Is it all about happiness?

June 12, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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HAPPY

The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters. – Audrey Hepburn

Is the main goal of life to find happiness? Knowing how transitory happiness can be, is that a satisfying goal? How do we know if we’ve achieved the right level of happiness?

Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination. – Mark Twain

Is happiness the end goal or is it the by-product of something deeper and truer? Should we spend more time seeking the happiness of others rather than our own happiness? Would that kind of selfless action actually heighten happiness not only in others but in ourselves?

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. – Mother Teresa

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98five Sonshine FM is Rev Dr Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. – Romans 14:17

Today we talked about happiness and contrasted it with joy. The Bible mentions joy hundreds of time but what is it really all about? You can hear our discussion by clicking on the play button on the audio player below.



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I See Dead People

May 29, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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graves
What happens when our loved ones die? Do they visit us from he grave?

It’s been reported that many years ago English Bible scholar, translator, author and clergyman, J. B. Phillips was visited by the recently deceased C. S. Lewis. Phillips said that Lewis suddenly stood before him, having entered his bedroom through closed doors. Lewis spoke just one short sentence to Phillips: “J. B., it’s not as hard as you think!” This “appearance” was precisely what was needed to draw Phillips out of his depression, and to set him free again to continue his life’s work.

Others feel a strong presence of loved ones for a period after they have passed away.

While the Bible warn us of the dangers of trying to contact spirits through mediums, is it possible that the reference in the book of Hebrews to a ‘great cloud of witnesses’ is about those who have passed on? There are some theologians who believe it is.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. – Hebrews 12:1

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98five Sonshine FM is Rev Dr Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

Today we discussed life beyond the grave. You can listen to what Ross had to say by clicking the play button on the audio player below.

I’d be really interested in your opinions. Do you think there’s something to the idea that we can feel the presence of those who are now in God’s presence or is it just our own grieving and emotions?



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Life’s Most Important Advice

May 11, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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cs_lewis_writing

We all have influence of some kind and whatever your sphere of influence there are times that you need to pass on some wisdom about life, the universe and everything. (The answer is not as easy as 42.)

If you had to pass on just one piece of ‘life advice’ to someone else, what would you say?

In his recent book, C. S. Lewis – A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet, Alister McGrath highlights the influence that Anglican minister, Father Walter Adams, had on Lewis. He says that although we know virtually nothing of their conversations, C.S. Lewis had stated that Adams was his only real confessor.

Adams had apparently emphasised one piece of advice to Lewis:

“Have patience with God, with your neighbour and oneself.”

Fifty years after his death, C. S. Lewis continues to inspire and fascinate millions. His legacy remains varied and vast. He was a towering intellectual figure, a popular fiction author who inspired a global movie franchise around the world of Narnia, and an atheist-turned-Christian thinker.

In C.S. Lewis—A Life, Alister McGrath, prolific author and respected professor at King’s College of London, paints a definitive portrait of the life of C. S. Lewis. After thoroughly examining recently published Lewis correspondence, Alister challenges some of the previously held beliefs about the exact timing of Lewis’s shift from atheism to theism and then to Christianity. He paints a portrait of an eccentric thinker who became an inspiring, though reluctant, prophet for our times.

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98five Sonshine FM is Rev Dr Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

This week we discussed the idea of patience with God, our neighbours and ourselves. How different would our lives look if we practiced that piece of advice?

You can listen to our conversation by clicking the play button on the audio player below.



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When Did Christmas Become a Deadline?

November 22, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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It used to be a time of celebration, an opportunity for friends and family to get together, a time to think about the first Christmas and the gretest gift of all. These days, Christmas has simply become a deadline.

Get it Finished

We have to have so much finished ‘before Christmas’. We want carpets layed, walls painted, projects finished, buildings built and so much more all before the 25th of December.

Buy Now!

Retailers tell us we must order now for delivery before Christmas, which I can understand to some degree if it’s something you want as a gift, but most of the time they’re just using the mention of Christmas to add urgency to their sales pitch.

Work Stress

Tradesmen are pushed to complete tasks that really have no relation to Christmas. Whether they’re completed before or after any particular date doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things but those paying the bills want their projects all sewn up before the big day. Many workers are feeling the pressure to get the job done before Christmas.

Self-Induced Stress

Then there’s the pressure we put on ourselves. We must ensure that everything’s perfect for the big day. We turn ourselves inside out to make sure that we’re ready for those who will share Christmas Day with us. Gifts, food, decorations, drinks, the list goes on. It’s really no wonder that the ‘Joy of Christmas’ has given way to the stress of what’s become known as the silly season.

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Rev Dr Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

Yesterday we spoke about Christmas as a deadline. You can hear our conversation by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post. If you’re looking for ways to turn the tide and make Christmas something you can look forward to again, make sure you take a few minutes to listen.

Slow Down – You Move Too Fast

So, have you felt the stress rising already? Have you ever stopped to ask whether the deadline you’ve given yourself is just a false deadline? Will it make any difference at all if it happens after Christmas?

Is Christmas a restful or stressful time for you? What plans are you putting in place this year to ensure that you actually enjoy Christmas instead of racing at warp speed until you collapse in a heap on the 26th of December?



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What’s with Wicca?

June 1, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
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It’s said to be one of the fastest growing forms of spirituality in the western world. So what’s Wicca all about? What’s the attraction?

Wicca is particularly attracting many young female followers. What is it about Wicca that attracts those who are not interested in what might be understood as more traditional faith expressions?

With a strong emphasis on connection to the earth, is Wicca drawing strength from the growing concern about the health of our planet?

Wicca is a specific Neopagan religion. Its adherents are referred to as Wiccans, though the terms Witches or Crafters are also used. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the “witch cult” and “witchcraft,” and its adherents “the Wica.” From the 1960s onward, the name of the religion was normalised to “Wicca.”

Wicca is typically a duotheistic religion, worshipping a goddess and a god, who are traditionally viewed as the Triple Goddess and Horned God. These two deities are often viewed as being facets of a greater pantheistic godhead, and as manifesting themselves as various polytheistic deities. – Wiki

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Rev Dr Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.?

Today we looked at Wicca and asked why it continues to grow in popularity. Are there elements of Wiccan spirituality with which we can identify? Are there dangers of which we need to be aware? Could Wicca actually be pointing towards a higher truth?

You can hear our discussion by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/SPI060111_1041.mp3]

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