Comments on: ON LISTENING WITH MORE THAN YOUR EARS http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/ Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:47:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Anonymous http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-175 Anonymous Tue, 06 May 2008 20:24:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-175 Wow, what a story! It was very uplifting but also enough to give me nightmares, since I am not especially fond of snakes… I had a similar experience, although it did not involve danger of any kind. My children had been visiting a friend several miles from our home. At the end of their “play date,“ I drove over to pick them up. As I was backing out of the driveway, I heard a voice in my head say, “Go back in and offer to drive the other children home, too.” Now this was not the usual passing thought about helping out someone else; this idea came from somewhere totally outside of me. Since I was in the habit of listening to that “still, small voice,” I went back into the house and called the mom of the children who needed to be driven home. I expected her to appreciate the gesture. But she was blown away by it, to the point of being almost speechless; she told me that she would explain when I got to her house. Well, when I heard her story, I was almost speechless, too. Just before I called her, she had been on her knees in discouragement, begging God to show her that He cared. She asked Him specifically, “If you hear this prayer and care about me, have someone call and offer to bring my children home.” When the phone rang and I made what seemed to me to be a no-big-deal proposal, her faith was not only restored; it was set on its ear!!<br/>I read the comments left by “a confirmed atheist.” He/she finds truth in the words of men, great writers to be sure, but men nevertheless. I know I have heard God’s voice several times in my life, so my truth comes both from God’s Word and my personal experiences of Him. I believe that God can touch “a confirmed atheist” just as He has touched me; I also believe that God will do this, because He loves us all so very much.<br/>Listening for that still small voice, E.M. Wow, what a story! It was very uplifting but also enough to give me nightmares, since I am not especially fond of snakes… I had a similar experience, although it did not involve danger of any kind. My children had been visiting a friend several miles from our home. At the end of their “play date,“ I drove over to pick them up. As I was backing out of the driveway, I heard a voice in my head say, “Go back in and offer to drive the other children home, too.” Now this was not the usual passing thought about helping out someone else; this idea came from somewhere totally outside of me. Since I was in the habit of listening to that “still, small voice,” I went back into the house and called the mom of the children who needed to be driven home. I expected her to appreciate the gesture. But she was blown away by it, to the point of being almost speechless; she told me that she would explain when I got to her house. Well, when I heard her story, I was almost speechless, too. Just before I called her, she had been on her knees in discouragement, begging God to show her that He cared. She asked Him specifically, “If you hear this prayer and care about me, have someone call and offer to bring my children home.” When the phone rang and I made what seemed to me to be a no-big-deal proposal, her faith was not only restored; it was set on its ear!!
I read the comments left by “a confirmed atheist.” He/she finds truth in the words of men, great writers to be sure, but men nevertheless. I know I have heard God’s voice several times in my life, so my truth comes both from God’s Word and my personal experiences of Him. I believe that God can touch “a confirmed atheist” just as He has touched me; I also believe that God will do this, because He loves us all so very much.
Listening for that still small voice, E.M.

]]> By: Charles Towne http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-174 Charles Towne Sat, 03 May 2008 11:32:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-174 Dear Outpost Architect,<br/>Excellent observations. Listening is almost a lost art and yet all great communicators of the past were great listeners, why couldn't we remember and profit from that. <br/>It seems to me that if you really desire to be appreciated, to be valued, to be loved, the first step should be listening.<br/>You struck on some particular issues that will definitely help to excercise the listening 'muscle'. One, make a concious effort. Place oneself into a listening frame of mind by eliminating the noxious distractions such as t.v. and mass media. Two, Read thought provoking books, the bible is one, and while you read, listen for the 'voice' of inspiration. Three, Spend time in nature. God will speak if we listen. Four, Take the time to 'listen' to those around us. Forget the need to say anything, just listen. If you do that it won't take long before you are going to be recognized as a great communicator. This is a lesson that I am still learning. Sometimes I have to force myself to shut my yap and listen, to look into another persons eyes and listen. Listening is probably the choicest, the best way of saying, 'you are important, I love you.<br/>Thanks so much for responding as you have, Most sincerely, <br/>Chaz Dear Outpost Architect,
Excellent observations. Listening is almost a lost art and yet all great communicators of the past were great listeners, why couldn’t we remember and profit from that.
It seems to me that if you really desire to be appreciated, to be valued, to be loved, the first step should be listening.
You struck on some particular issues that will definitely help to excercise the listening ‘muscle’. One, make a concious effort. Place oneself into a listening frame of mind by eliminating the noxious distractions such as t.v. and mass media. Two, Read thought provoking books, the bible is one, and while you read, listen for the ‘voice’ of inspiration. Three, Spend time in nature. God will speak if we listen. Four, Take the time to ‘listen’ to those around us. Forget the need to say anything, just listen. If you do that it won’t take long before you are going to be recognized as a great communicator. This is a lesson that I am still learning. Sometimes I have to force myself to shut my yap and listen, to look into another persons eyes and listen. Listening is probably the choicest, the best way of saying, ‘you are important, I love you.
Thanks so much for responding as you have, Most sincerely,
Chaz

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-173 Anonymous Sat, 03 May 2008 10:36:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-173 Listening has gotten much more difficult. In times past people could sit together and talk or just listen. They had a lot less things clamoring for their attention. I mean if you lived in a tent or cabin it might have been easier walk out and look at the stars to listen and hear. We don't listen anymore because we don't stop to.<br/><br/>Today everything is screaming at us from all sides. It's sometimes to loud to hear! The television screams at us and so does the internet and the mailbox, movies, radio, news and world events, etc. etc. It can even be to loud in a place of worship to hear. We don't even listen to each other. Everything competes for our attention. And if there is a God how would we even know if we don't just stop sometimes? How can we really appreciate subtle things if we don't from time to time get off the crazy train?<br/><br/>Well then, are we really able to still hear? The good thing, I think, is that the choice is still ours. <br/><br/>I suggest that we either choose to put aside distractions periodically so that we can actually hear or we will lose the opportunity that we have. So turn off the computer or t.v. Put down the paper/magazine etc. Turn off the radio while driving and listen. Take a walk - in a swamp if you want to. Read something uplifting. Talk to each other about real things and more importantly listen. I think we might be amazed what we will hear.<br/><br/>Thanks for the story Chaz!<br/><br/>Cheers,<br/><br/>The Outpost Architect Listening has gotten much more difficult. In times past people could sit together and talk or just listen. They had a lot less things clamoring for their attention. I mean if you lived in a tent or cabin it might have been easier walk out and look at the stars to listen and hear. We don’t listen anymore because we don’t stop to.

Today everything is screaming at us from all sides. It’s sometimes to loud to hear! The television screams at us and so does the internet and the mailbox, movies, radio, news and world events, etc. etc. It can even be to loud in a place of worship to hear. We don’t even listen to each other. Everything competes for our attention. And if there is a God how would we even know if we don’t just stop sometimes? How can we really appreciate subtle things if we don’t from time to time get off the crazy train?

Well then, are we really able to still hear? The good thing, I think, is that the choice is still ours.

I suggest that we either choose to put aside distractions periodically so that we can actually hear or we will lose the opportunity that we have. So turn off the computer or t.v. Put down the paper/magazine etc. Turn off the radio while driving and listen. Take a walk - in a swamp if you want to. Read something uplifting. Talk to each other about real things and more importantly listen. I think we might be amazed what we will hear.

Thanks for the story Chaz!

Cheers,

The Outpost Architect

]]> By: Charles Towne http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-172 Charles Towne Sat, 03 May 2008 02:25:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-172 Dear A Boy Grown,<br/>What a wonderful experience! Thanks so very much for sharing it with us.<br/>Memories, that is what we are collecting, or, as my 93 year old mama will say, "Happenings!" My life has been full of wonderful, miraculous, 'happenings,' so has yours if you think about it.<br/>Thanks again, Chaz Dear A Boy Grown,
What a wonderful experience! Thanks so very much for sharing it with us.
Memories, that is what we are collecting, or, as my 93 year old mama will say, “Happenings!” My life has been full of wonderful, miraculous, ‘happenings,’ so has yours if you think about it.
Thanks again, Chaz

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-171 Anonymous Sat, 03 May 2008 01:35:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-171 Chaz, I was just a kid when I became seperated from my dad not far from Bozeman, Montana. I sat down on a boulder waiting for my father to come looking for me. He had told me that if we ever became seperated I should sit down and wait, he would find me. I had been sitting there maybe a half an hour when all of a sudden I got this real creepy feeling, like something was watching me. Not moving any more than possible I began searching the foliage and rock cover and then I saw it, a mountain lion was crouched down, watching me intently. The thing that enabled me to finally see it was the end of its tail twitched.<br/>That big cat was bigger than I was and he had 'hungry' written all over his face. We watched each other for I don't know how long and I was beginning to think that I had better do something when my father walked around a little knoll and started calling me. That lion was startled and ran, the only problem was he ran right at me. At a distance of no more than ten feet it turned and vanished behind me. Dad saw the lion running in my direction and thought it was going to attack me.<br/>That was a lot of years ago and dad is no longer with us but I can still look into that big cat's eyes and see the wild. It was my father who taught me to listen with my heart. I still go into the wild places.<br/>Thanks for the stories, <br/>A Boy Grown Chaz, I was just a kid when I became seperated from my dad not far from Bozeman, Montana. I sat down on a boulder waiting for my father to come looking for me. He had told me that if we ever became seperated I should sit down and wait, he would find me. I had been sitting there maybe a half an hour when all of a sudden I got this real creepy feeling, like something was watching me. Not moving any more than possible I began searching the foliage and rock cover and then I saw it, a mountain lion was crouched down, watching me intently. The thing that enabled me to finally see it was the end of its tail twitched.
That big cat was bigger than I was and he had ‘hungry’ written all over his face. We watched each other for I don’t know how long and I was beginning to think that I had better do something when my father walked around a little knoll and started calling me. That lion was startled and ran, the only problem was he ran right at me. At a distance of no more than ten feet it turned and vanished behind me. Dad saw the lion running in my direction and thought it was going to attack me.
That was a lot of years ago and dad is no longer with us but I can still look into that big cat’s eyes and see the wild. It was my father who taught me to listen with my heart. I still go into the wild places.
Thanks for the stories,
A Boy Grown

]]> By: Charles Towne http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-170 Charles Towne Fri, 02 May 2008 21:13:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-170 Thanks Pastor Joe,<br/>All I can say is WOW!<br/>Be kind, keep loving, be loving, Chaz Thanks Pastor Joe,
All I can say is WOW!
Be kind, keep loving, be loving, Chaz

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-169 Anonymous Fri, 02 May 2008 10:35:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-169 "Love is all you need", John Lennon <br/><br/> <br/><br/>Dear: Confirmed Atheist, Pope, Naturalist, Monk, Nun, Pastor, Teacher, Rocket Scientists, Doctor, Plumber, Artist, Businessman, Athlete, or whatever we may be, the world would be a better place if we all learned to LISTEN MORE and SPOUTED LESS. Chaz and I have no dog in this fight. This Blog belongs to a man who loves God and His creation passionately. This Blog is truly A Writer's Heart. If you don't agree, more power to you but don't walk into a person's "home" and dictate they are all wrong in the happy pursuit of life. Dear Atheist, comments like yours reveal personal issues masked by pseudo-intellectualism. The nakedness of your heart is obvious because we are listening. Dear Atheist, you are hurting and we wish to help you get free of that pain but we respect the fact that it is your pain and you may do with it what you want. Just remember that words do hurt- but you know that because words have hurt you in the past or may be hurting you now as you re-live past pain or experience new pain. I know this because hurt people always hurt people. The reading list you asked us to read only offers us another cause to rant about and not listen. Ben Stein’s movie, Expelled, currently showing, demonstrates that even professors in higher education fall for the temptation of not listening but spouting regardless of the evidence to the contrary. Dear Friends listening to this Blog, can you hear the unspoken pain in Atheist? He is broken like we all are broken. Dogmatic statements are always based on fear and ignorance. The real questions are not, "have you read or why do you believe? But rather what are we afraid of and do we really know what we don't know? What Atheist is afraid of is accepting is that he is afraid. What Atheist is ignoring is his own ignorance. My heart feels for you friend. Whatever your belief system is is immaterial. You are allowed, as a fully functional human being, to pick the cause your precious life will be committed to. The world needs more committed people. However, allow me the same passion to commit my life to my delusions. I consciously picked my delusions because I listen to the Heart of God that speaks softly, like a tender brush of a whisper behind the neck and said, “I love you”. Now please love each other. What Atheist wrote caused me to hear a heart full of pain. That much pain should cause someone to be angry. Dear Atheist, don't be upset because we have chosen a delusion of love to engage our lives. Don't be angry because our conversation and listening is about beauty and miracles. Whether or not anyone permits it we are endowed with the ability to choose what to devote our lives to. No one has a right to judge- not even Atheists but we all have an obligation to listen if we are going to get along and improve on the previous generation's hate-filled messages. May I invite you to listen? I promise that the people that love you most are pleading the same thing from you and I don't even know them. Less talk and more listening never hurt anyone but always improves relationships. The spirit of the listener is one of humility, gentleness, peace, and love. Please don't write and leave. Let's talk. Let's listen. Chaz and I promise to truly listen to you. Let me invite you to sit with me at the feet of Chaz as he shares his Writer's Heart- it is full of love, adventure, passions, a scintillating love story, and entertainment. The best is yet to come. Sit by me my new friend! Feel the love-love is all you need.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Pastor Joe “Love is all you need”, John Lennon

Dear: Confirmed Atheist, Pope, Naturalist, Monk, Nun, Pastor, Teacher, Rocket Scientists, Doctor, Plumber, Artist, Businessman, Athlete, or whatever we may be, the world would be a better place if we all learned to LISTEN MORE and SPOUTED LESS. Chaz and I have no dog in this fight. This Blog belongs to a man who loves God and His creation passionately. This Blog is truly A Writer’s Heart. If you don’t agree, more power to you but don’t walk into a person’s “home” and dictate they are all wrong in the happy pursuit of life. Dear Atheist, comments like yours reveal personal issues masked by pseudo-intellectualism. The nakedness of your heart is obvious because we are listening. Dear Atheist, you are hurting and we wish to help you get free of that pain but we respect the fact that it is your pain and you may do with it what you want. Just remember that words do hurt- but you know that because words have hurt you in the past or may be hurting you now as you re-live past pain or experience new pain. I know this because hurt people always hurt people. The reading list you asked us to read only offers us another cause to rant about and not listen. Ben Stein’s movie, Expelled, currently showing, demonstrates that even professors in higher education fall for the temptation of not listening but spouting regardless of the evidence to the contrary. Dear Friends listening to this Blog, can you hear the unspoken pain in Atheist? He is broken like we all are broken. Dogmatic statements are always based on fear and ignorance. The real questions are not, “have you read or why do you believe? But rather what are we afraid of and do we really know what we don’t know? What Atheist is afraid of is accepting is that he is afraid. What Atheist is ignoring is his own ignorance. My heart feels for you friend. Whatever your belief system is is immaterial. You are allowed, as a fully functional human being, to pick the cause your precious life will be committed to. The world needs more committed people. However, allow me the same passion to commit my life to my delusions. I consciously picked my delusions because I listen to the Heart of God that speaks softly, like a tender brush of a whisper behind the neck and said, “I love you”. Now please love each other. What Atheist wrote caused me to hear a heart full of pain. That much pain should cause someone to be angry. Dear Atheist, don’t be upset because we have chosen a delusion of love to engage our lives. Don’t be angry because our conversation and listening is about beauty and miracles. Whether or not anyone permits it we are endowed with the ability to choose what to devote our lives to. No one has a right to judge- not even Atheists but we all have an obligation to listen if we are going to get along and improve on the previous generation’s hate-filled messages. May I invite you to listen? I promise that the people that love you most are pleading the same thing from you and I don’t even know them. Less talk and more listening never hurt anyone but always improves relationships. The spirit of the listener is one of humility, gentleness, peace, and love. Please don’t write and leave. Let’s talk. Let’s listen. Chaz and I promise to truly listen to you. Let me invite you to sit with me at the feet of Chaz as he shares his Writer’s Heart- it is full of love, adventure, passions, a scintillating love story, and entertainment. The best is yet to come. Sit by me my new friend! Feel the love-love is all you need.

Pastor Joe

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-168 Anonymous Fri, 02 May 2008 01:20:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-168 Where do I sign up? I like the idea of a listen tour. <br/><br/>Oh <i>by-the-by</i>...don't be baited by the confirmed, I mean confused athiest. He should limit his rant to one of the many chat rooms on the internet. They are brimming with like minded, ill-informed, infidels. <br/><br/>If the confused one had indeed read Emerson (as he suggests) he would know that although others of his time accused Emerson of being an athiest, he was not. He merely had a non-traditional view of God.<br/>For example, Emerson saw the evidence of God in nature and defined nature as an all-encompassing divine entity inherently known to us. <br/><br/>Read on o confused one. <br/><br/><b>God Rules!</b> Where do I sign up? I like the idea of a listen tour.

Oh by-the-by…don’t be baited by the confirmed, I mean confused athiest. He should limit his rant to one of the many chat rooms on the internet. They are brimming with like minded, ill-informed, infidels.

If the confused one had indeed read Emerson (as he suggests) he would know that although others of his time accused Emerson of being an athiest, he was not. He merely had a non-traditional view of God.
For example, Emerson saw the evidence of God in nature and defined nature as an all-encompassing divine entity inherently known to us.

Read on o confused one.

God Rules!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-167 Anonymous Thu, 01 May 2008 17:34:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-167 You people always spouting off about God make me sick. What in hell are you, delusional?<br/>Read Neitche, read Blake, Read Thoreau, read Darwin, these were all great minds and they didn't believe in any god other than man himself, read them and then let's hear you spout off about some god!<br/>A confirmed athiest You people always spouting off about God make me sick. What in hell are you, delusional?
Read Neitche, read Blake, Read Thoreau, read Darwin, these were all great minds and they didn’t believe in any god other than man himself, read them and then let’s hear you spout off about some god!
A confirmed athiest

]]> By: Charles Towne http://www.heartofthe.com/writer/on-listening-with-more-than-your-ears/#comment-166 Charles Towne Thu, 01 May 2008 16:00:00 +0000 http://erikaryan.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/survival/#comment-166 Pastor Joe,<br/>"When you can snatch the pebble from my hand, then you will be ready." I'm sorry, I've always wanted to say that.<br/>It is interesting that as we have advanced into the "communication age" we seem to be forgetting more and more what the meaning of communicaion really is. We want to be heard but we don't want to take the time to hear, to listen. Watch the faces of the people you talk to. It is usually quite obvious they can't wait for you to shut up so that they can have their say.<br/>The ancients knew how to listen. Wise men down through the ages knew how to listen. Christ knew how to listen. It is a gift, but a gift all may possess.<br/>I listen to your comments, keep them coming. Chaz Pastor Joe,
“When you can snatch the pebble from my hand, then you will be ready.” I’m sorry, I’ve always wanted to say that.
It is interesting that as we have advanced into the “communication age” we seem to be forgetting more and more what the meaning of communicaion really is. We want to be heard but we don’t want to take the time to hear, to listen. Watch the faces of the people you talk to. It is usually quite obvious they can’t wait for you to shut up so that they can have their say.
The ancients knew how to listen. Wise men down through the ages knew how to listen. Christ knew how to listen. It is a gift, but a gift all may possess.
I listen to your comments, keep them coming. Chaz

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