The Lesson they Failed to Learn

The Story of Adam and Eve

The Lord made a beautiful garden in Eden, which had numerous fruit trees in addition to countless flower plants. It also had several different kinds of animals living peacefully. The garden was watered by four streams.
The Lord appointed two human beings—a couple—to take care of the garden. They were called Adam and Eve. They named all the plants and animals and took care of their well-being. In return for doing their job, they could stay in the garden and eat from there. They had the freedom to eat from any fruit tree in the garden except one – a special fruit tree at the center of the garden. It was called The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Lord reserved it for himself. The fruit of this special tree had magical power to provide extraordinary knowledge and vision to those who ate it. The Lord enjoyed such knowledge and vision, and did not intend the human beings to obtain such extraordinary knowledge and vision.

There was also another kind of magical tree in the garden called The Tree of Life, which had fruit that imparted immortality to those who ate it. The Lord, having eaten them, was immortal. However, unlike the other tree, there was no restriction about this one. But the human beings didn’t know about it, and so they didn’t bother to eat from it.

Adam and Eve did not worry much about the fruit they were forbidden. They had already got enough fruit in the garden, and they thought that this one fruit was not going to make any difference in their lives. They were not aware of the magical power of this tree. They continued in good terms with the Lord, and they waited eagerly to receive the Lord daily when he visited the garden in the evenings.

As time passed, Eve got friendly with a snake in the garden. From the snake, Eve learned that it was a very special tree, and its fruit would give them extraordinary knowledge and vision. Eve shared the information with Adam. Considering the advantages of eating the fruit, they forgot all about their agreement with the Lord.

They ate the fruit, and immediately they saw its effects. They realized that they obtained the power to see what they couldn’t see before. They also miraculously acquired the knowledge of what was good and what was evil. Because of this knowledge, right away they felt ashamed of their nakedness, and they tried to cover their body with leaves.

In the evening, as usual, the Lord came to the garden. When they heard the Lord’s footsteps, they hid themselves behind the bush. The Lord had to call aloud to get them out into the open.

The Lord rightly guessed the reason for such behavior from them. When the Lord asked, “Did you eat the fruit?” Adam had the option to take the responsibility for his action and to say sorry. However, he didn’t have such knowledge. Although they gained the knowledge of good and evil, they didn’t know how to mend the broken relationship with the Lord. Lacking that essential knowledge, their newfound knowledge turned to be a curse rather than a blessing to them. Adam placed the blame on Eve, and thereby on the Lord for letting her be in the garden as his mate. Following Adam’s example, Eve also placed the blame on the snake.

Adam and Eve proved irresponsible. They were unfit for the job. How could they be trusted with bigger things if they couldn’t be trusted with such a little thing?

Thus they had to learn the basic lessons of life in the hard way. Adam and Eve and their descendents have been out of the garden since then, suffering the consequences of their actions. They have the ability to distinguish between good and evil, but still they haven’t learned how to maintain healthy relationships. They haven’t learned the importance of being responsible either.

source: http://kunnathu.blogspot.com/2008/02/lesson-they-failed-to-learn-story-of.html

Your Career: Can your name affect your career? - Careers- msnbc.com

Your Career: Can your name affect your career? - Careers- msnbc.com: "Like it or not, your name can make a difference in how seriously you are taken at work and whether you even get your foot in the door for the interview."

How a demotion or survival job could impact your career - Nov. 19, 2009

How a demotion or survival job could impact your career - Nov. 19, 2009: "The difficult job market has forced millions of workers to downgrade into a position they're overqualified for or take a survival job to make ends meet."

We need your help - Can you write a letter to help us?

We can make a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors. We are
called by God to do so. You can help us make that difference. We just
sent a request to Comcast asking that they provide the community center
their services at no charge for the next 12 months. Their service provides
the Internet connection and telephone services.

Below is the letter and request sent to Comcast. It tells why we need the
service.

We are asking that you also wrote Comcast and ask they to provide this
service to the center for the next 12 month without charge.

It does not matter where you live, Please write Comcast and make this
request.

Director
The Comcast Foundation
North Central Division
676 Island Pond Road
Manchester, NH 03109

Dear Director:

We can make a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors. And we
are called to do so. This is the purpose of the Mor Gregorios Community
Center in Plymouth, Indiana. Comcast can help us make this difference.

We are not requesting funds. We are asking that you provide the cable
service at no charge for the next 12 months. All those we serve are within
Comcast¹s service area.

The center provides several public programs. One of those is the employment
program. The center provides help from trained volunteers for individuals to
file for their unemployment and to file their weekly reports. All of this
must be done online in Indiana. Help is also provided to do online job
searches, preparing resumes, learning and practicing interview skills, and
other employment related activities. The program serves those who are
unemployed and those who are under employed.

Indiana Workforce Development provided the training. Workforce Development
loaned some of the computers to the program. Ancilla College and others
within the community donated other computers and equipment to the program.
No funds are provided to cover any of the expenses of this program or any of
the other programs of the center. All workers at the center are volunteers.
None of the individuals working at the center are paid employers,
contractors, and none receive any compensation. All work for free. And
that includes me.

Because we receive no funds of any type, we need your help. You can make a
difference in the lives of those we serve. We are not asking for a financial
donation. We don¹t want money. Currently, the Internet connection at the
community center is through Comcast. I pay for it personally. That also
includes the telephone service and a cable connection. I do not know how
much longer I can continue to do so. Winter is approaching and the heating
bills are rising. We receive no funds for that either.

The Internet connection is needed to file individual reports each week, do
online job searches, and many other jog related activities. The telephone
is used to call possible employers, schedule interviews, and receive
employer¹s callbacks. Some of the participants are using the Internet
connection to complete online classes to improve their employment skills.

We are asking that Comcast provide this monthly service at no change for the
next 12 months.

If you need additional information about the Mor Gregorios Community Center,
please let me know. We are under an IRS 501 (c) (3) corporation. Since the
community center is based on an Orthodox Christian paradigm, all services
are provided to all, without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, color,
class, age, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. All are served as
the Icon or image of God. We conduct all our affairs according to Orthodox
Christian social teachings with special emphasis on respect for the dignity
of the human person made in the image and likeness of God. Our vision is to
experience life together as a community, as a village where every human is
treated as if he or she were Christ Himself. All our programs are for all
people. Participants do not need to be Christians. The programs are for
those of faith and those of no faith. Everyone qualifies for the center¹s
programs.

Sincerely,

Father Theodosius Walker
Executive Director

Open Mike Night

12 Steps of Recovery Serenity Prayer

The word on the screen of this video speak for themselves.

The Mor Gregorios Community Center has a recovery program open to all... 12-Step classes and small groups for those with additions, hurts, hang-ups and other problems, as well as pastoral and spiritual direction/

Prayer for Those Who Are Abused

Prayer for Those Who Are Abused

Lord Jesus Christ, our True God, You dwell in the highest and You care for
the humble. You search the reins and the heart and clearly discern the most
hidden things of men. Light from eternity, You are the ever-existing One,
with You there is no shadow that veils nor hidden thing that Your Light
cannot pierce.

Come, O King Immortal and gently touch those who have been abused by
parents, teachers, clergy, or others in authority over them. Deep within so
many of Your brothers and sisters are the scars, the running sores, the rot
left behind by memories of the experiences they have had at the hands of
others. Some are wounded so deeply that they cannot love, they cannot feel,
they cannot live except with a hard shell around them that cuts others off
and seals them into the tomb of hopelessness and pain that feeds on itself
and slowly destroys the capacity to receive Your grace.

Lord, gently touch Your sons and daughters through us. Help us to reach out
and to be so open and unconditionally accepting that the shells may be
broken, the hurt may begin to be salved, and Your servants-our brothers and
sisters in the human family-may begin to heal. Help us, Your servants, to be
the Good Samaritan to our hurting brothers and sisters. Let us be gentle,
but not intrusive; help us to know when to speak to and when to just BE
there for them.

Help us understand that sometimes Your broken servants need us to take two
steps back when we think we should push ahead two steps, even when we think
that push is gentle. Help us to understand that sometimes a hug is worth an
hour of speaking. Help us to understand that sensitivity to the hurt is the
first step and that we are probing psychological and spiritual wounds that
are just as real as physical wounds.

Help us to understand that prayer for Your suffering servants is always the
right way because it is You Who will heal, even when it seems that we are so
great a part in that healing. Help us also to understand that we may not
know ourselves what our brothers and sisters need and to be open to letting
You give us direction by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, You have allowed Your servants to be cast down. Raise them up by Your
healing. You have allowed them to be struck and wounded deeply. Heal them by
Your power, always gentle to those who are hurting. If You send the Holy
Spirit to work through us, let Him give us what You know your suffering
servants need.

Lord, we are all wounded by events and people on our pilgrim journey. Some
of us are hurt more than others. Help us to be like Simon of Cyrene to those
we see around us who are hurting. Through the prayers of the Mother of God,
of the intercessions of the Holy Apostles, saints, martyrs, patriarchs,
confessors, and other blessed spirits whom You have gathered into Your
Kingdom, and of the intercessions of all the Holy Angels, Lord, hear our
prayers on behalf of Your suffering servants, our brothers and sisters in
You and in the whole human family. Amen.
 
posted anonymously to the Orthodox Forum yahoo group 10-17-09