Simplicity

Soooo....here are my thoughts on each one the testimonies. Beginning with:

Simplicity.

* Moderation
* Finding balance, a healthy pace in life.
* Gratitude, for what you already have.
* Awareness of how my choices effect myself, other people and the Earth.

The opposite of Simplicity is Greed.

 

"Friends, whatever ye are addicted to, the tempter will come in that thing; and when he can trouble you, then he gets advantage over you, and then you are gone. Stand still in that which is pure, after ye see yourselves; and then mercy comes in. After thou seest thy thoughts, and the temptations, do not think, but submit; and then power comes. Stand still in that which shows and discovers; and then doth strength immediately come. And stand still in the Light, and submit to it, and the other will be hushed and gone; and then content comes."

-George Fox, 1652 (20.42)

Quaker Testimonies

Ah, those...! :)
...or perhaps your thinking which ones?!
'So, who are these Quakers anyway?' provide a good explaination to them here. :)

A while ago I suggested to Cora that she would post about her views on the Quaker testimonies. She and I have talked, a lot, about most things Quaker so I sorta know where she stands on things - I am (on most occasions) right there beside her. :) :) :)
But...her words are not mine and neither are her thoughts (I wish I was as that brilliant!) sooo I'm going to try (with references to the British Faith&Practice and 'So, who are these Quakers anyway?') to sort out the jumble of thoughts that are floating about in the Space that is my head. ;p

First things first, when it comes to the testimonies...at least as I have understood it - there are no set, set of testimonies! ;D They can differ some from Quaker to Quaker but also between countries and continents... In the Swedish Faith&Practice they're not at all as clearly 'stated' as they are in the British one, for instance.

I strongly believe in cause and effect - that what we say and/or do (or don't!) has a ripple effect that we can't even begin to imagine. This envelopes all things...from a 'small' thing - like smiling at a stranger to the bigger things like what kind of car we choose to (or not! ;)) to drive...

Good begets good. The not-so-good begets more not-so-good.

All things, everyone, would benefit from figuring this 'balance thing' out... and, in my opinion, the testimonies are a good Guide to getting there.

Love&Light,

Love? No Thanks!

Being well-aware of the fact that I might currently be inclined to some bitterness in matters of Love I'm still going to put this out there.

There. is. no. such. thing. as. Life-long. Love.

Yup, that's my claim! You cannot 'just' love someone for a lifetime...!

OK, OK, chill your beans! I'm not saying you're not going to stay with your Mr./Mrs. Right for the rest of your life! ;) I'm just saying that a life-long commitment has not got that much to do with Love.

I mean it! Love is (and should be!) the 'side-effect' of Respect, Understanding, Friendship, Kindness and Communication (- of which 3/4 should be Listening!). If Love comes First then you're probably going to experience some trouble either early on in the relationship or after 10 years of trying to figure out the balance of all that other (more important!) stuff, the giving/taking, lifting/leaning, talking/listening... and, you'll figure out that thing called Love isn't at all what it's made out to be... If your lucky you manage to sort things out, put them in order but it's quite likely that it's all too messed up, too much out of balance for you to balance the scale right...

Love doesn't make the world go round.

On the other hand...you might already have known this...?! :) I think I have too, but it's taken me 'til now to put it into context...

The only exeption to this 'rule' is the Love between a Parent and a Child. Those little people you just Love, Love and Love...with all your heart! In that instance the Respect, Understanding, Kindness and Compassionate Communication comes out of Love. With grown-ups it works the other way...!

A parent cannot (or, shouldn't) 'just' Love their grown-up child either. When children grow up you need to readjust the 'Love-setting' to 'less'...and you treat them like the grown-ups they are. :)

I've given up on Love. I have!

I don't want it anymore. I deserve better than that. 

I hope to find, to be deserving of, a life-long friend, a confidant, an equal, whom I can talk to and who will listen...  rather than the complicated mess that love brings. If love happens to happen, eventually, then alright... I realise I might not be immune to...the infatuation of love... but I don't wish, hope or pray for it, neither for me or for anyone else...
Except! When it comes to Self-Love! (but that's a different post! ;))