightenment doing this in 
>>various passages assumed to mean somewhat differently than when first 
>>read. As well it can challenge you to look at the content of the passage 
>>as it relates to surrounding scripture, as many times a word might mean 
>>exceeding joy; happiness; satisfaction, and also have in its definition, 
>>sadness; depression; or the like. Often times this isn't quite as easy to 
>>determine what is intended and one has need to look at the context of 
>>what is being said to get a clearer picture of the intent. Although 
>>reading this morning did not give such a north pole-south pole 
>>differentiation, I did pick up one bit of cool information which the 
>>meaning of one word, well actually two but mostly one word. The scripture 
>>is James 1:2 through 5 reading in the New American Standard Updated version:
>>
>>"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 
>>knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let 
>>endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and 
>>complete, lacking in nothing."
>>
>>How many of you were like I when reading that scripture and  paraphrased 
>>it as "I got to put on a smile through my rough times and hang in there 
>>with faith and  God will win, and I have faith in God, so I'll win... 
>>eventually"
>>
>>Perhaps you have clearer insight on that verse, I'm happy to say reading 
>>this morning one word changed it for me. First let's get through the 
>>secondary reminder word that is often times read into a little thick on 
>>the depressing side of things, and then get to the word that to me at 
>>least, isn't so clear in the translation according to the definition when 
>>you look it up. The first word here is the word ""trials". Strong's 
>>defines it as:
>>
>>a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], 
>>solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity: KJV 
>>- temptation, try.
>>
>>So this word does have a meaning of bad things that happen but also 
>>temptations, provocations, that of being provoked towards something and 
>>such things. So it doesn't limit the application of this scripture to 
>>just a string of bad luck but also warding off temptations in our lives. 
>>The word various as a side note means diverse or even diverse in 
>>character, not knowing where it is derived even. So that is the secondary 
>>enlightenment or really more a reminder of what that word includes. The 
>>word that helped bring this scripture to life is the word count or as 
>>NASU says, consider. To me that always meant "do your best to count it 
>>towards the half full glass side of things". For instance maybe someone 
>>would knock my guitar over in the stand and bust the neck off and I would 
>>be feeling like I was just punched in the belly and now need to get 
>>myself sitting up straight again wondering how I'm going to handle this 
>>and somehow out of this patience, I'll be more complete. For you maybe 
>>its not a guitar, maybe it is a financial thing, we all know what that is 
>>about, or maybe a situation at work or the like where you are feeling a 
>>bit subservient or in some way you've been punched in the belly and need 
>>to try to stand up straight. Or, in the case of simple temptation you are 
>>tempted to download that music illegally… know one will know right? And 
>>those music industry folks make more than they need anyway and I don't 
>>make much, temptation's birth. Or maybe it's bringing home supplies from 
>>work and justifying it because you do think of work at home a lot and 
>>they got more than I have temptation's birth. Or maybe its that innocent 
>>flirting or joking with a co-worker or the neighbor and you are being 
>>tempted in your mind to follow through with something you ought not 
>>entertain even the idea of it. Whatever the temptation, this scripture 
>>applies to them as well as adversities.
>>
>>So back to the word of the day, that being count, or consider. Strong's 
>>defines it as:
>>
>>to lead, i.e. command (with official authority); figuratively, to deem, 
>>i.e. consider: KJV - account, (be) chief, count, esteem, governor, judge, 
>>have the rule over, suppose, think.
>>
>>Are you getting the implication here in not only the context but the 
>>majority of the meaning? It is saying "walk with your head slumped, 
>>shuffling your feet on the ground, kicking  at it occasionally feeling 
>>like you can't do anything but try to look at the bright side", right? 
>>Oh. No? Hmmm. Well I guess you are right, it means "take the situation 
>>and be rule over it, don't feel you are subordinate to it just because if 
>>fell upon you or you fell in it". We walk outside many days in a year and 
>>find rain falling upon us. We don't just stay indoors, or walk out in it 
>>getting soaked to the bone. We find shelter, rain gear, umbrella or some 
>>sort of control over it despite it falling upon us. And, we can have that 
>>authoritative power over situations and temptations because we know God 
>>is with us, and will se us through it, and we can hold up a badge of 
>>courage like an officer of the law might when questioning a civilian. 
>>That gives him the right, the authority, and it gives the questionee, 
>>which in this case your trial or temptation, the feeling of subordination 
>>and you have the right and ability to take charge.
>>
>>We humans, if we look at it are pretty small beings. Roughly 200 pounds 
>>give or take some, five to six feet tall, in light of the world 
>>surrounding us, we are pretty much weaklings lifting 100 pounds maybe as 
>>a general weight, some more, some less but you get the idea. In light of 
>>the buildings, the trees, the rocks, the lakes the mountains, the ground 
>>beneath us and even planets above us along with the atmosphere they 
>>reside, we are grains of sand on the beach. An yet, we build the 
>>buildings, we tunnel the earth, we move trees, we shoot shuttles into 
>>space, we manipulate rivers and lakes and otherwise take charge of our 
>>surroundings, even though those things are much bigger than us. Imagine 
>>if we, even as man without the consideration of God, which is probably 
>>what many in our history have done, imagine if they hadn't considered 
>>themselves chief over their passion, or the challenge? We'd still be 
>>clubbing our food for dinner and roasting it over an open fire. Well? 
>>Actually would we? If we didn't feel a sense of ability to be authority 
>>over a buffalo, a 2500 pound beast capable of stomping you into the 
>>ground, would we even attempt to use it as food? No. So why then do we 
>>feel subordinate to some situations in life? Maybe we can't see them? Or 
>>they are objects like finances that is there but you can't just pick a 
>>stick up and beat it out of your life. But we can take chief authority 
>>over those things. That doesn't mean we will control the world economy, 
>>just like we can't control the rain that falls down, but we can get an 
>>umbrella, to use our gifts of wisdom, knowledge and understanding and 
>>courage through knowing God is for us if we are in love with him.
>>
>>So see how that one word, consider, is really take authority or, be chief 
>>over, just as much as it is, if not more so, to just contemplate and 
>>consider it joy. It's telling you to make joy the chief of your 
>>situations, authority. I'm sure you've heard the phrase… "If you think 
>>you can, you are right. If you think you can't, you are right". How we 
>>give perspective to things makes a difference in what we experience. And 
>>God makes it possible to have the authority in the first place because it 
>>is out of knowing he sees us through our trials, temptations, situations 
>>and dilemmas, gives us the right and instruction to allow joy to 
>>supersede adversity and temptations in this life.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Brad
>
>
>
>Brad Dunse
>http://www.braddunsemusic.com
>
>Check out my site, take a look, have a listen to some sample tunes or 
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